The Ministry of Housing is taking the lead in embracing of of new alternative technologies. The ministry's putting up a housing project off Jogoo Road using Post and Beam technology commonly called wall shutters (WTF).
The WTF formwork system has been used in the construction of hundreds of thousands of structures including residential and commercial structures in single story, low rise, and high-rise construction. It has been proven to be very successful in the construction of mass housing projects worldwide. “It is fast, simple, adaptable and very cost effective,” says Raymond Chisholm, a civil engineer, developer, planner and cost engineer.
The WTF system can be erected by unskilled labor and without the need for hoisting cranes. The largest panel weight is not more than 35 kilograms. This enables a single worker to handle the WTF formwork components.
The panels and other sections are secured and fixed by steel pins and wedges with formwork ties. The only tool required is a hammer. The WTF system can save as much as 15 percent of the total cost of construction in comparison to traditional methods such as block or post and beam construction. But the most important savings is time.
Chisholm who was making a presentation during the Kenya Private Developers Association (KPDA) quarterly seminar said the WTF formwork system is unique because it forms all of the concrete in the structure including, walls, floor slabs, columns, beams, stairs, window details, balconies and various decorative features in exact accordance with the architect’s design.
WTF requires no cranes or heavy lifting equipment. You pour walls and floor slabs monolithically. You can remove floor slab formwork without disturbing shoring. Yes, during constructing WTF form stairs in place as part of work cycle.
Additionally, they require no skilled labor. They are suitable for single story and high rise construction. Their equipment adapts to different designs. And there is no need for using of timber or plywood.
Another alternative technology that is being embraced globally is the Pumping Ready Mix Concrete (PRMC). In the rest of the first world over 90 percent of construction projects use Ready Mix Concrete.
Everything from massive high rises to neighborhood sidewalks are built using Ready Mix Concrete.
PRMC offer proper amount of cement mixing with other materials. Saves a contractor or a developer from being over charged by aggregate and sand suppliers. No waste on the ground at site. Proper concrete test are carried before the ready mixed concrete is brought to the site.
Raymond Chisholm says there is a lady in Kiambu who is now facing a long prison sentence and the sad thing is she probably could had completed her project quicker and cheaper using Ready Mixed Pumped Concrete.
Further, PRMC is easy and takes less time to move around on the site than when using a wheel barrel. Chisholm says, “I am sure you have seen the Chinese contractor working on Thika Road or the by-passes. Every time you can see a Ready Mix truck delivering their concrete. And they consistently tender cheaper than Kenyan Contractors. It should not take a Rocket Scientist to figure out one of the reasons why?”
Chisholm who is consultant here in Kenya and involved in the ministry of housing project off Jogoo road, asks: “Did you know that your engineer knows the unreliability of your conventional concrete strength and has over designed your building to allow for this?”
“Did you know you could finish your project 25 percent faster just by using Ready Mix concrete?”
“Figure out how much it would save you to build your building 25 percent faster.”
Pumping Ready Mix Concrete is computer controlled. The computer weights, proportions and mixes exactly what you requirements are.
You can get Ready Mix from Trans fleet, Epco, Cementers, Laxmanbhai, and Victory Ready Mix. Trans fleet right now is increasing their capacity from 150 m3 per hour to 300 m3 per hour.
However, some developers during the KPDA seminar said some of these technologies should not be copied and pasted in Kenya from reasons varying from security to lack of competent workforce to use them. They argued that technology transfer is necessary in Kenya housing construction as well as training Kenyans on the use of these alternative technologies.
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