Traditional Maltese limestone, one of Malta’s few natural resources, has been quarried and used for construction since time immemorial and really and truly defines the country’s landscape.
Nonetheless, the use of bricks is certainly more prevalent these days. And with reason.
Design & Build touches the challenges that are being faced when it comes to these materials used in developing Malta, and the construction waste they naturally induce.
Many builders and developers prefer utilising traditional Maltese limestone as their materia prima and cite various reasons for this statement; primarily being its lifespan, it being a natural product, being malleable and therefore the degree of flexibility that other non-natural materials cannot match, let alone beat. Older Maltese buildings; churches, as an example – boast of intricate sculptures, arches, statues – all created at a time when concrete and technology did not exist, yet builders were able to create edifices with such sublime craftsmanship.
Bricks can be likened to fast food – synthetic, lacking tradition and not having the same ability to create the beautiful workmanship that one sees in buildings built with Maltese stone. One cannot compare the end result between the two and it is regretful that the skill of building with Maltese stone is dying out.
“It is estimated that approximately 80% of total waste generated in Malta consists of construction, demolition and excavation waste; the latter being the largest contributor”
And yet, the use of bricks is far more prevalent than that of our stone these days. This is also because building with bricks is more manageable and definitely less backbreaking than doing so with traditional Maltese stone.
it is regretful that the skill of building with Maltese stone is dying out
One block of limestone weighs approximately as much as four bricks and requires at least two people to carry it. Furthermore, the number of available quarries has also declined. This leads to the next topic of conversation which has become quite a burning issue – that of the disposal of construction waste.
It is estimated that approximately 80% of total waste generated in Malta consists of construction, demolition and excavation waste; the latter being the largest contributor.
“Whilst waste disposal may be seen as a burden, it is expected in all businesses for prices of collateral services to follow trends. This is all about the supply and demand context”
It may also be reckoned that owning a quarry can be compared to a lottery ticket – where the end result can be equally positive or negative – the financial risks involved in owning a quarry are high. Due to the size of the island, quarries are dying a natural death, with resources close to being finished and hence that which remains is highly valuable. Several quarry owners argue that paying for the disposal of waste should not be considered as something negative or extra. Having been made available for free or a pittance in the past does not mean that it must continue being so.
it is regretful that the skill of building with Maltese stone is dying out
It could be argued that we are trading in a free market and it is up to the owners to decide on a price in the same way construction companies and builders decide on a selling price for their buildings. It could hence be deemed to be unfair to the quarry owner if the value of how much they should charge for offering such a service would be imposed upon them, even because the market does give indications of appropriate prices. And it is evident that today’s higher costs to dump waste have resulted in 30% of it being recycled.
At least in the last half century, land prices have always increasingly fluctuated. These fluctuations obviously have had an impact purchase of a property. Whilst waste disposal may be seen as a burden, it is expected in all businesses for prices of collateral services to follow trends. This is all about the supply and demand context. And one has to be conscious of the fact that quarry operations can neither expand nor transfer easily, thus making them be a limited and precious resource at the disposal of our construction industry.
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