Construction Technology That Ensure Developer Deliver Projects In Time
Housing For All Mission, delivering of long-pending projects all of this has made it imperative for the stakeholders to think of new-age practical ways to ensure that their delivery capability is not compromised. Government, in collaboration with the developers, would need to work towards adopting technology that can help fasten the construction process without compromising on quality.
The impact of construction technologies can be seen in construction planning and project management, building construction, quality and safety.
PropGuide on what international experts advise on the use of technology at different stages of construction:
Stage: Construction planning and project management
*Integrated scheduling to make design, procurement and contract a part of the master schedule.
* Building Information Modeling (BIM) 3D to 7D models from existing condition mapping to scheduling to estimating to monitoring sustainability to facilities management applications.
*Project management tools such as RIB-iTWO, Candy and Build Smart, Oracle Primavera, among others.
Stage: Building construction stage
*At the excavation stage, while the conventional drill and blast method is high-impact and noisy, the EPI Pulse Plasma Rock Fragmentation is non-explosive and safer to use.
*Modular homes that are often factory built, system built or pre-fab help in saving time, positively impacting quality and service, whilst addressing the issue of building for scale.
*Other building construction developments include hybrid formwork, plastic formwork, voided slabs and magnesium oxide (MgO) wall panels (dry wall panels) .
*Improvements or substitutes in the realm of construction materials include rice husk hulls/ash as a partial cement substitute, Cellular Light Weight Concrete (CLC) block work, block-jointing adhesives that offer higher bond strength than conventional block jointing mortar, ready-mix plasters and new developments such as tile fixing adhesives that provide better workability, better adhesion and longer service.
*In the finishing stages, pre-hung doors that are fully assembled at the factory have architraves that conceal uneven joints to improve visual appeal by evening the gaps between frames and doors and limiting cracks between the frame and the wall.
Stage: Quality check
Some new developments in the quality-check stage include:
*Moisture meters
*Leak detectors
*An effective snagging process that is discussed early on with the contractor and monitored through the use of mobile technologies
While ensuring quality and timely delivery is essential for a developer, it is equally incumbent on them to ensure adequate health and safety provisions on construction sites. From investing in elevated-working platforms to mobile hydraulic platforms and other safety equipment is imperative and should not be compromised on.
While the adoption of site-based construction technology has been limited across the sector in India, there is growing awareness and applicability. Developers will need to weigh the pros and cons of building quality on-time at scale while managing the per unit cost implications.
With inputs from Real Estate Management Institute