Low cost housing (LCH) TECHNOLOGY

This technology will indeed be provided low priced and affordable housing, the Cebu project used CEBs/SEBs and micro-concrete roof-tiles. Although these materials are genuinely low-cost; the houses do not look “low-cost” at all - as can be seen from the range of images and pictures shown below.

CEB’s are walling elements that are produced from a mixture of soil, a high % of cement and water, and compressed by a manual or hydraulic press with a maximum nominal compaction force of 8 tons. Special moulds are available for beams, columns and electric wires. Special bricks may be made for multi-storey buildings.

SEB’s on the other hand use a relatively low amount of cement and other energy intensive products and a small amount of RoadPacker Clay Brick Stabiliser which greatly increases the strength of the Stabilised Bricks and renders them completely impervious to water.

The bricks are made of ordinary insitu clayey soil rather than sand and gravel which goes to show that the use of the appropriate LCH technology is commercially viable.

Several Reasons Why This Technology Should Be Used

LCH Compacted Earth Bricks allow you to use the most abundant raw material on earth, soil.
LCH Compacted Earth Bricks use only 0 .2 litres of RoadPacker Clay Brick Stabiliser per m3 to be mixed with the soil to stabilise it.

LCH Compacted Earth Bricks being strong and highly compacted, are of the highest resistance (>8mpa) and do not require the use of any reinforcing bars to build a completely strong durable dwelling of up to 3 stories. (Except in Seismic Areas)

LCH Compacted Earth Bricks can be produced on the construction site, which negates the need for transporting the bricks and thereby, reduces the risk of damaging the already "paid for" bricks.

LCH Compacted Earth Bricks utilise unskilled labour to manufacture the bricks, therefore, employment is provided for local indigenous population and costs are kept at the lowest level.
LCH Compacted Earth Brick houses require a minimum of skilled labour to build. A professional bricklayer supervising the job will be sufficient, all other workers can be unskilled from the local surrounding area.

The LCH Compacted Earth Bricks are of a quality so high and a finish so good that most of the builders do not plaster or paint the external walls.

Furthermore, the majority of the low cost housing, because of the high standard and finish, can be left with the internal walls not painted.

A LCH Compacted Earth Brick house is totally isothermic to the extent that neither the heat nor the cold will affect the comfort of the occupants. Should the occupant decide that they wish to install air conditioning or central heating, then their electricity bill will be minimal.