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This paper is a research made on the impact of concrete hollow block have on improving the economy of Malawi. It describes the benefits of using eco friendly building material rather than the use of burnt bricks which have a negative impact to the environment. The paper will benefit those who are interested to know more about Concrete hollow blocks, Malawian Industrial sector and those looking into new ventures.
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This is to certify that this research report on the topic “Concrete hollow blocks, a step up for Malawian economy” has been under my supervision and it is now ready for submission in the department of MBA with my approval.
Signed: ……………………………………… Dated: ……………………………..
MS. KIRTI KAUSHIK (Supervisor)
SIGNED: …………………………………… Dated: ……………………………..
DR. ARUNA BHAT (Head of MBA Department )
I, Tiyamike Martha Kamtukule, declare that this research entitled “Concrete hollow blocks, a step up for Malawian Economy” was wholly researched by me. It is therefore original and only presented to Roorkee Institute of Technology as part and partial of the education requirements. It has never been presented in any institution of higher learning for any award.
Signed………………………………… Dated: ……………………………………
TIYAMIKE MARTHA KAMTUKULE
Malawi as one of the developing nations in Africa as well as the world is going through major transformations and development in different sectors such as the construction industry and entrepreneurship. Modern architectural designs, reliable infrastructure equipments and sustainable building materials are being introduced. However the financial status of Malawi is unstable and therefore the general public is looking for effective ways to save money but at the same time not compromise the objects and things required.
For many years burnt bricks have been used as the main building material in Malawi and other neighbouring countries. Burnt bricks have however led to deforestation in most parts of Malawi due to the excess cutting down of trees used to burn the bricks.
The purpose of this research is to make a systematic study on Concrete products as a possible solution to curb the problem. In addition to this the research is aiming at making a research on how the construction industry of Malawi can be developed so that it contributes to the economic development of the nation. Concrete blocks are eco friendly building materials which contain cement, quarry dust and river sand as the main aggregates.
APPROVAL............................................................................................................................................. 1
Portland cement manufacturers' catalogs as "fireproof, vermin proof, and weatherproof" and as an inexpensive replacement for the ever-scarcer supply of wood. Many other types of buildings such as garages, silos, and post offices were built and continued to be built today using this construction method because of these qualities.
Indian construction industry is one of the largest in terms of economic expenditure, volume of raw materials / natural resources consumed volume of materials and products manufactured, employment generated, environmental impacts etc. With the usage of hollow concrete blocks the energy consumption is low as compared to burnt brick construction. In view of the above facts, hollow concrete blocks are becoming very popular in the buildings construction industry, particularly in the urban area. Though the blocks are available in different grade (load bearing and non-load bearing) for various purposes, these block are being widely used in construction of multistory residential buildings, industrial and other building mainly for infill wall masonry. The use of these blocks in the construction of independent residential buildings is low. These blocks are manufactured by several production units in and around every urban setup. Among the production units very few are producing consistent quality blocks in an organized way, while majority of them are unorganized small-scale units. Thus, as in case of burnt clay bricks, the variation of quality among the concrete blocks manufactured by these establishment is very large. The quality specification is stipulated in IS 2185 (Part 1): 2005 Indian Standard: Concrete Masonry Units
Malawi as one of the developing nations in Africa as well as the world is going through major transformations and development in different sectors such as the construction industry. Modern architectural designs, reliable infrastructure equipments and sustainable building materials are being introduced. However the financial status of Malawi is unstable and therefore the general public is looking for effective ways to save money but at the same time not compromise the objects and things required.
The following are the main objectives of the study;
For many years burnt bricks have been used as the main building material in Malawi and other neighbouring countries. Burnt bricks have however led to deforestation in most parts of Malawi due to the excess cutting down of trees used to burn the bricks.
The building of infrastructures is a continuous process taking place in our day to day lives everywhere in the world. Malawi as a nation is no exception to this process especially being a developing nation that is also growing in population. However though modern architectural designs are being used, the construction industry is yet to evolve in the use of more eco friendly building materials. For many years, the main building material has been burnt bricks. Burnt bricks have always been preferred as they can be made available anywhere and cost is quite cheap. However the use of burnt bricks has proven to have rather a negative impact than a positive one. The making of burnt bricks involves cutting down of trees to serve as Firewood. Chikangawa forest which was once the biggest man made forest in African has faced serious deforestation. Furthermore the burning of bricks causes soil erosion and air pollution which is very hazardous to not only the environment but human beings.
Having deduced this problem, the researcher is attempting a systematic study on Concrete products as a possible solution to curb the problem. Concrete blocks are eco friendly building
The second Chapter will outline how the research project was conducted and the tools and methods that were used to collect data to aid the researcher with the project paper.
According to Saunders, et al (2003:90), a research strategy is a general plan of how a researcher will go about answering research questions that have been set. A research strategy can thus take the form of an experiment, a survey, a case study, a grounded theory, and ethnography and action research.
Data collection methods range from sampling, secondary data, observations, interviews and the use of questionnaires. Data can either be primary or secondary; and can be collected either qualitatively or quantitatively.
In this study, primary data has been obtained qualitatively and quantitatively.
The distinction between qualitative and quantitative research has proved problematic over the years for many authors (Silverman, 2000). Saunders, et al. (2003:378) explains that qualitative data is based on meanings expressed through words and involves the collection of non- standardized data which requires classification when analyzing. Qualitative data can be obtained through observations, discussions, semi- structured and in- depth interviews. Cannell (1957), cited in Saunders, et al. (2003:245) has argued that an interview in a purposeful discussion between two or more people that helps the gathering of valid and reliable data relevant to research questions. This study shall make use of in-depth discussions with Concrete products making companies and construction companies. The study shall also make us of questionnaires to get data from companies and various individuals.
Bryman and Bell (2007:340), argues that secondary data is that data which was collected by another researcher. The secondary data is this study shall be obtained from the literature
during this study and sampling techniques used to determine participants in the study. Lastly, the chapter discusses the study limitations that created a barrier to the attainment of the objectives. The next chapter is a discussion of the findings of this study.
The previous chapter was an overview of the methods that have been employed in this study to generate and analyze data from which conclusions and recommendations were drawn. This chapter will discuss the findings of this study. In particular, this chapter will discuss the results on the case under review which is the impact of Concrete Hollow Blocks on the economy of Malawi.
The first research conducted was finding out the commonly used ingredients in making concrete blocks that truly ensure the sustainability of the environment. The following aggregates were determined to be the key raw materials of concrete blocks production.
Cement
Cement commonly used for concrete block making by production companies are such;
Quarry Dust
Quarry dust is a by product of crushed rocks which is a concentrated material to use as aggregates. Quarry dust usually contains 86% of sand size particles and 14% of silt size particles.
IV. Hollow blocks are the most common types of concrete blocks, having one or more holes that are open at both sides. The total void area can amount to 50 % of the gross cross-sectional area, and - according to British Standards - the external wall thickness must be at least 15 mm or 1.75 x nominal maximum size of aggregate, whichever is greater. The use of concrete hollow blocks has several advantages:
V. (^) Dense concretes are normal concretes with a density exceeding 2000 kg/m3, while the densities of lightweight concretes can be as low as 160 kg/m'. The former are produced with well graded aggregates (with a large amount of fines to fill all voids) and full compaction, while the latter comprise lightweight aggregates and/or a high proportion of single-sized particles of coarse aggregate (no-fees concrete) in a lean mix, which is not fully compacted, or comprise a sand-cement mix with a foaming agent to aerate the mixture. Lightweight concrete is generally used for concrete blocks, provided that the ingredients are available and the strengths obtained are acceptable.
VI. Air curing is the standard procedure for the strength development of concrete, by which the concrete is kept wet for at least 7 days and then allowed to dry at ambient temperature. With steam curing, by which the concrete is exposed to low or high pressure steam (in autoclaves), high early strengths can be achieved (with autoclaving the 28 day strength of air-cured concrete can be obtained in 24 hours). However, in
developing countries, steam curing is unlikely to be implemented, because of its high cost and sophistication. VII. The definition of loadbearing and non-loadbearing blocks is fairly complex and depends not only on the compressive strengths of the blocks, but also on the ratio of their height to thickness, their density and proportion of voids. VIII. Manual block production is the cheapest but most laborious method, and the blocks are not likely to attain the superior qualities that are achieved by the far more expensive mechanized production.
A CASE STUDY OF JOGS CONCRETE PRODUCTS JOGS Concrete Products a family business is one of the leading precast products making companies in Malawi situated in the commercial city of Blantyre. The researcher had a phone Interview with the Managing Director of the company who gave a brief background of how he came about to start the family business.
“One needs to have a plan of their life knowing that one would get old and become less productive.
In the year 2004 I joined Lafarge Cement Company as Procurement Manager. This was the year that I also turned forty years of age. It had been my ambition not to reach mandatory age of sixty years while being employed by any company. Hence I started searching for business opportunities with the aim that I should retire from employment by the age of fifty. During my business travels to countries like Zambia and Mozambique I noticed that they were using cement blocks in construction of their buildings. At that time I didn’t see it as a business opportunity but rather an initiative one would take to serve the environment.
When I turned 45 years in 2009 in search for business opportunities I made a decision to venture into catering services. I wanted to specialize in traditional meals after seeing a gap in that area. I started to procure some utensils and cattery but nothing materialized until three years later in 2012 when I got an offer for a job as a General Manager of Cement Products which needed me to relocate to Mangochi from Blantyre.
The new job changed my status in society as a Business Executive which made me known to most financial service providers. Knowing that I had only two years to reaching fifty, which age I had set myself to be the maximum that I would go up to on being employed.
experienced a boost in the business and is confident that by the end of the year they will have made enough profit to enable expansion of the business into other cities.
Threats
Cement blocks being new product and on the new market there are many new producers on the market who are making substandard products. Due to many small scale producers in the streets Quality control has become difficult by the regulatory authorities. Some customers, after buying and using the substandard products by street producers are developing negative attitude towards cement blocks and may opt to revert to traditional burnt bricks.
Marketing Strategy
CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES
Several construction companies were interviewed and given a questionnaire to fill. In summary they all said utilizing hollow blocks in Construction not only brings about tremendous operational efficiencies but they allow companies to lower the cost of a home design and construction while reducing their impact on the environment. These blocks are machine made concrete blocks unlike bricks that are fabricated the traditional mud baking way, which means they do not release harmful fumes into the atmosphere. This is a two-fold advantage in terms of both the designer and homeowner as the company will not only be able to reduce their carbon footprint, but the homeowner will see a reduction in their energy consumption, cutting costs and overall environmental impact.
