Few studies have investigated the use and performance of conventional and sustainable building technologies of use in low-income housing construction. Hence, this study investigates the use and performance of the conventional and sustainable building technologies used in low-income housing construction towards proposing the most sustainable technological solution for low-income housing development in South Africa. Using a case study research approach, the study developed a rating tool for use in assessing the sustainability performance of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) low-income houses within the nine provinces of South Africa with measures drawn from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) technical manual. Findings of this study show that the most commonly used method of construction for low-income housing in South Africa are concrete floor slab, brick and mortar for the external envelope and a combination of timber structures fitted with Inverted Box Rib (IBR) sheeting for the roof system. The results also show that conventional building components had a much lower sustainability level due to the high use of concrete and that innovative building components have a lower environmental impact due to the low carbon dioxide emission associated with the manufacturing process. The study concludes with regards to the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability that buildings constructed using sustainable technologies are more sustainable than those produced using conventional methods. The study recommends that public sector clients involved in the provision of low-income housing should encourage the use of sustainable construction technologies. Further, the research also suggests that the GBCSA should develop measures which specifically targets low-income housing development to allow for the determination of both the socio-economic viability and environmental impact of the RDP houses produced in South Africa.

很少有研究调查常规和可持续建筑技术在低收入房屋建筑中的使用和性能。因此，本研究调查了用于低收入住房建设的常规和可持续建筑技术的使用和性能，以为南非的低收入住房发展提出最可持续的技术解决方案。该研究使用案例研究方法，开发了一种评估工具，用于评估南非九个省内重建与发展计划（RDP）低收入房屋的可持续发展绩效，并采用了南部绿色建筑委员会的措施非洲（GBCSA）技术手册。这项研究的结果表明，南非低收入房屋最常用的建筑方法是混凝土楼板，外墙用砖和灰泥，以及用倒装肋骨（IBR）板材制成的木结构组合。屋顶系统。结果还表明，由于大量使用混凝土，常规建筑组件的可持续性水平要低得多，而创新建筑组件由于与制造过程相关的二氧化碳排放量低，对环境的影响也较小。该研究的结论是，在可持续性的社会经济和环境方面，使用可持续技术建造的建筑物比使用常规方法生产的建筑物更具可持续性。该研究建议，参与提供低收入住房的公共部门客户应鼓励使用可持续建筑技术。此外，研究还建议，GBCSA应该制定专门针对低收入住房发展的措施，以便确定南非生产的RDP住房的社会经济可行性和环境影响。