- A while back, in 2014, the National housing corporation established an Expanded Polystyrene factory in Mavoko, Machakos county.
The move was hailed as a major milestone towards construction of prefabricated EPS structures, which are known to be cheaper as compared to brick and mortar structures, in the country.
WHAT IS EPS MATERIAL
EPS is made from raw polystyrene beads which are then are compressed into various densities depending on what structural element you want to build, that is whether is a slab or walling.
The compressed beads are then passed through process of cutting into panels of various sizes and then galvanized steel wire mesh is welded onto both sides of the panel.
Recently Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) material has emerged as a very compelling and attractive material as an alternative to traditional go to choices such as reinforced concrete.
WHY USE EPS
Below are some of the advantages of using expanded polystyrene as compared to other materials;
Shorter Project completion time;
EPS technology has been known to reduce the project construction periods by as much as 75%.
This is because EPS are light weight and therefore are faster to assemble and install on site. The panels are prefabricated off-site and the panels cover a larger area once installed.
Take for example that a single panel of EPS has an average dimension of 3 x 1.2 metres. Meaning, once installed, the panel covers a significant area of 3.6 square metres.
Construction of a wall in brick and mortar would take a longer period while also being more labour intensive as compared to EPS.
The EPS material can also be easily cut using a hot gun, thus making first fix for mechanical and electrical services faster than while chasing brick walls for the same.
The floor slabs tend to cure faster thus making it easier to progress faster with the other top floors at a faster rate than when using reinforced concrete.
Cost Saving
Whereas EPS are not recommended for the foundation slabs, they come in handy while casting the upper floor slabs.
This is because they require less reinforcement and concrete as compared to a purely solid concrete slab.
The Aesthetics factor – the look and the feel
Generally, the final EPS walls and slabs have a neater finish than brick walls or say concrete walls.
In fact, if properly shotcreted, they are less prone to hairline cracks and blends in well with the paint finish.
EPS is Ecofriendly.
The panels are recyclable and thus not a hazard to the environment.
Sound Insulation
EPS panel are better at reducing noise transmission from the outside.
Thermal Insulation
The panels have better thermal resistance properties and therefore help regulate indoor temperatures. This eventually reduces the energy needed for heating and cooling a house.
WHY THE SLOW UPTAKE IN THE KENYAN MARKET?
The technology has largely been used to build affordable houses by the NHC but private developers have been a little hesitant to adopt it.
Stakeholders have largely blamed the slow uptake of EPS technology in Kenya on the promoters and the choice of the target market.
The emphasis has been largely on low income households and government projects.
Another factor that has attributed to the low adoption is the perception that EPS can only be used to solve the walling element issue, whereas in Kenya there is no shortage of bricks for construction of walls.
Additionally, most Engineers in Kenya are not conversant with the new building methods such as EPS and therefore normally design using the traditional brick and mortar methods. The existing design manuals are also outdated and do not incorporate the new building methods such as use of EPS for high rise buildings.
WHAT CAN BE DONE.
To increase the uptake of EPS in Kenya, we need to;
- Update the current design manuals to include new building methods such as EPS technology.
- The curriculum at the tertiary level to be updated so the new professional can be acquainted with the new techniques for consideration during the design phase of a project.
- Private developers need to be sensitized on how EPS materials can cut down their building costs and project completion timelines – the perception needs to be changed.