Prefab Building Technology
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Kwikspace is Africa’s largest manufacturer of prefabricated buildings.
Prefabricated building technology transforms the way buildings are designed, manufactured, and assembled.
With over 50 years’ experience in building prefabricated modular buildings, Kwikspace is the largest supplier of walling and roofing systems into the African market. No matter what you need for your parkhome container or other bespoke prefabricated projects, we have the smartest prefab building technology to meet all your requirements.
Our prefab building technologies is SANAS-certified, and manufactured in our ISO-accredited manufacturing facilities in Gauteng to deliver a minimum life of 20 years, we also offer a certified Agrément system for various occupancies.
Our Agrément solution has a 30-minute fire rating that can be utilised on certified occupancies
Our team will help you select the most appropriate technology for your prefabricated buildings, whether it is for a temporary or permanent parkhome, or supplied as a completely a custom prefab kit.
Our prefabricated building technologies:
Modular Construction: Our sales and rental product offering where the fabrication of building components and entire structures in a factory-controlled environment takes place. Enabling Kwik delivery by ensuring units are ready for use by the time site preparations are complete, demonstrating significant reduction in building time when compared to traditional brick and mortar construction. Once delivered units are levelled on jacks and concrete pads and ready for immediate use, they can be relocated when required.
Panelised Construction: A method that involves manufacturing of building components in a factory-controlled environment, delivered to site and then assembled on-site. Kwikspaces’ Kwik Kit Solution for permanent or temporary use is ideal and allows more customisation and design flexibility, expanding construction anywhere and faster than conventional construction methods.
Alternative Building Technology (ABT) & Innovative Building Technology (IBT)
The construction industry interchangeably employs the terms “alternative building technology” (ABT) and “innovative building technology” (IBT) to refer to the new technology of a building, Kwikspace’s ABT and IBT solutions are at the forefront of technological advances in the modular and prefabricated building industry and strive to continually push technological boundaries with our research and product development.
We actively follow the latest developments and adapt our products to benefit our customers with the best available systems.
Kwikspace Modular Buildings are accredited by the National Home Builders Regulation Council (NHBRC), which mitigates the likelihood of substandard buildings, poor quality, and poor workmanship for clients. The system is regulated, thereby gaining credibility.
KwikPremium
KwikPremium technology is a high-quality 40-mm steel clad panel filled with polyurethane at 36kg/m3.
This high-strength panel provides excellent thermal properties (R1.81), is fire retardant, and resists moisture and ingress of dust and insects. The polyurethane bonds to the steel, avoiding the need for adhesives and eliminating delamination. It is the fastest and most cost-effective ABT system to erect.
KwikFire
KwikFire technology utilises the same high-quality polyurethane-filled, 40 mm steel clad panel except it is manufactured with an additional 12 mm magnesium oxide board in the panel. This extra board provides a 30-minute fire resistance rating.
Agrément
Kwikspace is the the leader in the successful implementation of Agrément approved systems.
We currently make use of 3 (2 of which are registered to Kwikspace) different Agrément solutions to suit any projects requirements.
Kwikspace will provide expert guidance in the selection of which technology to apply
Q: What is the difference between a EPS and polyurethane panel?
A: Polyurethane (PU) is much more expensive than expanded polystyrene (EPS), and most suppliers in the panelised market use EPS due to the low cost and easy manufacturing. There are large differences between EPS and PU.
Thermal Insulation – PU is a much better thermal insulator than EPS and has approximately 1.5 times more insulation resistance than EPS. For example for a typical 40mm PU panel you will need a 63mm EPS panel to achieve the same thermal insulation (R – Value).
Moisture Resistance – Water permeability can be an issue with buildings and cold rooms. When water enters the panel you can get rot or mildew, and moisture seeping through the wall and creating damp. PU has an excellent permeability rating due to the closed cell nature of the PU foam, with no voids between the cells. EPS has a closed cell structure but there are voids between the cells, and moisture can permeate more easily through EPS than PU. The additional effect of moisture in the wall panel is a dramatic loss of thermal insulation as moisture is an excellent conductor of heat/cold. Depending on how cold it gets the moisture in the panel can also freeze and create further structural issues.
Fire Resistance – Both EPS and PU will burn and most panel suppliers use a fire retardant in the EPS or PU, this ensures that when the flame/heat source is removed from the material both EPS and PU wall panels will self extinguish. Both PU and EPS emit noxious and asphyxiating fumes, but PU will emit a small percentage of hydrogen cyanides and chlorides which are toxic if inhaled directly.
As PU is a thermal-set material it will not melt in a fire/heated situation, and only above 1,000 degrees C will it char. EPS will soften at around 180 Degrees C and will melt at around 240 degrees C. This is why you can cut EPS with a hot wire, and that does not work with PU.
DENSITY – The density of a product will contribute to the strength. EPS has a density of 12-22 kg/cbm and PU has a density of 36-40kg/cbm.
CHEMICAL RESTANCE – PU is resistant to most counter chemicals. EPS react most solvents or petroleum based products.
MANUFACTURING – Probably the biggest difference between PU and EPS is in the manufacturing process of these panels. As PU and EPS are used as panel cores they need to the bonded to the steel/timber/fibre cement. As PU is one of the best adhesives available it has a very strong bond to the panel skin. EPS needs to be bonded to the panel skin and this process often creates voids in the adhesion layer and results in delamination of the panel skin.
Request a quote or call us on 011 617 8000!