Thesis (MTech (Built Environment))--Peninsula Technikon, 2001 / The construction industry globally, contributes between 18% and 24% of the GDP, and
because of its labour intensive characteristics, contributes handsomely to total
employment, forming important backward and forward linkages with the rest of the
economy. Nevertheless, the extent and sophistication of these linkages crucially depend
on the relative development of the construction industry relative to the overall economy.
In the developing countries, these linkages are not very strong because of the use of
informal materials, which is not commercialised and whose opportunity costs are often
zero, and the huge imports of construction materials used in the modem sector of the
economy. However, whether in the developed or developing economies, the construction
industry is a major contributor to economic growth and development by providing the
necessary infrastructure that facilitates production, consumption and recreational
activities.
In fulfilling these activities, the construction industry generates huge wastes of which
only a tiny proportion are recycled and reused. However, in economies and countries
where adequate and functional housing is a problem mainly due to lack of affordability,
recycling and reuse of construction waste is a necessary prerequisite to enhancing
housing affordability in these countries. This is the current situation that South Africa
finds itself "''here because of its past history of 'apartheid', economic opportunities and
amenities were denied to the blacks. There is nowhere that this deprivation is more
pronounced than in the built environment sector where housing shortages and general
disamenities prevail. High levels of unemployment further exacerbate the situation, - -
which is a consequence of low skills and high illiteracy-rates. Thus, housing demand and
supply by this group of the population are most likely, on the evidence available, to fall
predominantly within the low-income housing category. Presently, all households falling
into this category rely on financial assistance from the government to facilitate low-cost
housing consumption because of pervasive poverty, which itself is due to the very high
unemployment rate, illiteracy, lack of skills and general deprivation: a legacy of
'apartheid' policies enforced by previous government. The dilemma however is how to
meet the huge housing demand within the limited resources available to the government
on the one hand, and on the other, to satisfy such demand without compromising the
environmental sustainability of the physical environment.
Thus, the thesis aims to determine ways in which the construction industry could
contribute to the sustainability of the carrying capacity of the biophysical environment
and enhance social sustainability by facilitating affordability through the possible
reductions to construction costs through recycling and reuse. By means of questionnaires
and detailed interviews, underscored by a qualitative research approach, the potential of
construction recycling and the possible contributions to environmental sustainability and
housing affordability are determined. At completion, it is expected that this work will not
only contribute to existing knowledge but would be of significance in terms of policy
formulation to construction industry practitioners, central and local government policy
makers, and other governmental and non-governmental organisations operating in the
area of housing.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/1057 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Traut, Michelle |
| Publisher | Peninsula Technikon |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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