New-Age Construction Techniques That Are Changing The Face Of Indian Real Estate

The demand for homes is growing with each passing day, creating a greater pressure on real estate developers in India to construct and deliver homes in shorter timelines. To keep pace with this rising demand, many new ways of building a home faster, are have gained traction. A few are radical like 3D-printing a home, which is being tried by many tech geeks, others are useful for commercial use. Some of these modern construction methods can make the process of construction safer, faster, and cheaper.

Here are a few:

Reinforced cement concrete (RCC)

In this method the concrete is strengthened using fibre, steel plates or bars. The extent of load that RCC can bear is much higher than normal concrete, hence, is widely used. It can withstand more compression using the tensile strength of steel. Largely used in high-rises, this method is known cuts down thermal expansion and contraction due to the steel used. The use of lime can help create an alkaline environment after mixed with water, making it corrosion resistant and thus, increasing the life of the building manifold.

Ferrocements

Also known as ferro-cement, this is yet another example of reinforced mortar. It consists of a layer of cement applied over layers of iron-based metals like chicken wire, expanded metal mesh or wires. This technique is crack, fire, and earthquake-resistant and is ideal for lightweight construction used for over-the-roof structures such as water tanks. It is an affordable construction as compared to traditional methods. The maintenance costs are also lower when compared to pure steel constructions.

Silicon-translucent roofs

The use of silicon-based structures is the latest addition to modern building techniques. Though still in stage of experiment, a number of buildings in Korea have used silicon-coated fabric roofs in their homes. These translucent and light roofs let in natural light and also have acoustic properties. The roofs come with an outer skin and an inner blanket of insulation and provides 15 per cent light penetration. The technique's cost is similar to that of conventional roofs.

Lift slab construction

In this method, several slabs are constructed one over the other and lifted up after casting, using jacks. The structure is built at the ground level using a separating medium in between. If the technology has to be used for buildings over four floors, it can be done in a staged manner. Though this patented technology was designed in 1950s, it is still in the experiment stage in India. The casting for this form is done in-situ, hence, the construction process is faster as major part of the work is done at the ground level without having the need to transport material, saving money and manpower.

Cavity wall construction

This form of construction is used to build homes and offices in hot areas. This form of construction provides good heat insulation and can be used in air-conditioned buildings and other commercial constructions. It involves leaving a measured air cavity within the wall between masonry leaves. The leaves are tied with brick, concrete wall or metal tiers. This is a cost-saving construction method, which reduces cooling requirements.