Technologies and technology transfer techniques for lowcost sustainable ecomaterials for reconstruction

Ecomaterials are building materials that aim to maximize the use of indigenous waste materials, and minimize the use of non-sustainable, energy intensive and expensive raw ingredients such as Portland cement. The paper looks at how the ecomaterials technology can be transferred to the grassroots at the community level and, in particular, describes ways to: (1) establish centres of knowledge and application excellence within various Sri Lankan Provinces for building materials — centres for people to seek education, training and assistance; (2) establish ecomaterials entrepreneurships or microindustries that have excellent quality control and management, so that the materials produced are first-class; (3) reach out to the community through extensive advertising and by building demonstration houses and housing projects in particularly hard-hit areas; (4) address the social/psychological issues in order to dissuade citizens from using the higher-status, more expensive, high Portland-cement content materials.

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