Innovative building technologies 4.0: Fast-tracking housing delivery through 3D printing
Jeffrey Mahachi
Abstract
A house fulfils a fundamental need for human habitation. Acquisition of a house (through purchase or construction) is probably one of the greatest expenses for most people in South Africa. However, the complex South African housing industry has two markets: one market financed by the private sector and the other subsidised by the government. Despite several measures put in place by the government, the housing backlog in South Africa is still unacceptably high, at more than 2.3 million houses. Fairclough 2 and Burger 3 have noted that innovations have changed how homes are made in many countries, their performance, affordability, and functionality. Although the South African regulatory environment is not prescriptive in the materials and products used in building construction, there has been a slow uptake of innovative building products compared to that in other countries. In this article, the term 'innovative building products' refers to any non-conventional building products that have been assessed and certified by Agrment South Africa 4 (www.agrement.co.za). There are no South African National Standards to assess the performance of these products. The use of innovative building products in South Africa has important economic ramifications, including eradicating the housing backlog, providing better-quality housing and construction products, and possibly reducing the life cycle cost of the houses.