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Running head: CIVIL ENGINEERING REPORT 1

CIVIL ENGINEERING REPORT 6

Efficient and cost effective methods of construction

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Due to increased rate of population growth over the past decades, there has been an increase in demand for housing. Civil engineers face challenges of finding ways to reduce high cost associated with house construction while still provide quality low cost housing. Low cost houses are houses which the general low income earning population can acquire at low costs. Due to this, cost-effective methods are being researched .Cost-efficient housing is a concept that has more to do with reducing cost associated with house construction without the expense of sacrificing the performance and structure life of these houses .The cost-effective houses are well structured to be energy efficient thus conserving the environment( RS et al.,2019).With cost-effective methods providing low cost houses it does not necessary mean that these houses are constructed using cheap materials associated with substandard quality which is the misconception of the general population. It just means that these houses are constructed like any house but achieve cost-efficiency through methods of using locally available building materials and techniques which are economical , durable and ensure minimum whole life cost in maintenance of these finished houses. It should be noted that for effective cost efficient housing other factors such as climatic conditions, skill available, availability of materials and available technology should be factored in (Shaikh et al. 2017)

There are numerous ways of ensuring that the construction industry is able to come up with cost-efficient houses. The following are methods that can be used in cost efficient house constructions. One is the use of economical house construction products. Construction materials contribute to the overall high cost of housing construction. With the use of economical materials, it is found that the cost of construction is cut considerably .The type of construction material should factor climatic factors. Thus to obtain low cost houses the following materials can be used: prefabricated structural panels and shipping containers. Prefabricated structural panels are construction products that can be constructed of site and later assembled onsite. There are two types of structural panels which can either open and closed. Open structural panels are pre-assembled and later fitted with other elements while closed structural panels are completely preassembled.

The most common prefabricated panels are concrete or timber panels. Prefabricated panels have several merits. The main advantage is that they allow reduced construction time: since they are constructed offsite, when they reach the onsite construction point, they only require to be assembled to provide a finished product .Open structural panels are quick compared to traditional methods thus reducing time considerably. They reduce labour on onsite construction since they only require fitting. They are also of high quality since they are constructed in a controlled environment inside a factory (Ruuska & Häkkinen, 2014).

The use of inappropriate technology or techniques increases the final cost in house construction. Through the use of appropriate and innovative techniques, the amount of materials required in construction is considerably reduced (Orlov, 2018). Common techniques that can be used to obtain cost-efficient house construction include:

Filler slab technology.

This is a variation of the conventional reinforced concrete slab where part of the concrete is replaced by a filler material in which a waste material can be used as fillers. The materials used can either be brick tiles cellular concrete blocks among others. The principle of a filler slab is that the bottom part of a concrete slab does not take role in taking compressive role thus can be replaced by a light filler material. The main advantage of this is that it can use local waste as filler material thus cutting cost.

Soil cement blocks technology.

This is an alternative method where instead of using burnt brick masonry, soil cement blocks are used. It is an energy efficient method in which 5% cement is mixed with soil and pressed in hand operated machines, cured well and used. The main benefit of this method is energy efficiency but also the reduced cost since plastering on either the outside or inside of the house is not required.

Use of brick arches

This is a technique in which the traditional reinforced concrete slabs lintels are replaced by brick arches. Adoption of arches with different shapes brings good appearance to external wall surfaces. The use of this technique can save up to 30% of construction cost compared to traditional methods.

Use of interlocking blocks technique.

This is a method used in house construction that uses interlocking brick technology to cut back the cost of using mortars in house construction. Such interlocking blocks include the hydra form blocks made from soil and cement and use a simple machine run on diesel. The strength of the block depends on material used. The main advantages of this technique include the significant reduction in labour cost, the savings obtained from materials such as cement, locally sourced sand, and removal of mortar from the construction process and also the high rate of construction.

Economical roofing techniques

Normally, 12.5 centimeters thick reinforced concrete slab are used in roofing. Through the use of filled concrete slabs the construction cost in roofing is reduced as they are very economical.

Use of recycled waste

The use of locally sourced materials cuts high cost in house construction. It is encouraged to use local materials or waste to provide alternative materials used in construction .Example is the use of soil cement blocks which use local soil to build bricks which are used in masonry .They provide a cost effective material compared to traditional burnt bricks. Local waste as filler material can be a method used in reducing cost. In dry wall when cardboard is used, it increases the tenacity. The use of gravel as a filler material in concrete slabs reduces cost used compared to conventional concrete slabs .Such materials used in filling can be sourced from local waste thus cutting costs.

Effective planning

Ineffective planning can result into high cost of construction. Through effective planning before initial stages of construction the demolition of unplanned components of houses can be prevented. Also through effective planning, it is easier to manage onsite labour. This can enable labourers know where they need to be thus reduce chaos and cut the construction time. This lowers the cost required in hiring labour over prolonged time .Through phase implementations quick work is ensured since the workers can deal in particular phases. Planning also enables on to identify components of the house which are crucial and those that are not necessary .This enables one to make a total cost of the house construction and prevents cost incurred in obtaining components that will not be used.

Good designing.

Designing deals with how the structure of a house will look like. Through the use of a proper house design the amount of space which can be used to support other housings and also the construction material required can be reduced thus contributing to overall cost reduction in house constructions. Designing also improves the appearance of the house and gives room for landscaping (Gil-Mastalerczyk, 2019).

Use of shipping containers is another great way of constructing houses. Not only do they assist in reducing the overall cost associated with acquiring construction materials such as concrete slabs but they can be custom fitted to provide a great house finish. They also reduced cost in acquiring labour since only a few people are requires during doors and window fitting and insulations.

Low cost housing can be achieved through select use of appropriate construction materials, effective technology and techniques and a good designing. In achieving a cost effective construction method, the following factors need to be considered: the local conditions, the skills available, and the equipment available among other factors. The illustrations above give a summary of some of the methods which can be applied under influence of various factors to realize a low cost housing construction.

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