Steel Construction Vol 40 No 4 - Metal Cladding and Light Steel Frame | Page 8

SAISC FEATURE

is a proven in office buildings. With proper
maintenance, LSFB will last at least as long
as a masonry wall.The materials will in all
probability outlast both the design and the
purpose of the building.
Professionals in the industry have remarked
that the biggest misconception when it
comes to this building methodology is
the cost. Many people think that LSFB is
cheaper than brick. It’s not.The material
costs are in most cases slightly higher,
and this is where people get an initial
shock. The benefits however come from

ABOVE: Aerial view of Mall of Africa. LSFB was
chosen over brick because of speed of construction.
LEFT: Store feature brick look-alike LSFB wall.
BELOW LEFT AND RIGHT: Mall of Africa is one of
the largest recent LSFB projects, with 27 500sqm of
ETICS external cladding.

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Steel Construction Vol. 40 No. 4 2016

speed of erection and the running costs
of the building over its life.The very real
benefits of multi comfort such as warmth
and acoustics cannot have a direct value
attached unfortunately.These factors are
clearly demonstrated in Stand 47. Aside
from the warmth, the sound insulation was
a very pleasant surprise.The difference
between interior (where all you could hear
was quiet hum of the fridge) and exterior
(construction hammering an angle grinder
noise from a neighbouring construction
site) was remarkable.
After experiencing the comfort factors of
an LSFB home for myself, I can say with
confidence that my Stand 47 #RestPilot
experience has persuaded this brick and
mortar home-dweller to build her future
home using LSFB.
For summary of the design and building
process of Stand 47 visit http://www.
stand47.co.za/building/