Stories by Maduka Nweke,

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Owing to incessant building collapse and inability of some architects to achieve their desired designs using blocks, builders have developed various alternative building materials for their works. Although, these materials are expensive,  but research has shown that two things could be blamed for the cost implication. 

Experts believe that, the fact that many people have not adopted the method makes it a tedious task to spend several hours to get just one item when the same time would have generated greater result. Another reason is because sourcing the materials for few products will add so much to the eventual cost of the material, thereby discouraging continuation of such processes. To ease these challenges, some of these materials to be discussed here suffice as alternatives to the method of moulding and using blocks.

Scientists have discovered Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and they are fibreglass panels made from insulating foam sandwiched between two layers of structural material. One of the advantages is that walls can be erected quickly, usually within hours, compared to about two weeks for traditional stick (lumber) framing. The panels are lightweight and are already filled with insulation when they arrive on the site. Since the insulation is installed in a controlled environment and is measured to fit precisely, the house is likely to be more airtight than a conventionally built home, which is an energy-efficiency plus. Although this method is fashionable and quick to finish, it is about 10 per cent more expensive than stick building. And a builder needs to be well versed in the process to make sure the panels fit together precisely.

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There is also the Modular Construction where homes are built in-factory, then collapsed and taken to the home site and erected with cranes. Though mobile homes are most often associated with this type of construction, the market has grown to include homes that closely resemble conventionally built structures. The advantage is that once the homes are transported to the site, cranes can erect the walls within hours. Today’s modular homes can also be custom-designed to include such features as tray ceilings, coffered beams, and spiral staircases. Like SIPs, modular homes are built to precise specifications in a controlled environment so they are more likely to be airtight than a stick-built house.

Steel framing is another method and it is where houses are framed with light-gauge steel studs instead of lumber. The advantage of this method is that it supports heavier loads and provides longer-lasting frame construction. Steel framing is dimensionally stable and eliminates most drywall cracking. As is the case with other nontraditional exterior materials, houses framed with steel can be finished with any exterior material. Although as solid as it is, steel framing is similar to traditional or stick framing in the construction process. The construction materials are vastly different, and builders need to be trained to use them correctly. Some builders mistakenly assume that if they are able to build stick houses, they build with steel equally well.

Another method that experts call Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) also exists. PVC is a hard, durable, synthetic material that is becoming a choice in new construction and remodelling. Though the plastic is rarely used for whole-house building, its popularity is escalating for gutters, window frames, shutters and siding. Proponents of this method say PVC materials last an average of 20 years with little or no maintenance. PVC pipes for water distribution, chemicals, and sewage have been used for up to 50 years and are still in effective. The material also boasts excellent fire-retardant properties. Though PVC is essentially plastic and is widely used for garden and landscaping structures, its popularity as a whole-house construction material may be a long time vision.

What is conventional in this part of the world -Africa among the new methods could be timber frame, which combines handcrafted timbers with time-honoured building techniques. The timbers are cut, shaped, and finished, then sent to the building site, where specially trained crews erect the house frame. Timber framing is time-tested; it has been used for more than 600 years and was widely used in Northern Europe before being brought to America. The oldest timber-frame structure in the United States was built in 1637 and remains in use. Timber-frame homes are usually sheathed with stress skin panels, insulated exterior sheathing that carries exceptional insulation value as well as the benefit of quickly enclosing a timber frame from the elements. Though since few people build with this method, it could be difficult to find someone who is suited to handle the project.

There is also the stabilised abode type, which is an improvement over the traditional  or hand moulded and sun dried mud block in which mud is mixed with a small proportion of cement, lime, broken or cut dry grass as reinforcing media to impart added strength and lower the permeability. It is appropriate in dry climates. Be that as it may, it is only those who are excessively rich and those who are not in a hurry to finish their house and move in that can endure such period of product processing.

There are the Fal-G stabilised mud blocks and they are much stronger with less water absorption and cheaper than cement stabilised blocks. With 5 to 10 per cent Fal-G, 30 per cent saving in cement could be achieved in addition to utilisation of the waste product like fly ash. These blocks could be manufactured at village level and are most suitable where good burnt clay bricks are not available.