Corobrik to supply bricks for Kimberly housing project

The project was officially launched by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on Youth Day, 16 June.

"This project is a testament to the utility and affordability of clay brick construction in this lower end of the market," said Corobrik managing director, Dirk Meyer. "The specification of double skin face brick for RDP housing is supported by the findings of the WSP Green by Design research report on the energy modelling of 40m² low cost houses. The research shows that double skin walling is an enlightened design solution for low cost housing in South Africa, being cost effective as built, and with all the lifecycle benefits that come with the durability and robustness of clay brick."

The WSP Green by Design research compared insulated lightweight system building technologies such as LSFB with un-insulated double skin clay brick houses, and found that notwithstanding clay brick constructions lower built cost, the clay brick houses also provided superior thermal comfort and lower heating energy usage."

"The high thermal mass inherent in double skin clay brick cavity walls of these smaller footprint homes is what helps keep the inside of such homes cool in summer and warm in winter," Meyer said. "This is particularly valuable in the Northern Cape which borders on the Kalahari desert with its extreme fluctuations in temperature through the seasons."

Lower energy demand

"On a national level, when the thermal advantages of double skin clay brick walls are applied to thousands of RDP houses, this was found in the research to result in lower peak energy demands on the national grid and less pressure on boosting power generation to meet the electricity needs of government's future housing programmes.

"Another important consideration when building for this sector is that the homes meet the aspirations of the prospective homeowners to live in 'proper' houses built using quality materials that lend dignity and provide a sense of home," Meyer explained.

The contribution of clay brick walled houses to healthy living is also important. Being incombustible and benign, clay bricks release no toxic fumes that could affect air quality - in both normal conditions or during a fire. They also have natural sound insulation properties, supporting quiet indoor environments.

"Simply put, a double skinned face brick home fulfils all three sustainable development imperatives - economic, social and environmental - and is the optimal solution for affordable housing in this country," Meyer said.