East African Business Week (Kampala)
Mark Muhumuza
18 October 2009
That time spent on a construction can be changed through adopting efficient and better technology. Greg McDonough an American engineer, entrepreneur and CEO of Spider Tie came to Uganda and provided constructers with an option to using bricks and blocks in construction. This innovation is mainly used in the construction of walls.
Spider tie is a solid concrete wall forming system that replaces the need to use concrete bricks or blocks when building a home or any other structure.
"The spider tie produces a strong wall that is 15 times stronger than the use of bricks or any other type of wall," says Greg.
Spider Tie is US Company that has recently been in an expansive mission. In Latin America, they launched the initiative in Mexico, The Philippines and Uganda in Africa. Plastic form ties (Spider ties) are linked together to create an internal framework in which plywood sheeting or wooden planks are attached to the framework using screws. This provides a very strong and reliable frame that holds the concrete the in place until it has dried. When dry then the plywood is removed and reused.
"The construction industry in Uganda is growing and this has attracted Spider Tie to come and ease on the time spent on construction and yet providing quality service," says Ruth Pfennig another consultant at Spider Tie.
Various construction companies were present at the unveiling of the product at Hotel Africana. The engineers were impressed by this innovation but all said that it was expensive to use this innovation.
They however appreciated the way time is saved while using Spider Tie.
"We are still working on the price and hopefully the product shall be readily available for use in the next 6 weeks," Pfennig says.
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