By Jude Njoku

Apparently disturbed by the housing shortfall now put at a staggering 17 million units, built environment experts have advocated the adoption of cheap, faster and durable methods of housing construction in the country.

The experts who noted that using the conventional block-work method of housing construction is tasking and time consuming, canvassed the use of new and faster building technologies.

An Abuja based real estate developer, Mr Jude Okoli told property writers that “there are new and fast building technologies being used in actualising mass housing globally, especially in Asia and the Middle East. These new technologies are used in America and in Europe as well”.

Model of Forms Building technology

Okoli spoke at a time that the Federal Housing Authority has concluded plans to develop 6,000 housing units in the nation’s six geopolitical zones. FHA which intends to begin construction immediately, hopes to achieve the feat within 18 to 24 months, employing 27 private sector developers.

To achieve this target, built environment experts insist that new technologies that would speed up the process while reducing costs should be adopted by the contractors. According to them, using the conventional building block-work system is tasking and time consuming.

Okoli wants the agency to consider using the Form building system which originated from the United States.

The building system is currently being used in the construction of Platinum Rows, a housing estate being developed by IHL Properties, a subsidiary of Ibile Holdings Limited in highbrow Lekki, Lagos.

Managing Director of IHL Properties, Mr Adeyinka Onigbanjo had told newsmen that although Platinum Rows is for the upper income group, his company introduced the Forms system to ensure houses in its other estates, are affordable and delivered with minimum delay.

The Wall Ties and Form technology, he said, is tested and produced by Wall-Ties & Forms, Inc., the world’s largest aluminum forms manufacturer and supplier as well as the premier designer of aluminum concrete forming systems and concrete formwork accessories.

The Forms technology, according to Onigbanjo, would be used in developing 461 housing units being developed by his company at Iyana-Oba in collaboration with the Ojo Local Government Council. “The form technology is pretty new in the country and has been used only in a few projects like the Rainbow Town in Port Harcourt and Palms Spring Estate in Lagos.

It is different from the cast system because it is cast in-situ (on site). All walls are load-bearing and they give the building structural support and the issue of differential settlement where you have cracks in buildings will not arise because of this technology.

Every wall has steel reinforcement and all the mechanical and electrical facilities are embedded in the walls, and gives fine finishing. The technology guarantees speed of completion and low-cost pricing that takes off about 10 to 15 percent discount on the cost of construction. The issue of cement screeding (plaster) does not arise,” he said.

A representative of Wall-Ties and Form, Mr. Martin Shoemaker said the parent company in Kansas, United States, has been using the technology for the past 35 years.

“I have come to show the people how the technology works and to get them started on their way. It is a very fast system and only takes five days to do a complete unit; top and bottom floors. Its biggest asset is that you get people in a lot faster and get you money at a lot quicker time.

It is also good for the country’s labour force, because it takes considerable labour to do it,” he said. Another building technology is the Royal Building Systems.

This system is fast and cost saving and has consequently been recommended by experts for mass and affordable housing. The system is utilised in Nigeria by Sanderton Ventures Limited, a construction materials marketing and real estate development company.