Outsourcing the construction and management of worker accommodation enables a mining company to fully focus on its core activity, says relocatable and modular building company Waco International CEO Stephen Goodburn.

He encourages mining houses to envisage all aspects of their mine site camp being fully built, owned and operated by an external entity, which, he says, will give the miner peace of mind that its personnel are suitably and safely accommodated, while focusing on “what it does best”.

Such a turnkey service is provided by Jet Park-based modular buildings company Abacus Space Solutions – a subsidiary of Waco – which is referred to as a ‘build, own, operate’ solution and is classified as an industrial hotel, owing to its pricing in terms of daily occupancy.

Waco provides the capital required for the construction and management of the camp, with the miner simply paying a daily rate for each person accommodated.

“There are no initial investment costs for the client, as we take all the risk of investing in the camp,” he says.

Waco will construct and install the buildings and infrastructure, such as those for waste disposal, water and electricity, after which it also conducts general maintenance, sewage treatment, and waste and recycling management. Waco also provides pump-outs for its portable toilet solutions.

Further, support services, including camp management, security and access control, as well as medical and first aid facilities, are also available.

Camp management and associated hospitality services provided by Waco include daily meals, housekeeping services, showers with hot water, toilets, dining rooms and laundry services, Goodburn notes.

He tells Mining Weekly that, currently, the build, own, operate strategy is not well-known or received in South Africa, but it is gaining traction as camp clients recognise the benefits.

Goodburn adds that best practice methods in developed countries, such as Australia, illustrate that money is better spent on the camp client’s core business focus, with camp management being the responsibility of an external company specialising in that field.

Another major benefit, especially for mines in the construction phase – where temporary accommodation is required for the construction workforce or geology teams – is that once the construction of the project is complete, Waco can simply remove the camp. In terms of demobilisation, the mine site can progress with its operations with no drawbacks.

“The issue of empty and disused buildings at mine sites throughout Africa is rife,” says Goodburn.

Further, costs are reduced by offering modular portable housing solutions, which do not require foundation slabs. Also, the use of portable toilets with a tanked system eliminates the requirement for sewer systems and connection to municipal water supplies, he notes.

The modular housing solutions are manufactured by Abacus Space Solutions.

“We can offer a full camp solution to any client, regardless of the kind of infrastructure available at the site,” says Goodburn, adding that, for instance, gas-fired geysers can be installed for showers in areas where electricity is unavailable.

In addition to its ‘build, own, operate’ solution, Waco also provides a ‘build and operate’ camp option, whereby Waco installs and operates the camp. The initial capital investment is the responsibility of the client, who owns the camp.

He tells Mining Weekly that anything required by law, in terms of camp facilities or services, is available from Waco. “Our focus on occupational health and safety is strong,” he says, adding that Waco’s modular buildings are 30-minutes fire-rated and conform to NOSA certifications as well as ISO 14001 and 9001.

Further, quality is an important aspect for Waco, Goodburn explains: “We build the modular buildings entirely in a factory, which gives us a great deal of quality control. We then simply transport the buildings to the site and install them where they are required.

“The speed at which we can build is also improved, compared with building conventional structures using traditional brick and mortar,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Abacus Space Solutions can build between 15 and 20 classroom-specification buildings a day, each with a floor space of 56 m2.

“This enables us to build a full turnkey school (accommodating 1 200 learners) in about eight weeks,” says Goodburn, pointing out that if the same school were built using brick and mortar, it would take 12 to 18 months.

In this regard, Waco is encouraging schools and the education department to build more modular-building schools, as the demographics in South Africa are constantly changing. “When a school is no longer required in a certain area, it can be relocated to an area in which it will better serve the community,” concludes Goodburn.

The life span of a modular building ranges from 25 years to 100 years, depending on whether the product is made in South Africa or the UK. Modular buildings built in the UK use better materials available in the region.