Hydraform is a type of interlocking blocking system, often promoted as low-cost building technology. There are other types of interlocking building systems depending on design, composition and materials used. Cement-based interlocking blocks are more expensive than earth-based interlocking bricks. There’s a Ghanaian designed interlocking building system known as GAMA Block by Paraku Estate.
Specifically, hydraform are compressed stabilised earth bricks though in other variations alternative materials such as fly ash are used. The technology radically improved traditional earth bricks. As a low-cost building technology, hydraform is often promoted to low-income communities, local governments, educational institutions in African countries, among others seeking an affordable building solution. This technology can improve both the housing quality and the housing deficit of developing countries. But how cheap is it to build a house with hydraform interlocking soil-cement block system? Several factors impact on the actual cost of building with the technology you should consider, otherwise it could end up being more expensive than conventional blocks. This post elaborates on these factors and more.
What is hydraform?
Hydraform is a portmanteau for “hydraulic forming” which denotes the technology used to produce the bricks/blocks. Hydrafoam machines use hydraulics to compress a composite of earth, sand and cement (or other materials) at very high pressure into strong interlocking blocks. Thus, hydraform is similar to compressed earth blocks/stabilised earth blocks which both use a mechanical press to compress a mixture of earth, clay and an aggregate into solid or hollow blocks. Hydrafoam differs with their interlocking component, where bricks are compressed into interlocking shapes.
Hydraform blocks are composed of 7 – 10% cement, and balance + 90% is a blend of Soil and sand or fly ash and sand.
Hydrafoam also refers to the South African company that pioneered the technology and sells the bricks/blocks making machines.
Advantages of using the hydraform building system
- Faster construction; a block layer with 2 labourers can stack 500 blocks a day which is equivalent to 1500 standard bricks.
- There is no need to render (plaster) the exterior of walls. Minimal plastering of the interior may be necessary to deal with moisture.
- Consumes little cement compared to conventional construction. There’s little or no use of mortar for the mortar joints of the walls
- Little need for professional masons. Labourers can stack blocks
- Hydrafoam offers training and support
- Hydraform interlocking bricks have better thermal properties compared with conventional sandcrete blocks
- Hydraform bricks offer an attractive face brick finish and other natural colours are possible depending on soils
How hydraform saves you money?
I haven’t come across hydraform specific cost comparison studies in the housing literature. But many studies exist that compare stabilised earth technology with conventional sandcrete blocks. The cost savings generally come from the use of reduced and cheap labour, faster construction time, material efficiency, savings in transportation costs if bricks are manufactured on-site, and little or no rendering. In terms of operational expenses, compressed earth bricks/blocks have better thermal properties which reduce energy consumption in cooling/heating the house.
- Labour cost savings since unprofessional masons (labourers) can be used to stack up the bricks.
- There’s no need to render walls, which saves on mortar for plastering the house. Dry stacking of the interlocking blocks further reduces the need for mortar for block joints.
- Little use of cement to produce quality blocks, saving material costs
- If bricks are produced on-site using available soil, transportation costs are significantly reduced.
- Under ideal conditions, hydraform could result in 60% savings in construction time and masonry work (Adedeji and Fasakin, 2008).
- With experience, a team can lay up to an equivalent of 2400 standard stock bricks per day.
Disadvantages of the hydraform building system
- Finding the right type of soil and mixtures can be a challenge. The earth must have 5-20% of clay content
- Poor quality control in the production of blocks on-site
- The technology depends substantially on the location of construction to generate costs savings.
- Rendering of walls may become necessary to minimise water induced erosion of the blocks over time. Water ingress also engenders the need to plaster the interior of the walls.
Most Critical Considerations on the Cost Savings Potential of Hydraform
I interviewed Mr Tony Asare, the Principal Architect of Tekton Consult on the feasibility of compressed earth blocks for low-cost housing for the Ghana Affordable Housing Sector Study. Indeed, on several occasions, we have discussed the feasibility of local building technologies for affordable housing development in Ghana. Tony was the key architect on the Amui Djor Affordable Housing Project, Ashiaman (Accra) jointly financed by the UN-Habitat. Below, I will summarise critical excerpts from my interviews on the cost of stabilised compressed earth technologies.
- Location of the building project. As is cliched in real estate, everything is about location. First, the site determines the land value. Lands in urban areas or prime areas have substantial value and require commensurate property development value. Put differently, you shouldn’t buy an expensive piece of land and built a cheap house on it. If one is to develop vertically to maximise land value, the volume of bricks needed for the project increases. If the soil is not obtained on-site, the associated transportation costs quickly diminish the cost savings of the hydraform technology. One also needs to answer where the earth will be excavated from if not on-site. In urban areas, there is no open land where one can excavate the soil from, thus one must buy the earth from somewhere else. The cost savings potential of hydraform are more realisable in rural and peri-urban areas.
Linked to the location is the cost of excavation of the earth, which in urban areas and depending on the scale of the project can impact the cost savings of the technology relative to conventional sandcrete blocks.
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2. Soil types. It is not every soil that is suitable for producing hydraform bricks. Furthermore, the correct mix proportions, moisture content of soil etc. must be determined. Without this the quality of the bricks/blocks is compromised
3. Labour costs. Although hydraform uses unskilled labour, in very cosmopolitan areas, labour costs for even labourers can be expensive. The block making machine also needs several people to operate to produce the bricks. The M7MI Super Interlocking Blockmaking Machine for example needs a team of 7-9 persons to manage the entire process. The use of many people has cost implications. Indeed, one still needs a mason to do the off-setting for the foundation.
4. The 1996 Building Regulations permit the use of stabilised earth technologies. Hydraform is, however, is still gaining traction in Ghana. It is popular in India and South Africa. One can expect delays in acquiring a building permit which could affect project timelines and hence costs.
5. Transaction costs. As with any technology, there are transaction costs associated with adopting hydraform. For a new developer or builder, there is a learning curve, information search costs, new contracts and partnerships etc. One must search for For an established builder, adoption disrupts existing production organisation and relations. For non-diffused technologies, the associated transaction costs tends to be higher relative to conventional tech.
6. Buy or rent the hydraform brick making machine? Hydraform’s website quotes a starting price of $1,499 for a brick making machine. Renting is prudent for a small project, whether the technology is readily accessible in your community/locality is another thing. But whether purchased or leased, the costs must be factored into the project costs to determine the cost savings generated by the technology. Purchasing also incurs shipping costs and import duties.
7. Incremental development? The typical Ghanaian household builds their house over many years, beginning with the assembly of blocks on-site. Hydraform uses little cement or other substitutes as a stabiliser. Rain beating the blocks in the open induces water erosion and ingress which reduces the strength of the blocks and could yield weak structures. Without a stabiliser, compressed soil-blocks struggle under the rains.
Bonus
If the development is a investment property, you need to consider potential market response and marketing costs. There’s very little valuation data on the price consumers are willing to pay for such a house.
Key takeaways
Hydraform has a lot of advantages, ranging from the attributes of the bricks to savings in cost and use of locally available materials. Thus, it is a go-to technology for many Non-governmental organisations, and church-based organisations wanting to support low-income housing. In Ghana, the technology is gaining traction in Tamale and was used for the Tamale Cooperative Union Housing project funded by REALL UK for example. I have also interviewed constructors utilising the technology in Tamale for my PhD research. If you’re interested in findings from contractors and their challenges, let me know in the comments section below.
That notwithstanding, the aspects where hydraform offer cost savings should not be directly compared with the same of conventional technologies. e.g. cost per unit of sandcrete block to hydraform block. You may save cost in one aspect but incur more expenses in other areas. Costs comparison should be for the entire housing development chain using a technology. In all, it is your local market conditions that determine how much cost can be saved compared to conventional house building technologies. This is particularly essential for non-diffused house building technologies.
Disclaimer: This post is neither sponsored nor an endorsement to transact with hydraform. Do your due diligence and speak with your architect.
The Hydraform brick technic of building is so catchy, attractive good with perceived associated cost savings as compared to conventional sandcrete blocks for building construction. One question though, is there provision made in the Hydraform bricks for utility and waste water piping, electrical conduit pipes, knock boxes and U-boxes etc installation in the bricks?. For conventional sandcrete blocks we do chisel the walls get the aforementioned plus others installed and repair walls prior to final wall plastering.
So amazing. Can I get a locally made molding box? I want to use the technology in a construction
I’m from Liberia and the technology has not been actually used here. I’m in search of someone who will link me with a person in Ghana who will train me in everything required in doing a successful hydraform housing business. I can be contacted via WhatsApp+231770388148
I’m willing to come over for the training if the fees fits my budget. Pls reach out to me
Yes sir, I really need the blocks to build my own house. I was even trying to see if I could get a machinist to construct a manual machine for me. I last ask of the and I was told 2 cedis per 1 block and the rental is 300 a day. I would be so happy if you could Link me to the said constructor
Hello Mubarak,
Kindly email admin@housingafrique.com. We will be happy to assist you.
regards
Godwin
great,we have constructors around that can crash your project cost and give you the best services around..
Trained hydraform work gang with masonary expertise.
Hydraform interlocking technology is the best for low cost housing projects and public institution projects in west africa.
contact via email:-shuaib.giwa@gmail.com
Very informative article. I would really like to be linked to any of the contractors for further enquiries. I live at Tamale. I can be contacted via call on 0548644218. Thank you.
Thanks, Philip. I will get in touch via phone call
I own am M7MI semi-automatic machine. We’ve built a beautiful block of flats with the blocks and have since struggled to market our products. We get calls asking to buy blocks but our experience is that if you don’t get a trained Mason or bricklayer then the blocks end up being used like traditional blocks, the end product being poor. We use moisture barrier sheets at the foundation level to deal with moisture ingress.