Housing in Southern Africa October 2015

housing…

IKHAYA

ROBUST

EEZYBUILT

LEPA

STEEL MESH The Robust system has a concrete wall appearance in which the fin- ished state, but is neither formwork based poured concrete, nor pre-cast into panels. Robust wall panels are manufactured from 0.4 mm mild steel sheeting, which are punched, expanded and formed into a zig-zag profile. Panels are erected verti- cally and stiffened transversely with 2.5 mm wires spot welded to each face at 200 mm centres. Mortar is applied to panels either by hand or usingmechanical packing. Mechani- cally applied mortar may be applied wet (pumped) or dry (gunited), with hand-packed mortar and mechani- cally applied wet mixes. Both faces of core are plastered. Basically, it is a slab which is vertically applied. In

non-corrosive environments plas- ter will have a 28 day compressive strength of 10 MPa, however, in severely corrosive environments higher characteristic strengths may be specified. Where the Robust system is used for example, in the Southern Coastal condensation area, insulated ceilings are installed and exterior walls are given an additional external finish of Pratliperl plaster. The walls must be 130 mm thick, excluding 13 mm thick additional plaster on the outside. For the foun- dation and floor system, conven- tional cast in situ concrete surface beds are used with thickened edge beams and thickening under internal walls. Similarly, conventional roof construction and roof coverings are used. This system is Agrément Certified. Continued ▶▶▶

trusses with light weight cladding (12kg/m²). Insulated ceilings are always installed as well as conven- tional windows, doors and services. This system is Agrément Certified. LIGHT STEEL FRAME Light steel frame building consists of structural wall frames and roof trusses, manufactured from cold- formed light gauge galvanised steel sections. Exterior cladding consists of a single skin brick wall (veneer) a weather resistant board of reinforced plaster, fixed to the wall frames. In some cases, cladding consists of prefabri- cated (modular) panels. The Hub has a number of ex- amples of this type of construction with its various claddings.

7