SA Affordable Housing January / February 2017 // Issue: 62 | Page 20
FEATURES
Cement, mixed and ready for use.
No communication between the contractor and the client
– and vice versa – can cause conflict. It’s important that the
contractor understands what is required of him. Van Wyk
says, “Communication is critical with all parties on site to
ensure that everything goes according to plan.”
USING CONCRETE
Concrete’s durability, strength and relatively low cost
make it the backbone of buildings and infrastructure
worldwide. Materials such as wood, steel, plastic and
aluminium can replace concrete in terms of effectiveness,
price and performance for most purposes.
The use of cement and concrete as a building material
has been tried and tested for years. “It has been proved
over and over as the ultimate in construction,” says
Minnaar. According to Minnaar, equating a price on
affordability is tricky because there are many factors at
play such as different brands, durability, quality standards,
as well as maintenance on the construction.
The CMA promotes the use of precast concrete.
Concrete can be used in many applications where clay is
insufficient. Clay has a specific aesthetic value and is
perfect in certain applications. Concrete, especially
precast concrete, is diverse and can be engineered for any
application such as schools, hospitals, apartment blocks,
bridges, tunnels, dams, sewerage systems, pavements,
runways, roads and more. Concrete pavers are less
expensive than brick, due to the lower cost of raw
materials. It offers far more design and colour options.
Concrete pavers are precisely uniform and easier to cut.
“The size of the aggregates used in concrete, or the
composition of sand used, plays an important role in the
future strength of a structure,” says Van Wyk.
The benefits of concrete include its durability, fireresistance, low maintenance, energy efficiency plus it is
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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2017
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
Quality products should be
used and considered when
building or paving with cement
or concrete because they save
money in the long run.
environmentally friendly. In fact, concrete is the most
widely used man-made material on earth.
Minnaar says that the best way to save money when
building or paving with cement and concrete – and without
compromising on quality – is to consult industry experts
for guidance in best practice principles when using the
materials. Also make use of precast producers, which will
guarantee quality and speed of delivery and lastly use only
skilled contractors.
Using affordable building materials, especially cement
or concrete, improves project delivery time, guarantees
quality, is durable and the end result provides pleasing
aesthetics.
While it is important to stay within budget, affordability
shouldn’t take priority over quality. As this can end up
costing the project and inhabitants more than the initial
project’s budget. The use of reputable suppliers and
industry experts go a long way to minimise costs.
Affordable housing is after all about the long-term
investment and not the short term.
With the right products and proper planning, the use of
cement or concrete offers the rigidity and strength it’s
supposed to. Additionally, concrete has impressive
weather proof properties and superior strength.