How latest technologies help Construction industry-INDIA
Latest technology doesn't apply only for computer science, it also does for civil engineering. From mud to cement mortar to prefabrication to pre stressing there has been lot of development in the past decade.
But how does it help engineers to reach client's demands and interest, let's hear from the experts
“Construction like prefab, composite and steel structures are all geared to reduce time. Generally, the cost is slightly higher but time saved and interest saved in loans is beneficial," says Sanjay Dutt, chief executive officer for India operations and private funds at
Ascendas-Singbridge.
Panschil Realty, a luxury player best known for building the International Convention Centre or ICC in Pune, points to Panschil Towers, homes built entirely with Dry Construction Technology. No bricks, no plaster, and reduced water usage by over a million litres. DCT also involves lightweight construction of interior walls, ceilings and floors, and the use of plastered or microfibre board, joined at the time of installing.
How much quicker was it versus using traditional brick and mortar? Atul Chordia, chairman of Panchshil, says the German technology he used was 12 per cent more expensive but it took him only three and a half years to finish six buildings that house 600 apartments. "If I had gone the regular route, it would have probably taken around 10 years." He's also invested Rs 150 million to set up a factory on the outskirts of Pune to manufacture bathrooms. The units are called BathPods and are prefabricated self-supporting bathrooms, with floor base frames, walls and ceilings that can be delivered to a site.
B Muralidharan, associate vice-president at the precast plant for Sobha Developers, says they're using precast technology for a seven million sq ft project that has 66 towers. The walls and supporting structures are developed in Sobha's own factory, set up in 2015, and snapped together like Lego pieces in the buildings. The older system of shuttering technology had to wait for both horizontal and vertical elements to dry out and was not as time-efficient. "A 15-storey tower, for example, that once took 36 months to complete is now being finished in 15 months," Muralidharan says.
Ramakrishnan P, chief operating officer for the Lodha Group, says he's exploring the possibility of doing a composite steel structure for a 40-storey commercial tower that is expected to be delivered in between 30 and 36 months. Some methods that Lodha has adopted include precast stair cases, gypsum partition walls, automatic jump forms and aluminium shuttering systems. He says these systems have helped their slab cycles to average between five and eight days, depending on the height of a building.
Though all this technology to pinch construction time is available, how fast it is deployed is still a call that remains the prerogative of the developer. “Who decides whether the engineers are going to be building slab a week or one a month?” asks Zia. “Remember that projects are delayed not because they can't be finished faster but because most of the time, there aren't enough buyers out there.”
Construction is facing lot of changes in the present decade,we must update ourselves to move along with the changes...