Why affordable housing developers are taking to construction chemicals
Real Estate

Why affordable housing developers are taking to construction chemicals

Dr Vijay Raman, Business Director, Construction Chemicals, BASF South Asia sees construction chemicals playing an important role in the expansion of the affordable housing segment, by reducing the cost of construction. In India, he says, “as it is, inordinately long project completion periods significantly drive up the cost of labour and energy and overall project cost.”

“Affordable housing developers are budgeting for the use of construction chemicals, which is a good sign,” says Preetham Yeada, Associate Vice-President, Commercial & Corporate Strategy, MYK Arment. “Many affordable housing developers are fairly experienced players, and so they are aware of good construction practices.”

In an affordable housing project for the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board in Bengaluru, BASF’s Smart Dynamic Concrete (SDC), containing admixtures that increase flowability and ease of pumping of concrete at site, enabled the construction of a building of three floors in 20 days, vis-à-vis a minimum of 35 days when using traditional concrete. Essentially, SDC increased the speed of placing concrete by up to 40 per cent, thus speeding up the construction process. A total of 1,200 low cost flats were built in 18 months, as against the 30-36 months projection time. By lowering the cementitious content in concrete, SDC also helps reduce construction costs. Once in place, the concrete self-compacts and maintains durability.

SDC has also been used in Sobha Ltd’s Sobha Indraprastha residential project in Bengaluru project and Pashmina Developers’ Pashmina Waterfront residential project in Bengaluru.

“It is imperative that we don't build vertical slums in the name of affordable housing,” cautions Sanjay Bahadur, Group CEO, Construction Chemical Business, Pidilite Industries, alluding to the need to select an appropriate system for each project. For the best results, he says it is important to protect the general areas of application failure such as corners, and areas around pipes and expansion joints.
 
“In general, the affordable housing boom has increased the uptake of performance-enhancing construction chemicals,” concludes Basab Saha, Business Head, Dow Construction Chemicals, South Asia. However, he notes that developers can still do a lot more in terms of applying the latest construction tech solutions. “Affordable housing has the potential to absorb a variety of hybrid solutions such as acrylics, silicones, polyurethane and others, which can be offered in segments like precast, lightweight concrete and more.”

- CHARU BAHRI

Dr Vijay Raman, Business Director, Construction Chemicals, BASF South Asia sees construction chemicals playing an important role in the expansion of the affordable housing segment, by reducing the cost of construction. In India, he says, “as it is, inordinately long project completion periods significantly drive up the cost of labour and energy and overall project cost.”“Affordable housing developers are budgeting for the use of construction chemicals, which is a good sign,” says Preetham Yeada, Associate Vice-President, Commercial & Corporate Strategy, MYK Arment. “Many affordable housing developers are fairly experienced players, and so they are aware of good construction practices.”In an affordable housing project for the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board in Bengaluru, BASF’s Smart Dynamic Concrete (SDC), containing admixtures that increase flowability and ease of pumping of concrete at site, enabled the construction of a building of three floors in 20 days, vis-à-vis a minimum of 35 days when using traditional concrete. Essentially, SDC increased the speed of placing concrete by up to 40 per cent, thus speeding up the construction process. A total of 1,200 low cost flats were built in 18 months, as against the 30-36 months projection time. By lowering the cementitious content in concrete, SDC also helps reduce construction costs. Once in place, the concrete self-compacts and maintains durability.SDC has also been used in Sobha Ltd’s Sobha Indraprastha residential project in Bengaluru project and Pashmina Developers’ Pashmina Waterfront residential project in Bengaluru.“It is imperative that we don't build vertical slums in the name of affordable housing,” cautions Sanjay Bahadur, Group CEO, Construction Chemical Business, Pidilite Industries, alluding to the need to select an appropriate system for each project. For the best results, he says it is important to protect the general areas of application failure such as corners, and areas around pipes and expansion joints. “In general, the affordable housing boom has increased the uptake of performance-enhancing construction chemicals,” concludes Basab Saha, Business Head, Dow Construction Chemicals, South Asia. However, he notes that developers can still do a lot more in terms of applying the latest construction tech solutions. “Affordable housing has the potential to absorb a variety of hybrid solutions such as acrylics, silicones, polyurethane and others, which can be offered in segments like precast, lightweight concrete and more.”- CHARU BAHRI

Next Story
Real Estate

Capacit’e Infraprojects Wins Rs 6.21 billion order from Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust

Capacit’e Infraprojects has secured a Letter of Intent (LOI) worth Rs 6.21 billion (excluding GST) from Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) for the execution of core and shell works, finishing, MEPF services, and other associated components of the redevelopment project—Sector 07 of the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project—located at Ward ‘C’, Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai. This is the third repeat order from SBUT to Capacit’e Infraprojects, underscoring the trust and satisfaction of a long-standing client in the company’s project delivery capabilities. Commenting on the develop..

Next Story
Resources

K Raheja Corp's Volunteering Drive Brings Back-to-School Cheer for Underprivileged Kids

Real estate major K Raheja Corp concluded its latest community initiative under the ‘Time Off for Volunteering’ programme, titled Paint a Pair, Show You Care. Held in association with NGO ConnectFor, the campaign was part of a larger 'Back to School' drive aimed at supporting underprivileged students from the Jhanvi Charitable Trust. More than 45 employees from across group companies—Mindspace Business Parks, Chalet Hotels Ltd., K Raheja Corp Homes, and Inorbit Malls—came together to hand-paint over 60 pairs of canvas shoes for children preparing to return to school. Volunteers al..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

CCI Worldwide Logistics Launches ‘Trans Africa’ Freight Service

CCI Worldwide Logistics, the international freight forwarding arm of the CCI Group, has launched ‘Trans Africa’—a technology-led logistics platform aimed at streamlining cross-border trade across Africa. The company is investing Rs 1.06 billion in the initiative, targeting an annual freight volume of 5,000 TEUs by air and sea, with an estimated 15 per cent return on investment. The service is being rolled out in key markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and Egypt, with planned expansion into Francophone West Africa, Central Africa, and landlocked nations including Uga..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?