PRADEEP BAKSHI addresses the need to leverage construction technology for the next chapter in India’s development.

One of the biggest contributors to the country’s economic development, the construction sector in India has been witnessing exponential growth in the past few years. This can be attributed to rapid urbanisation, the Government’s increased focus on infrastructure and a growing population base. The rebuilding of roadways, railways, waterways, smart cities, metros and mining from coal and iron ore are great opportunities across the country. All these activities contribute to growth in demand for equipment used in mining, construction, crushing and screening. Technology has entered into every step of the development cycle and has led to notable operational and cost-efficiencies. Some of the benefits of new technologies include eco-friendliness, time and cost-efficiency, and the provision of consistent quality and a safer operating environment. The new technologies being leveraged for faster construction include prefabricated modules, building information modelling (BIM) and Mivan. Other technology innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI and telematics have also become a catalyst for change in the construction sector.

Prefabricated modules

The construction industry in the region has been moving towards the adoption of design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA), where most of the work is done offsite in a controlled manufacturing environment and then transported and assembled on site. With more prefabrication, there is optimisation of manpower and time needed to construct buildings, worksites are safer, and there is less impact on the surrounding environment.

Voltas has adopted this approach since 2015 to mitigate project-related risks. Some recent requirements of stringent project timelines have necessitated the use of prefab, although this was not envisaged during the conception of these projects. Offsite manufacture of MEP services modules provides a low-risk method of delivery and installation of desired services to the construction site.

In this method, MEP service modules are designed (using BIM) and manufactured at an offsite facility and then delivered to the construction site using purpose-built transport stillage. Voltas has also successfully transformed its project execution strategy through a change in its construction approach and processes to suit the successful adoption of prefabricated MEP modules.

Types of MEP modules

This approach can be used effectively for projects with a large number of similar MEP elements in different sections of the project. A wide range of prefab solutions offered by our subsidiary Weathermaker currently covers about 30 per cent of MEP projects with solutions offered for various services such as integrated corridor modules, HVAC and plumbing riser modules, toilet and bathroom modules, pipe and cable tray stacks, etc, depending on the project type. MEP services are housed in predesigned steel structures ready to be installed; this requires coordination of these services along with the steel structure.

Design – coordination with structural elements

Although increased adoption of 3D design in MEP trades is the order of the day, traditional MEP engineers do not design for fabrication; this ends up in waste and rework at site during traditional construction. However, design for prefabrication does not allow margin for error; it requires detailed designs and inclusion in steel frames. Voltas, through its subsidiary WML, has honed its ability to design for offsite fabrication. Further, recent changes in software providers such as Autodesk are expected to encourage prefabrication across the industry in coming years.

Common industry issues addressed by MEP prefabrication

Modular MEP has several advantages cutting across multiple areas of concern in typical construction methodology, especially in the context of projects executed at a remote location.
Certainty of project schedule – project inventorisation: The ability to inventorise the project before the civil structure is established helps accelerate project execution. As the production of prefabricated MEP modules/systems in the factory is done concurrently with other activities onsite, construction is faster with significant manpower and time savings.

Construction delays, if any, from the civil side are better accelerated by MEP contractors owing to the ability to inventorise MEP project activity.

Improved construction safety: Construction sites are safer as most work is done offsite and less time is spent working at a height. Working at a comfortable position instead of ‘hands above shoulders’ in a typical MEP project environment is one of the most significant health and safety-related benefits accrued by prefabricated MEP.

Remote locations: Availability of skilled workmen in remote locations has always been a concern. Reduced workmen requirement at these locations helps the main contractor optimise elements such as housing and transportation, and amenities such as toilets, rest areas, etc. Reduced labour force at work locations helps in better control of the site.

Logistics for workmen and material: A substantial amount of man-hours are wasted on non-value-added work like movement of material and people to work areas. Often, hoists are not made available to workers, leaving them to use staircases, which results in fatigue, leading to lower productivity.

Increases productivity significantly and reduces rework: Construction is faster as the production of prefabricated MEP modules/systems in the factory is done concurrently with other activities onsite. Installation of prefabricated MEP modules/systems on site is easier and quicker and leads to significant manpower and time savings of up to 60 per cent, depending on the complexity of the project. Less construction waste is generated as there is less rectification work.

Supervision at site: An inherent side-effect is the inability to monitor the entire area effectively, as work fronts are scattered. This varying degree of workmanship often leads to work rejections and rework, which is generally not estimated in the original tender.

Material wastage at site: A lot of extra material is consumed and wasted because of rework and snags. Delivery of extra material ordered at the end of the project is often to be accelerated.

Challenges for MEP prefab and solutions

Like most disruptive technologies, offsite MEP has been facing a few challenges, mostly originating from getting the project stakeholders to embrace and adapt to new ways of working and changing the mindset of old ways of working. Successful MEP contractors have been able to address some key challenges by integrating the prefab strategy into the overall project delivery strategy. Successful adaptation of prefab MEP also requires improved, early and multi-stakeholder buy-in, as it impacts collaboration, project sequencing, project control and measurement and certification of work completion in a way that is very different to traditional

MEP construction.

Finally, the monodisciplinary approach to engineering of MEP projects runs contrary to the integrated workflow culture of prefabricated multiservice MEP racks. However, this is being changed by the use of 3D design and emphasis on improved coordination between the multiple disciplines. Prefab module manufacturers play a key role in educating the industry and sharing the success stories of offsite MEP to drive this sustainable change in the construction technology landscape.

About the author:
Pradeep Bakshi is Managing Director & CEO, Voltas Ltd, and on the Board of Directors for Voltbek Home Appliances Pvt Ltd. He took over as Head of Operations of Unitary Products Business Group (UPBG) 12 years ago with the mission to raise the brand to its current stature. He has over three decades of experience in the consumer durables industry, working with top-notch Indian companies and MNCs before joining Voltas. He was adjudged the Appliances Man of the Year in 2013, and has been the recipient of the President’s Award for Energy Conservation in 2013 and 2015, among other accolades.