How Modern Construction Technologies Can Help Developers
Gone are the days when builder started a new project after completing an old one. With a rising demand, real estate developers are also expected to deliver projects with shorter deadlines to take advantage of quick changing dynamics of a new market.
Many modern technologies can make this possible. While lowering labour costs, such technologies help reduce construction material wastage and better building quality. New methods are also brought in by builders to quickly raise townships in areas with few resources.
A look at some of the modern technologies that can help you build better:
Pre-casted/prefab materials
This method is also known as factory-built homes. Builders these days prefer to use precasted foundations to build homes, instead of the traditional methods. Precasted foundations help ease the cost and effort of construction on contaminated lands, in adverse weather conditions and also cut down the extent of digging to build a foundation.
The use of pre-fabricated construction material is picking up pace. Slab sheets, plaster boards and many other units are constructed in advance and transported to a particular location. They are later assembled into the right slots, saving up a lot of on-ground work and efforts.
Works such as plastering and electrical wiring are also done on prefab material, reducing the on-site time intake. Pre-fab material costs at least 10-15 per cent more than the traditional construction materials but cuts building time by at least 20 per cent. The life of the structure built on this material is same as that of traditional methods.
Assembled units
Builders also use pre-constructed kitchen and bathroom units to save time. Plumbing and electricification are also done in advance and simple transported to fit on a required structure. This method is very popular in the affordable home segment in the West and has started taking off in India.
A number of modules, ranging from the basic structure to externally finished modules, can be pre-manufactured and transported to a site. This technology cuts labour cost, and improves efficiency, and is well-suited for remote locations.
Jump form technology
Jump form technology evolved in the 1990s in Hong Kong and is meant for high-rises. Many projects in Noida and Gurgaon are already using this method.
This method of construction uses a large metal formwork. The central core of a building is built first. Later, this large formwork is launched over the core. The formwork, which is built of steel or aluminum, has wings that spread across the entire floor with the required walls and other structures over it. Concrete is poured over these wings to give the structure a form. The form lifts itself after a floor is built.
The form also ensures complete control over the building process, reducing scope for any human error. It also provides multiple work faces and provides a better external finish to the structure.
Flat slabs
Flat-slab construction has reinforced concrete slabs that do not use beams, and are supported by large columns. This form of technology can use prefab construction materials and also provide great flexibility in terms of the horizontal constructions over a building. It is best-suited for building parking lots or those buildings where the owners want to make changes later.
Thin-joint blockwork
Quite popular in the UK, this is one of the fastest construction methods. It uses a thin layer of mortar with cement, which sets much quicker than the traditional mortar. It is also used to build thinner walls as the method ensures the construction of sturdier walls with thin joint masonry. This method reduces wastage of construction material on the site, ensures longer life of the structure and is also air tight. Such masonry allows very less heat loss, thereby improving the thermal performance of the condominium.
Monolithic construction
Many Indian states, including Gujarat, use monolithic-construction method where walls, columns, floor slabs and other areas are built using the same material. Other components of a home are built within. These do not require bricks and plastering but because of the reduced deadload, these structures are equally durable and offer good earthquake resistance. This technology offers an excellent home finish, as the walls are not chipped off. Breakage is also reduced, as electrical and sanitary fittings are done before concreting. The method reduces on-site quality control and fast tracks construction. Plastering is labour intensive and expensive; cutting out that part will also reduce costs to a great extent.
(Katya Naidu has been working as a business journalist for the last nine years, and has covered beats across banking, pharma, healthcare, telecom, technology, power, infrastructure, shipping and commodities.)