CEMENT & Concrete SA’s School of Concrete Technology’s relatively short training course on making concrete bricks and blocks has tremendous potential for small businesses producing affordable but essential building materials. The course will be offered regularly this year to help increase employment in South Africa.
Lecturer at the school, Matthews Magwaza, says the half-day course, providing a basic understanding of how to manufacture masonry units that could become the cornerstone of a new business, will between March and the end of the year be offered six times in Midrand, as well as once in both Cape Town and Durban.
The Midrand dates are March 31, May 26, July 21, August 25, October 27, and December 1, with training also scheduled for Cape Town on August 4 and Durban on June 9.
Magwaza says the small-scale production of concrete bricks and blocks for masonry is ideal for small businesses. “Manufacturing can be done outdoors, the process is simple, and the equipment required is not exorbitantly expensive. Providing the economic feasibility of the venture has been fully and satisfactorily assessed, there are substantial opportunities for creating profitable small businesses with the training provided by the school.”
The course curriculum includes:
- Requirements of masonry;
- How to strengthen masonry;
- How cement works;
- Blockmaking machines;
- Selection of materials and mix proportions;
- Curing of finished blocks;
- Storage of materials;
- Sand-cement mixes;
- Testing of masonry; and
- Building with masonry to control cracking.
