Building without blocks - moladi launch in Nigeria:
"Building without blocks - moladi launch in Nigeria"
By Allwell Okpi
June 17, 2010 12:10AM
The presentation pulled quite a crowd at the venue of the Lagos Housing Fair 2010, which held from April 26 to May 1. Abraham Adewale and his assistants awed there audience with tales of how they can build two concrete three-bedroom flats from foundation to finish in about a month-- without cement blocks.Demonstrating with a sample of a concrete wall about two feet high, about four feet wide and six inches thick, Mr Adewale explained, “We use these crates. Once we set it up, we pour the concrete and we ensure we pour it at the same time so that it will be homogenous. Before we pour the concrete, we would have put all the pipes and conduits so that when it sets, they are already fixed in it.”The building innovation, which was imported by Moladi Nigeria Limited from South Africa, is likely to revolutionise mass housing delivery in Nigeria, and particularly in Lagos where the need for housing is overwhelming.With the ability to deliver a hundred houses in a few months and at a relatively lower price, the innovation may enhance the provision of high quality houses to the not-so-rich in the society.Like most of the other visitors to the stand, Solomon Etteh was amazed by the building style.“I mean, this is very nice. It is solid; it is smooth. If you have this one, you don’t need to worry about collapse or anything. Mere touching the wall now you see that it is strong; you can’t compare it with those blocks that you will hit and they will scatter,” Mr Etteh said.Another visitor, Kelechi Abazie, a real estate developer, said if fully embraced, the innovation will address issues surrounding quality housing and will put Nigeria in the league of more developed nations.“This is good. We should start looking more into quality of the houses that we build. Now they’ve been using this method to build houses in South Africa since, and I know it is also being used in some European countries, like Spain and France. Those people believe in quality. I think this method should be promoted and supported by government at least, if not for any other thing, to reduce the number of people who are injured or who die as a result of incidents of building collapse, most of which are caused by poor materials like weak blocks,” he said.The sample building, which serves as the office of Moladi Nigeria (a franchise of the South African company), a two wing-three-bedroom flat, off Agege Motor Road, Oshodi, is the first of its kind in the country.Blocks vs no-blocksAccording to Mr Adewale, the advantage of the Moladi style of building is that it is cost effective because it takes little time.“This is basically for mass housing; our target is real estate developers, private mortgage, government parastatals. One thing you have to understand is that quality is cost and time is cost. If you factor all that into cost, you’ll discover that this method is cheaper. These two-wing, three-bedroom flats cost between 7.9 to 8.1 million naira. That is everything, from foundation to finishing. That takes about 35 days: three days to set up the crates (the Moladi formwork) and pour the mortar (concrete without stone plus plasticizer) and remove them, takes about three days, then 28 days of full curing. Everything is planned before we start,” he said.According to Mr Adewale, who is the Managing Director of Moladi Nigeria, the structure is far more durable than block-work.“The strength of our structure has been tested and measured as 11 Newton per millimetre, while that of block is 3.4 Newton per millimetre. It is like building a bridge. It a homogenous structure, so its durability can be compared to that of a well-built bridge,” he said.
For more information on moladi plastic formwork construction system - www.moladi.net
near the Jewish settlement of Kokhav Hashaha
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West Bank Jewish settlement
a Jewish settlement in the West Bank
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information about debt settlement companies and how to choose the best one for you.
Banks eye developing low-cost housing
Banks eye developing low-cost housing
SOUTH African banks are taking the initiative to drive business in the low- cost housing arena by buying land themselves and getting it zoned, but they are being held back by delays of three years in getting plans approved.
While there is a profit motive behind the move – some banks are seeing business of R5- to R6-billion in this area – and they charge interest on loans of about R400000, a quicker move into this direction has an enormous social economic imperative.
First National Bank chief executive Michael Jordaan said 240000 families could qualify for low-cost housing right now, but the problem was a lack of supply – for every one house on sale there are seven potential buyers waiting to buy.
Because of the delays in getting everything approved – from zoning to roads to setting up electricity with Eskom – developers are unable to fund the projects, which is why banks have stepped in to buy, zone and set up bulk services.
Jordaan said unblocking supply was a key to solving many of the country’s ills, as once people owned homes it developed the middle class – the lifeblood of an emerging economy. It then flowed through to ensure better education for children who have roofs over their heads and sustainability of jobs as people want to keep their houses.
“We have to unblock supply,” Jordaan said.
FNB has 22% of new business in this area, behind Standard Bank, but wants to grow if it could it as it is a sustainable business. An interesting fact is arrears at this area of the market are lower than those in higher- earning areas.
The low-cost housing arena is also an area where Absa is looking to play a more active role as well.
Absa entry-level banking managing executive Lawrence Twigg has noted that 20% of personal loans are related to improvements on houses bought through the low-cost housing unit. – BusinessLive
moladi at www.moladi.net
Keywords - ABSA, FNB, Standard Bank, low cost housing, moladi, banks, development, winner, award, alternative, backlog
SOUTH African banks are taking the initiative to drive business in the low- cost housing arena by buying land themselves and getting it zoned, but they are being held back by delays of three years in getting plans approved.
While there is a profit motive behind the move – some banks are seeing business of R5- to R6-billion in this area – and they charge interest on loans of about R400000, a quicker move into this direction has an enormous social economic imperative.
First National Bank chief executive Michael Jordaan said 240000 families could qualify for low-cost housing right now, but the problem was a lack of supply – for every one house on sale there are seven potential buyers waiting to buy.
Because of the delays in getting everything approved – from zoning to roads to setting up electricity with Eskom – developers are unable to fund the projects, which is why banks have stepped in to buy, zone and set up bulk services.
Jordaan said unblocking supply was a key to solving many of the country’s ills, as once people owned homes it developed the middle class – the lifeblood of an emerging economy. It then flowed through to ensure better education for children who have roofs over their heads and sustainability of jobs as people want to keep their houses.
“We have to unblock supply,” Jordaan said.
FNB has 22% of new business in this area, behind Standard Bank, but wants to grow if it could it as it is a sustainable business. An interesting fact is arrears at this area of the market are lower than those in higher- earning areas.
The low-cost housing arena is also an area where Absa is looking to play a more active role as well.
Absa entry-level banking managing executive Lawrence Twigg has noted that 20% of personal loans are related to improvements on houses bought through the low-cost housing unit. – BusinessLive
moladi at www.moladi.net
Keywords - ABSA, FNB, Standard Bank, low cost housing, moladi, banks, development, winner, award, alternative, backlog
R100m housing fiasco - 470 houses are uninhabitable
R100m housing fiasco - 470 houses are uninhabitable: "R100m housing fiasco
Only four houses make the grade
May 30, 2010 10:33 PM By SIPHO MASONDO
More than R100-million has been spent on two massive housing projects in North West - but there are only four low-cost government homes to show for the money."
On the outskirts of Vryburg, near the Northern Cape border, the provincial government spent more than R86-million on building 470 houses, but only four have been satisfactorily completed.
Three hundred of the houses are uninhabitable - their foundations and walls do not conform to specifications and building standards.
The remaining 166 houses are being checked.
Vryburg's town manager, George Mthimunye - sent to administer the town in July by Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka and North West human settlements MEC Desbo Mohono - has ordered that the defects be corrected.
Vryburg municipality is now partially administered by the provincial government
About 300km away in Meriting extensions 3 and 4, in Rustenburg, the government spent more than R28-million on 1930 low-cost houses. But they were so shoddily built that they will have to be demolished.
Mthimunye said: "The foundations [of the Vryburg houses] are faulty, some of them are half-built and some are built up to roof level. But most, if not all, have defects according to a report I got from our building inspector."
Mthimunye said Khasu Engineering, which was contracted to deliver 3000 houses by the end of July, is taking the municipality to court, claiming that R4.7-million is owed to it.
This, Mthimunye said, is despite the fact that he discovered that Khasu was "erroneously overpaid" by R27-million.
He said he had given the company an ultimatum to fix the 300 houses by December 15, but Khasu had refused.
"They say they will only correct the [defective] houses at the end of the project," he said.
This, Mthimunye said, was unlikely to happen as Khasu had not been on site since October, claiming there was no money left to continue with the project.
"It's a major headache for me. I will terminate the contract and get a new company, and see how many houses we can get from the remaining money.
"We will have to look for another contractor, which will demand more money. We are starting the project afresh, two years down the line," Mthimunye said.
A government house costs R55000 to build, according to the department of human settlements website.
Mthimunye said the contract with Khasu was flawed from the start because it was not put out to tender. It was awarded in 2007.
The company was awarded the contract by the former municipal administration, which allegedly flouted procurement procedures.
As a result, Mthimunye said, he asked the National Prosecuting Authority's special investigation unit to investigate.
But the Vryburg municipality's council is far from delighted that the investigation has begun.
"There is no support. In fact, I am a problem to the council itself. Last week, they took a resolution that we must pay [Khasu the R4.7-million it claims]. They said if I don't pay, I will be in defiance and I will be charged," he said.
At least one councillor has threatened to charge Mthimunye with insubordination if he does not pay Khasu speedily.
"I told her to do as she pleases because I won't pay."
When The Times approached Khasu general manager Christo van Niekerk, he refused to comment, saying the case was sub judice.
Meanwhile, in Rustenburg, "not a single house has been completed" by another housing contractor.
"Something went terribly wrong. Along the way the [Rustenburg] municipality realised that the work was not of good quality. They were stopped, and the contractor took them to court," said Mohono, who was not able to identify the contractor.
"All the 1930 structures and the foundations will have to be destroyed. We have huge problems with almost all housing projects. The municipality must try to recoup the money."
Henry Hartley, a DA councillor in Rustenburg, said the builder had been paid about R28-million of the R45-million contract for 1950 low-cost homes.
"It is unsafe for any human being to occupy those houses, whether completed or not.
"We will now need about R71-million to rectify all the houses. The whole thing will have to be redone," he said.
Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale last year said that it would cost R1.3-billion to rebuild houses that had been poorly built.
About 3000 of such houses were in North West and Eastern Cape
Question: How can any decent/reputable contractor ever compete with people like this? They are thieves
Only four houses make the grade
May 30, 2010 10:33 PM By SIPHO MASONDO
More than R100-million has been spent on two massive housing projects in North West - but there are only four low-cost government homes to show for the money."
On the outskirts of Vryburg, near the Northern Cape border, the provincial government spent more than R86-million on building 470 houses, but only four have been satisfactorily completed.
Three hundred of the houses are uninhabitable - their foundations and walls do not conform to specifications and building standards.
The remaining 166 houses are being checked.
Vryburg's town manager, George Mthimunye - sent to administer the town in July by Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka and North West human settlements MEC Desbo Mohono - has ordered that the defects be corrected.
Vryburg municipality is now partially administered by the provincial government
About 300km away in Meriting extensions 3 and 4, in Rustenburg, the government spent more than R28-million on 1930 low-cost houses. But they were so shoddily built that they will have to be demolished.
Mthimunye said: "The foundations [of the Vryburg houses] are faulty, some of them are half-built and some are built up to roof level. But most, if not all, have defects according to a report I got from our building inspector."
Mthimunye said Khasu Engineering, which was contracted to deliver 3000 houses by the end of July, is taking the municipality to court, claiming that R4.7-million is owed to it.
This, Mthimunye said, is despite the fact that he discovered that Khasu was "erroneously overpaid" by R27-million.
He said he had given the company an ultimatum to fix the 300 houses by December 15, but Khasu had refused.
"They say they will only correct the [defective] houses at the end of the project," he said.
This, Mthimunye said, was unlikely to happen as Khasu had not been on site since October, claiming there was no money left to continue with the project.
"It's a major headache for me. I will terminate the contract and get a new company, and see how many houses we can get from the remaining money.
"We will have to look for another contractor, which will demand more money. We are starting the project afresh, two years down the line," Mthimunye said.
A government house costs R55000 to build, according to the department of human settlements website.
Mthimunye said the contract with Khasu was flawed from the start because it was not put out to tender. It was awarded in 2007.
The company was awarded the contract by the former municipal administration, which allegedly flouted procurement procedures.
As a result, Mthimunye said, he asked the National Prosecuting Authority's special investigation unit to investigate.
But the Vryburg municipality's council is far from delighted that the investigation has begun.
"There is no support. In fact, I am a problem to the council itself. Last week, they took a resolution that we must pay [Khasu the R4.7-million it claims]. They said if I don't pay, I will be in defiance and I will be charged," he said.
At least one councillor has threatened to charge Mthimunye with insubordination if he does not pay Khasu speedily.
"I told her to do as she pleases because I won't pay."
When The Times approached Khasu general manager Christo van Niekerk, he refused to comment, saying the case was sub judice.
Meanwhile, in Rustenburg, "not a single house has been completed" by another housing contractor.
"Something went terribly wrong. Along the way the [Rustenburg] municipality realised that the work was not of good quality. They were stopped, and the contractor took them to court," said Mohono, who was not able to identify the contractor.
"All the 1930 structures and the foundations will have to be destroyed. We have huge problems with almost all housing projects. The municipality must try to recoup the money."
Henry Hartley, a DA councillor in Rustenburg, said the builder had been paid about R28-million of the R45-million contract for 1950 low-cost homes.
"It is unsafe for any human being to occupy those houses, whether completed or not.
"We will now need about R71-million to rectify all the houses. The whole thing will have to be redone," he said.
Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale last year said that it would cost R1.3-billion to rebuild houses that had been poorly built.
About 3000 of such houses were in North West and Eastern Cape
Question: How can any decent/reputable contractor ever compete with people like this? They are thieves
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