Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Standards Specification,
Importance and Challenges
Presentation by
Mr. Peter Mensah (Unique Shelters)
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

Not too far in history, the only source of material for building
was the red soil which occurred abundantly everywhere.

As such simple machines and tools were employed and
hence simple houses called the Atakpame were made.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

The introduction of
new technologies and
the development of
larger communities
gave way to adobe mud
brick house. A simple
tool called the Wooden
Mould Box was
adopted for such a
purpose.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
THE WOODEN MOULD BOX
The first brick making machine widely used by majority
and still in use in some rural areas. The machine for
production was made by the carpenter
THE METAL MOULD BOX
The introduction of sand mixed with portaland cement
for producing stabilized blocks with a standardized size
of 18” and 9” in height and 4”, 5” and 6” width. The
machine for production was made by the welder
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
MECHANICAL BLOCK MACHINE
Soon the motorized block making machines
were introduced employing the use of a motor
or an engine to vibrate the contents in a mould
box under pressure for high density blocks.
Welders soon adopted this technology for
making standardized sizes of blocks. The
standardization of the machines made it easy
for any operator to work with.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
THE PAN MIXER

It was later introduced for proper
mixing of sand, cement and water for
making blocks. This was because the
concrete mixer was not able to achieve
this properly.

This was copied by Ghanaian
engineers and although different from
the previous, the mixer improved block
making tremendously.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Was introduced into
the country around the
1980’s for making
adobe Bricks. It was
abandoned in a short
time of usage and
transformed to
making pavement tiles
and 8”x4” bricks.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
This holds the
materials
mixed for production.
It holds enough
materials for the
production of about
15” bricks at a time
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Used to measure
the precise amount
of materials from
under the bucket
into the mould.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
The chamber in which the
moulding of the brick takes
place. It gives the block/brick its
shape and precise dimensions.
It is made from a strong metal
so that it can withstand the
high pressure required for
compression.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
This carries the bottom
pressing plate and lies
within the mould box at the
lower bottom.
It must fit inside the mould
box so well to create a
precise dimension for the
brick.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

These are two bars running by the sides of the mould box

They are anchored to the cylinder at the lowest end and
at the top, to a fulcrum above the mould box cover.

They are made of very strong steel because all the
pressing is done through the power arms.
Department
of Rural
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of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

This is what is pulled
down to create the
pressure on the block.
The arm is linked to a
fulcrum on the top
cover of the mould
box.

It also acts to pull up
the power arms to
compress the
materials into a brick
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

Cover the top and bottom of the four sided mould box.
They transmit the compression force to make the brick.

They must be made of very strong steel plates to avoid
distortion. The pair carry the pattern for the way the brick
locks and fits.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

The manual brick press is simple to understand and
use. Also it is rugged enough to withstand misuse.

In terms of cost, it is very cheap as compared to the
mechanical press. It is also portable hence can be
carried virtually everywhere.

It also does not require electricity therefore suitable
for the cottage industry and rural areas.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

The production capacity is however dependent on
the size of the brick and limited to between 400 and
750 bricks in an 8 hour day.

Manual brick production can be stressful and can
lead to bricks not been pressed well enough
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
The basic parts include ;

The body frame on which the machine is built

The mould box(interchangeable)

The source of compression;
 the manual lever
 the power source for vibration

The block ejection mechanism

All parts are made of iron or steel and painted against
corrosion
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

Getting the right size of materials to be used.

Ability to translate the correct measurement into the production
of the parts.

Been able to arrive at a good compression.

Understanding the mechanics of the machine.

Understanding the behaviour of the material for a type of machine
i.e. knowing the type of material you are making the machine for.

Been able to produce the right measurements and dimensions.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

The mechanical press comes
in all sizes. Some are
capable of producing 7000
bricks per day. The bricks are
hydraulically pressed and
are generally cleaner and
stronger.

However, they are expensive
to buy and maintain.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

Technical knowledge required for fabricating both
machines are different.

Heavier materials are required for the mechanical
press due to the higher force used in the operation.

Operators need more training before use and
repairs are also done by an expert in the field.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

The bigger machines are also not mobile and
electricity is required wherever they are in
use.

The machine also requires protection from
the weather.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

While locally made sandcrete blocks and the machine are
made to look and work similarly, those for interlocking
bricks come in all sizes depending on where they are
derived from.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Importance of Standardization

If there is the need to make the brick useable
countrywide, then there should be a basic design of
the machine and the brick.

This standardization will make training of operators
of the machines easy.

At the same time masons will understand the
building process more quickly.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Importance of Standardization Con’t

This does not imply the removal of other types of
blocks and machines from the system.

Other specifications may have their unique
attributes and therefore should be kept on the
market.

However for mass education, specifications should
be developed to make the work easy while research
can also be extended into new methods with varied
specifications.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
THE BRICK
Size and number of bricks per production is
dependent on a number of factors;
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
The bigger the brick size the higher the amount of
pressure required for compression. This implies a
smaller brick will come out stronger than a bigger
brick under the same compression.
For brick machines making two(2) bricks at a time, it
is advisable to make the bricks smaller in size.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
6
4
12

The optimum size for a fairly strong brick is
put at 12” x 6” x 4” (LxBxH) – by the Centre of
Appropriate Technology Experiment, San Carlos University,
Guatemala; the first to employ this for low cost rural housing
on a massive scale.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
FACTORS TO CONSIDER




INPUTS
Weight
Thickness
Strength




OUTPUT
Type of work to be used for
Part of machine to be produced
The product to be produced
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of Rural
Department
of Housing
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Housing Housing
Department of Rural
OPERATIONS
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

For imported machines, there are usually manuals
available accompanying the machines. The
manuals will contain instructions as to how the
machine should be installed and operated.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

Locally made machines are usually without
operations manual and maintenance of the
machine is left to the experiences of the
operating staff.

Quite often the operators will not want to delay
production as their wages are based on
production quantities. This makes them
overwork the machines and only react when the
machines breakdown. In such cases, stoppages
are not planned and cause productions delays
and rather expensive repairs.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
MAINTENANCE
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

The manual accompanying imported machines
will also contain details of how periodic
maintenance of the machine should be carried
out. The instructions are very important and
therefore needs to be followed.

Ignoring these manuals can lead to very
expensive repairs in the long run and cause
production delays, poor quality production and
loss of man hours of production.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

It is necessary for some production and maintenance
scheduling to be established for all machines in use.

For locally made machines, attention should be paid to
the moving parts like those that slide on each other,
bearings that hold vibrating parts and bolts and nuts
that hold parts together.

Other parts that supply power like electric motors and
engines would normally have maintenance regimes
when bought and should be followed.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural

Machines need grease in all the moveable joints at
the top where the lever arm meets with the power
arms and also where the power arms hook to the
piston.

It is also necessary to clean the material residues in
the bucket after use.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
I believe as local producers master
the trade, other sophisticated
machines could be introduced to
meet with specific demands in the
country.
Department
of Rural
Department
of Housing
Rural
Housing Housing
Department of Rural
THANK YOU