Knowledge And Acceptability Of Compressed Stabilized Laterite Bricks For Housing In Selected States Of South-West Nigeria

 Abstract Despite the essential role of housing as a basic need, an adequate supply of this commodity has been observed to be lacking in virtually all societies throughout history. This study investigated the knowledge and user-acceptability of Compressed Stabilized Laterite Bricks (CSLBs) as an alternative building material for affordable housing in selected states of southwest Nigeria. The research investigated the impact of knowledge, income level, education level and aspiration for self-home ownership on the level of acceptability of CSLBs as a building material for affordable housing delivery by the urban populace. The primary data were obtained using structured questionnaires to elicit needed information from respondents who were selected through random sampling in four local governments areas in the three randomly selected south-western States of Nigeria. The secondary data were obtained from review of related literatures in libraries, journals and the world-wide-web (internet). The research concluded that there is a combined contribution of knowledge of CSLBs, income, educational level and aspiration for personal home in the prediction of acceptability of CSLBs as a walling material; that respondents believed that sandcrete walls are more durable than walls erected of CSLBs; that promotion of CSLBs by public- private sector has effect in the prediction of usage of CSLBs as a walling material but the cost of CSLBs does not; and lastly that the acceptability of CSLBs as a walling material will lead to its usage. It is recommended that by way of housing policy, government and stakeholders must promote the usage of CSLBs to construct a certain percentage of future public housing schemes. The prototypes will serve as a basis of increasing the knowledge of Nigerians in understanding the potentials of CSLBs as a walling material.