Bricks in— #tap interviews Dennis Heyes on building with EcoBrick
Dennis Heyes [DH] got in touch with The Architects’ Project towards the end of 2015. He wanted to talk about the house he was building for himself in Ghana using EcoBrick as a construction method for cost-effective housing.
Keen to learn about the project in relation to the challenges of acquiring permanent accommodation in Ghana, we [The Architects’ Project] have stayed in touch and opened up a dialogue with Dennis.
More relevant for #tap, the house Dennis has been building uses earth as the main construction material; and employs local artisans.
I [JS-A] have edited our first dialogue with Dennis to introduce himself and his project to the #tap network.
JS-A: Can you tell us about yourself and what you do?
DH: My name is Dennis Heyes, I am a 51 year old British living and working in Ghana. I moved to Ghana in 2010 and decided to settle here.
I have been in the construction industry for the most part of my career. I am currently working as a senior construction finishes manager for a large real estate company (Trasacco Estates Development Co) in Accra.
JS-A: What is the EcoBrick construction project you have been working on?
DH: I have been building my own house using a construction method I discovered in an effort to build on a relatively low budget.
Here in Ghana, most of the construction materials used on many of the buildings are rendered blockwork walls, concrete pillars and lintels, which the local artisans themselves find challenging to use to achieve high quality workmanship. It makes my job as a finishing manager more difficult than is often necessary.
Before starting this project, I researched into alternative locally applicable building materials.
I found a South African company using local soil (laterite) to form blocks. These were 250mm in length, 100mm in depth, and 220mm in width. They are solid blocks with a tongue at the top and a groove at the bottom to form an interlocking system. Because they are dry stacked, no mortar is required. I later found out that you would still need to have the corners of the blocks strengthened. Concrete lintels would also be required for the openings.
I looked further into other products on the market to discover a Thai product based on the same interlocking principle as the South African system, except with raised holes and slots. Detailed investigations revealed them to be poorer in design, as the slots were seen on the corners and the holes were small, meaning the strength of the structure could become problematic.
I made progress in my research when I stumbled upon a Brazilian company successfully producing interlocking bricks for a number of years. The brick was 300mm in length, 75mm in depth and 150mm in width. It had 2 holes at the top raised, and the underside indented to form the interlock. They were using holes at 65mm in diameter — I later redesigned this to 85mm for a stronger lock on the corners.
Based on tests I have carried out, the best mix for this system comprises of 60% of the laterite material, 30% sand and 10% cement (a minimum alteration to the original mix of 6–8% cement). To produce the brick, the mix was formed with hydraulic pressure and water (cured for 7 days).
Technically, I would recommend working on a level surface when building the walls because the first course is the most important of them all. If the first course is not laid correctly and is not close to perfection, you will not achieve a straight wall. I would also recommend using mortar to lay the first course.
The brick walls can be left exposed as a feature in the design or treated with wall finishing products.
The construction process has been relatively quick, particularly because there are no wet trades — no drying times are required once your bricks are ready.
JS-A: How high can you build a structure with these bricks?
DH: You can build a single-storey structure without introducing concrete lintels and beams. To build higher, you can still use the bricks to form the lintels and beams.
JS-A: Building services - how does the EcoBrick construction method allow for electrical and mechanical services?
DH: Both the design of the bricks and the house add to the thermal and acoustic comforts of the building.
The holes in the brick all line up, allowing the installation services such as electrical and plumbing to be less challenging (if you do it during the construction of the walls and with horizontal pipes using a U-Channel brick). The U-Channel brick also acts as a tie beam for the structure.
JS-A: Going back to the EcoBrick, are you producing them on site?
DH: Yes, I purchased a hydroforming machine towards the end of 2013. I had a small workshop set up on the site (the 1 acre land) to manufacture the bricks.
As in all new businesses, there were a few snags including getting the mix to the correct standards (the laterite had too much clay content). It was challenging not having enough water for curing and having to dig boreholes because of this; not to forget the major problems with electrical power (I had to purchase a 30kva generator to be able to work independent of dumsor).
With optimism, I have achieved the level of standard adequate for quality construction and workmanship. To date (May 2016), I have the brick correct to high standards and I have built a house I can call home.
JS-A: What made you decide to build your home in Ghana?
DH: The nature of my job means undertaking major contracts. I have had to move from one rented accommodation to the next, living in houses that I tend to dislike. Eventually, I made the decision to settle at one place. In 2013, I purchased 1 acre of land to start developing this project.
The land is located in a tranquil location half-way up a hill with views towards Nsawam town; and views of the start of the Aburi mountains lies along the foreground.
JS-A: What has been your greatest challenge with the project?
DH: So far the greatest challenge has been how to complete the house within time, and on budget.
If I was to add up the hours of labour, it has taken around 12 weeks to build the house from commencement to completion (based on a full day’s shift). But I work on it over the weekends because of my commitments to my day job. I have had additional local labour on site to build the house.
Being a Brit in Ghana, I have had to learn a few things the Ghanaian way. For example, I find the local artisans will say yes to my instructions but revert back to what they were doing once I turn around. This can be frustrating at times.
JS-A: Maybe you can develop another medium to give your instructions; if you are going to continue building in Ghana.
DH: Yes, precisely. I am hoping to work permanently on the EcoBrick as a construction method for houses. In this way, I can be more present on site to supervise the construction works.
JS-A: What is next for you once you finish building this house?
DH: I will move in to the house once the interior finishes are complete. After that, I would like to start teaching other people how to use the EcoBrick construction to build their own houses. That is when I will use this house to show what the finished structure can look like.
Ultimately I am hoping to build small affordable houses using the EcoBrick construction method as a new venture in house building here. Each house will use around 5–6,000 of the EcoBrick. For semi-detached houses, we will be looking at using approximately 10000 bricks per building.
With a budget of USD $35,000 (about GH₵140,000), the intention is to build a 2 bedroom house with a bathroom, an open-plan living/dining and kitchen space. It will have 1 car parking space to the front accessed via a 1500mm wide passage; and a garden at the back.
The single story house will sit on a building footprint of approximately 63sqm with a dimension of 9000mm x 7000mm and on a plot size of 17000mm x 10000mm.
That is my plan; to be able to build these small houses for others to buy and own, rather than for them to rent for the same payment per month.
We will catch up with Dennis in the near future to review his completed project.
You can contact Dennis through his EcoBrick CO LTD Facebook page for more information on how to own your own 2-bedroom house in Ghana for USD$35,000.00
