Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010
The study conducted in 2010 updated and
reanalysed data collected for the study completed
in 2008. In exploring reasons there is no large
scale uptake of alternative building technologies
in government housing projects, this paper is
informed by the three studies.
2 Overall provincial experiences
Generally, the utilisation of alternative building
technologies in government housing projects
was found to be inadequate as only Gauteng
Province was the most active and consistent.
The study found moderate effort in other
provinces such as Eastern Cape and Western
Cape. Kwazulu-Natal Province indicated that
the use of alternative technologies is limited
to transitional housing while the intention is to
establish a showcase innovation hub. Attempts
by the Free State Province is limited to only one
show house while Mpumalanga and Limpopo
Provinces though reported not having any
current projects, reported that they established a
database of providers of technologies. Northern
Cape Province is confronted by complex
challenges marked by failures of the technology,
political related matters and social acceptability
issues. North West is the only province that did
not report any activities relating to the use of
alternative building technologies.
Despite these hindrances research studies
conducted in 2003, 2008 and 2010 found
that there is a variety in the type of alternative
building technologies provinces trialled although
certain technologies appear more popular.
Further, the 2010 study noted that provincial
preferences are consistently changing and
reasons for the inconsistencies could not be
established. For example, research conducted
in 2003 found higher frequencies in the use of
compressed earth blocks, interlocking blocks,
shutters and concrete, everite fibre cement
blocks and ecoframe building materials (NDoH,
2003). On the other hand, research undertaken
in 2008 and 2010 identified concrete panels, in
which three systems were the most commonly
used technologies across provinces: Goldflex
100 & 800 Building System and Cemforce
GRC. The second most popular technology
or system is the hydraform building systems.
Gauteng province made use of this system at
Soshanguve. The third most commonly used
technologies are polystyrene based with imison
building technology the most popular – this has
been used extensively in Gauteng particularly
in the backyard upgrading project in Zola,
Soweto. Moladi system was the most preferred
particularly in the Eastern Cape.
Surprisingly, provinces reported similar
experiences with regard to the use of alternative
technologies. None of the provinces have special
budgetary arrangements or procedures for the
procurement of alternative building technology.
This means that alternative technology projects
are subjected to the same approval processes
as brick-and-mortar. The study established that
officials responsible for implementation often are
not certain of how alternative technology projects
should be managed – the issues mentioned
range from procurement to construction. Despite
an understanding that both the National Building
Regulations and the Housing Code do not
prevent provinces from procuring alternative
building technologies, a lack of clear directive
from national department was mentioned as a
contributing factor in exacerbating the situation.
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1
In June 2009, Department of Housing changed to Department of Human Settlements.