Acta Structilia
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Acta Structilia is a South African accredited journal for independently adjudicated research articles on any topic in the field of the physical and development sciences. Each peer refereed article is indicated as such in the journal. The editorial staff considers articles in English and Afrikaans, written from any responsible point of view on subjects in any applicable field of scholarship, i.e. architecture, urban and regional planning, quantity surveying, construction management and project management, building economy, engineering and property or community development. Acta Structilia is published biannually by the University of the Free State.
Alternative title(s): Journal for the physical and development sciences | Tydskrif vir die fisiese en ontwikkelingswetenskappe
ISSN 2415-0487 (Online), ISSN 1023-0564 (Print)
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Item Open Access Combating HIV and AIDS in South African construction through effective communication(University of the Free State, 2004) Haupt, Theo C.; Munshi, Meenakshi; Smallwood, JohnEnglish: It is increasingly being recognized that the only viable means of preventing the spread of new HIV infections is sexual behavior change. Behavior change programs should include information on risk that is communicated often, repetitively and intensively to workers. Effective HIV and AIDS communication involves providing relevant and meaningful information accurately, consistently, reiteratively, and repetitively using multiple methods, mediums, and languages including vernacular, that build on previous HIV and AIDS knowledge while at the same time recognizing the differing personal backgrounds of workers in an environment conducive to open and uninhibited interaction. The authors argue from anecdotal evidence gathered during a series of national multi stakeholder workshops as well as the findings of knowledge, attitude and behavior (KAB) surveys of two samples, namely in South Africa and in Namibia, for greater involvement of construction employers in purposeful structured management led and targeted HIV and AIDS communication programs designed to influ ence sexual behavior. Considering that television and radio were the most popular and influential mediums of communication, employers are encouraged to support, reinforce and complement HIV and AIDS campaigns and messages via these mediums as part of primary health promotion programs. Further, the authors recommend that employers create opportunities for HIV and AIDS education of workers by their peers.Item Open Access Demographic challenges in non-metropolitan Western Australia: community development strategies in a neo-liberal economic environment(University of the Free State, 2004) McKenzie, Fiona HaslamEnglish: Many communities throughout non metropolitan Australia are experiencing change; changes in service delivery and infrastructure, changes in traditional industries and the industry mix, changes in the demographic and cultural mix of local residents and changes in local and political leadership. Some com munities, particularly those in broadacre agricultural areas have experienced significant depopulation and struggle to remain viable, while others, particularly those on the coast, have experienced unprecedented population growth, creating pressure on the local economy, housing, infrastructure, long held traditions and social networks. It would appear that both types of communities often feel threatened and have grappled with change from a number of perspectives; some with more success than others. In the proposed paper, the author will seek to understand why some com munities have coped with change better than others and identify the inhibitors and facilitators enabling the optimisation of change for sustainable regional development. Related to this, is the need for greater exploration of the new styles of community leadership and strategies for continued commitment to capacity building and the creation of social capital in non metropolitan areas of Australia, particularly those experiencing change. The economic, social and environmental implications will be viewed as a set of issues that are indivisible from other policy pursuits. It is proposed that two regions will be examined, one that has been threatened by depopulation, such as the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia, and the other to be investigated will be one that has experienced significant coastal growth, such as the Capes region of South West, Western Australia. The coping mechanisms and the regional development strategies of each will be compared and contrasted. An anticipated outcome would be strategies that encourage greater collaboration between the policy makers, authorities and stakeholders, thereby enhancing the capabilities and capacities.Item Open Access Economic and regulatory approaches to improve the environmental performance of buildings in South Africa(University of the Free State, 2004) Barker, G.; Hill, R. C.; Bowen, P. A.; Evans, K.resisted by industry, government and the public. As such, they were used only in exceptional circumstances. More recently, there has been a realisation that economic instruments can be a powerful complement to direct regulations. Consequently, economic instruments1 are playing an increasingly important role in the environmental management of buildings. The activities of the con struction industry are driven by economic forces, so using market mechanisms is a logical strategy to pursue the objectives of sustainable construction.2 Perhaps the question is not whether economic mechanisms should be employed to improve environmental building performance, but rather how this should be achieved. This paper suggests that it can be achieved by using the economic instrument of ecolabelling to create market competition for improved building perform ance. Ecolabelling has traditionally been associated with household products, but has more recently been applied to a wider range of products, including buildings and building materials. The basis for building ecolabels is provided by the results of building environmental assessments, which evaluate building per formance. In developed countries, these assessments have stimulated market demand for ‘green’ building developments. Building environmental assessment methods have used the concept of ecolabelling to provide consumers with an additional benchmark in renting or purchasing buildings. Yet, it is unknown whether the South African building market will be similarly responsive to ‘green’ market incentives. In South Africa, where the majority of the population are struggling to satisfy their basic needs, and lack proper education, the environmental ‘ethos’ of the general public has not developed to an extent where environmental issues are seen as a serious priority. Building environmental assessment methods in South Africa are evolving from ‘green’ evaluations that were pragmatically developed to respond to imme diate needs, to the measurement of ‘sustainability’. Ecolabels can now reflect the performance of building development in terms of all aspects of sustain ability, including socio economic, technical and environmental dimensions of sustainable construction. This has been made possible by the development of a unique South African building environmental assessment method that measures sustainability, namely the “Sustainable Buildings Assessment Technique.” Although much has been written about economic mechanisms, practical guidance on how to implement these mechanisms in building developments is scarce. This paper outlines some of the opportunities and constraints associ ated with market driven and environmental performance in buildings. The limitations of economic approaches in South Africa include a lack of environ mental awareness, misconceptions of ‘green’ buildings, building industry constraints and the market dependence of voluntary assessment protocols. Regulatory approaches are not without their own limitations, the most significant of which is the acute shortage of resources in South African environmental authorities, a factor that is likely to restrict the effectiveness of regulatory approaches. The paper goes on to examine the particular problems associated with de veloping world markets (such as South Africa’s). Furthermore, the relationship between regulatory, ‘command and control’ approaches and economic, market driven approaches is discussed. It is concluded that the ideals of sustain able construction can best be achieved by using regulatory approaches in conjunction with economic instruments.Item Open Access Architecture, heritage, history, memory(University of the Free State, 2004) Lipman, AlanEnglish: ... when the modern world finds that the eclecticism of the present is barren and fruitless, and that it needs and will have a style of architecture which ... can only be as part of a change as wide and as deep as that which destroyed Feudalism; when it has come to that conclusion, the style of architecture will have to be historic in the true sense; it will not be able to dispense with tradition; it cannot begin at least without doing something quite different from anything that has been done before; yet whatever the form of it may be, the spirit of it will be in sympathy with the needs and aspirations of its own time, not simulations of needs and aspirations passed away. Thus it will remember the history of the past, make history in the present, and teach history in the future. (William Morris, 1889 in Cole, ed.,1944, p. 492)Item Open Access Collaborations: the architecture of Ahrends, Burton and Koralek (ABK) edited by Kenneth Powell(University of the Free State, 2004) Noble, Jonathan; Raman, Pattabi G.English: This article on one of the enduring British partnerships is not a vanity publication that we are accustomed to in our profession. Edited by Kenneth Powell, it contains illuminating essays of overlapping themes. The editor provides the overview. Jeremy Melvin writes a sensitive piece on the formation of the practice. While Elain Harwood and Frank Macdonald respectively describe early works and Irish projects of the practice Paul Finch contributes an intelligent essay on collaboration. The essays are not presented in succession but in layered colour strips on the top and bottom of pages with images in the body under the thematic titles of private/public, context, light/space and process. One does have to overcome the initial irritation of this unconventional layout before realising the importance of the ABK story. Indeed the interlocking of different narratives and the images has a resonance with the character of the practice itself, with three distinct personalities of Ahrends, Burton and Koralek, each with unique but complementary interests and predilections.Item Open Access The art of the brick: reviewed(University of the Free State, 2004) Groves, DerhamEnglish: To celebrate Australia’s strong tradition of brick architecture, as well as the largely unsung art of bricklaying, Australian architect and curator, Derham Groves, organized two complementary public exhibitions of full-scale brick structures designed by various architects and artists. The results were an intriguing mixture of art and the everyday, as Groves describes in the following article.Item Open Access Efficiency in the provision of production specifications for the South African construction industry(University of the Free State, 2005) Maritz, TinusEnglish: In most developed countries production specifications are based on national standardised specification systems, such as the National Building Specification or NBS (Great Britain), the National Specification System or NATSPEC (Australia), Master Specification Systems or MasterSpec (United States of America and Canada), General Materials and Workmanship Specifications or AMA (Sweden), and the National Standard Building Specification or STABU (the Netherlands). Standard specifications are primarily designed to shorten descriptions in the texts of new projects, whether in respect of descriptions on architectural or engineering drawings and technical specifications or descriptions in bills of quantities, schedules of rates, etcetera. In some countries the development of computerised specification systems has reached the point that these systems are supplanting the traditional word processing method. These systems are also providing links or interfaces to other information systems of the construction sector, such as design, products and cost information systems, etcetera. The South African construction industry, however, lags behind these countries that have been involved in the development of construction information systems or processes over the years. A call is therefore made to improve the efficiency of providing production specifications, as inadequate project information has been identified as one of the major causes of inefficiency in the building process.Item Open Access Om argitektuur te skryf(University of the Free State, 2005) Le Roux, S.English: Since the 1830s, along with the the founding of the first Institutes for Archi tecture, journals began to be published. They promoted the adopted duty of the Institute to protect the works and status of its members. These journals were mostly written by architects for architects, which led to the situation that arguments seldom met with a response outside the profession, and caused the discourse between architect and public to be frustrated. This state of affairs is possibly injurious to architects themselves, and it is stated that it is not all that difficult to write intelligibly about architecture. A similar experience in South Africa is highlighted.Item Open Access Landscaping: an analysis of current contracting processes and documentation(University of the Free State, 2005) Vosloo, P. T.; Maritz, M. J.English: Landscape work, forms an integral part of most land development projects, whether they are building works or civil works. Environmental protection, reha bilitation and landscape beautification are nowadays considered essential aspects in land developments. Building contracts for the construction industry have been developed over many years through the changing needs of clients and contractors, new levels of technological skills and development of new materials and construction methods. However, the varied nature and wide scope of landscape projects often make them difficult to be reconciled with standard forms of contract commonly in use in the construction industry. This paper reviews the problem areas in the field of landscape contracting and landscape maintenance brought about by a lack of suitable forms of landscape contracts/subcontracts. Standard forms of contract generally do not allow for the circumstances that are unique to landscape contracting, and this short coming is regarded as a serious problem facing the landscape industry. This paper will, therefore, also attempt to address the issue of how to effectively reconcile landscape work with standard forms of contract that are generally in use in South Africa, all of which have been written specifically for building or civil works type projects.Item Open Access City-regional councils: a myth or method for better planning? The case of the Khomas region (Namibia)(University of the Free State, 2005) Detering, A. R.; Campbell, M.; De Kock, J.English: The functions to be fulfilled by regional councils cannot be performed adequately by the Khomas Regional Council, due to the Council’s lack of funds, capacity, expertise and experience. The Windhoek Local Authority Council, in comparison, occupies a very dominant position in terms of size, financial standing and expertise. At present there is virtually no co-operation between these institutions. It will be proposed that a ‘city-regional council’ be formed, which would enable the joint administration of the Windhoek Local Authority area and the Khomas Region’s urban fringe developments, settlements and rural areas. It is anticipated that this proposed joint administration for the area will streamline planning processes and speed up decision-making.Item Open Access Public participation in lower and higher socio-economic areas in South Africa(University of the Free State, 2005) Lindeque, A. S.; Cloete, C. E.English: A prominent feature of public life in South Africa the last decade has been an increasing demand for more participation in the formulation and making of decisions affecting the public’s quality of life. This demand has also become a focus of political activism. Public participation in plan formulation and in decision making has to be seen as a reality, and not as an optional extra. It can be argued that unless plan formulation and decision making take cogni sance of different political traditions and cultures and are inclusive and parti cipatory it has little chance of producing long lasting solutions. The aim of this research is to compare the public participation process in a lower socio economic area with that in a higher socio economic area to de termine if the process and focus of the public participation process differ in accordance with the socio economic status of an area. The study compares the public participation process in two case studies: the Mabopane and Muckleneuk areas in Pretoria, with specific reference to the Mabopane Inter modal Facility Redevelopment Project and the Gautrain Rapid Rail Project going through the Muckleneuk neighbourhood, respectively. Findings indicate that the driving force for participation in the higher socio economic areas is based on the effect that the proposed development plan ning would have on the area as a whole, whereas the focus of public partici pation process in the area with a lower socio economic status tends to be on the influence on job creation and the impact it has on the affected individual.Item Open Access ’n Oorsig oor boukonstruksie as vak in argitektuur aan die Universiteit van Pretoria in die tydperk 1943-2005(University of the Free State, 2005) Wegelin, HansEnglish: Boukonstruksie is tradisioneel ’n kernvak in die graadkursus in Argitektuur aan die Universiteit van Pretoria. Die vak ondersoek die vernuf van bou, en lewer ’n belangrike bydrae tot die studie van die ontwerp van geboue. Die verloop van die vak sedert stigting van die Departement Argitektuur in 1943 aan UP word beskryf, waartydens die kursus moes tred hou met ’n veranderende wêreld. ’n Oorsig oor vroeë wêreldwye opleiding in konstruksie ontbloot die draad van handwerk en vakmanskap wat deur die Middeleeue loop, die stryd en ondergang van die Kunsvlytbeweging (Arts and Crafts Movement), die industrialisasie van die Moderne Beweging, en die kommersialisme van vandag. Verandering in aanslag van doseer en leer in Konstruksie aan UP word deur omstandighede en doseerpersoonlikhede beïnvloed, en word in drie tydperke ingedeel: die tydperk 1943 1960, ’n tyd van ontwaking en die begin van ongekende groei; die tydperk 1961 1985, oorheers deur ’n wetenskaplike aanslag en groot bou aktiwiteite; die tydperk 1986 , wat volg op politieke en sosiale omwenteling en ’n ontploffing in kennis en bouprodukte.Item Open Access African courtyard architecture: typology, art, science and relevance(University of the Free State, 2005) Steyn, G.English: Because current international trends in urban design principles are towards compact neighbourhoods and housing, attempts to accommodate South Africa’s lower-income households in massive schemes of identical little freestanding houses is increasingly being questioned. But instead of only considering Euro-American models, should planners and architects not also investigate traditional settlements for formative ideas? Most sub-Saharan vernacular dwellings, including the archetypal clustering of huts around an open living space, are conceptually a courtyard configuration, and courtyard housing offers relatively high densities, privacy and protected outdoor living space, as well as allowing a social mix – all desirable characteristics of a good contemporary neighbourhood. This study attempts to determine the relevance of traditional African courtyard houses for contemporary urban solutions by investigating a number of representative examples in terms of their potential for densification, ability to provide privacy and psychological well-being, climatic behaviour and responsiveness to social and economic needs. While both informal and formal housing have been wasteful in the use of land, functioning historic towns along Africa’s East Coast arguably offer ideas and concepts for the definition of a true African neighbourhood. The study suggests that, from the synthesis of historic precedent and custom, a contemporary model of courtyard houses could be developed that would contribute towards much more compact, low-energy and socio-economically equitable neighbourhoods.Item Open Access Commentary on “site managers manual on energy and water efficient housing”(University of the Free State, 2005) Minnaar, E.English: An attempt to address the general lack of instruction material on energy effi cient housing existing in South Africa needs to be evaluated by the target audience. This becomes even more relevant where valuable financial support of sponsors is used for the compilation of such an effort. The manual is critically evaluated and a survey is included. The survey was conducted by means of a survey questionnaire sent to tertiary education institutions offering courses for construction managers. Most of the respondents found the contents not to be relevant to the study field and to be inadequate as undergraduate study material.Item Open Access Importance of healthy older construction workers(University of the Free State, 2005) Haupt, Theo C.; Deacon, Claire; Smallwood, JohnEnglish: Older construction workers constitute a major proportion of total South African construction employment. Demographic changes and an apparent growing loss of interest among young people in careers in the construction industry are contributing to an increase in the proportion of older workers in the industry. There is a resultant decline in the growth of new cohorts entering the labour market. Consequently the size of the older cohort relative to the size of the younger cohort increases. Additionally, general and chronic occupational and non occupational diseases potentially reduce the overall labour force, shift the age structure due to mortality, change the skill composition of the labour supply, and increase labour turnover. This paper reports on a study that sought to establish the health status of the older worker cohort in construction. The study found that older workers had problems with several occupational and non occupational diseases and presented with a range of musculoskeletal dis orders, respiratory problems and skin infections. These diseases negatively af fected work productivity in the industry and increased absenteeism. Further, the majority of workers required referral, many for unresolved non occupational such as various skin, musculoskeletal, as well as upper and lower respiratory disorders. Recommended interventions include regular medical surveillance as part of employer driven health promotion programs.Item Open Access Hostel conversion through the Institutional Housing Subsidy as affordable housing: case study of the Sethokga Pilot Project, Gauteng, South Africa(University of the Free State, 2005) Pienaar, J. S.; Cloete, C. E.English: Existing government policies and programmes promote the redevelopment of single sex public hostels to provide family units as a sustainable form of housing for the poor in South Africa. A survey was carried out among residents of Sethokga hostel in preparation of a pilot conversion project with funding via the Institutional Housing Subsidy. The survey revealed that low pay and high unemployment contributed to real fears among residents about their ability to afford rent for the upgraded accommodation, and the possibility of displace ment, and even eviction as a result. The expressed need therefore, appeared to be for flexible funding arrangements that allow for affordable accommo dation options not limited to family units, ranging from single rooms to apart ments for sub letting and sharing, an option which would not be possible with the use of the Institutional Housing Subsidy as the sole funding instrument.Item Open Access The property development challenge: creating wealth through regional and rural projects(University of the Free State, 2005) Verster, J. J. P.; Berry, F. H.English: Past experience, specifically in the regional context in South Africa, shows that development of land and the use of land for physical projects and buildings has had some negative effects on the environment. Recently developers have tended to be more sympathetic regarding the pos sible negative influence of project development. The challenge is to match economic, environmental, health and social sustainability with growth, in respect of small projects, or small benefits from big projects. Lessons from nature, wildlife and environment as well as results of a study con ducted by the department of quantity surveying and construction manage ment, University of the Free State, on rural sustainability will be discussed.Item Open Access The non-payment of mortgage bonds in South Africa: the voice of defaulters(University of the Free State, 2005) Marais, L.; Botes, L.; Pelser, A.; Venter, A.English: The aim of this article was to provide an understanding of the reasons for the non payment of mortgage bonds in the South African context. The article starts off with a brief history on housing finance under apartheid from 1948 to 1994. It then conceptualise current housing finance to the lower end of the market (mainly for black people) in South Africa. This is followed by a literature review of possible reasons that contribute to the non payment of mortgage bonds in the South African context and a brief overview of the methodology followed during the interviews with defaulters. In the fourth part of the paper, the results from the empirical survey are discussed. The results of the survey confirm previous research that financial reasons are a fundamental factor that influences the non payment of mortgage bonds. According to the respondents, other factors that influence non payment include educational problems, political interfer ence and peer pressure, and the reaction and efficiency of the banks. The recommendations of respondents on solving the problem of non payment in clude shorter loan periods, improvement of bank management, and mortgage bond education. Reward programmes are also mentioned as a possible solution to defaulting. The study concludes that long term affordability is one of the main reasons that contribute towards the non payment of mortgage bonds. An additional conclusion is that financial institutions need to rethink their management of mortgage loans to lower income households.Item Open Access Bemagtiging: ’n geïntegreerde model vir die ontwikkeling van opkomende kontrakteurs in die konstruksiebedryf(University of the Free State, 2005) Hauptfleisch, A. C.English: In this review an empowerment model for construction emerging contractors is described. It is based on experimental research and the continuous ap plication thereof during the last decade in the construction industry in South Africa. The numerous roleplayers which entered the scene over time and their participation are briefly described. An important observation is that the model is composed of generic elements and can probably be applied in the same format in other industries.Item Open Access The effectiveness of construction project briefing as an interpersonal communication process(University of the Free State, 2006) Bowen, Paul; Cattell, Keith; Michell, Kathy; Kabayadondo, ElbyEnglis: The main purpose of construction project briefing is to effectively transform the needs of the client from an abstract form into a concrete form. Research indicates a clear link between effective briefing and client satisfaction with their resultant buildings. This article documents the findings of a study concerning the effectiveness of construction project briefing as an interpersonal communication process. A case study approach was adopted. The sample included clients, building users, architects, quantity surveyors and project managers. The main finding was that there are no methodical procedures in place in the early stages of briefing. Conceptually, the various project participants were found to have a generic understanding of what ought to be included or excluded from briefing and debriefing, but there appears to be significant gaps between theory and practice.