Recently African
construction authorities in their bid to increase construction safety have turned their focus towards starting to regulate and set standards for construction, equipment and building materials.
Africa is a region with enormous infrastructural, residential, and commercial building potential, which requires advanced construction techniques along with the scaffolding and formwork systems that make such growth possible. According to Xabier Harreguy the Africa Export Manager at ULMA Construction in Spain, it is true that the significant financial support and risk coverage that Asian firms are provided by their public export credit agencies give them an undeniable lead in both provisioning and executing projects. “Economic and demographic growth, together with reforms in urbanization regulations, are strongly stimulating growth in the construction industry in Africa. This strong demand has had a direct effect on the gradual introduction of companies that, like ULMA, develop innovative and safe formwork and scaffolding systems that guarantee productivity onsite,” he says.
Formwork and Scaffolding trade is a very
labour intense trade and safety of labour is most essential. New technologies try to minimize the labour intensity to make it more safe, this means reducing the labour element; this is according to Marvin of Viva one of the market leaders in supplying and erecting Formwork and Scaffolding in South Africa. “With the unemployment rising in Africa, the continent prefers old systems which are almost redundant but effective which means less cost for material and enough for labour,” he adds.
In some North African markets, such as in Algeria, Morocco, or Tunisia, as well as in South Africa, the use of modular formwork systems is widespread and largely considered standard; the acceptance of innovative formwork and scaffolding systems has slowed down and is proving to be more gradual than hoped. “We can say that there is a direct relationship between the nature of the construction company that operates in these markets and the degree of technological innovation applied, with European and American firms generally demanding a higher level of technological sophistication,” adds Mr Harreguy.
The African market is receptive to technological innovation, and more so if it is accompanied by comprehensive services that include a study of the possibilities for each project, the technical design of the formwork and scaffolding solution, and provisioning of the best-suited material for the project.
According to Mr Johan Vermaak of Peoscaff in South Africa, the market is getting exposed to a system called ring lock system which is imported and that is used mainly for light to medium duty construction. “At this stage ring lock system is a fairly new concept to the market and is not well known but steadily making a stance in the market,” he added.
Therefore, the demand for quality is steadily rising across the continent, and in line with the ongoing demand for housing units, more governments are committing to creating large-scale housing projects, a recent example being the 800,000 units planned by the Moroccan government, as announced at the Al Omrane Expo 2017; this is according to Harald Beutel of Doka a developer, manufacturer and distributor of formwork technology. “Large-scale housing projects require high performing, easy-to-use systems, which can be easily managed by local manpower, ideally without the use of cranes. Monolithic concrete construction is the ideal solution to meet the high demand of housing,” he adds.
It is absolutely essential that the assembly of scaffolding and formwork systems be simple, quick, and safe, using standard pieces that can be used in multiple applications. Formwork systems should be versatile, strong, and durable, permitting the construction of any geometry required for residential, commercial, or infrastructure projects.
Most importantly, according to Ozren Stakic of Ferro-Met s.p.a a producer and distributor of construction equipment in Italy, installation has to be made according to regulations and instructions that have been provided by the producer. “As a producer we are always giving full technical support in terms of installation. Some scaffolders are very reckless, mostly because there are no safety regulations provided by governments so they do it their own way which sometimes can be fatal,” he asserts.
Nevertheless, what makes customers successful, of course, is that scaffolding erectors can optimally meet the needs of their own customers; this is according to Layher the world’s biggest manufacturer of scaffolding systems. ” However, profitability and safety are other crucial factors that help them stand out from competitors. Since assembly and logistics costs continue to account for 80 % of the cost of scaffolding services, reducing the weight of the components can significantly improve assembly and dismantling operations and help make better use of transport capacities,” the family-owned company based in Germany continues.
Layher further adds that, another important aspect in this context is to broaden the range of potential applications covered by material stocks. Equipped with the right additional parts and accessories, scaffolders can offer customers in trade solutions to overcome new challenges and open up new fields of business and new customer groups. Allowing scaffolders to offer a wider range of services, also ensures better utilization of material stock.
The scaffold and formwork market is very much active because a lot of developments under construction require the usage of quick stage access scaffolding and also formwork is a key component and system in the construction
industry for medium to heavy duty works.
