SA Affordable Housing September / October 2017 // Issue: 66 | Page 35

Finding a green project that is economical for the affordable housing sector is a rare , however the team at Use-it have been providing this since 2009 .
PROJECTS

Smart bricks making our environment greener

Finding a green project that is economical for the affordable housing sector is a rare , however the team at Use-it have been providing this since 2009 .

By Ntsako Khosa | All images courtesy Use-It
The Lovu Small Scale Housing Intervention in KwaZulu-Natal .

When doing the earthworks for a housing or mix-use development , two major aspects come into play , removing the waste soil and dumping in a landfill as well as supplying all the materials required for the project .

Non-Profit Organisation , Use – It , puts the waste to good use by converting it into building materials , specifically , bricks . Their flagship innovative project development is the RamBrick , a compressed earth block made from waste soil and builders ’ rubble destined for the landfill .
Manufacturing of the bricks involves selecting soils that contain a minimum of 10 % clay component , into which up to 30 % crushed builder ’ s rubble can be added and this is blended with only 5 % cement . No water is added . Once the right balance is found , the blended soil is inserted into a block press machine and then it mass produces the bricks .
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 33