SA Affordable Housing March / April 2018 // Issue: 69 | Page 30

FEATURES
A beneficiary stands next to her home built using IBTs.
quickly towards efficiency and sustainability. Horwood
says, “There is a general shift towards a greener
environment. If you throw all of this into the mix, it’s no
wonder IBTs are starting to gain traction in South Africa’s
marketplace and further afield.”
SELECTING INNOVATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS
In South Africa IBTs are certified by innovative construction
product assessors, Agrément SA which falls under the
Department of Public Works. Following a rigorous process
of evaluation and testing Agrément provides certification
of suitability and approval which is recognised by South
African government, local authority, financial authorities
and the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).
Certification, control and implementation processes are
critically important and fall under the World Federation of
Technical Assessment Organisations – WFTAO. These
global networks and bodies effectively control IBTs.
There’s a rapidly growing demand and with that, you need
the right kind of licensing and approval to keep track of
further technologies and developments.
Considerations for developers
• The final product, must be acceptable to the end user
and be sound, solid and reliable.
• The choice of IBT must provide significant time and cost
saving compared to conventional methods.
• It must have superior authority in terms of thermal
insulation, anti-fungal and be recyclable.
• Agrément SA managed by the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) regulates IBTs in South Africa.
MARKET INCLUSION
IBTs are a hard sell because, in the past, the South African
public, and institutions, haven’t fully understood IBT
construction. What has aggravated the situation is that
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MARCH - APRIL 2018
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
Building and construction becomes easier and quicker with IBTs.