ABSTRACT
Meeting the increasing demand for housing and other basic needs is a challenge for government, individuals and communities in both developed and developing countries. Concerns on the effects of climate change, exploitation of non-renewable resources and occurrence of unusual events such as tsunamis and pandemics are making it necessary to think outside the box and develop products and technologies that can address these issues. Construction and building accounts for a major share of the use of non-renewable resources and also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Hence, it is imperative that new technologies be developed and adopted to mitigate the effects of the construction industry on the environment. Such efforts are critical in developing countries like India, which have pledged to t reduce GHGs and adopt sustainable practices. Agricultural residues such as stems, leaves and husks are inevitably generated and are available in large quantities at low cost. These residues are renewable, sustainable and have unique properties such as thermal and noise insulation preferable for civil engineering applications. In this chapter, we report the development, properties and potential applications of agricultural residues for civil engineering applications, specifically for insulation such as false roofing and partition panels.
