Circular Economy Construction and Building Enterprises

On
by Admin

Gauge has been appointed to develop awareness, capacity and small enterprises within the circular economy with a focus on the building and construction industry in Southern Africa by EU Africa Rise.

As part of the project, we ran Circular Economy Workshops in Gaborone and developed some interesting new ideas including:

  • Crop-residue building panels
  • Circular facilities management
  • Circular waste clubs
  • Urban circular agriculture

We look forward to continuing to provide support with partners and seeing how the ideas develop.

Temporary Residential Units

On
by Admin

Temporary Residential Units, also known as TRUs are housing units developed to address an urgent need for accommodation. They may be constructed to accommodate people displaced as a result of natural disasters such as flooding or fires.

They are designed to be rapidly constructed, be affordable and provide shelter for periods of up to 1-2 years while more permanent accommodation is being developed. Once they have fulfilled their immediate need TRUs may be deconstructed for reuse in constructing TRUs elsewhere or their components and materials used in permanent housing.

Gauge has developed Temporary Residential Units called the BIBU (Building in a Box Unit). The BIBU consists of timber panels which are prefabricated and can be rapidly assembled to provide temporary housing.BIBU units can be packaged in box ready for assembly on site.

BIBUs has the following characteristics:

  • Manufactured from readily available components means that the units are low cost and can be constructed with basic hand tools.
  • Standard modular components can be transported in small trucks and bakkies enabling them to be constructed in difficult-to-access locations.
  • Timber and grown material component mean that the building has a very low environmental impact and creates local jobs in the forestry and associated industries.
  • Modular designs enable different arrangements, from 1-person to family units, to be constructed.
  • Designs can be localised to use locally available materials and skills.
  • Pad foundations and raised floors mean that the building can be built on slopes and there is a reduced risk of flooding.
  • The use of readily available fastenings and materials enables occupants to adapt and add to their housing to suit their needs.

BIBUs can be manufactured centrally and transported to areas where they are needed, or manufacturing sites can be established on or near sites where they are required. Manufacturing BIBUs near sites can be used to create local jobs and designs can be tailored to local needs and to use local materials and skills.

Please contact us if you would like a brochure on the system or have further queries.

The Standard for Developing Skills Through Infrastructure Contracts

On
by Admin

Regulation 22B now requires all government departments to comply with the Standard for Developing Skills Through Infrastructure Contracts. The Standard applies to all government construction projects with a contract or an order issued in terms of a framework agreement that has a duration of 12 months or more, and a contract amount exceeding:

  • R5 million in the case of a professional service or service contract or an order issued in terms of such a contract.
  • R60 million in the case of an engineering and construction works, or design and build contract or an order issued in terms of such a contract

Improving skills through and for infrastructure projects

There is an urgent need to improve infrastructure delivery capacity and address unemployment. One way of improving improving capacity in the sector is to integrate skills programmes into infrastructure projects. Appropriate infrastructure projects and contracting arrangements can be used to provide learners with excellent opportunities to be mentored by highly experienced professionals and artisans within the building and construction industry. Work experience of this nature is highly valued by future employers and is a requirement of built environment professional registrations

Enhancing effiency and efficiency of the construction industry

The Standard for Developing Skills Through Infrastructure Contracts has been designed to support infrastructure skills development. It was developed by the Construction Industry Development Board to increase capacity, improve its efficiency and effectiveness, achieve greater value for money and develop new jobs and enterprises in the sector

What types of capacity development is supported by the Standard?

The Contract Skills Development Goal (CSDG) set by the Standard can be used to support the achievement of the following:

  • A part or full occupational qualification registered on the National Qualification Framework.
  • A trade qualification leading to a listed trade (GG No. 35625, 31 August 2012).
  • A national diploma registered on the National Qualification Framework.
  • Registration in a professional category by a statutory council.

How is the Standard applied?

The Standard works by requiring contractors tendering for a project to set aside a budget for capacity development. This funding is used to pay for accredited training for construction workers and professionals working on the project. The standard defines a contract skills development goal (CSDG) relating to the structured workplace learning that must be achieved.

It differentiates between engineering and construction works and professional services contracts and sets different goals for these. The methodology for calculating goals is also different as indicated below.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image.png

Thus, a large social housing building project of over R100 million should set aside at least 0.375% of the construction contract for skills development.

Gauge has been assisting government departments apply the Standard. Further information on the Standard can be found through the links below.

CIDB Standard for Developing Skills through Infrastructure Contracts

CIDB Best Practice Assessment Scheme

State of Play of Circular Built Environment in Africa

On
by Admin

Gauge provided input into this study which describes the state of play of the circular built environments in Africa in 2020.

The study sets out the characteristics of the sector and explores how these could be enhanced through circular economy approaches. It shows that significant challenges face the African built environment and construction sector.

Rapid growth and limited capacity in Africa have meant that infrastructure and service backlogs are increasing and significant proportions of urban populations have to turn to the informal sector for their livelihoods and accommodation. Out-of-date and fragmented policy and regulatory frameworks, as well as limited implementation and enforcement capacity, have resulted in unregulated and sometimes dangerous and unhealthy living and working environments.

At the same time, there is a diverse and resilient tradition of indigenous construction in Africa that creates comfortable, affordable buildings from local materials using local labour without generating waste. The informal sector has found untapped economic trade and waste opportunities which have resulted in increased access to affordable food, significant reductions in waste, and provided many with incomes.

A review of the strengths and challenges facing existing and emerging practices can be used to identify significant opportunities to integrate circular economy approaches within the built environment and construction sectors in Africa.

These opportunities include:

  • Enhancing standards of construction and maintenance.
  • Avoiding early obsolescence and ensuring the right to repair.
  • Increasing upcycling and recycling of building materials and components.
  • Creating simpler, locally sourced buildings; enhancing informal economy processes.
  • Developing waste micro-grids; and supporting local organic waste recycling and soil fertility.

The study can be downloaded here.

How to Create More Sustainable Neighbourhoods

On
by Admin

The Built Environment Sustainability Tool developed by Gauge enables the development of sophisticated and responsive plans and strategies to support improved local sustainability.

These plans respond to and address gaps and aspects of current poor performance in a neighbourhood while supporting and improving aspects of good performance.

A wide range of options can be evaluated before a final selection of interventions is selected for implementation. The tool informs the mix, and sequencing, of these interventions.

Detailed implementation plans and strategies can then be developed designed and tested back against criteria in the tool to ensure that maximum impact is achieved.

The questions below, in conjunction with BEST, can be used to inform detailed implementation plans and strategies aimed at supporting sustainability.

New infrastructure

  • Is new infrastructure required?
  • Can existing infrastructure be used or adapted?
  • Can management and operation agreements be developed to support multifunction use of and shared access of existing facilities? 

Clustering and partnerships

  • Can clustering and shared use of infrastructure be used to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs?
  • Can partnerships be developed with neighbouring landowners and communities to increase the scale of interventions to support shared benefit and improved cost-effectiveness?

Linkages and synergies

  • How can systems be linked to reduce wastage and improve efficiency?  
  • Are there synergies that can be developed for mutual benefit?

Location and land use

  • Which location(s) for interventions can be used to support symbiotic relationships between functions and land uses?
  • Which location(s) for interventions draw on, and work with, natural and artificial features of the existing site to improve efficiencies and reduce operational costs?

Procurement

  • Which procurement processes are most suitable for creating local jobs and supporting local small businesses?
  • Which procurement processes can be used to reduce risk and improve local self-reliance concerning funding and long-term financial sustainability?

Construction

  • Which construction processes are most suitable for creating local jobs and support local small businesses?
  • Which construction products and materials are most suitable for creating local jobs and support local small businesses?

Operational management

  • Which operational management models ensure affordable local access and use of infrastructure for community benefit?
  • Which operational management models include governance mechanisms which ensure that infrastructure is responsive to local needs and opportunities?

These questions can be used to develop detailed designs, specifications, plans and implementation methods that ensure that the resulting interventions not only support local sustainability but also ensure that implementation processes are also used to support sustainability.

The Built Environment Sustainability Tool can be accessed here.

Seven Key Questions To Use to Develop More Sustainable Neighbourhoods

On
by Admin

Neighbourhoods appear to be complex and difficult to assess in terms of sustainability performance. A review of green precinct assessment tools for urban areas revealed that these tend to focus on environmental issues and did not take into social and economic issues. Many of the tools are also complex and do not encourage the involvement of communities and non-professionals. Also, many tools and rating systems are prescriptive and do not encourage or support the exploration of innovative solutions that respond to local opportunities and challenges.

The Built Environment Sustainability Tool addresses these issues by being based on a sustainability approach which includes social and economic aspects as well as environmental impacts. The tool aims to be simple to use and to encourage the active participation of all role players including local communities in assessing local sustainability performance and developing plans to improve this. It encourages a range of solutions to be explored and tested to support responsive solutions that work with local opportunities and challenges.  

The BEST methodology provides practical ways of developing more sustainable neighbourhoods that enable you to address the following questions:

  1. What is sustainability?
  2. What are the implications of sustainability for urban areas and settlements?
  3. Do existing and proposed urban areas and settlements have the appropriate configuration and characteristics for sustainability?
  4. Can this configuration and characteristics be assessed?
  5. Can these assessments inform the development of interventions and solutions to improve sustainability performance? 
  6. Are there ways of identifying the most optimum solutions and interventions to address gaps and rapidly improving sustainability performance?
  7. Can sustainability plans and strategies be developed to ensure that sustainability targets are achieved in a structured, efficient and effective way?

The BEST can be accessed here.

Sustainable Building Assessment Tool Residential Course

On
by Admin

Gauge has been assisting Gauge Capability developed a course on the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool (SBAT).

The Sustainable Building Assessment Tool supports an integrated and responsive approach to achieving high sustainability performance in buildings. The tool is based on a holistic approach to addressing sustainability and includes social, economic and environmental criteria.

SBAT criteria are based on a definition of sustainability found in the Living Planet Index (WWF 2006). This defines sustainability as the attainment of a living standard of over 0.8 on the Human Development Index (HDI) while also achieving an ecological footprint (EF) of less than a 1.8gha per person.

The SBAT measures the performance of the built environment in terms of its capability to support the achievement of living standards of above 0.8 on the Human Development Index (HDI) and an ecological footprint (EF) of less than a 1.8gha per person.

The focus of the SBAT, therefore, to measure the extent to which built environments have the required characteristics and the configuration to enable users and occupants to live in a sustainable way.

More information on the course is available here.

Using Onsite Service Enterprises to Improve Housing Sustainability and Affordability

On
by Admin

Using Onsite Service Enterprises to Improve Housing Sustainability and Affordability is the title of a recent paper presented at the Southern African Energy Efficiency Confederation Conference. The paper investigates sustainable services such as renewable energy generation, solar water heating, greywater and recycling can be provided in affordable housing in a way that creates local small enterprises and generates commercial returns on investment. The abstract is provided below, and the full paper can be down loaded from here.

Onsite service enterprises (OSEs) are enterprises that develop and maintain systems and facilities that provide services to occupants of a building or a precinct. Examples of onsite services include hot water, energy, lighting, waste and recycling, mobility, food preparation and delivery, childcare, exercise, education and personal care. The full capital and operating costs of providing these services, including installing and maintaining systems, equipment and facilities, are borne by the enterprises and transparent fair costing models are used to determine fees charged for services to ensure there is a reasonable return for the enterprises and that services are affordable. The paper shows how the concept of OSEs can be applied to a housing development near Alexandra, Johannesburg. A critical evaluation of this application in relation to affordability and sustainability is carried out to determine the significance of the approach. The paper concludes that the OSE concept has significant potential and provides detail on how it can be developed and investigated further.

Next Page »