The formworks industry is poised to grow by 15-20 per cent

01 Oct 2010 Editorial Team

Raj Lakhani, Managing Director, Peri India Pvt Ltd

Tomorrow is now today, with the adoption of modern construction techniques and technology in India. Like formwork, for instance. About five years ago, one noticed a gradual trend towards the replacement of traditional formwork with modernised pre-engineered formwork systems. In an interview with CW, Raj Lakhani, Managing Director, Peri India Pvt Ltd, provides key insights about the emerging formworks industry. Excerpts...

What are the current trends in the formwork industry?
The choice of formwork depends upon the requirements of the project. Traditional formwork of wood and bamboo continues to dominate the Indian market, with a market share of almost 95 per cent. Despite this, we find a slow but steady growth in the popularity of pre-engineered formwork systems, especially in the wake of the changing cityscape with mega-infrastructure projects like sea-links, highways, metros, and high-rise buildings. The trends suggest a wider use of wall, column and modular slab formwork systems, which ensures that the time taken for the completion of construction projects - residential, commercial and infrastructure - is considerably reduced. This will also help maintaining optimised costs. The formwork and scaffolding industry is gradually coming out of a nascent stage and in years to come will become an essential part of the construction industry, accentuating rapid growth by reducing construction timelines and assuring safety to construction work personnel. Use of formwork technology will create more employment opportunities for the highly technically skilled sector, a better trained labour workforce, and use of superiorly designed engineering systems.

What are the new techniques and technology being utilised in the manufacture of products?
Peri has maintained the quality of its products for years through the specialised use of robotic technology for standard product manufacture. Automation at every step of the process ensures the manufacturing of superior quality products, with enhanced production speed and bereft of human error.

As a leading industry player, how much growth are you anticipating in a few years from now?
The formwork industry is currently worth Rs 300 crore and is poised to grow by 15-20 per cent.

Tell us about your recent projects.
We are currently working on a diverse category of projects in various locations of India. These comprise high-rise buildings, commercial complexes, power plants, bridges and mass housing.

What are the various aspects that need to be looked into during inspection?
Every formwork design has its specific inspection criteria, depending on its use. Wall, slab and column formworks are inspected with respect to levels, line and dimensional accuracy. We also provide an exhaustive user manual for further training of project personnel.

What safety measures do you adopt in your company?
Peri follows stringent regulations globally with regard to safety. Our technical team designs and manufactures formwork systems that are 100 per cent safe without compromising on their speed and quality. Peri system formwork designs have adequate safety in form of handrails, guarded platforms and other parameters with adequate consideration of wind loads. We also train people on-site and provide technical advice through the presence of highly skilled and trained supervisors.

Raj Lakhani, Managing Director, Peri India Pvt Ltd Tomorrow is now today, with the adoption of modern construction techniques and technology in India. Like formwork, for instance. About five years ago, one noticed a gradual trend towards the replacement of traditional formwork with modernised pre-engineered formwork systems. In an interview with CW, Raj Lakhani, Managing Director, Peri India Pvt Ltd, provides key insights about the emerging formworks industry. Excerpts... What are the current trends in the formwork industry?The choice of formwork depends upon the requirements of the project. Traditional formwork of wood and bamboo continues to dominate the Indian market, with a market share of almost 95 per cent. Despite this, we find a slow but steady growth in the popularity of pre-engineered formwork systems, especially in the wake of the changing cityscape with mega-infrastructure projects like sea-links, highways, metros, and high-rise buildings. The trends suggest a wider use of wall, column and modular slab formwork systems, which ensures that the time taken for the completion of construction projects - residential, commercial and infrastructure - is considerably reduced. This will also help maintaining optimised costs. The formwork and scaffolding industry is gradually coming out of a nascent stage and in years to come will become an essential part of the construction industry, accentuating rapid growth by reducing construction timelines and assuring safety to construction work personnel. Use of formwork technology will create more employment opportunities for the highly technically skilled sector, a better trained labour workforce, and use of superiorly designed engineering systems. What are the new techniques and technology being utilised in the manufacture of products? Peri has maintained the quality of its products for years through the specialised use of robotic technology for standard product manufacture. Automation at every step of the process ensures the manufacturing of superior quality products, with enhanced production speed and bereft of human error. As a leading industry player, how much growth are you anticipating in a few years from now?The formwork industry is currently worth Rs 300 crore and is poised to grow by 15-20 per cent. Tell us about your recent projects. We are currently working on a diverse category of projects in various locations of India. These comprise high-rise buildings, commercial complexes, power plants, bridges and mass housing. What are the various aspects that need to be looked into during inspection?Every formwork design has its specific inspection criteria, depending on its use. Wall, slab and column formworks are inspected with respect to levels, line and dimensional accuracy. We also provide an exhaustive user manual for further training of project personnel. What safety measures do you adopt in your company?Peri follows stringent regulations globally with regard to safety. Our technical team designs and manufactures formwork systems that are 100 per cent safe without compromising on their speed and quality. Peri system formwork designs have adequate safety in form of handrails, guarded platforms and other parameters with adequate consideration of wind loads. We also train people on-site and provide technical advice through the presence of highly skilled and trained supervisors.