Sustainability Profile

Integrated sustainable development is about creating a better future through integration of communities with their environment, focusing on:

• creating meaningful employment for a diverse workforce in safe, healthy environments with long lasting benefits.
• reduce environmental footprint and foster biodiversity.
• innovate and drive improvements in technology and processes.
• contribute to building more adaptable societies.

CONTENTS
ENVIRONMENT
Efficient Materials
Efficient Processes
Efficient Structures

COMMUNITY
Community acceptance
Job creation
Skills transfer
Health

Imison’s technology offers the Government and Corporate sector  unparalleled support in their objectives to meet sustainability targets. These are:

1. IMISON AND THE ENVIRONMENT

a.    Efficient Materials

i.    Replaces bricks:  Imison uses an Expanded Polystyrene core inside building panels.  This eliminates the use of bricks and reduces cement usage by up to 90 percent – materials that cause 7 percent of environmental greenhouse gases.

ii.    Energy efficiency:

• EPS is accepted by the European Union’s standards as an energy efficient construction material.
• The thermal qualities of EPS are also recognised by the SANS-204 standard for energy efficient materials  - published by the SABS recently.
• Imison’s wall panels have the following thermal ratings:

a.    R-value:  3,05 m2 C/W
b.    U value:  0,31 W/m2 C

iii.    Temperature control:  these properties make homes up to 6 degrees warmer in winter and 2 percent cooler in summer (interior temperature – without ceiling insulation and with standard  doors/windows), leading to electricity savings.

iv.    Weight:  Imison’s panels are significantly lighter than bricks, requiring smaller vehicles for transportation with corresponding savings in fuel and emissions.

v.    Moisture insulation:  Imison’s EPS panels give walls complete insulation against water (rain) transfer, preventing mould and rot.

vi.    Acoustic rating:  Imison’s EPS panels have the same acoustic rating as a brick/mortar wall (resistance to sound transfer).

vii.    SABS, approved.

b.    Efficient Processes

i.    Construction time:  Imison saves between 66 and 75 percent in construction time over regular construction;

ii.    Transportation:  Imison can fit panels for 12 homes (40sqm sized) onto one flatbed, single axle truck.

iii.    Quality control: Imison controls the quality of its materials and process from the factory where all materials are pre-cut and pre-measured.

iv.    Waste:  all EPS off-cuts are recycled in Imison’s manufacturing processes.   On-site waste is 5 percent compared to regular construction’s 15 percent.

v.    Agrement and NHBRC approved.

c.    Efficient Structures

i.    Energy efficiency: Imison structures are significantly more energy efficient – view information under ECO SMART on Home Page

ii.    Thermal rating: With mentioned R and U ratings, Imison’s homes require less heating in winter and less cooling in summer – this is an important benefit for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse emissions – objectives set out in Government’s National Energy Efficiency Strategy of 2009.

iii.    Hot water pipes are fitted inside the EPS wall panels, retaining temperature longer and saving energy.

iv.    EPS panels blocks all water penetration, is resistant to chemicals and ageing and offers no nutritional value to living organisms such as termites and fungi (mould).

v.    Banks approved Imison houses for bonding.

2.    IMISON AND THE COMMUNITY

Tokyo Sexwale, Minister of Human Settlements:

“Instead of ‘RDP houses’, we have to build the people ‘homes’, where they can work, live and play and be happy”.

Imison’s technology provides a new standard of low cost housing – we believe that this is the type of standard that qualifies a house as a home.  Here is how using Imison contributes to a better future:

a. Community Acceptance : The previously insurmountable problem with alternative construction technologies was  always community acceptance.  Imison offers a home with the solid look and feel of brick and mortar construction, resulting in unparalleled community acceptance.  Plastered and painted walls, temperature control and aluminium window frames bring a more upmarket look, feel and experience to the low-cost sector.  On each occasion that authorities required Imison to build show houses alongside other companies using brick/mortar, the communities chose the Imison house.

b. Job creation : Imison’s technology allows the company to employ 95% of its construction labourers from the local community – of which 29% are women. This is sets a new standard in the construction industry.

c. Skills Transfer : Imison uses local SMME subcontractors  to perform an array of activities including plastering, hanging windows and doors and painting.  95 % of Imison’s on-site labourers are unschooled.

d. Health : Imison’s structures create healthier habitats. From the prevention of damp, structural integrity to thermal transfer control and safer materials, Imison’s technology offers healthier habitats.  For this reason the technology was approved for the construction of schools and clinics too. Acoustic rating (sound transfer) is the same as that of brick walls.