Ethiopian mechanical engineer and innovator, Fikru Gebre Dinkumbab, is one of 15 African entrepreneurs short listed for the 2023 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. He has been shortlisted for his multi-purpose earth brick machine,
a manually operated portable machine to produce interlocking compressed earth bricks for more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly construction. It can also be reconfigured to create paving bricks and charcoal briquettes and is designed to be operated by a layperson with minimal training with the machine requiring little maintenance and is easy to assemble and transport.
Mechanical engineer and product designer Fikru Gebre Dikumbab created the Multi-Purpose Earth Brick Machine in response to the arduous maintenance and repairs required for traditional homes in Ethiopia, which are built primarily from earth and wood, as well as the high cost of conventional block bricks. The machine is made from steel plates. The brick is composed of 90 to 95% soil mixed with 5 to 10% cement and water. A team of three to four people can make up to 500 bricks per day. The average Ethiopian home is 50 m2, which would require up to 4,500 bricks. While certain soils are more preferable, the bricks will be viable provided users dig at least one-metre deep to avoid topsoil, which is more organic in nature. Structures made from compressed earth bricks require the same level of maintenance as ordinary bricks but use far less concrete and no mortar. The brick mould can be easily replaced to make paving, or briquettes from charcoal dust, wood chips, water and biomass.
The winner will receive £25,000, and three runners up will win £10,000 each, and the next most promising innovator in the competition will be given £5,000.
Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation was launched by the UK Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014 and has been awarding ambitious African innovators who have been creating local and scalable solutions to pan-African and international challenges.
We wish Fikru the best of luck and hope he wins!
Source: Royal Academy of Engineering
Website: http://www.olioeth.com/
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