1. Header
World Accreditation Day Celebrations - KENAS Quality of Building Materials and Impact on Construction 9 June 2017
Lafarge | Presentation | Confidential
29/09/2017

2. Points to Ponder on General Construction
Construction is a high capital investment venture.
Most individual home builders construct only once.
Buildings have collapsed right across the country with fatalities - Nairobi, Kisii, Mombasa etc.
Architects have mentioned 65% of Kenya Urban Buildings are substandard and unapproved
It is important to get it right the first time, avoid shortcuts!

3. Factors affecting overall construction quality
Professional design inputs - Capacity and competence
Registered Engineers, Architects etc.
Unskilled peronnel
Quacks!
Students!
Materials quality
Conformity to specifications
Quality control/assurance
Consistency
Testing
Proficiency of builders – Workmanship, experience and knowhow
Construction methodology and equipment.
Existing ground - foundation
Weather – hot or raining
Client interference

4. Key structural materials
Concrete
Cement
Aggregates
Water
Admixtures
Bricks and blocks
Steel reinforcement
KEBS or other
Structural steelwork
Timber

5. Impact of low quality materials on construction
Compromised strength - Structural failure
Cracks
Spalling and crumbling
Deflections
Ultimate collapse
Only collapse of large structures or where fatalities are present get reported.
Compromised durability
Impaired longevity
Alkali-silica reactions
Carbonation
Sulphate, chlorides, magnesium attack etc.
Low efficiency of functionality
Cracking and leaking of low strength masonry units
Natural lighting
Burst pipes, water leakages

6. Construction Impact Ease and speed of construction Financial losses
Poor aggregate shape resulting in harsh mixes.
Regular blocks vs misshapen masonry units
Financial losses
Abortive work.
Costly repairs.
Delays with concomitant contractual ramifications.
Legal costs.
Loss of credibility
Integrity
Reputation
Professional deregistration

7. Challenges on materials quality assurance
Lack of level playing field.
Manufactured materials e.g. cement undergo rigorous audits and issuance of permits issued and surveillance tests. Do water, sand and aggregates follow the same process?
Testing deficiencies
Rural areas do not have the same testing abilities as urban areas.
Laboratories
Personnel
Constructors/developers greed
Commercial construction – use cheapest.
Deliberate lowering of quality e.g use of extra cement in concrete cubes that will be tested as opposed to what is used in the structure.
Lack of knowledge
Poor concrete mix proportions – individual quality may be ok.
Cement type
Reinforcement type
Enforcement of standards

8. A Bamburi perspective
Educate stakeholders – cement and concrete and associated materials
Masons
Professionals – Engineers, Architects, Quantity surveyors etc.
Mobile concrete laboratory
Rigid QC/QA on products manufacture
Adhere to specifications
KEBS permits on all products. Business decision to have the superior optional Diamond Mark of Quality on all products.
Use in house rigid LafargeHolcim Global Quality Management systems.

9. A Bamburi Perspective
Active participation in local and regional standard development/review activities
Kenya Bureau of Standards
EA Technical Committees
Vertical integration
Precast concrete works
Ready mix concrete operation

10. A central facility in France A network of local Construction Development Labs
L‘Isle d'Abeau (1990)
Chongqing (2011)
Rio de Janeiro (2014)
Mumbai (2012)
Algiers (2013)
L’Isle d’Abeau (2012)
1 Research Center
More than 200 researchers, over 50 PhDs,12 nationalities
5 Construction Development Labs close to local markets targeting to develop new business opportunities through:
A strong orientation towards products applications & construction systems
A deep understanding of local customers and local constructive modes specificities

11. Thank You!