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How to Construct Houses with Plastic Bottles !!by nav.sparx on March 8, 2009

Table of Contents

How to Construct Houses with Plastic Bottles !! .......................................................................................

Intro: How to Construct Houses with Plastic Bottles !! ................................................................................

Step 1: Bottles,bottles everywhere! .............................................................................................

Step 2: Step I .............................................................................................................

Step 3: STEP II ............................................................................................................

Related Instructables ........................................................................................................

Comments ................................................................................................................

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Intro: How to Construct Houses with Plastic Bottles !!Waste bottles for construction? Yes, it is difficult to think of a bottle as a brick. But a mud-filled bottle is as strong as a brick and whatever you can do with a brick, youdo with a bottle too..Plus it has got lots of advantages too...

This project was done as part of our college activity.The man behind this innovative idea is a german named Andreas Froese,who is also the founder of 'ECO-TEC' .

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:http://www.eco-tecnologia.com

About ECO-TEC

Found in 2001 by Andreas Froese Germen citizen and its head quarters is at Honduras Central America.ECO-TEC has done more than 50 eco friendly projects at Honduras, Columbia, Bolivia.ECO-TEC has experience working with Govt, Non-Govt and International organization.

ECO-TEC has won lot of environmental awards for innovation.Developed technology to build with pet bottles which helps to reuse plastic bottles and avoid plastic menace.Developed technology to build water tanks with pet bott les.

Being a student of Architecture, I feel privileged to be part of this innovative construction project.

Building with Bottles :

This is an effective solution for reusing the plastic. Bottles have the following advantages over bricks and other construction materials.

1. Low cost - You know how much a bottle costs!2. Non-Brittle - (Unlike bricks)3. Absorbs abrupt shock loads - Since they are not brittle,there can take up heavy loads without failure.4. Bio climatic5. Re-usable6. Less construction material7. Easy to build8. Green Construction

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Step 1:Bottles,bottles everywhere!The video shows the strength of a mud filled plastic bottle.

When you make a clay brick, the time and energy used right from mixing the clay to baking it in the kiln and taking into account the firewood used for that, you will seethat the bottle brick is far more energy-efficient.The technology also reduces the carbon emission that happens during the baking of an ordinary brick . The heat generation f rom cement factories can also be reduce

as this technology uses only five percent cement. The foundation for the entire construction is obtained from building waste and so the mountains from which granite iblasted out can be saved too..PET Bottle can last as long as 300 years (undoubtedly longer than the cement used to bind the bottles together in the walls!).

The following picture is of an ecological house constructed in Honduras using some 8,000 PET bottles, in the process freeing up an estimated 12 cubic meters (m3) inlocal landfill.

The house also features a living roof (sometimes called a green roof) of sod and turf. Such roofs not only have aesthetic appeal, but tend to insulate the house better conventional roofs, lowering heating and cooling costs. They are also cheaper than conventional roofs.

When wet, the 102 square meter (m2), living roof of the casa ecol?can weigh as much as 30 metric tons (Mt, toneladas). The PET bottle walls can support the weight

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Step 2:Step IThis instructable tells you how to build a pavilion with these bottles.1.Your first step is to collect as many discarded plastic bottles as you can..They can be of various capacities.2.Next step is to find a place where you can get a hell load of dry sand (finer,the better).3.Next process is to take the bottles, fill them with sand, sealed and then paste them with a mixture made of earth, clay, sawdust and a li ttle cement to provide additionstrength and durability.The following video shows how to f ill the bottle.4.Now you are all set.Always start with the pillar.You can have as many pil lars as you want,but not less than 3.5.Dig a cylindrical pit about 60cm in depth.The radius should be atleast 10cm more than the length of the bottle that you are going to use for constructing the pillar.6.Make a cement bed(about 4cm thickness)in the pit.Insert an long iron/steel rod at the centre.Tie a long and strong thread to the rod. Now we are going to lay 10 or 1bottles around this rod.For this,First lay a bottle on the bed such that the bottle is radially oriented towards the centre.(i.e.,the cap is oriented towards the rod).7.Take the thread and make a knot around the neck of the bottle you just laid.Put the next bottle in simi lar way keeping in mind that the caps of the 2 bottles touch eacother.Make a knot around the 2nd bottle also.Repeat the steps until you lay all the 11 bottles.You have made your first course of bottles.8.Fill in the gaps between the bottles with rubble and cement.Make the next bed and continue this process till you fill the entire pit.Hurray!your foundation iscomplete.Leave it for a few hours so that the cement will solidify.

9.After you have made the foundation for all your pillars,you can start building the pillar.Lay the bottles like you did for the foundation,and you will see your pillarsrising.You can put broken bricks or other construction wastes between the bottles so that they don't move.10.Now if you want you can plaster your pillar with cement.This pillar is many times stronger much cheaper than an ordinary pillar made with bricks.

Step 3:STEP IIAfter building all the pillars,You are ready to make the platform.1.Make an outline of your platform with chalk powder or any color powders.2.Make a Clay bed about 5cm height and width=5 cm > length of the bottles.This bed runs along the perimetre of the platform.3.Now lay the bottles (with their neck facing outwards )one by one on this bed and tie them to each other as shown in the picture.After laying a course , fill the inside awith cement,clay or rubble.If you want to make more courses,make sure that you knot each bottle of the underlying course with the above course as shown in thepicture.This is to impart more strength to the structure.4.This is your platform.Now put tiles or ceramics for flooring.5.You can put any type of roof over this because the pillars are really strong enough to hold them.6.Create your own designs ,and build your own structures with this cheap construction method !

Some structures (including residences,water tanks,seating etc)built with pet bott les are shown here

HAPPY BUILDING!! :D

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by wiley coyote

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Comments

50 comments Add Comment view all 62 comme

Ron Burgundy says: Nov 7, 2010. 7:56 PM REP

Thats how Michael Reynolds builds his bottle walls in his Earth Ships, leave the bott les empty and sealed so they become insulators.check outEarthship.com

and stay classy planet Earth.

spark master says: Jul 13, 2010. 10:41 AM REP

See old "Mother Earth News" chord wood housethere is also a beer can house and they used other stuff as well. benefit of empty sealed up bottle is itbecomes an insulator.

spark master says: Jul 12, 2010. 1:16 PM REP

Everything old is NEW again "The Mother Earth News" had articles on this type of construction back in the 1980's (maybe 70's) I do like the instructablethough. If I can find the issues where they show it I will let you know the year and issue. People used Chord Wood and bottles and cans and ti res. All in anattempt to reuse the unreusable. thanks for posting this, I will visit their website sparkie

cyrusdaquigan says: Jun 20, 2010. 12:49 AM REP

nice one! good construction material alternative.cheap but durable..

gnoll says: Mar 17, 2010. 2:02 PM REP

I was curious as to what your measurements were for the "mixture made of earth, clay, sawdust and a lit tle cement."

Also, if the pillars are the main support for the roof, do you have to use any reinforcement for the walls like rebar?

Thanks so much for posting this Instructable!

EmmettO says: Mar 8, 2010. 8:46 PM REP

I like it. What is being used as mortar here? Another similar ible has in the comments that you do not use cement mortar. Are you only using dried clay asmortar? If so, how do you make the water tanks? I know that clay is water resistant but it isn't water tight.

lancesb says: Jan 16, 2010. 9:03 PM REP

This is crazy, yes I agree with the green factor of production; but how much time & labor is used in packing the bottles? Wouldn't it be more profitable torecycle the bottles into solid building materials? Roofing tiles, flooring, siding, countertops; the demand for more eco friendly products is finally on the rise, personally don't think it helpsto give out good ideas which may detract from more viable options. This IS a great idea, but the average homeowner will notbe able to afford this anytime soon.

strayturk says: Mar 7, 2010. 9:25 AM REPLancesb, you are right for developed countries where labor is expensive, and materials are not, in contrast to underdeveloped ones where this is exactthe opposite.

Purocuyu says: Jan 20, 2010. 3:59 PM REP

It might be crazy for a first world economy, but I think in other places, it can make sense. I lived for a few years in rural Mexico, and the people therehave way more time, and energy than they have money. This doesn't seem to be a project intended to maximize profit. It seems to me to be intended to allow people with modest means, but with serious driveto build a house. Within those confines, doesn't it seem to be successful? I imagine some people would look at this and think,"what a drag to fill all those bottles" but maybe if those people had no home, but plenty of dirt, andmaybe some bottles, they might think it is a viable option.

Pinky212 says: Feb 24, 2010. 12:32 AM REP

I understand completely where you are coming from. When people have little or no money and a lot of time, it is time well spent (invested) to creatsomething usable and needed even if the "average" person would not spend the time doing it. Most 2 worker families in the U.S.A. don't have (or

take) the time to bake bread and other bakery items, cook meals, or sew clothes and decorative items. However, seniors and disabled persons onlimited income (and often at or near the poverty line) who are physically able to spend their time doing those tasks, save (or don't spend asmuch)money. Remodeling clothes, hemming pants, hemming and/or remodeling curtains, etc.,given to them or purchased cheaply at garagesales/thrift stores can take alot of time. But, again, it's time well spent for the person who has little money.

ElmoRoyD says: Feb 6, 2010. 7:44 PM REP

I agree, i live in México, I am mexican. I worked in a project of PET bottles recycling, and you are right, if your "job" is to gather plastic bottles fromthe trash, to sell it at $1.50 Pesos, that is less than .15 dollar cents for kilo. You do have a lot of time and energy.

Here in Mexico we dont have problems with recycling, people can throw beer cans in the streets without feeling guilty about pollution. Someone elsis going to pick it up and sell it. Actually i never put cans in the trash can that is outside of my house, i just put them aside, that way is easier for the

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strayturk says: Mar 7, 2010. 9:18 AM REP

You can use Irfanview. It's an awesome image viewer/editor program that also has FLV capability, and it's free. http://www.irfanview.com

Alfredo Harmsen says: Mar 4, 2010. 6:01 AM REP

I can not watch the videos. Is it possible to have them with other program? Thanks Alfredo

alphaseinor says: Apr 28, 2009. 9:20 AM REP

I like the use of materials, I wonder if this will work in the US... much easier to make curved walls. Not to mention the R value for hot climates!

Pinky212 says: Feb 24, 2010. 12:40 AM REP

Zoning laws in many localities would, unfortunately, prohibit home building using this unconventional method. This may be the case in other first worldcountries, too. Of that I do not know.

I know a case in Minnesota, U.S.A. where a home owner was forced to remove a wellbuilt and well designed (small Victorian-like) play house for hisgranddaughters to play in when they visited. He'd put in many, many hours of work but because he hadn't obtained building permits for this toy and itwas a shelter structure that didn't meet the minimum size allowed, he couldn't keep it. He choose to move it to another location with less strict buildingcodes, etc. Pity.

dufferdev says: Feb 11, 2010. 1:47 AM REP

superb work... too good... where is it Made... Can I come to see it ???Thanks..........

nav.sparx says: Feb 11, 2010. 6:06 AM REPHave a look at www.eco-tecnologia.com

andreasfroese says: Feb 11, 2010. 4:10 AM REP

We have done projects inHondurasColombiaBoliviaIndiawww.eco-tecnologia.com

nav.sparx says: Feb 11, 2010. 6:15 AM REP

Sir , what project are you presently working on ?

andreasfroese says: Feb 11, 2010. 7:32 AM REP

preparing a water tank project in Africa and other in Chile

8bit says: Apr 19, 2009. 6:51 PM REP

Is this easier than making bricks?

andreasfroese says: Feb 10, 2010. 8:09 AM REP

you need 2-3 minute to fill one bouttle and no machinewww.eco-tecnologia.com

valhallas_end says: Apr 19, 2009. 8:58 PM REP

If you could speed up the fil ling process, this would be so much faster - homemade bricks are a pain to cure properly (I cannot count how many t imes Ilaid out a batch to dry, then realized too late I'd added too little clay or some small detail, and Crack!). I love the texture you can get with this system.

Snoopytooth says: Nov 19, 2009. 8:24 AM REP

It doesn't describe how to make square corners and the diagrams don't show that part.

Please can you add to this instructable how to end the straight walls?

ve_ness says: Feb 7, 2010. 1:36 AM REP

IF your not a pro this won't come easy. Laying brick, er bottles, can't be learned over night. Well if you want a good end product that is. You'll need tolayout the wall, consider reinforcing, then be able to lay the "corner lead" level, plumb, square (if called for), and in range. IF you can't do so within acertain tolerance you jeopardize the stability of the structure. If you can, then bravo.

If your a novice the best thing to do would be to hire (or barter) the services of a bricklayer to lay the corners for you. The corners are built first and thethe middle is filled in. If you want to play, jump in the middle of the wall where you can be "supervised" by the pros and really can't muck things up too

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much.

http://www.lets-do-diy.com/Projects-and-advice/Brickwork-and-masonry/Building-a-brick-wall.aspx

ruthy nov says: Nov 21, 2009. 2:09 PM REP

Thank you for a wonderful idea!In my country we have largecollection baskets on the streetsfor recycling plastic containers. It is obligatory to do so.Please tell the exact proportions of sand-clay-cement.I think the caps should be glued!a word to LARZE - re-using plastic bottles is so dangerous! No steril ization possible and they become a sourse of deseases. This is done in poor countrieslike India, bery bad indeed.

ve_ness says: Feb 7, 2010. 1:21 AM REP

The ratio for the mortar mixture depends on the climate in your area. I work as a commercial bricklayer in Chicago and we typically use type S or Nmortar. I use one bag of cement (94 lbs), one bag of type S Lime (40 lb bag), and 64 shovels of sand if it's dry. If the sand is wet then use less.

http://www.graymont.com/applications_mixing_methods.shtmlFurther explanation:

http://www.mc2-ice.com/support/estref/popular_conversion_files/masonry/mortar.htm

Keep in mind that the parts are used by common material measurements used in the US.

OR just save your self the headache if your not a pro and buy "Masonry mix" which is known by the product name here as "spec mix".

Light_Lab says: Feb 7, 2010. 12:23 AM REP

I have seen something like this done with empty glass beer bottles here in Australia. It seemed a great idea as the bottles let in light like amber glass brickalways wondered though how you discouraged critters from taking up residence in the bottles (unless you recapped them). This is not a problem with sandfilled plastic bottles, and the construction is more flexible.I wonder if you could conveniently combine rammed sand plastic bottles with rammed earth car tires. Use the tires for the columns/pillars, and bottles for thwalls.

the crowing says: Jan 15, 2010. 9:53 PM REP

This is such a cool idea. I love it!

porcupinemamma says: Nov 19, 2009. 6:42 AM REP

go to this site and enjoy every one!

http://www.agilitynut.com/h/bh.html

harshada says: Nov 2, 2009. 4:32 AM REP

this is amazing..i want to know where this thing is constructed.. i would love to visit the place.... please share the infor as early as possible i m quite keen.....

porcupinemamma says: Nov 19, 2009. 6:40 AM REP

Me too!

polana says: Oct 24, 2009. 1:50 AM REP

Why do we fill the bottles with sand for?? Why don't we use water or better leave them empty (fill the with air)???

juanoporras says: Nov 17, 2009. 5:48 PM REP

Because the empty (air) bottles are more susceptible to collapse with heavy loads; if you fill them with water the problem is that water spans andcontracts with temperature changes, same problem with air, so the house will "move" and create cracks on the mortar. sand is the best environmentaland structural choice which is one of the main reasons of this project. somebody tell me i'm wrong.

BTW really nice project, thanks for sharing, Iwill certainly use these tips ;).

A good name says: Aug 6, 2009. 5:00 PM REP

It isn't an innovative thought. Mike Reynolds has been doing the same thing since like 1970.

Anathema_Herem says: Sep 20, 2009. 4:01 PM REP

Amen and amen. If one is more interested in this type of building, look up Earthship Biotecture. Mr. Reynolds has created houses that are art forms.

http://www.earthship.net/ 

One of these years I'll have the land to build one, myself. Ah, dreams.

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pinkhairkid says: Sep 12, 2009. 6:14 AM REP

its on my bucket list whenever I find myself with a lot of time and a lot of plastic bottles, ill do it

azntrooper93 says: Jul 31, 2009. 10:56 PM REP

WICKED first i thought u were just making the foundation or something thats really cool but wont it erode fast

porcupinemamma says: Jul 19, 2009. 10:07 PM REP

Excellent!!!!

larze says: Jun 24, 2009. 2:26 PM REP

I think the bottles would be better saved for recycling as liquid containers. They are not ecological because to produce them you need so much oil , especiato replace the bottles which would go off circulation. Better to emit a bit of CO2 for bricks than emit a lot more CO2 because of oil for bottles and use theincreasingly scarce oil, in my opinion. But in innovational sense, this instructable is great anyway.

Javin007 says: Jul 10, 2009. 6:43 AM REP

I think you miss the point here. They wouldn't produce bottles to build houses (notice that the bottles are all different brands.) These are bottles thatwould otherwise end up in a landfill, or even be recycled, which chemically is not nearly as good as it sounds.

larze says: Jul 11, 2009. 10:12 AM REP

No no, I didn't think they would produce bottles for house building, that would be just too crazy. :) But with recycling I meant reusing the bott les, sorfor the confusion. In my country the plastic bottles are so sturdy that they reuse them. Okay -- then there is still the problem with the weak bottles nreally suitable for reuse, at least not many times even in private use.

Javin007 says: Jul 13, 2009. 11:49 AM REP

Ahhhh, I see. Here in the U.S. the bottles are so incredibly thin, they're completely useless for reuse. Yes, reuse would definitely be farpreferable. The weak bottles though are just there to add structure to the "bricks." Individually, they wouldn't hold up a house, but together andwith filler between them, they would be plenty strong. Imagine that you're essentially building a house out of mud, but using the bottles as abinder to give that mud stability.

Atomman says: Jul 5, 2009. 12:21 PM REP

Truly Amazing. Where did you get the bottles?

genesis2000 says: Jun 6, 2009. 2:21 PM REP

its looks like brasil to me

smessud says: Jun 4, 2009. 8:23 PM REP

I guess you could add water and cement to clay and pour the mix into the bottles. What about the heat from cement? And the effect of shrinking? You neethe bottle well filled to be sturdy. You could certainly bring the time of making one "brick" under 30 sec. Even if you need to vibrate it a little, it would be lesthan a minute to make one. That's a rich man (understand occidental) solution, but it looks like a lot of work to make a brick. I wonder if the very low frictionbetween PET and cement could be a structural problem? Last thing is : as the bottles are very regular in size, a wooden guide would certainly speed up thlaying of bricks and mortar (especially for pillars). Very nice system anyway.

cowscankill says: May 18, 2009. 10:51 AM REP

That is soooooooo awesome. I don't know why we don't build more bottle houses.

Kenmundo101 says: May 17, 2009. 7:10 AM REP

Amazing idea... voted AND really like

yokozuna says: May 16, 2009. 10:34 AM REP

five stars, voted, faved.

Mortokeiro says: May 16, 2009. 9:57 AM REP

Fantastic idea!I'll try to do that!but a small wall or pillar to beguin!=D

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