BE4050- Directed Research Projects

Faculty: Rashmin Damle

Lime plaster has good moisture buffering properties which helps to regulate the indoor relative humidity. Lime plaster is used in historical buildings and in conservation projects. Since the advent of Portland cement in the 20th century, cement mortar and cement plaster have replaced lime plaster and lime mortar due to its ease of handling and quick setting time. However, in changing outdoor conditions cement is more susceptible to cracks due to high rigidity. Cement also has more embodied energy when compared with lime. Lime on the other hand is capable of self-healing by the autogenous process due to evaporation of penetrated water. This is especially needed in the case of old and historic buildings. An initial study of lime plastered houses was carried out by Paralkar 2020 (BEP Student) under my guidance. Pol houses in Ahmedabad and a private residence with lime plaster were selected. It was observed that mean radiant temperatures on the inside were lower but mold growth occurred in places with low ventilation rates and in cases where the lime plaster was covered with a non-porous paint. However, the differences observed in the above cases could not be attributed to lime plaster alone due to the different envelope characteristics of the buildings.