+
Tenders should mandate at least 30-40% use of precast or prefab components
Real Estate

Tenders should mandate at least 30-40% use of precast or prefab components

- MV Satish, Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive Vice-President  (Buildings, Minerals & Metals), Larsen & Toubro

With the aim to construct 1.2 crore homes to ensure Housing for All by 2022, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) calls for out-of-the-box, innovative thinking. And so, the government has launched the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC) to look for new, emerging, disaster-resilient, environment-friendly, cost-effective and speedy construction technologies. “As it is important to bring in a technology transition to avail of the best technologies globally, GHTC will help bridge the demand-supply gap in the affordable housing sector,” says MV Satish, Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Buildings, Minerals & Metals), Larsen & Toubro (L&T). In this segment, the company is constructing about 89,300 flats or apartments of varying sizes – 300 sq ft, 365 sq ft and 435 sq ft over a total built-up area of 31 million sq ft – across several districts in Andhra Pradesh. L&T is also actively looking at a few emerging technologies to hasten this process, adds Satish, as he shares his thoughts on the affordable housing segment with SERAPHINA D’SOUZA.

What is the average time currently taken for per square feet development of affordable housing units?
Aluminium formwork is one of the construction methods being increasingly used to reduce execution time and costs. Time taken using aluminium formwork is not measured in square feet completed but in time taken to cast floor slabs. This is called cycle time, which includes the time to set up the formwork for casting, tying reinforcement, pouring concrete, concrete setting and removal of formwork. At present, we are executing residential projects at a rate of seven days per floor slab for RCC works. All these jobs have stringent delivery schedules of 
15 months. 

What are your requirements in terms of technologies for constructing houses in a shorter period of time for faster project delivery? 
L&T has been at the forefront of adopting frontier technologies, having been first to introduce tunnel formwork and aluminium system formwork in India, in residential construction, over a decade and a half ago. With these, an entire floor slab can be cast monolithically to significantly decrease execution time. There is definitely a need to mechanise construction activities offsite to reduce construction time, but that will be affordable only when the volume of construction 
is high.While various technologies are available from across the globe to quicken the pace of construction, the need for a more enabling environment is critical, in which technology transfer and adoption can be easier. 

Specific focus is now on prefabricated construction, where not only is the structural system precast but the overall building finishing and MEP works completed in a factory, with the finished units being assembled at site. A similar approach has recently been adopted by the Singapore Government, which has mandated the use of precast prefabricated volumetric construction (PPVC) for finished kitchens, bedrooms and bathroom units.

With reference to government-funded projects, the first requirement is for tenders to be based on technology, rather than leaving them technology-neutral. This will create a level playing field for contractors who are willing and capable of adopting superior technologies without being outpriced in the bidding process. 
At the same time, prequalification criteria need to be relaxed to promote new technologies. 

Tenders should mandate at least 30-40 per cent use of precast or prefab structural components.
The government should sponsor or subsidise research programmes of technology providers and offer incentives to contractors to adopt new technologies. From the perspective of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), there is a need to customise codal requirements for affordable housing to reduce material consumption (which is a major contributor to increasing construction costs) and for the adoption of international standards in the absence of equivalent Indian codes or their extremely old versions. Even from an architectural standpoint, it is imperative to lay down standard specifications for modular units, their dimensions, for doors, windows and the like, to enable modular construction.

Are there any global technologies India should adopt to hasten the construction of affordable housing?
The precast large concrete panel system is widely regarded as a technology to hasten construction of affordable housing. Globally, the precast construction market is expected to reach $185.23 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 6.3 per cent according to Allied Market Research. This technology has already been well accepted and adopted in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, China and Europe. It is being introduced in India, too, and we foresee its widespread use in the country soon.

- MV Satish, Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive Vice-President  (Buildings, Minerals & Metals), Larsen & ToubroWith the aim to construct 1.2 crore homes to ensure Housing for All by 2022, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) calls for out-of-the-box, innovative thinking. And so, the government has launched the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC) to look for new, emerging, disaster-resilient, environment-friendly, cost-effective and speedy construction technologies. “As it is important to bring in a technology transition to avail of the best technologies globally, GHTC will help bridge the demand-supply gap in the affordable housing sector,” says MV Satish, Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Buildings, Minerals & Metals), Larsen & Toubro (L&T). In this segment, the company is constructing about 89,300 flats or apartments of varying sizes – 300 sq ft, 365 sq ft and 435 sq ft over a total built-up area of 31 million sq ft – across several districts in Andhra Pradesh. L&T is also actively looking at a few emerging technologies to hasten this process, adds Satish, as he shares his thoughts on the affordable housing segment with SERAPHINA D’SOUZA.What is the average time currently taken for per square feet development of affordable housing units?Aluminium formwork is one of the construction methods being increasingly used to reduce execution time and costs. Time taken using aluminium formwork is not measured in square feet completed but in time taken to cast floor slabs. This is called cycle time, which includes the time to set up the formwork for casting, tying reinforcement, pouring concrete, concrete setting and removal of formwork. At present, we are executing residential projects at a rate of seven days per floor slab for RCC works. All these jobs have stringent delivery schedules of 15 months. What are your requirements in terms of technologies for constructing houses in a shorter period of time for faster project delivery? L&T has been at the forefront of adopting frontier technologies, having been first to introduce tunnel formwork and aluminium system formwork in India, in residential construction, over a decade and a half ago. With these, an entire floor slab can be cast monolithically to significantly decrease execution time. There is definitely a need to mechanise construction activities offsite to reduce construction time, but that will be affordable only when the volume of construction is high.While various technologies are available from across the globe to quicken the pace of construction, the need for a more enabling environment is critical, in which technology transfer and adoption can be easier. Specific focus is now on prefabricated construction, where not only is the structural system precast but the overall building finishing and MEP works completed in a factory, with the finished units being assembled at site. A similar approach has recently been adopted by the Singapore Government, which has mandated the use of precast prefabricated volumetric construction (PPVC) for finished kitchens, bedrooms and bathroom units.With reference to government-funded projects, the first requirement is for tenders to be based on technology, rather than leaving them technology-neutral. This will create a level playing field for contractors who are willing and capable of adopting superior technologies without being outpriced in the bidding process. At the same time, prequalification criteria need to be relaxed to promote new technologies. Tenders should mandate at least 30-40 per cent use of precast or prefab structural components.The government should sponsor or subsidise research programmes of technology providers and offer incentives to contractors to adopt new technologies. From the perspective of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), there is a need to customise codal requirements for affordable housing to reduce material consumption (which is a major contributor to increasing construction costs) and for the adoption of international standards in the absence of equivalent Indian codes or their extremely old versions. Even from an architectural standpoint, it is imperative to lay down standard specifications for modular units, their dimensions, for doors, windows and the like, to enable modular construction.Are there any global technologies India should adopt to hasten the construction of affordable housing?The precast large concrete panel system is widely regarded as a technology to hasten construction of affordable housing. Globally, the precast construction market is expected to reach $185.23 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 6.3 per cent according to Allied Market Research. This technology has already been well accepted and adopted in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, China and Europe. It is being introduced in India, too, and we foresee its widespread use in the country soon.

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Tata Power, Suzlon Ink Rs 60 Billion Wind Energy Deal in Andhra

Tata Power has signed an agreement with Suzlon Energy to develop, construct, and supply 700 megawatt (MW) wind turbines in Andhra Pradesh. The Rs 60 billion project forms part of a 7 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy plan announced by Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL) and the state government in March 2025.This marks the first wind energy project in the state since 2019. The larger 7 GW programme, covering solar, wind, and hybrid projects with or without storage, is expected to attract investments of around Rs 490 billion, making it one of the state’s largest clean energy commitments.The turb..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Odisha Approves Rs 12.6 Billion For 32 New Bridges

Odisha is set for a major infrastructure boost with the approval of 32 new bridges under the Setu Bandhan Yojana for FY 2025–26. The project, valued at Rs 12.6 billion, is aimed at improving road connectivity across ten districts, enhancing mobility and driving local development.The bridges will be constructed in Bolangir, Subarnapur, Nayagarh, Sambalpur, Malkangiri, Bargarh, Koraput, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, and Puri. Many of these areas are rural or located in difficult terrains, where improved accessibility will greatly benefit the transportation of goods and public mobility.Setu Bandhan Y..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

UP Plans Rs 350 Billion Gorakhpur–Shamli Expressway

Uttar Pradesh is preparing to build its largest expressway, a 700-km six-lane project that will surpass the 570-km Ganga Expressway from Meerut to Prayagraj. Designed as a greenfield project, the Gorakhpur–Shamli Expressway will cut travel time between eastern and western Uttar Pradesh to just six hours, transforming regional connectivity.The expressway will pass through 22 districts and 37 tehsils, bringing faster travel and significant economic benefits, including higher land values for farmers and employment opportunities during and after construction. A drone survey to map the route is e..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?