Report 1 of 4: Shacking Up - South Africa

Introduction

One of South Africa’s most pressing problems is the provision of suitable shelter for the huge numbers of people living in shacks in the sprawling settlements. These shacks are constructed from anything which can be acquired, such as scrap timber, old roofing sheets etc. and, while they may give some protection from rain and the heat of the sun, they do not provide adequate housing. The poor materials and the makeshift way in which they are constructed also lead to a risk of fire.

The construction of low cost houses in the township of Khayelitsha is based on locally-made building components and has been made possible by the development of equipment which is itself low in cost.

The low cost housing project for townships in South Africa

Work on the project started early in 1994 as a co-operative venture between the International Development Group (IDG) of Birmingham School of Architecture and the Margarette Pierson Research Trust (MPRT), with the support of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The project included a study, at an early stage, of various low-cost housing schemes in South Africa, built by contractors using standard building materials. The study found that most were built to very low standards and were, in some respects, worse than the shacks they were intended to replace. The study concluded that many of these housing schemes produced houses which:

• are neither structurally sound nor suitable for living

• have high maintenance requirements due to poor construction

• have no control or contribution from the owners

The project avoids these old failings by using construction materials and techniques which allow good quality houses to be built. By actively encouraging the involvement of the community in all aspects of the process – decision making, materials production and construction, the project ensures that family members learn new skills. This allows them to contribute labour to the building of the home and also makes it possible for them to take control over the maintenance of the home.

The first part of the work concentrated on the development and testing of pedal-operated equipment and moulding system for the production of a range of building products. The equipment was used to make concrete blocks, roof arches, floor slabs, tiles and roof sheets.

When this production system had been developed, it was then possible to devise a low cost house-building system which was intended to:

• facilitate self-help housing

• meet the needs and expectations of the people

• be simple and require minimal skilled labour

• be affordable to low-income families

The building components

The basic components used to build a range of different houses are all the same and can be made by families after suitable training but the project team recommended that they should be made in a community production centre so that proper quality control could be ensured. Such a centre would also help to minimise production costs.

The building blocks for wall construction are 390x200x200mm and weigh about 21kg each. They are cast in a metal mould and vibrated for one minute on the pedal-driven table before being left to cure for at least three weeks. As with all concrete curing, this stage must be done in a damp environment to allow the concrete to develop its full strength.

Concrete paving slabs measuring 400x400x25mm are cast in plastic moulds and vibrated for 30 seconds. These must be kept in their moulds for 24 hours before being put onto a flat surface for curing.

Roof construction

The roof construction is based on two components:

The roof ‘T’ beam is four metres long and 160mm high and has a weight of about 130kg. It is cast in a metal mould and is reinforced with three metal bars 14mm in diameter. It is left in the mould for at least 24 hours before being turned out onto a flat floor for curing.

The roof arches are 700x500x18mm and each weighs about 17kg. They are made in a metal frame on the vibrating table and then slid onto the arched moulds where they remain for about 24 hours. When they are strong enough to be taken from the mould, they are stacked in a tank of water to cure for a week. They then require a further two weeks curing in a shaded area and must be wetted twice each day. This careful curing ensures that the concrete develops its full strength - which it will need in the construction process as the arches have to support the upper concrete layer until it has set fully.

House construction

The house walls are built up in the normal way using the concrete blocks and when they are complete, a wooden mould – known as shuttering – is fixed all round the top so that concrete can be poured on the blocks to form the ‘ring-beam’. When this is set, the ‘T’ beams are placed across the house at 80cm intervals so that they rest on the ring beam. The ‘T’ beams are carefully lined up so that they are parallel with each other and then the arches can be placed in position. The structure is completed by casting wet, lightweight concrete directly on to the arches. The roof is then completed with a waterproof outer coating.

A number of different types of house can be constructed with these components and most have been designed so that they can be extended later when more space is needed or when the owners can afford to improve the family home.

Finance

As part of the project’s design, another study focussed on the affordability of home ownership. It looked at the different income levels in the townships and calculated the loans which they could sustain which, over a five year repayment period, ranged from 4,300 to 20,000 South African Rand. This information helped to guide the designs of the houses themselves. The result was a range of home designs suitable for most incomes within the community. Each type of house can be constructed in several phases so that it can grow with the needs and income of the family.
 

GBP£1 = South African Rand 10 @ September 2000

For further information, please contact:
 

Dr. Mohen Aboutorabi International Development Group Birmingham School of Architecture Faculty of the Built Environment University of Central England Perry Barr Birmingham B42 2SU United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 121 331 5134 Fax: +44 (0) 121 331 5131 E-mail: mailto:mohsen@aboutorabi@uce.ac.uk

ITDG would like to acknowledge Dr. Mohsen Aboutorabi, from the Birmingham School of Architecture, who wrote the original paper on Low Cost Housing Projects for Townships of South Africa.
 

This document is an output from a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the DFID.

TVE/ Practical Action gratefully acknowledge support for the HANDS ON programmes from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission (EC), the UN Foundation and UNDP/The Equator Initiative in collaboration with the Government of Canada, IDRC, IUCN, BrasilConnects and the Nature Conservancy.