Property developer adopts cost cutting technique

Keikantse Lesemela | Tuesday October 14, 2014 08:00

 

The company is constructing 105 three-bedroom double storey houses in Gaborone in a bid to offer luxurious yet affordable accommodation for Batswana.  Speaking to the Mmegi Business, Eman Enterprises chairman Theo Emanuel, said they have identified the CorCon (Corrugated Concrete) building material as the most suitable for the project. 

“We want to build at a faster and cheaper rate, to offer affordable prices to Batswana. There is a high demand for accommodation but it is not always affordable to most Batswana, especially youth,” he said. 

Emmanuel explained that they chose it because it is lightweight and re-usable sheet metal. They have replaced the normal straight concrete slabs with the CorCon, which he noted would cut construction material costs and save time. 

“It is convenient and fast to use, which saves on labour costs.  Our aim is to achieve more than 70 percent saving on labour costs. That way we can offer low prices in the market.  We are currently training 300 workers on the system,” he said. 

The project system developer, Andy Stodulka, said their plan is convenient as the corrugated iron sheet could be re-used several times and was easy to install.

“This is the best system established in Australia. It is one of the strongest suspended slab systems in the world and one of the most earth quake proof,” he said.

The project is expected to be complete in March 2016.