Moladi Moulds Mortar
moladi moulds mortar
Moladi moulds mortar
Technology and components
Labour
Sustainability
Keywords - moladi, moulds, mortar, Hennie Botes, formwork, design, buildings, construction, development, Africa, housing needs, Affordable housing for Africa, moladi, molds, mortar
Moladi Moulds Mortar
Affordable housing for Africa |
Moladi
is a compact building system that can be used anywhere and transported to
virtually any part of the world, including remote and rural areas as well as
informal settlements, which may be difficult to access.
Erecting a structure does not require heavy machinery or
electricity, and the building materials required are easily accessible and
sourced locally, spreading the benefits to local communities.
Hennie Botes, CEO of Moladi, explains that a “house in a container” concept is employed for social housing initiatives, whereby all the materials supplied are packaged conveniently into a container that is then delivered to the building site. “All the tools and equipment required to train local unskilled communities are on hand, and as a result the success of the construction process is completely independent of its location. “
Moladi is able to meet any building standards or regulations, as the system produces walls that are of high-quality.
Botes says that the company employs a distribution model whereby anyone who would like to use Moladi for his/her housing projects is able to access the technology in his/her local territory through a designated distributor or directly through headquarters in South Africa.
Hennie Botes, CEO of Moladi, explains that a “house in a container” concept is employed for social housing initiatives, whereby all the materials supplied are packaged conveniently into a container that is then delivered to the building site. “All the tools and equipment required to train local unskilled communities are on hand, and as a result the success of the construction process is completely independent of its location. “
Moladi is able to meet any building standards or regulations, as the system produces walls that are of high-quality.
Botes says that the company employs a distribution model whereby anyone who would like to use Moladi for his/her housing projects is able to access the technology in his/her local territory through a designated distributor or directly through headquarters in South Africa.
Technology and components
“Moladi’s housing solution combines a
reusable, patented, recyclable, lightweight plastic injection moulded formwork
system with a South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)-approved lightweight
aerated mortar mix to produce a cast in-situ steel reinforced monolithic
structure,” Botes states.
“The formwork components are fully interlocking and are assembled into easy to-handle panels, which are configured into a full-scale mould of the desired structure. The formwork panels are joined to create the external and internal walls cavities and all of the steel reinforcing, window and door block-outs, conduits, pipes and other fittings are positioned within the wall cavity to be cast in-place when filled with the Moladi mortar mix. “The wall cavities are filled simultaneously with a SABS-approved mortar mix which contains, cement, water, river sand, and Moladi Chem. The mortar mixture produces a fast-curing aerated mortar that flows easily, and results in a wall that is waterproof and
possesses good thermal and sound insulating properties,” he says. “After the wall cavities have been filled with the mortar, the mortar is left to set overnight and the formwork panels are removed the following morning to be re-erected on the next foundation.
“The wall has a smooth and flat finish that does not require any plastering, beam filling or chasing. All Moladi structures have steel reinforced internal and external walls. The reinforcing design is specified by a structural engineer, who independently certifies the structure after construction is completed and the final inspections are carried out.
“The formwork components are fully interlocking and are assembled into easy to-handle panels, which are configured into a full-scale mould of the desired structure. The formwork panels are joined to create the external and internal walls cavities and all of the steel reinforcing, window and door block-outs, conduits, pipes and other fittings are positioned within the wall cavity to be cast in-place when filled with the Moladi mortar mix. “The wall cavities are filled simultaneously with a SABS-approved mortar mix which contains, cement, water, river sand, and Moladi Chem. The mortar mixture produces a fast-curing aerated mortar that flows easily, and results in a wall that is waterproof and
possesses good thermal and sound insulating properties,” he says. “After the wall cavities have been filled with the mortar, the mortar is left to set overnight and the formwork panels are removed the following morning to be re-erected on the next foundation.
“The wall has a smooth and flat finish that does not require any plastering, beam filling or chasing. All Moladi structures have steel reinforced internal and external walls. The reinforcing design is specified by a structural engineer, who independently certifies the structure after construction is completed and the final inspections are carried out.
“The result is a fast track, cost effective and
transferable construction technology that is amortised over 50 re-uses,
reducing the cost of construction and transportation significantly. It also
facilitates the possibility for many in-situ structures to be built in just one
day,” he states.
According to Botes, the Moladi mould is easily adapted to
suit any required design or layout - there are no limitations with regard to
the size, or room arrangements of a house. There is also no ‘standard’ mould as
each mould is specifically manufactured (assembled) to meet the specifications
of each client’s architect or draughtsman. “Moladi is able to accommodate any
type of roof design or covering, any finishing material, any type of window or
door, so there are no limitations in terms of cultural preferences,” he says.
“We also produce an acoustically solid wall (sounds like a brick wall) with a
smooth plastered finish. Should a client/contractor have a preference to clad
or plaster the finished wall, this can also be done.”
Labour
He says most traditional and
alternative construction methods require certain skilled and trained artisans
to contribute towards the structural integrity of a building. “In many cases, especially
within South Africa, skilled artisans are not available or skilled workers are
wrongfully replaced with a cheaper, unskilled workforce, resulting in shoddy
and unfit structures. “With its streamlined and simplistic approach to
construction, the application of our technology is not dependent on skilled
labour or artisans for construction, enabling the community to become involved
in building their own homes. Over 90% of the construction team on a Moladi
housing site consists of unskilled labourers, and women are encouraged to
participate in this non labour intensive building process. ”Botes says
that the Moladi construction method has been specifically designed with the
objective to allow for an unskilled team of people to follow the company’s optimised,
repetitive and sequential processes that eliminate the probability of any
errors occurring, which is crucial to the outcome of the structural quality or
integrity of the housing unit.
Sustainability
Hennie Botes, CEO of Moladi, explains
that the selection and use of building materials relating to the Moladi
construction process is considered a crucial aspect in determining the
environmental sustainability of the technology. “Although the calculation of
embodied energy is a complex matter and differs from region to region, building
materials used in the Moladi construction process have been carefully
considered according to the initial and recurring embodied energy that is used
or expended during the life cycle and operation of each material,” says Botes.
“Some additional, but notable, factors which affect the overall energy
consumption of a structure - and which are often mismanaged within the
affordable housing industry - include non-essential transportation, wasteful
packaging, plentiful waste of materials resulting from processing and
construction methods, and also poor dumping and disposal methods.”
“Materials are rarely recycled or
even re-used and poor workmanship, the utilisation of substandard materials and
the use of materials and components which have a dissimilar and inconsistent
durability, leave the home owner with a high maintenance home which requires
frequent repair and even large-scale restoration.
“Lastly, passive design principles
for the appropriate climate that help to minimise the energy required to heat,
cool, ventilate and light a building responsibly are largely ignored in favour
of a cheaper initial cost outlay,” Botes states.
“These factors are all taken into account to ensure that
Moladi buildings provide environmental value by challenging members of the
construction industry who are quick to ignore the long term use and quality of
a building in favour of the short term savings enjoyed by the developer.
For fore information on moladi moulds mortar visit - www.moladi.co.za
Keywords - moladi, moulds, mortar, Hennie Botes, formwork, design, buildings, construction, development, Africa, housing needs, Affordable housing for Africa, moladi, molds, mortar