One of the South Africa's best-kept construction secrets is making inroads in building sectors around the world, reports Cortec's David Anderson.

"The Aruba building system has been used quietly in the Cape Town area for constructing houses, schools, warehouses, factories and multistorey buildings since the mid-1980s," he tells Engineering News.

"However, since the company launched an awareness drive and marketing campaign in South Africa and other African areas where it operates, the system's many benefits are being appreciated," he adds.

The Johannesburg project- engineering company is an Aruba agency holder and distributor for Common Market for Eastern and Southern African countries and certain areas in South Africa and the Southern African Development Community.

The system, invented by Cape Town engineer Etienne Basson, uses hollow expanded polystyrene systems (EPS) forms as its basic building blocks.

It is a permanent lightweight formwork consisting of interlocking modular hollow EPS blocks filled with concrete.

A foundation slab is laid, and the hollow EPS strip moulds are positioned on to it and press-fitted together.

Reinforcing rods provide stress.

Concrete is poured into the moulds and allowed to set.

The EPS modules remain in place to form permanent insulation and shuttering.

The walls can be plastered with conventional sand-cement plaster or generic coatings.

"The system delivers fast, cost-effective construction suitable for African conditions, complies with statutory building requirements and can tap into abundant pools of unskilled labour, providing employment that boosts the local economy," informs Anderson.

"Costs can be held down to under R1 000 a metre, and including all fittings such as shower, sink and toilet – complete with connection to services," he explains.

The system is approved by banks, the South African Bureau of Standards, Agrement and National Home Builders Regulation Council.

The results of the system's introduction beyond South Africa's borders have been astonishing, reports Anderson.

In a short time, the company has signed up to deliver 134 homes of 110 m2 each for the Malawi Housing Corporation.

An associate company has been commissioned to build eighty 80 m2 houses for the Botswana Department of Education, a contract that may swell to 2 000 units this year.

On the horizon in Botswana is another government deal for 50 000 houses of between 30 m2 and 60 m2 in a rural development campaign.

There are also currently 250 houses being built on the Anglo American Skorpion zinc-mine in Namibia, and the system is being used for construction by Namdeb in Oranjemund.

Negotiations are also under way with the Mozambique government to erect 2 500 homes ranging in size between 60 m2 and 100 m2.

Keen interest in the system is also being expressed by organisations in Zambia,