Iaetsd vertical farm buildings

Vertical farm buildings
Sustainable and green manufacturing
C.BALACHANDAR.
Dept. of Civil Engineering
SMVEC
Puducherry, India
balaji1145@hotmail.com
A.SIDHARTHAN.
Dept. of Civil Engineering
SMVEC
Puducherry, India
sidhu1194@gmail.com
Abstract— This paper deals about Vertical farm
buildings and some advanced technologies as upgrade
features to improve the efficiency of these buildings.
This paper also deals about vast area of benefits in
various categories in this modern agriculture.
Index Terms—Artificial photosynthesis, Water
filtering system, Organic wastes, Pesticide-free.
I. INTRODUCTION
Due to fast growth in urbanisation, agricultural
lands are being converted to industrial zones. The land
available for agricultural activities is being decreased at
a faster rate. The agricultural lands are heavily
occupied by industries and business centres in last few
decades. Also rural people migrate towards the urban
area. The growth comparison of rural and urban
population is given in figure below.
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ISBN: 378-26-138420-01

It is estimated that by the year 2050, close to 80%
of the world’s population will live in urban areas and
the total population of the world will increase by 3
billion people. A very large amount of land may be
required depending on the change in yield per hectare.
Scientists are concerned that this large amount of
required farmland will not be available and that severe
damage to the earth will be caused by the added
farmland.
For survival of mankind, agriculture is necessary.
But there is a lack of interest in agricultural activities in
the minds of people. To overcome these difficulties and
reduce land exploitation Vertical farm concept has
been arised.
In this paper, I have discussed some new features
to be added in these Vertical farm.
II. DESIGNING FEATURES
The features mentioned here are the advancement
technologies that need to be designed in the vertical
farm to increase the efficiency . Here the word
“efficiency” refers to the crop growth rate. So, these
advancement features will help the crops grow in a
well conditioned environment . These features are
designed to utilize the waste energies such as waste
water and utilize the renewable source of energies.
Listed below are features that makes the advancement:
A.Thermal Insulation
Crops grow on certain temperature healthy and also
at a faster rate based on the temperature. The reason is
that the temperature influences the reaction that takes
place in growing a crop. The appropriate temperature
must be steadily maintained to achieve the steady
growth of a crop. But , the environmental temperature
may vary according to the different climatic conditions
and weather conditions. Hence , to maintain the
temperature that is different from environment, we
need thermal insulation for the building. While
building the outer walls of the building that is exposed
to the environment we must take in consideration to
provide thermal insulation. It is necessary to provide
thermal insulation on the top floor of the building. For
this purpose we may use cavity walls, foam concrete,
loose fill insulation, light weight aggregate. Using glass
wall panels is better thermal insulation also it allows
natural light to enter inside the building to some extent.
B.Air-Conditioning
As mentioned above temperature need to be
maintained. Thermal insulation only prevents the
exchange of heat from surroundings. It could not
provide the required temperature. So , we have to use
air conditioners inside the building so as to provide the
appropriate temperature for the crops either hot or cold
depending on the crops that we cultivate. As we
provide thermal insulation for the building, power that
we need to spend for the air-conditioners is greatly
reduced. With the use of air-conditioning system, we
have the choice of adjusting the temperature. Crops
will grow and mature at a faster rate if temperature
needed for the cops at different stages of growth is
shortly provided. Hence, maintain the temperature will
greatly increase the crops growth as compared to
conventional farming practices.
C.Drip Irrigation
Water that is required for the crops need to be
supplied from the ground or underground where the
water is stored. The water supply inside the building is
divided into primary supply and secondary supply.
Primary water supply is similar to pipeline systems that
is used in ordinary buildings. This will take the water
to each floor level.
Secondary water supply takes the water to
crops. This secondary water supply is achieved by
irrigation so as to reduce the consumption of water.
Drip irrigation is the most economical irrigational
system to save the water. Further advancement
technology in irrigation is Sub-surface Drip irrigation
which will further reduce the water consumption and
the water will reach the root system of crops directly.
As there is no evaporation of water inside the building,
the water loss above soil surface is eliminated.
D. Water filtering system for recycling
The water loss is also below the soil surface. If
watered the cultivating land in conventional farming
practices, the excess water go deeper as the root system
is located. But in Vertical farms we can easily
eliminate this loss by simple technique.
We set a pool of soil for crops. In this pool,
below the soil layer we design a thick plastic
membrane which will filter the excess water that the
soil does not retain. So this excess water gets filtered
off and collected for reuse. The water filtering system
is shown below. The white layer in the figure indicates
the plastic membrane for filtering water.
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Fig. Water filtering system using membrane
E.Power supplement
In vertical farms, some electrical energy is
required to achieve this process. We need power for
artificial lighting, water pumping and lift systems to
carry the loads. So this power can be supplemented by
using renewable energy sources. We can fit solar
panels on the walls of Vertical farm. On the top floor
we can have wind mills. Hence this power that is
required can be easily supplemented.
F.Lightings for Artificial Photosynthesis
By using proper lightings to the plants we can
stimulate it’s growth this is termed as artificial
photosynthesis. This is what we see in botanical
gardens. So above the crops we provide lights
focussing the crops. Now-a-days, LED bulbs are more
energy conserving and it also suitable for the artificial
photosynthesis process.
G. Alternating photosynthesis and respiration
A plant does not survive if all the time light is
provided. Actually it works for manufacturing it’s food
in the presence of light and CO2. For this process, we
provide light. After sometime, plants needs to sleep, so
it needs dark and O2.
To alternate this cycle, we have a special
sensing system, that will measuring the parts per
million of CO2 molecules present in the air. After
attaining certain limit, the air with high CO2 is sucked
off. The lights are off and the fresh air with Oxygen is
pumped in which is achieved by Air-conditioners.
H. Utilization of Organic wastes
The organic waste materials generated in the
metropolitan cities is huge which can be ultimately
used as fertilizer in these Vertical farm buildings. The
waste products are collected of whole city is collected
in a place for disposing or recycling. From there we
can get organic wastes and we can adopt any method
for converting them to a good fertilizer.
Vermicomposit pit method is very much suitable.
III. ADVANTAGES OF VERTICAL FARM
A.Ultimate benefits that helps Green Economy
 Chemical and Pesticide-Free
Due to a controlled indoor growing environment,
Vertical farms facilities are not affected by natural
pests, and therefore do not require chemicals or
pesticides to ensure a healthy crop. Vertical farms
offers consumers safe, healthy and organic produce,
365 days a year.
 Freshest Produce Available
Vertical farms produces fresh, pesticide-free, local
greens that not only taste better, but have a much
longer shelf-life compared to most other produce which
has to be harvested weeks in advance and then trucked
close to 2,000 miles before making it to the market.
 Buying Local
Vertical farms facilities bring the farm right to the
people. This means that urban dwellers can buy
produce that was grown as close as 5 miles to their
homes. Vertical farms makes buying local accessible to
everyone, every season of the year.
 Increases productivity
The Vertical farms system grows plants in cubic
feet versus square feet, producing yields up to ten times
greater than traditional greenhouses, and up to 100
times greater than conventional field agriculture on a
per square foot basis.
 Year-round production
Due to the controlled, indoor environment, Vertical
farms can produce crops 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year. This means stable and consistent
revenue for Vertical farms facility owners/operators.
 Strengthens local economy
When you purchase Vertical farms produce from
your local Vertical farms farm your dollars stay within
the community and circulate throughout, giving other
local businesses a healthy boost.
B.Environmental benefits
 Eliminates the need for chemical pesticides
Because we grow plants in a controlled indoor
environment, our facilities are not affected by pests.
Pesticides are not only an environmental and health
concern, but also represent an additional cost in field
agriculture.
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 Reduces water pollution
Run-off from chemical fertilizers used on
commercial farms often contaminates nearby water
supplies.
 Uses less water
Vertical farms's closed-loop hydroponic irrigation
systems uses only 20% of the amount of water that is
required in Conventional Field Agriculture. That's 5
times less water per sq.ft. of production!
 Reduces fossil fuel use
Since Vertical farms grows produce in close
proximity to end consumers, limited transportation is
required between production site and market, thus
significantly decreasing fuel usage and greenhouse
gases. Additionally, no machinery (i.e., tractors) is
required to plant or harvest a Vertical farms crop, as is
required in field agriculture.
 Minimizes wastewater
The watering injection system recycles water,
generating little to no waste. Wastewater is one of the
most significant environmental costs associated with
traditional methods of hydroponics.
 Re-purposes existing structures
Vertical farms builds its facilities on underutilized or
abandoned properties, reducing its environmental
footprint.
C.Retailer benefits
 Price stability
Due to year-round production and controlled
growing conditions, Vertical farms produce does not
fall victim to seasonal availability or price swings.
Vertical farms is able to offer a fixed and competitive
price for produce year-round.
 Consistent and reliable crop
Due to the controlled, indoor growing environment,
Vertical farms produce is not effected by crop loss due
to natural disasters or weather related issues, such as
droughts or floods. Vertical farms offers suppliers a
consistent quality crop regardless of the time of year, or
outdoor climate.
 Longer shelf-life
Vertical farms's crops are attached to their roots until
they reach the cooler, which makes for a much longer
shelf life than crops harvested by traditional methods.
Our produce is delivered to stores the same day that it's
harvested.
D. Social Benefits
 Creates local jobs
A Vertical farms facility creates employment
opportunities that pay livable wages, plus benefits, for
local residents.
 Promotes economic growth
Vertical farms creates opportunities for community
entrepreneurs to grow and sell the produce, and
replaces imported goods with local goods.
 Promotes social responsibility
Vertical farms is committed to sustainable design
and building practices, as well as superior energy
efficiency in all operations.
 Vertical farms is a good neighbor
Vertical farms partners with local businesses and
community leaders to make sure that we address the
community's needs and concerns. Our goal is to create
jobs, economic growth, and a healthier environment.
Case study:
Some existing vertical farms and vertical
farms under construction are used for case study.
Notable of them are Sky Green Singapore, Farmed
Here , Bedfork in United States, Gotham Greens in
New York City, Local Garden in Vancouver of
Canada.
Conclsion:
The fast urbanisation in the recent decades
affects agriculture as there is no proper land for
cultivation. Also the conventional methods of
agriculture makes the soil non-fertile and thus makes a
way of afforestation. Although some initial costs of
spending such a source of money for building these
Vertical Farms, the best way to overcome land
depletion and save agriculture. Hence, I conclude
Vertical Farms are the best choice for agricuture’s
future.
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Iaetsd vertical farm buildings

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