sos: jan/feb 2010

Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010 1

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Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010 �

Jan/Feb 2010Contents

CopyrightAll rights reserved. No editorial matter published in “Skills On Site” may be reproduced in any form or language without written permission of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure accurate reproduction, the editor, authors, publishers and their employees or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the publication - whether arising from negligence or otherwise or for any consequences arising therefrom. The inclusion or exclusion of any product does not mean that the publisher or editorial board advocates or rejects its use either generally or in any particular field or fields.

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ENDORSING BODIESl CETA l cidbl ECASA l NHBRCl NURCHA l SAWIC l Khuthaza

LOOKING FORWARD5 Challenging Year Ahead

ALTERNATIVE BUILDING7 Build a House in One Day

FINANCE11 Making Quality Houses Affordable

CONSTRUCTION, FINANCE & SUPPORT SERVICES13 A Man with a Plan

PAINTING TECHNIQUES15 Painting Need not be Hard Work

SUCCESS18 A Long Road to the Top

POWER TOOLS22 The Use of Power Tools to Make House Building Easier

EQUIPMENT25 Affordable Compact Dumpers

Proprietor and Publisher:PROMECH PUBLISHINGTel: (011) 781-1401

Fax: (011) 781-1403E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.promech.co.zaPrinted by:Typo Colour PrintingTel: (011) 402-3468

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EDUTORIALS26 AFSA

29 WIN A PRIzE

30 CONSTRUCTION STATS

INSULATION31 The Ins and Outs of Insulation

ENDORSING BODY34 Laying the Foundation for Change

36 IN TOUCH

The “Skills On Site” team - Top: Susan Custers, publisher; Zinobia Docrat, production; Raymond Campling, editor. Seated: Debbie Pienaar, advertising sales; Catherine Macdiva, administration; Jackie Nene, subscriptions/circulation.

� Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010

Challenging Year Ahead

Many building contractors closed down last year as a result of the recession that halted so many building projects in their tracks as people and companies ran out of money or were denied building loans by the country’s banks. Those

that survived the tough times last year can be rightfully proud, but at the same time should be aware that 2010 will not magically see a return of the good times that were experienced before

the recession.

side of the business for example lintels and cement, but we have complete offerings in areas like paint, hand tools and power tools.

Do you anticipate big price increases across the board? How much?BuildIt: This will depend on the Rand and increases in electricity prices. Other than that, we predict normal increases.

Penny Pinchers: No we do not anticipate significant price increases, probably in the region of 4 – 6 %.

Chamberlains: We anticipate average inflation for our industry to be about 4.8 % to 5.5 %. The market is still under severe pressure and it will be difficult for wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers to pass on the full effect of price increases to the customers. Ad-ditionally, a number of major suppliers have informed us of their price increases that have up to now been below the 5% mark

Do you anticipate any exciting new product launches? Please indicate.BuildIt: Yes, we plan to extend our house brand range so contractors can look out for more BuiltIt branded products at best value for money prices.

Penny Pinchers: Green building is the way forward. In the core ranges not much has changed, however solar and wind energy at an affordable compact level is becoming exciting. Watch this space!

LOOKING FORWARD

Hardware retailers like BuildIt, Penny Pinchers and Chamberlains are aware of this and are placing more emphasis on relationships with contractors and on finding ways to add value to contrac-

tors efforts on site. Pricing is also in the spotlight and any hardware retailer that thinks that prices can be hiked in the new year will need to think again. Ac-cording to the major retailers that we interviewed, price increases will be kept to a bare minimum.But, one thing is certain, and that is that building contractors will have to work smarter and harder in order to make the most of the opportunities that they have. They will also have to look at using the right tools for the job in order to maintain quality and speed-up time spent on site.“Skills On Site” asked the retailers some questions about the year ahead:

What is your offering to small and medium building contractors for 2010?BuildIt: We want to cement our position as the leading one stop shop with quick service and a huge range from which to choose, with goods at the best prices and continuous promotions aimed at contractors.

Penny Pinchers: Our offering is the availability of a full range of core and specialist products and services to the six trades involved in the building process. These trade focus areas are Masons, Plumbers, Electricians, Carpenters, Cabinetmakers and Painters.

Chamberlains: We offer exceptional service with highly knowledgeable staff, offering a complete build-ing material and hardware product selection that is extremely well priced. Value added services like board cutting, free local delivery on most goods, kitchen designs, in-house joinery and our own truss factories means we offer a complete one stop solution.

Do you stock a full range of building supplies?BuildIt: Yes, we are primarily builder’s merchants and therefore have a full range in stock.

Penny Pinchers: We have in excess of 60000 products listed for availability, however the in-stock items aver-ages about 6000 lines in store. These cover 98% of the basic core needs in most building projects.

Chamberlains: Yes, we have a complete range of building accessories. This includes the traditional hard


Chamberlains: There are no significant new launches, but the product selection continues to evolve. This will include the changes in the color palettes, new models in for example power tools and the change in fashionable décor items for example taps and basins. The push for solar geysers might be exaggerated as it is difficult for retailers to sell as a DIY product. Ad-ditionally costs on solar are still high.

Do you negotiate prices based on monthly volumes of goods purchased?BuildIt: Yes, we are always negotiating prices.

Penny Pinchers: Yes, the price depending on how much, we buy is constantly being looked at.

Chamberlains: A larger customer will obviously be offered more aggressive pricing. Once-off deals are negotiated on bulk purchases.

Are contractors able to buy supplies on credit?BuildIt: Yes, there is credit available through various institutions, although at present this is not so freely given by them due to the current economic situation.

Penny Pinchers: Qualified credit worthy contractors can buy on credit. We also have special develop-ment finance schemes available to certain trades and contractors.

Chamberlains: Yes, we offer credit facilities to ap-proved customers.

Do you provide technical assistance to con-tractors? If yes, please elaborate?BuildIt: Yes we do. If it is product related we get the supplier involved if we are unable to assist ourselves

Penny Pinchers: Yes we do. We are able to project assist the contractors in cash flow projections, waste and material control to site, design of roofing and kitchens and cupboards is part of our service offer. Suppliers are also continually telling us about the use of their products and this information is available to our customers with us.

Chamberlains: No, but our sales staff are well trained and will be able to offer basic advice to the cus-tomer. Additionally supplier representatives are used to help our customers who require more technical information.

Name five products that no builder should be without.BuildIt: Big 6 – roofing, cement, brickforce, concrete lintols, blocks and bricks.

Penny Pinchers: A calculator, level, tape measures, square, plumb bob and note book!

Chamberlains: Good quality tape measure, spirit level, safety goggles, sturdy aluminum ladder, Stan-ley knife

Name 10 products that will improve efficiency of contractors on site.BuildIt: It is really hard to choose because we have so many different products that are all useful.

Penny Pinchers: Proper scaffolding, generator, com-pressor, air tools, safe ladder, heavy duty extension lead, electric saw, drill and grinder, safety equipment.

Chamberlains: Laser levels, quality masonry drill bits, circular saw guide rails, presoaked waterproofing membrane for difficult waterproofing spots, cord-less drills, quality screw driver set, quality socket and spanner sets, correct paint roller for the application, diamond bales, mitre boxes for cutting angles.

Advice for the year ahead taking into consider-ation current and future market conditions.BuildIt: This year will be a challenging year to grow operations, however it is still important to stick to the basics, control costs and always have your finger on the pulse of your cash flow.

Penny Pinchers: Use suppliers to assist your planning, costing, quoting and service needs. Customers should always be treated with a long term approach. Adapt to the ever changing market economic conditions and remember that there is always a customer that needs your services – find them!

Chamberlains: The opportunity’s in the market is endless for those bold enough to take them. Improve internal efficiency and aggressively promote internal positive attitudes and fight negative pessimistic views.

LOOKING FORWARD


Coprox has recently launched a fresh and colourful range of packaging which makes it easy to identify the correct product for the required application. This development has been particularly useful for in-store shelf displays and storage on building sites.

On-site the colourful packaging makes it instantly recogni-sable making it particularly useful for product identification by unskilled labour. User-friendly instructions are included on the packaging making Coprox products easy to use and apply.Renowned for its range of waterproofing solutions and decorative coatings, Coprox is recognised as South Africa’s leading manufacturer of cementitious waterproofing solu-tions and decorative coatings. Its range of products are available from all leading hardware and paint stockists country wide.

Coprox Masonry Waterproofing is an easy-to-use masonry waterproofing solution. It prevents water seep-age in new masonry structures and cures damp problems in existing ones. Its unique properties make it effective for use on either the outside (positive side) or the inside (negative side) of above or below ground level surfaces. Its universal applications range from the curing of rising damp to the waterproofing of walls, floors, swimming pools, dams, reservoirs, retaining walls, basements, wine cellars and underground parking. It can also be used as a decorative finish and is available in a wide range of attractive colours.

Coprox Waterproof Dualcoat is a waterproof cement wall and floor coating. It is an effective waterproofing solution for use on the outside (positive side). It is also a unique, aesthetically pleasing decorative coating giving a naturally aged mottled and rustic appearance which becomes more pronounced over time. It is available in a wide range of attractive coloursIt can be brush applied over most surfaces without the need for a keying agent and provides an elegant textured finish. It can also be trowel applied as a smooth, durable skim coat finish to walls and floors. It is more cost effective than tiles and its application is far less labour intensive.

Coprox Waterproof Cement Additive is an excellent primary waterproofing solution. It renders mortar, screed, unreinforced concrete or plaster waterproof. Its universal applications range from exterior or interior above or below ground level waterproofing of walls and floors to the wa-terproofing of swimming pools, dams, reservoirs, retaining walls and basements. It is also an excellent solution for the plugging of leaks in underground masonry structures such as underground parking and wine cellars.

Coprox Flexible Waterproofing is a UV resistant co-polymer latex which when mixed with Coprox Masonry Waterproofing is an excellent seamless waterproofing membrane system for surfaces subjected to moderate expansion and contraction. The waterproofing of abut-ments of slabs and walls is a good example of its many applications. It is available in an assortment of attractive Coprox colours making the waterproofing and rejuvena-tion of stained and derelict pool plasters a far more cost effective solution to replastering. This applies equally to ponds and reservoirs too. And, when used on its own, it is an excellent general purpose bonding and keying agent and should be used as a keying agent when Coprox Wa-terproof Dualcoat is applied as a trowel-on application to smooth or dense masonry surfaces.

Coprox Waterproof Tile Grout is a waterproof grout-ing for wall and floor tiles and is suitable for gaps of up to 20mm x 8mm. It is suitable for exterior and interior use and is available in a range of attractive colours.

Coprox Waterproof Crack Filler is a hardy and easy to use interior and exterior waterproof crack filler. It is eas-ily sanded to a smooth finish and will not flake or crumble when holes are drilled into it.

Coprox Wall and Floor Clear Sealer is a semi-gloss scuff and stain resistant sealer suitable for domestic ap-plications. It is ideal for sealing interior or exterior Coprox Masonry Waterproofing and Coprox Waterproof Dualcoat wall and floor applications and pavers etc.

Colourful New Packaging from Coprox

Tel: (011) 579-4300 Fax: (011) 579-4310 www.coprox.com


ALTERNATIVE BUILDING

It is possible to erect a strong concrete house to roof level in just one day using technology and non-tra-ditional building methods. The technology has been around for more than twenty years and has been used around South Africa and elsewhere on the continent.In the same way as bridges and other concrete structures are built, the Moladi Construction System uses concrete formwork to mould the entire structure of the house. It makes use of a simple shell design of

plastic blocks that when completed is filled with concrete and removed when the concrete sets. When the formwork is removed the entire structure of the house is effectively set in concrete and can be painted, a roof put on and finishings added. All this can be done in just one day including erection of the formwork, pouring of the concrete, curing and removal of the forms.Within 24 hours the walls can be painted and the roof put on. Electricity, water, doors and windows are pre-moulded and fittings can be attached as required. A number of projects have been completed in South Africa, Botswana, Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. This is how it works:

Build a House in One Day

Day 1Start: 11.00am

Step 1Moladi formwork is delivered to the site Area = 74m² Mass = 550kg Volume = 4m³

Start the erection of Moladi formwork

Panels are assembled by general labourers to form the mould kit of the desired house plan

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Step 2Internal panels are erected

Window frames and block-outs (WinBloc) are positioned

mesh and reinforcing details are placed according to engineer specifications and external panels are then erected

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Step 3Door frames and block-outs (DoorBloc) are positioned and erection of Moladi sys-tem is completed (4 hours) with only four labourers

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Step 4Four labourers are needed to manually fill the wall cavity with 3.4m³ of an aerated mortar mixture. The pour is completed within 2 hours

FINISH: 5.00pm

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Day 2Start: 7.00am

Step 1Moladi formwork is removed. Panel being moved weighs less than 30kg (3.84m² X 8kg/m²) and can immediately be re-erected on the next house’s foundation. Removing the Moladi formwork is complete within 2 hours.

FINISH: 9.00am

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Step 4Final finishing’s, such as plumbing and electrical fittings, are completed The structure is now ready for occupationThe production cycle is completed within an 8 hour day. The construction cycle includes the erect of the Moladi system, filling with concrete, curing of the concrete and removal of the Moladi formwork the next day. The process makes use of semi-skilled and unskilled labour and provides a fast and economical way of building houses quickly and with little room for error

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Step 2The structure can be painted with a cementitious water based textured paint as soon as the Moladi system is removed. Oil or water based paint can also be used at a later stage

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Step 3The walls are 1.5 to 2.0 mPa strong with an ul-timate strength of 10 to 20 mPa, achieved in 28 days, depending on the mix design of the mortar (Concrete Water Ratio). An engineer certified roof is constructed and installed

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Making Quality Houses Affordable

The Cape Town City Council and Standard Bank have got together to build an affordable housing development. The projects was so successful that it won the National Housing Foundation’s Award for the Housing Project

of the Year at a ceremony at the end of last year.The city allocates appropriate land to the banks to develop afford-able housing and the banks provide the finance and development ex-pertise. Standard Bank, assisted with the develop-ment of the Leo Mews project in Elsies River in the Western Cape on land that was provided by the council.Leo Mews was the first project completed in the area in terms of an agreement be-tween the City and Standard Bank, and the bank’s chosen development partner Bitol Development.

FINANCE

Left to right: Morgan Munsamy, Standard Bank; Bonginkasi Madikizela, MEC of Housing; Wayne Muller, Director: Housing Finance and Leases

The cost of the units range from R237 000 to R254 000, enabling people with combined monthly incomes as low as R7 200 to qualify. “Standard Bank and Bitol supplied housing that, apart from its price, would not be out of place in more up-market residential areas. The developer also spent considerable time helping residents in a nearby older area with maintenance and cosmetic changes that improved the entire area- reducing the contrast be-tween the old and the new in Elsies River. As a result there is a strong sense of community between new residents in Leo Mews and established residents in the area,” says Kevin Duncan, Managing Director of Standard Bank’s Integrated Residential Developments division (IRDev).Standard Bank’s Integrated Residential Developments, Kevin Duncan, Tel: (011) 770 8000. City of Cape Town, Wayne Muller, Tel: (021) 400 5122. Bitol Development, David Williams, Tel: (021) 949 3482


If you are a developer or contractorwho has been awarded a tender inthe following categories:

a) Subsidy housing;

b) Infrastructure (e.g. roads,water and seweragereticulation, drainage etc);

c) Community facilities (e.g.schools, clinics etc);

or you are involved in

d) Affordable housing,

and you need bridging finance to start your project or you needperformance guarantees, please contact Nurcha.

Bridging finance and supportfor your construction project

Regional offices:JOHANNESBURG: 011 214 8700BLOEMFONTEIN: 051 448 8120CAPE TOWN: 021 422 3167CENTURION: 012 658 0176

DURBAN: 031 562 0068EAST LONDON: 043 726 0615POLOKWANE: 015 296 0370

www.nurcha.co.za

Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010 1�

Beneath the conservative business dress code lies a man who is full of energy and passion-ate about helping people and communities. He has spent his entire career serving the public by either finding engineering solu-

tions to community problems or through assisting with funding for projects and programs to uplift commu-nities around the country. His new role as managing director of the organisation fits perfectly with both his personality and his past experience.

In this regard, his working career and private lives follow similar paths and his capacity to rebuild and nurture are core to him. Throughout his working career Morgan has dedicated his time to serving people and communities. This started after he graduated from the University of Westville in KwaZulu Natal with an Honours degree in Urban Hydrology water engi-neering. His first job was as a project assistant with the Development Bank where his passion for infrastructure development saw him quickly progress to a senior management position. His career bloomed and after successful stints with Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank, as the head of the public finance division, Intersite and National Housing Finance Corporation where he grew his un-derstanding of the importance of using infrastructure to drive development, Morgan has taken on the

A Man With A PlanMuch has been said in the media about the appointment of Dr Morgan Pillay as manag-ing director of Nurcha, his plentiful skills and impressive curriculum vitae. In order to find out more about the man behind the news, “Skills On Site” recently paid him a visit to find out what makes him tick, his enthusiasm for developing people and communities and his plans to improve the reach of Nurcha to building contractors around the country.

biggest challenge of them all with Nurcha where his sights are set on taking the organisation to the top of the construction finance ladder.

Family manIn the same way as his career developed, Morgan’s private life has closely mirrored his achievements in the office and he is equally as passionate about providing a balanced way of life for his family. He is a caring family man and loves spending time and sharing the responsibility of nurturing his two children, daughter Kelisha (17) and son Kiyashan (7) with his wife Sandra. A lot of quality time spent with his family has led to his family sharing many of the same interests. While his daughter’s artistic flair and love for reading and his son’s passion to help build and restore classic cars reflect diverse interests. Apart from family, his passion for restoring old cars reflects his love for renewing and reinvigorating things that have become tarnished or aged. Much like his plans for the housing industry, his cars are carefully cared for and rebuilt part-for-part with pride and pas-sion. The gleaming cars are restored like new and the end result of such painstaking work is all the reward that Morgan needs.

FutureMorgan believes that the key to ensuring better pro-ductivity in the building sector can be achieved only by unlocking the potential of the country’s emerging building contractors and providing them with the life skills and financial backing to go from backyard builders to mainstream contractors. “After all, builders have the power to change communities by providing housing, water and electricity as well as education and health facilities to communities. “If we develop our building contractors and assist individuals and small businesses to become success-ful operations then we are able to empower entire communities. As long as there is a will to develop the

Morgan Pillay, managing director of Nurcha who enjoys the challenge of breathing new life into old classic cars

CONSTRUCTION, FINANCE & SUPPORT SERVICES

1� Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010

skills to do the work then all that is required is the fund-ing and that is where Nurcha can play an important part,” Morgan says.

ExpansionMorgan says he is passionate about providing hous-ing to the people because owning a house enables individuals and families to develop their wealth. It provides collateral for future loans and enables home owners to create their own wealth. For this reason he is keen to reshape the industry through the instruments available to him through Nurcha.“A top priority is to build even stronger relationships with government at all levels in order to work with them to kick-start development projects around the country. We want to be in a position where government identifies development areas and we in turn provide the financial expertise in order to make it possible. “It is important to realise that government doesn’t always have the funding required so we want to be able to provide either the funding required or the expertise to bring partners together to co-fund large programs,” he says.Morgan says that in future there should be better cooperation between private sector financial institu-tions, development agencies and government. These

Since its inception fifteen years ago Nurcha has financed the equivalent of some 44 houses per day ensuring that approximately 220 people per day have a roof over their heads. This translates to 1333 houses per month (6665 people housed) or 16 000 houses per year (80 000 people housed).

www.nurcha.co.za

joint ventures between funders and development organisations will be key to meeting government’s mandate to provide housing and infrastructure for all,” he says.

Nurcha advantageIn keeping with his vision for Nurcha to become the premium financier of construction projects in the country within the next five years, he wants to provide

expanded financial offerings and bridging finance to a broader range of contractors from the smallest to the largest contractors. “In essence we want to assist start-up contractors to become mainstream contractors and later multi-stream contractors. In turn we want large contractors to become mega contractors and want to provide financial solutions that fit these com-panies requirements throughout the transition cycle from small to mega sized,” he says.Meanwhile, Nurcha representa-tives will continue to go into the field and work with contractors to guide them to make sound financial and business decisions when they undertake contracts. They will also look at providing custom solutions to contractors with special require-ments or that are not able to access conventional loans of funding.

In this way he believes that Nurcha will be able to play a more positive role in the development of the building industry.

CONSTRUCTION, FINANCE & SUPPORT SERVICES


Getting the job done rightStirring. Get a stick that is long enough to reach to bottom of your paint can when you are stirring your paint. When you stir from the bottom the paint will mix better and the colour that tends to settle at the bottom of the paint bucket will be distributed more evenly.Some people find “boxing” necessary. This is when you have multiple cans of paint that are the same colour and you pour the paint into one bucket to stir and make sure they are exactly the same colour. If you plan to do this, pour the paint into a big bucket and then back into their smaller paint cans. When you are using a roller, make sure that the paint tray isn’t completely full. The paint roller should be wet but not dripping. Paint strokes with a roller should be done in a “W” pattern. Go up and down with the roller making multiple W’s until they all overlap and the entire wall is covered. After this you should smooth the paint in non-diagonal strokes to blend glossy finishes.

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Painting Need Not be Hard Work

With many painting techniques available it is a good idea to plan your job and decide the best way of finishing the job on time and within budget. Warrior Paints advises that you first decide what you want to do with your

painting job and then to look at the different paint techniques available to do the job right first time.

If you are using stencilling or stamping as a paint-ing technique, make sure to paint the walls with a base colour first and wait for this paint to dry completely before putting the stencils on the wall. If you are creating a sponge or rag effect with your paint technique, also wait for the first coat of paint to dry completely and then use a lighter colour over your base coat.

If you are using paint that has been stored for a while, remove the layer of

dried paint in the paint bucket with a stick. After this you should stir the remain-

ing paint to make sure there aren’t any lumps.Brush before rolling. Although there are differ-

ent opinions about this, it is easier (and it leaves a better finish) if you use your paint brushes before paint rollers during your painting job. When you are using your brushes, only dip the paint brush in the paint to cover a third of the brush with paint. Don’t use too much pressure when you are paint-ing with a brush or a roller. Keep the pressure light and sturdy and always try to use long, overlap-ping strokes.

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Tape the borders of the walls properly. Use a high quality painter’s tape

gummy residue. Be sure to either remove fixtures (lamps, towel racks , etc. ) from the wall or tape carefully around them. Press the tape onto the surface you are cover-ing well so it will form a seal that paint doesn’t get through. Take care of your painting tools. Wash your paint brushes w i t h w a r m soapy water and comb the brushes and roll-ers to eliminate fuzz and re-move any hard-ened paint.

Keep track of the colours you’re using. Write the paint colour down so that you can get more of exactly the same colour if you run out of paint. Use the correct type of roller for each painting

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Tips and ideasWarrior Paints have listed the top 10 paint tips to make your painting job a breeze!Always prepare for your paint job. There are a couple of things you have to do before you jump in and start painting walls such as cleaning the surface.

Tape the borders of the walls properly. Use a high quality painter’s tape. This type of tape adheres well, blocks paint drips, and will come off with little or no

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PAINTING TECHNIQUES


job. If there is light texture on your wall, use a semi-smooth or rough texture roller. You will get a much smoother coat of paint if you use the right roller. Protect your windows. Don’t forget to put masking tape around window panes – this will pro-tect your windows from getting paint on them and this will also protect the window putty. When you have finished, let the paint dry. Come back in 24 hours to inspect the paint job. There will be spots that the brush didn’t quite get or that the roller skipped. Touch these spots up with the paintbrush or the roller (depending on size of the sparse paint). When finishing for the day put your paint brushes in the freezer for a night. Wrapping your brushes in foil and putting them in the freezer will help keep them soft and also save you a bit of hassle when you continue the next morning. If you want to cover a dark paint with a light

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coloured paint, first paint the walls with a stain blocker. This eliminates bleed-through

of the darker colour or stains and will mean fewer coats of the lighter paint are required.

Warrior Paints, Chris Agyrou, Tel: (012) 541 3596, Email: [email protected]

Keep track of the colours you’re using. Write the paint colour down so that you don’t forget

PAINTING TECHNIQUES


Leading business people will tell you that the road to success is long and can be bumpy. Sam Lubbe from Lubbe Construction has travelled this road, first by bicycle, then by car and now, at the head of his success-ful construction company, he con-tinues to do so - only this time it is in a shiny new Mercedes Benz. Sam has worked hard to get to the point where his business is successful and capable of undertaking large scale projects using its own funds, equip-ment and manpower.

It all started 30 years ago when Sam was retrenched from the company he had worked for since he was 12 years old. He had gained experience over the years

and took the skills learned and used his severance pay to buy supplies in order to undertake small-scale private jobs. “At that time Soweto was in the process of being electrified and I was able to grow the business by installing electrical outlets in households. Soon the business was sustainable and we were able to fund our own small building projects and raise funds for bigger and better ones,” says Sam proudly.The business was thriving and through high stan-dards of workmanship it became well respected within the industry. Lubbe Construction got its first real big break when Perm Building Society offered 100 % mortgage bonds to any of his clients wishing to make improvements to their properties. By 1990, on the recom-mendation of Perm, he was awarded a major contract to build a high-rise block of flats in Israel. This is where the business really took off.

Big troubleAfter the first democrati-cally elected govern-

ment was elected in 1994 he be-came actively involved in building RDP houses for previously disad-vantaged communities. Soon the company was building houses at a rate of 160 houses per month and was able to invest in properties for development as well as machinery and manpower to take on some pretty ambitious projects. One such project, however, almost derailed the business and could easily have brought the whole operation crash-ing down around him.“It was a massive shock when a development that was being un-dertaken by ourselves and another property development company, that we had partnered with, got into financial trouble. It was an ambitious development project at Piroville and I was shocked when our development partner went bankrupt and no further development could take place,” he recalls.

“It was terrible, the company was not able to honour bank loans, nor could it pay for services and supplies that had already been used on site.” For the first time

A Long Road to the Top

SUCCESS

Sam Lubbe contemplates his next develop-ment. From humble beginnings Lubbe Con-struction has grown


the company found itself well and truly on the rocks. Sam, who had until then been proud of his company’s ability to pay suppliers, was upset and felt helpless. Despite his efforts and after many meetings with major banks the situation looked bleak. That was until he met Nurcha Construction Finance and Support Services who threw him a lifeline.

Long-lasting partnershipA representative from the company, Johan Claassen, was dispatched to assess the predicament and re-ported that - with assistance from Nurcha - the situation could be turned around and the company could be rescued. “Nurcha was like a silent business partner and they guided and advised me throughout the process until I had paid off the debt. This was good because the suppliers that were always happy to do business

with me and that had become angry with me when I couldn’t pay them, had once again become my friends and the relationships were put back in order.“Ever since then Lub-be Construction and Nurcha have formed a tight working rela-tionship and if I need bridging finance for housing or infrastruc-ture projects I know where to go to get the finance and assistance I need. To this day I do not go anywhere near the banks and if I want equipment or stock I buy it cash,” Sam says.

Apart from supplies and equipment used for the day-to-day running of his business, Sam has purchased five 25-ton excavators, a front-end loader, several tractor loader backhoe (TLB) and three trucks – cash. “Not bad for a small time building contractor.”Since the initial funding Nurcha has provided finance to him to build more than 4000 houses in Kwenele, Langeville, Orangefarm and Lakeside. During the same time the company has undertaken bulk water provision services, roads and other infrastructure proj-ects that have been self funded. Work for the private sector and for government is ongoing and Lubbe Construction has built a number of office blocks, retail outlets and private houses, as well as schools and community centres.

Jet-settingIt has expanded to include buying its own property for developments and other related business ventures. Far from his humble beginnings as a young tea boy and entrepreneur riding to site on a bicycle, Sam has built a comfortable lifestyle with the associated luxuries acquired through a successful career. Thanks to hard work and dedication his small start-up business has grown and now has branches in Botswana, Mozam-bique and even as far afield as Sudan and England. Like his business, Sam has developed and grown as a person and businessman. He has become a jetsetter that travels the world in search of opportunities for Lubbe Construction.Lubbe Construction, Tel: (011) 825-1886, Fax: (011) 825-1694, Email: [email protected], www.lubbeconstruction.co.za

SUCCESS

Initially Sam had to make use of public transport, and later a bicycle, as his fortunes increased


www.ppc.co.za

39732

For 117 years, the South African market has continued to demand exceptional service and quality cement. And, through both trying economic circumstances and ever-increasing cement demands, PPC has played its part in giving South Africa the strength to progress and further develop our nation’s landscape.

18 000 000

16 000 000

14 000 000

12 000 000

10 000 000

8 000 000

6 000 000

4 000 000

2 000 000

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To

ns*

1892 1906 1920 1934 1948 1962 1976 1990 2008

Cement*Total industry in South Africa.

While times have changed, our strength has not.

0

1906 1948 2008

39732 PPC Red Graph 297x210.ai 1/20/10 10:35:41 AM

Parliament Buildings 1910 Union Buildings 1913 Fort Hare University 1916

Loftus Versfeld 1923 Unisa 1946 Hillbrow Tower 1970

Van Staden’s Bridge 1971 Carlton Centre 1973 Koeberg Power Station 1984

Chapman’s Peak 2003 Berg River 2006 And that’s just the beginning...

39666/CB


www.ppc.co.za39732

For 117 years, the South African market has continued to demand exceptional service and quality cement. And, through both trying economic circumstances and ever-increasing cement demands, PPC has played its part in giving South Africa the strength to progress and further develop our nation’s landscape.

18 000 000

16 000 000

14 000 000

12 000 000

10 000 000

8 000 000

6 000 000

4 000 000

2 000 000

0

To

ns*

1892 1906 1920 1934 1948 1962 1976 1990 2008

Cement*Total industry in South Africa.

While times have changed, our strength has not.

0

1906 1948 2008

39732 PPC Red Graph 297x210.ai 1/20/10 10:35:41 AM

Parliament Buildings 1910 Union Buildings 1913 Fort Hare University 1916

Loftus Versfeld 1923 Unisa 1946 Hillbrow Tower 1970

Van Staden’s Bridge 1971 Carlton Centre 1973 Koeberg Power Station 1984

Chapman’s Peak 2003 Berg River 2006 And that’s just the beginning...

39666/CB


In order to build a house a start-up contractor needs little more than the basic tools and materials, but that is not to say the contractor will be able to do the best job he possibly can nor, will the house be built as quickly as it can be with modern tools avail-able.

The bare minimum tools includes the right hand tools like shovels, wheelbarrows, spirit levels and trowels for cement and masonry work. Then the contractor will need cutting equipment and fastners for carpentry. Fittings

for roofing, plumbing and electrical installations will need accurate measuring equipment like squares, tape measures, screwdrivers and a drill. Almost anyone can afford to stock up on these tools,

as they can be bought at the local hardware store and are reasonably affordable. These tools are per-fect for small contractor who are working on single housing units or house alteration, but when it comes to building housing projects where many houses need to be built in a set space of time, within the financial budget and to high quality standards then these tools will not do and the contractor will have to turn to technology for assistance.

Better and fasterAlmost every job can be done better and faster with the help of the right power tools. From the basic drill and concrete mixer to the wall chasing machines and grinders, every power tool has its place and can save contractors valuable time, manpower and money.“Skills On Site” looks at some really handy power tools from Makita that we think professional building contractors should have in the toolbox. Remember, when choosing a power tool for your specific applica-tion, bear in mind that buying the right tool with the correct capacity and strength may cost you more, but in the long run will increase your productivity and save you time and money.

The Use of Power Tools to Make House Building Easier

POWER TOOLS


POWER TOOLS

Most power tool manufacturers have a wide and varied range of power tools, some for very specific applications. The first tool that comes to mind is an angle grinder.

Angle grindersAngle grinders are available in various wheel diameters and we recommend the use of a high performance motor and with a depressed wheel diameter of at least 115mm. This is ideal for cutting floor, wall and roof tiles with a diamond wheel or a masonry abra-sive disc. Makita has a excellent product for cutting bricks and paving blocks and grinding for all metal requirements with a 2200W motor and a 230mm wheel diameter. For these rugged jobs the Makita model provides outstanding durability and is built to last on even the busiest building site.

Cut-off sawA cut-off saw is another power tool which is great to have on site as it is ideal for cutting rebar lengths and all other metal cutting jobs (eg. square, run and rectangular tubing). Ease of use is of the utmost importance and contractors should spend time assessing the suitability of the ma-chine considering it will be used often. The Makita Model 2414NB is a good example and it has a specially designed D-shaped handle for easy gripping and stability. It has a

w h e e l diameter of

355 mm and a fast no load speed of

3,800 r/min. These saws can do a job in minutes that

would otherwise have taken the builder hours and saving

manpower means the builder can get on with the next job at hand.

DrillThe drill may be one of the most basic tools required by

the contractor, but it is also one of the most important. When it comes to drilling, having a clear idea of your exact requirements makes it easy for the supplier to give you the right tool for the job. Although it is not an absolute necessity it is a good idea to have both an impact and a rotary hammer drill in your collec-tion of tools. When buying a drill it is important to take into consid-eration the use of the drill and to avoid buying drills that are best suited to light use or do-it-yourself type of work. Cheaper drills that are sold at retail stores are often aimed at this market and are usually not suit-able for the tough, rough environment of the building site. For this reason Makita has drills that are strong enough to last. Rotary Hammer drills have highly du-rable mechanical parts and motors with good quality brushes to provide reliable drilling in dusty and dirty building site conditions. For house building, a drill with a drilling range of 4mm – 16mm is ideal for the contractor and is a trouble-free way of drilling through reinforced concrete such as lintols or other very hard surfaces. For more general uses a drill like the Makita HP2050 13mm Impact Drill has a 2 speed operation, is compact and has a strong housing that makes it suitable for drilling into wooden rafters, ceiling board, bricks and steel.

Wall chaserWhen it comes to saving time some specialised tools may make the difference between meeting building deadlines or not. A tool like a wall chaser (SG1250) is great to have on any site where you need to chase grooves for plumbing and electrical work. When used with a light chipper, chas-ing a wall is a quick and simple operation. These tools will not only make your work standard look very professional, but the real benefit is the time saving. Busy contractors will notice an incredible impact on their profitability on the building contract due to savings on manpower. Makita has an excellent product for this purpose. Its double wall chaser has 2 blades that can be simulta-neously varied in depth up to 30mm, giving you an even cutting depth throughout your cut. Taking into


consideration that the average PVC pipe is only 25mm the depth of cut is more than enough to safely hide your pipe and then plaster over it. The blades can also be adjusted from 6mm – 30mm in width for electrical or plumbing uses. When installing standard surface flex (electrical wire) you would only need to chase to approximately 15mm. You would use the light chipper to efficiently remove the unwanted material, leaving your groove ready to place either PVC pipe or electrical wire.

Cold metal cutterFor cutting all corrugated roofing and IBR sheeting with no burrs or sparks as well as cutting sheet metal up to 6mm thick, a cold metal cutter is very effective. Machines like the Makita Model 4131 is ideal for these applications as the “cold” cutting stops distortion of material and cuts out the dangers of fire when working near flammable material. The blade diameter on this

model is 185mm and the maximum cutting capacity is 63mm with a no load speed of 3,500 r/min.

Jig sawFinally a jig saw is another great versatile power tool to have on hand for cutting of profiles in ceiling board and cutting Formica tops for the placement of sink units. The Makita Model 4350FCT with its built is LED job light for easy tracing of your cutting line, and its low vibration and low noise level, 3 orbital as well as a straight cut setting is always a good choice. This model also has a toolless blade change system and an electronic control with a speed dial.

The big timeThese are just a few of the many tools and power tools that are available to make the life of the build-ing contractor easier, while improving quality and saving time. For building contractors who want to make the jump from small-time operators to bigger more successful operations, the use of power tools is a must. Companies like Makita have a huge range of tools available. It is a wise idea for contractors to think about on-site jobs that take up the most time and to find out if the use of power tools will assist in getting the job done quicker. Rutherford – Makita, Tel: (011) 878-2600, Web: www.makita.co.za

POWER TOOLS


Lambson Hire has purchased a number of 3 ton hydrostatic four-wheel drive ar-ticulated swivel tip dumpers. “In the past these dumpers were not available in South Africa. Now with the Wacker/Neuson merg-er, the compact prod-uct range (up to 10 ton capacities) includ-ing skid steers, mini excavators, dumpers, multi-terrain loaders, all-wheel steer load-ers and telehandlers will soon be available locally from Wacker SA.”

Major failure area“In the past we have found that a major failure area on dumpers was the gearbox and by going for a hydrostatic drive, this problem area will be eliminated. In addition, most dumpers available are in the 1.5 and 2 ton classes with a pressing need for 3 ton dumpers existing.

Reliable dumping solutionWacker Neuson’s stylish, heavy duty mid size dumper range features three payloads (3, 4 and 5 ton), all with hydraulically operated Powerswivel skips and hydrostatic permanent four-wheel drive as standard. The hydrostatic drive system offers operator friendly hydrostatic controls, which eliminates the need to change gears while driving making these dumpers extremely easy and safe to use. The new dumpers are ideal for surface construction work, civil engineering, road building, quarrying, indus-try, demolition and rubble handling, waste disposal, forestry, farming, landscaping and public works.Customer enquiries: Tel: (011) 627-7700, Fax: (011) 618-3109, Email: [email protected]

EQUIPMENT

Affordable Compact Dumpers

The 3 ton hydrostatic four-wheel drive articulated swivel tip dumper available from Lambson’s Hire

Log onto www.promech.co.za to read back issues of “Skills On Site” or contact

Debbie Pienaar on Tel: (011) 781-1401, Fax: (011) 781-1403 or

Email: [email protected] for advertising bookings


Tel: +27 (0) 11 453 3339 Fax: +27 (0) 11 453 3403E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.afsa.org.za

For further information on Aluminium and its applications:Contact AFSA at:

Comparison ofALUMINIUM

and Competing Materials in Building & ConstructionProperty Aluminium Roll Formed Steel Copper

(Deoxided: Low Phosphorus)Strength (Tensile) Very good mechanical properties. High mechanical properties. Average to low mechanical properties.

Density LightweightAbout 1/3 that of copper or steel.

High densityAbout three times heavier thanaluminium.

About three times heavier thanaluminium.

Strength to Weight Ratio Very good. Good. Low

Corrosion Resistance ExcellentIt can be further increased along withenhanced appearance through ano-dising and other coatings.

PoorUsually requires protective coatingsfor corrosion service.

Excellent

Formability Easily formable and extruded in awide variety of complex shapesincluding multi-void hollows. Form-ability to net shapes and extrusionsprovides for the placement of metalwhere it's needed.

Readily formableThinner cross-sections than alumini-um extrusions metal cannot always belocated where best used in design.

Excellent formability and easilyextrudable. Formable to net shapes.

Electrical Conductivity ExcellentOn a Rand for Rand basis, twice asefficient as copper, used in bus barand electric connector applications.

PoorCannot usually be used as anelectrical conductor.

Excellent conductivity.

Thermal Conductivity ExcellentIdeal for heat exchange application.

PoorCannot usually be used as a heatexchanger.

Excellent conductivity.

Energy Savings / ThermalReflectivity

Excellent thermal reflectivity.Aluminium can offer energy savingson heating and cooling.

Poor thermal reflectivity even whengalvanised.

Poor thermal reflectivity.

Finishing A near limitless array of finishes canbe applied including mechanicaland chemical prefinishes, anodiccoatings, powder coatings, paints andelectroplated finishes.

Protective coatings such as paintfinishes are employed along withelectroplated finishes.

A variety of coatings and platings canbe employed.

Recyclability High scrap valueRoutinely reprocessed to generatenew extrusions.

Low scrap value. High scrap value.

Tooling Economics Extrusion tooling is relativelyinexpensive. Short lead times fortooling construction.

Typical tooling costs are thousands ofRands. Long lead times are required.

Inexpensive tooling costs forextrusions.

Combustibility Non-combustibleDoes not emit any toxic fumes whenexposed to high temperatures.

Non-combustibleDoes not emit any toxic fumes whenexposed to high temperatures.

Non-combustibleDoes not emit any toxic fumes whenexposed to high temperatures.

Reprinted courtesy of Aluminium Extrusion Council, USA


Property Aluminium Moulded Plastic Wood Vinyl(Polyvinyl Chloride)

Strength (Tensile) Very good mechanical properties. Wide variation in proper-ties from .08 to .8 tensilestrength of aluminium forglass filled compounds.

Good compressive proper-ties, variable with thespecies of wood andmoisture content.

Low mechanical properties.

Density Lightweight Very lightweightAbout 60% the weight ofaluminium.

Very lightweightAbout 1/3 the density ofaluminium.

Very lightweightAbout 60% the density ofaluminium.

Strength / Weight Ratio Very good. Low to good. Low to good. Low to good.

Corrosion Resistance ExcellentIt can be further increasedalong with enhanced appear-ance through anodising andother coatings.

ExcellentChoice of compound andcolour important forweatherability (UV).

Not directly applicableDecomposes in the pres-ence of some acids.

High resistance to alkalisand salts but is attacked byorganic solvents and strongacids.

Formability Easily formable and extruded in awide variety of complex shapesincluding multi-void hollows.Formability to net shapes andextrusions provides for the place-ment of metal where it's needed.

Easily formed or mouldedinto complex shapes.

PoorCannot be routinely formed.

Easily formed or mouldedinto complex shapes.

Electrical Conductivity ExcellentOn a Rand for Rand basis,twice as efficient as copper, usedin bus bar and electric connectorapplications.

PoorUsed as an insulator, highdielectric capability.

PoorCannot be used as anelectrical conductor. Usuallycannot be employed as aninsulator.

PoorHas electrical and thermalinsulation characteristics.

Thermal Conductivity ExcellentIdeal for heat exchanger applica-tions.

PoorLow coefficient of thermal(heat) transfer.

Poor Poor

Energy Savings /Thermal Reflectivity

Excellent thermal reflectivity.Aluminium can offer energysavings on heating and cooling.

Poor thermal reflectivity. Poor thermal reflectivity. Poor thermal reflectivity.

Finishing A near limitless array of finishescan be applied including mechani-cal and chemical prefinishes,anodic coatings, powder coatings,paints and electroplated finishes.

Colour can be integral withmaterial as well as plated,painted and hot stamped.

Paint and stain coatingscan be employed.

Colour can be integral withmaterial.

Recyclability High scrap valueRoutinely reprocessed to generatenew extrusions.

Routinely reprocessed butloses properties; repro-cessed material is addedto new stock.

Low scrap value. Low scrap value; routinelyreprocessed.

Tooling Economics Extrusion tooling is relativelyinexpensive. Short lead times fortooling construction.

Tooling is expensiveGenerally in the thousandsof Rands. Long lead timesrequired.

Very inexpensive. Relatively inexpensive.

Combustibility Non-combustibleDoes not emit any toxic fumeswhen exposed to high tempera-tures.

CombustibleMay emit toxic fumeswhen exposed to hightemperatures.

CombustibleEmits toxic fumes while burning.

CombustibleMay emit toxic fumes whenexposed to high tempera-tures.

Reprinted courtesy of Aluminium Extrusion Council, USA

Tel: +27 (0) 11 453 3339 Fax: +27 (0) 11 453 3403E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.afsa.org.za


Highlights

• Unique accessories: leveling staff thathas a magnetic nail holder, allowing oneperson to set nails in formwork at thedesired height.

• Powered by Li-ion battery pack withCPC technology (can also be chargedin the car with the proper cable)

• Digital measurement: precise visualconfirmation of how much you areabove or below your desired level

The magnetic staff makes marking formwork with nails a one man operator.

Depth of excavation can quickly be deter-mined with the extensive receiver window,digital measurement and pulse power.

No more guess work when leveling propsfor decks. Digital measurement gives youthe exact deviations to the mm.

Hilti PRE 3rotating laser

Applications

• Transferring and checking referenceheights

• Excavation work, leveling formworkfor decks

• Pouring concrete• Setting slope• Measuring, leveling and control

work in civil engineering and buildingconstruction

Advantages

• Extended laser receiver window thatquickly and easily allows the localizationof the laser beam

• Automatic shock warning and shutdownin the event of excessive vibrationprovides reliable readings at all times

• Robust design of both rotating laserand receiver for harsh construction siteconditions

• Tripod closes via self-locking mechanism• Single-button control for quick, simple

operation

Results at the push of a button.A simple yet tough measuring system.The new Hilti PRE 3 rotating laser is extremely robust and easy tohandle. This is ensured by the single-button operation andby the optimal design which takes the unforgiving,day-to-day construction site environment intoconsideration. The integrated Hilti Pulse Powertechnology provides superior measuring perform-ance even under the harshest operating conditions.The first-class, complete PRE 3 package, featuringpractical and application-oriented accessories,is worth particular mention.


WIN A PRIZE (Closing date for entries is 25 February 2010)

Answer the following easy questions in the space provided. The answers are found in the pages in the magazine. There is only one winner and the person will be contacted personally to collect their prize at the offices of Promech Publishing in Blairgowrie, Randburg. All correct entries will be placed in a box and a winner chosen. The judge’s decision is final.

FAX OR POST YOUR ANSWERS TO: Promech Publishing on Fax: (011) 781-1403, P O Box 373, Pinegowrie, 2123

NAME: ….....………………………………………

TEL: .....…………………………………………

WIN THIS VALUABLE PRIZE!

Estimated retail Price R5 900.00

1. What is built using the Moladi system? ______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Who is the new CEO of Nurcha?______________________________________________________________________________________

3. What three power tools that can make contractor’s work easier?______________________________________________________________________________________

4. When did Sam Lubbe start Lubbe Construction?______________________________________________________________________________________

5. Where is Zithulele Senior Primary School?______________________________________________________________________________________

Robert McClelland is the proud winner of the Hilti TE1 Rotary Hammer Drill. He is a self-employed furniture manufacturer with a keen interest in interior decorating. He is keenly interested in joining the building industry and actually found his copy of Skills On Site while seeking opportunities within the industry

Highlights

• Unique accessories: leveling staff thathas a magnetic nail holder, allowing oneperson to set nails in formwork at thedesired height.

• Powered by Li-ion battery pack withCPC technology (can also be chargedin the car with the proper cable)

• Digital measurement: precise visualconfirmation of how much you areabove or below your desired level

The magnetic staff makes marking formwork with nails a one man operator.

Depth of excavation can quickly be deter-mined with the extensive receiver window,digital measurement and pulse power.

No more guess work when leveling propsfor decks. Digital measurement gives youthe exact deviations to the mm.

Hilti PRE 3rotating laser

Applications

• Transferring and checking referenceheights

• Excavation work, leveling formworkfor decks

• Pouring concrete• Setting slope• Measuring, leveling and control

work in civil engineering and buildingconstruction

Advantages

• Extended laser receiver window thatquickly and easily allows the localizationof the laser beam

• Automatic shock warning and shutdownin the event of excessive vibrationprovides reliable readings at all times

• Robust design of both rotating laserand receiver for harsh construction siteconditions

• Tripod closes via self-locking mechanism• Single-button control for quick, simple

operation

Results at the push of a button.A simple yet tough measuring system.The new Hilti PRE 3 rotating laser is extremely robust and easy tohandle. This is ensured by the single-button operation andby the optimal design which takes the unforgiving,day-to-day construction site environment intoconsideration. The integrated Hilti Pulse Powertechnology provides superior measuring perform-ance even under the harshest operating conditions.The first-class, complete PRE 3 package, featuringpractical and application-oriented accessories,is worth particular mention.

�0 Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010

These statistics are provided exclusively for Skills on Site readers by Databuild, the leading provider of construction related information in South Africa. Databuild has been providing information for thirty five years and tracks projects from planning through to awarded stages.

Each month Databuild will provide statistics reflecting trends in the industry . For more information about Databuild please contact us on (011) 259-4500 or visit us at www.databuild.co.za

Number of projects awarded by province - Nov/Dec 2009

Province Total Number of Projects

Eastern Cape 89

Free State 21

Gauteng 70

KwaZulu Natal 53

Limpopo 28

Mpumalanga 53

North West 15

Northern Cape 15

Western Cape 96

Grand Total 440

CIDB GRADING

CIDB Grade 1

Value in Rmillion

CIDB Grade 2

Value in Rmillion

CIDB Grade 3

Value in Rmillion

CIDB Grade 4

Value in Rmillion

CIDB Grade 5

Value in Rmillion

CIDB Grade 6

Value in Rmillion

Eastern Cape

2 12.1 5 2.75 12 17.09 9 97 15 59.68 11 117.2

Free State 4 4.5 2 1.34 6 26.9 3 26

Gauteng 1 1 1 4 4.35 7 23.9 8 70.6 13 74.3

KwaZulu Natal

7 4.95 15 25.14 5 7.2 8 24.8 5 107

Limpopo 4 3.45 3 3.9 4 14.24 5 18.8 4 73.7

Mpumalanga 2 2.4 11 15.29 11 34.1 7 58.8 4 41.5

North West 1 0.5 1 0.85 1 2.4 2 18.9 5 66.27

Northern Cape

1 0.35 3 9 3 11.1 3 26.9 4 33.5

Western Cape

1 16 11.11 14 24.61 10 31.14 9 50.1 2 54

Total value per grading in Rmillions

4 R12.10 37 R26.51 67 R104.73 52 R222.42 63 R355.48 51 R593.47

Oooops!

Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010 �1

INSULATION

Heating and cooling costs make up more than 50% of the energy consumed in a single-family home. Adding the recommended levels of insulation will save energy, reduce utility costs and

improve comfort.But do you find yourself standing at the shop staring at bags of pink cotton candy, blue patches of fur, and pink, white and beige boards wondering which one is right for your project?

To Insulate or Not to Insulate When you renovate a kitchen or bathroom, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the design. But if you are ripping

out drywall, it’s also an opportunity to add insulation, which

not only improves energy efficiency but

also reduces noise and increases fire re-sistance.

Before you can decide if you need to add insulation, you have to

check the current level of insulation in the home.

In many older homes, insulation levels do not

exist, is too little and is often poorly installed.

Remember that thermal and air barriers must be con-tinuous and in contact with each other. If there is a gap between the insulation and the back of the wall or ceiling drywall, the insulation is doing very little, if anything, to reduce heat loss.Start your inspection in the ceiling, and then proceed to the walls and floors next to unheated spaces. To check for wall insulation, look behind the electrical outlets, being sure to turn the power to the outlets off first. Remove the cover plate and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box.

The Right Insulation for the Job Which insulation is best for your project?

Batt and blanket insulationThis is the form that you’re probably most familiar with. It’s fairly easy to work with and is generally the

least expensive. However, it doesn’t air seal as well as other types and requires careful installation to insulate effectively.Batt insulation usually consists of mineral fibre, either fibreglass or rock wool. It’s used to insulate below floors, above ceilings and within walls and is best suited for standard stud and joist spacing that is relatively free of obstructions.When installing, be sure that electrical wires; boxes for receptacle or light switches; plumbing pipes; and ducts do not compress batts. Slice the batts so the insulation can be formed around these obstructions uncompressed. Cut the insulation so it fits neatly around electrical boxes. Stuff spare insulation between the back of electrical boxes and the wall sheathing.During installation, staple flanges to the face of the wall studs that face the living space, not to the inside. Most insulators ‘side staple’ to leave the studs uncov-ered. Face stapling also makes it impossible to glue the drywall to the studs or joist. Doing it right takes lots of coordination between the two trades.Don’t leave gaps. Gaps of as little as 5% can reduce the overall R-value of the wall or ceiling by up to 50%.

Loose-fill insulation Loose fibres of rock wool, fibreglass or cellulose can be blown into build-ing cavities or attics us-ing special equipment. Generally, it costs more than batts, but, especially in the case of cellulose, it reduces air leak-age in wall cavi-ties if blown in at enough density and has better sound reduction qualities. Also, it is well-suited for areas that are hard to reach.

Cellulose fibre Made from recy-cled newspapers,

The Ins and Outs of Insulation

Your clients may not see

insulation, but they sure feel it.

In this age of energy efficiency

and huge heating bills, more

customers are demanding better

insulated homes.


INSULATION

this fibre is chemically treated for fire and insect resistance. It can be installed in walls, floors or attics using a dry-pack process or a moist-spray technique. If you’re doing it yourself, be sure that the bags are clearly labelled to indicate fire resistance.When blowing into open wall cavities that are not covered by wallboard, use a Blow-in Blanket System (BIBS) to keep the insula-tion in place.

Rigid board insulation Made from fibreglass, polystyrene and polyurethane, rigid insulation is used for re-roofing work on flat roofs, on basement walls, as pe-rimeter insulation at concrete slab edges and in cathedral ceilings. Interior applications must be cov-ered with 12-inch gypsum board or other building-code approved material for fire safety. When rigid foam board is used to insulate the interior of masonry walls, it does not require extra vapour retarder treatment. Exterior ap-plications must be covered with weatherproof facing.

Spray foam Spray foam insulation is a two-part liquid containing a polymer, such as polyurethane or modified urethane,

and a foaming agent. The liquid is sprayed through a nozzle into wall, ceiling and floor cavities. It expands into a solid cellular plastic with millions of tiny air-filled cells that fill every nook and cranny.Spray foam insulation should only be applied by professionals, and materials and installation cost more than traditional batt insulation. However, spray foam acts as both insulation and an air barrier; it eliminates the usual air-tightness detailing steps, such as caulking; applying house wrap and vapour barriers; and taping joints. This can make spray foam cost-competitive with batt insulation. Spray foam in small containers may be appropri-ate when replacing windows or for other jobs. For windows and doors, use products that remain soft and don’t wrap the frames.

Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010 ��

�� Skills on Site Jan/Feb 2010

ENDORSING BODY

Khuthaza represents the growing body of women in the built environment and interacts with government, industry role-players and other stakeholders to promote the interests of women and the overall

transformation of the industry.

ExpansionIn 2009 Khuthaza took their work in contractor develop-ment further by launching four programmes targeted to those at various levels of business development. The Excavation Programme provides an opportunity for those exploring opportunities in the sector to get a feel for construction and assists with market research. Cornerstone, Connection and Re a abelana are 7-9 month certificate programmes for those developing and running construction businesses. Nearly 70 people completed the certificate programmes in 2009. Over the past few years the organisation’s work has grown and in 2009 they began to expand their scope, previously focussed on housing, into the wider construction sector. The growth in the organisation mirrors that of the women in the industry. Women have steadily been showing interest in the industry and we now see a greater number of women pursuing careers in con-struction and the built environment. The number of women owned construction companies has increased steadily with about 40% of contractors in CIDB Grades 1-4 being headed by women. More importantly, a significant number of women owned companies have now demonstrated their staying power and capacity for growth.

The mixMany have asked what it is about Khuthaza that sets them apart, and makes them stand out as a model for

women’s development. Khuthaza’s Executive Director, Elizabeth O’Leary, says that their success is due not to one particular aspect but rather to a combination of factors. She mentions the dedication of her team as being one of the organisation’s greatest assets. “The enthusiasm of our people combined with the incredible spirit of the women participants in our programmes are two key ingredients in Khuthaza’s continued success” she says. The multifaceted programmes Khuthaza offers are the product of Khuthaza’s experience over the past several years and the organisation’s interest in being creative when looking at business development. Another significant factor is the involvement of a large and growing number of industry role-players. Khuthaza works to create a platform through which women have greater access to opportunities in the sector and provides mechanisms for them to engage with and learn from the experiences of a wide range of individuals and companies. Khuthaza thereby cre-ates a unique development environment. In the past year, programme participants have benefitted from the involvement of many stakeholders including:

Laying the Foundation for

Change

Khuthaza’s programs include on-site experience and training

Khuthaza promotes and supports the

empowerment of women in the housing and

construction sectors. As a Section 21

(non-profit) company they encourage change,

partnership and transformation in the industry. Their work is aligned with the vision of an economic and social landscape enriched by

the contributions of women as equal

participants.


MBSA and Concor who provided Health & Safety focussed seminars and site visits. The Cement & Concrete Institute provides train-ing through the SCT 10 and SCT 12 courses. 50 participants gained practical experience while volunteering their time with the Niall Mellon Township Trust. HR Practice provided vital support in the areas of personal and professional development. Gauteng Piling offered a site visit and workshop that focussed on opportunities for specialised businesses. Nurcha Construction Finance played a key role in sharing information and skills related to accessing and managing construction finance.

The wide range of role-players involved in the pro-grammes creates a dynamic learning environment, enables the participants to build a network in the sector and provides them with various perspectives. Khuthaza’s work is supported by a wide range of funders and partners including Standard Bank, FEM, PPC, Bentel, Trencon Construction, BKS and a wide range of role-players who contribute both financially and in kind.

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ENDORSING BODY

At the end of last year Khuthaza hosted an event that marked the successful roll-out of the 2009 Con-tractor Development programmes and recognized the commitment and achievements of the participants in the Cornerstone, Connection and Re a abelana Cer-tificate Programmes.

Nearly 70 participants (including one man) received certificates in an informal presentation prior to the evening function. At the function, Elizabeth

O’Leary noted that, “Its one thing to create a great programme, but the winning ingredient was definitely each individual participant. They came to the programmes with a level of commitment that has astounded us.” The Cornerstone and Connection programmes met ap-proximately 3 Saturdays per month from May, with additional activities during the week. Attendance has been remarkable overall and in the Cornerstone programme 5 of the participants have had 100% at-tendance.Elizabeth commented on the spirit of the programmes saying that, “The participants have spiced up the programmes with their

energy, their drive to learn and most importantly their willingness to share with each other.”Sinah Mkhonta, Rose Letlape and Gugu Balfour shared with the guests their experience in the programmes, highlighting the impact on their personal and business growth through the year. Khutaza, Elizabeth O’Leary, Tel: (011) 275-0268, Email: [email protected], Web: www.khuthaza.org.za

Recipients of certificates in Khuthaza Cornerstone program

Building Businesses

Commitment, Determination, ContributionWomen are increasingly emerging as leaders in the industry. They have either been in business for a few years or have built careers in the industry and are starting to give back thereby empower-ing others.Individually the women bring a variety of strengths to the industry. To say that they are ambitious is an understatement. They are meticulous, have a great eye for detail, thus recognising quality workman-ship, and make for excellent managers because of their ability to multitask. “We have been really impressed by the commitment of the women in the programmes this year and the level of teamwork and sharing that has emerged. The group dynamic we have experienced is probably one of the most unexpected benefits to emerge from our programmes” says Elizabeth. The women have bonded and now act as part of a more cohesive group, interacting and influenc-ing one another, learning from and supporting one another, networking on each other’s behalf and indirectly promoting one another.

Khutaza, Elizabeth O’Leary, Tel: (011) 275-0268, Email: [email protected], Web: www.khuthaza.org.za


Afrisam provides clean waterProviding clean drinking water in rural areas can be a challenge for communities that do not have access to clean water. It can be especially hard on women and girls who may miss school because they must walk as far as 10 km each day to get water and care for relatives who have fallen ill from the use of dirty water. In many communities the water that people need ex-ists; however, it is located deep underground where it is impossible to reach without a well and pump. For this reason Afrisam has adopted 20 PlayPumps that serves as a merry-go-round for children while their efforts are used to pump water for the community.In addition to providing easy access to drinking water, one of the best parts of the system is that it pays for

itself. All four sides of the storage tank carry billboards for advertisements. Space around the water tanks is rented to different companies, provided that two of these spaces are reserved for positive social and educational messages, such as the importance of washing your hands and HIV/AIDS awareness. If a pump breaks, the money from this advertising pays for any repairs. AfriSam will be using the adver-tising space on 20 of these sites around South Africa (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Province, North West) to communicate a social as well as a corporate message and assist PlayPump International in making a difference to rural com-munities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

How it worksThe PlayPump water system is a children’s merry-go-round attached to a water pump. As kids play and spin, clean water gets pulled up from underground into the 2500 litre storage tank, standing seven metres above the ground.

A simple turn of the tap pours the water out, making it easily accessible for both adults and children. Ex-cessive water is diverted from the storage tank back down into the borehole. If someone wants water while the kids are not playing, an adult can easily spin the merry-go-round by hand. Providing a clean water solution, PlayPump systems are usually installed near schools or in the middle of rural communities in Africa where sanitation is poor. Benefits of the PlayPump water system are threefold providing access to clean, safe drinking water, reduc-ing barriers to education and promoting valued play and interpersonal skills amongst the youth. With more than 1200 PlayPump systems already installed in rural parts of South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zambia, the power of children’s play is bringing clean water to approximately two million

people. Afrisam, Victor Bouguenon, Tel: (011) 670-5520, Web: www.afrisam.comAfrisam has adopted 20 PlayPumps

throughout the country to provide clean water to communities

Community gets Christmas presentFor many years, the Spruitview Multi-purpose Park project has been in the planning stages. Due to the planning foresight of the Ekhuruleni Metro Mu-nicipality (EMM) and perseverance of

the community, the park was completed by Rainbow Construction on 11 December last year – just in time for the holidays.The brief from the EMM was to develop a multipurpose park for community use, with emphasis on providing a venue with mixed activities and not only for sporting. The site design is to cater for functions as well. When the project started in June 2009, with a contract value of R12.6 million, the Ekhuruleni Metropolitan Municipality’s Environmental Development Metro Parks Division had the objective to deliver public in-frastructure by using labour-intensive methods. Only local workers were employed on a temporary basis in terms of the scope of the work. Rainbow Construction’s director, Gerald Loe says, “The Spruitview site lies south of Germiston on a moderately steep slope on dolomite rock. The multipurpose park consists of 8 000m³ sports fields and an amphitheatre. The nature of the intended parkland required exten-sive earthworks.”

In Touch


Work included the construction of several elements such as two toilet blocks, a lapa that will be used by the community and for hiring out for small functions, a caretakers house, an amphitheatre, a play park as well as a skateboard park. Pedestrian paving was laid, installation of irrigation and planting of trees and lawn were the next steps to complete this project. This second phase’s value was approximately R11 million. Managing Director of Rainbow Construction, Errol Burman concludes, “The Spruitview Multipurpose Park is yet another example of our commitment to projects with the purpose to uplift the underprivileged communities that it touches. The park provides a new recreation and sporting facility in an area where one is desperately needed.”

Cool new school On a cold, rainy 22 September 2009, the Zithulele Senior Primary School, just outside Mthatha, was handed over in a glittering ceremony attended by many dig-nitaries, including the Minister of Education, Angie Motshekga.The school, a joint venture between the Department of Education and the Vodacom Foundation, boasts 12 class-rooms, a reception classroom, an administration block and a nutrition centre. The centre for home economics will also pre-pare food for the children on a daily basis.

In addition to the basic classrooms, the school features a modern computer lab, science laboratory and a well equipped library. The Vodacom Founda-tion, as part of their sponsorship, will sup-ply all the desks and furniture required by the school.The new school, which will accommodate some 300 learners, is a vast improvement on the old school – a 3

roomed mud structure. This was demolished by the community during the school holidays, and 3 new classrooms were erected with no disruptions.The contractor, Mr Nzuzo Mase, was funded by Nurcha and received construction support from Tusk. The school was the third project successfully completed by Mr Mase, who has already completed two clinics near Ngobo and Maclear with finance and support from Nurcha and Tusk.Mr Mase won the tender for the school, valued at R 15 million and needed up to R 4.7 million in bridging finance. The project started at the end of October 2008 and was completed in August 2009 and in-cluded many extras such as an amphitheatre, and ablution block and extensive landscaping.

The amphitheatre built for the community of Spruitview

The school’s impressive computer laboratory


Training for block layersCETA (Construction Education and Training Authority) approved training in masonry block-laying has be-

Roofs surveyedConcrete roof tiles are still the most cost-effective roofing material for roofs built with trusses. This observation is based on an updated survey coordinated on behalf of the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) by roofing specialist, Victor Booth Pr Eng. – an independent consulting engineer.Last conducted in 2007, the survey uses data gathered in August 2009 from several sources. It focused on three building models, a 57m² (floor area) house, a 134m² house and a 1 158m² commercial building. The results of each have been published by the CMA in three leaflets, one for each model. CMA director, John Cairns, says the survey assessed completed roofs built with trusses which allow for the inclusion of ceilings and underlays, and in each case concrete tiled roofs proved the most cost-effective material. “An increasing number of low-cost housing devel-opments are using roofs built with trusses as they have better insulation and aesthetic properties and ultimately make for much sounder long-term invest-ments,” observes Cairns.Factors such as floor area, roof area, pitch and truss

Work in progress at a church in Khayelitsha which was built using genuine modular masonry and thin bed mortar (TBM) construction techniques

The Golf Course Ext Development, an affordable housing initiative adjacent to the King Williams Town Golf Course, in the Eastern Cape, the first housing project in which the recently introduced CMA Roofing System was used

spacing, among others, as well as cost factors such as truss and timber sundries, roof erection, roofing material and fixing, were taken into account. Prices were based on complete roof structures, however, fascia boards and gutters were omitted from the survey because these are optional items which make no difference to the costing. Likewise no provision was made for underlay, membrane or ceiling construction.Cairns says the figures represent a “snapshot ” in time and that price fluctuations of materials and labour will vary from product to product as time passes.CMA, Pam, Tel: (011) 805-6742, Email: [email protected]

gun in earnest. Based on course material specifically developed for laying modular masonry blocks as op-posed to conventional bricks, the training has been developed by the CMA (Concrete Manufacturers Association) in collaboration with a senior block-lay-

ing instructor.“This is a huge step in the right direc-tion for the construction industry, as it will make a direct and positive impact on the affordable housing market,” comments Günter Koch, the CMA’s Western Cape representative.Towards the end of last year the CMA completed its trainee and facilitator training material for modular con-crete block construction. The course material consists of 14 outcome-based activities which comprise the block-laying unit standard.“Our new training programme is designed to address problems and provided we achieve buy-in from contractors, specifiers and build-ing authorities, the reintroduction of true modular construction will unleash a new and productive era in affordable housing construction,” concludes Koch.CETA, Kentse Mathiba, Gauteng, Tel: (011) 265 5900, CETA, Peter Cleopha, Western Cape, Tel: (021) 949 5325. Tjeka, Gawie Burger, Tel: (021) 976 8057

sos: jan/feb 2010

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