New foundation technique gives hope for RDP houses

A BRAND new civil engineering franchise in the Eastern Cape claims to have the answer to building good quality RDP houses.

GeoBUILD Eastern Cape last week demonstrated to Nelson Mandela Bay officials and contractors an innovative method of constructing foundations which could save money and time, as well as improve the quality of houses. On a recent visit to the metro, Housing, Safety and Liaison MEC Thobile Mhlahlo highlighted various problems contractors faced delivering high-quality RDP houses, including high costs, time constraints and problematic surfaces such as clay at the sites for these houses.

GeoBUILD uses a construction product, approved by the National Home Building Regulation Council (NHBRC), called Multi Modula.

Small hollow pods made from recycled polypropylene are packed over a levelled footprint area. Concrete is then poured over them. Structural engineer and GeoBUILD director Henk Fourie said the method used 47 per cent less concrete and 35% less steel than traditional methods, was easy to implement, and sorted out problems related to clay.

The method has been used around the world for the last 22 years and in South Africa for the past 18 months, during which 13000 RDP houses have been completed using the method.

Municipal spokesman Lourens Schoeman said the metro would be discussing GeoBUILD‘s construction method.

Yolandé Hayward HERALD REPORTER
www.theherald.co.za