By Anand Naikanvare, Head Business Process, Naiknavare Developers

One of the most notable trends in Indian real estate in recent years has been the increased focus on construction technology. Common perception is that Technology has had a significant impact on the demand side, there is also a perceptible movement on the input side. In recent years, timely development is at the forefront of the construction industry driven by the onslaught of stringent penal frameworks led by RERA, Environmental and Local Body Regulations, Tax Regimes (namely for the affordable sector) so on and so forth making technologies essential for the development of grade A buildings. It is equally important to construct rapidly not only to avoid transgression from a regulatory points of view but to also protect dwindling margins as delays drive up the cost of capital leaving very little on the table.

Innovative designs, coupled with cutting-edge materials and construction systems, are shaping industries, economies, and, ultimately, the future as a response to the needs of modern times. A lot of construction businesses are using the flexibility and suppleness that leading-edge building equipment offer to industry participants. Currently, developers prefer a more cooperative approach that significantly increases openness across the entire construction lifespan. Advanced technologies like building information modeling (BIM) and cloud-based management tools to improve coordination between the vast number of stakeholders are some solutions to this problem. The former brings about precision during the design process, reduce geometric clashes on site, automatic quantity surveys, can also be used as a monitoring tool during the development phase of the project.

With the largest urban population in the world to sustain, India is a country of aspiration and its people are dreaming bigger than ever. However, our infrastructure industry is far behind other industries in terms of innovation. However, in order to reduce time and increase quality while maintaining efficiency, realtors have a vast range of technologies to consider. Technologies like alum-form technology cut down the need for conventional building methods substantially. One of the newest trends in the construction sector is digital project management, which makes use of cloud-based software to meet quality, schedule, and cost objectives.

Innovative techniques & Modern Methods in India

Due to the high rate of construction and limitations of sale price points, the traditional method of building individual homes, which consists of load-bearing walls with a suitable roof above or reinforced concrete (RC) framed structures with infill masonry walls, may find favour amongst construction firms again amongst other models and a hybrid model combining the speed of aluminium panels and the cost effectiveness of conventional RCC is being preferredIn modern methods such as aluminium formwork technology innovative aluminium formwork panels are used by realtors for columns and conventional ply with double staging for the slabs. In most metros such as Pune, 75m tall towers are going to become a norm to accommodate the vast influx of people. In order to effectively construct and optimise the cross section between quality, safety, speed and costs, ply form work in two sets, with three sets for beam bottoms and aluminium shuttering for columns is the fastest way of constructing a typical residential floor plate (10-12 days per slab with a footprint of 8000 sq ft.). Furthermore, the quality and repetition of form work allows for superior quality and lends itself well for the specific height. Formwork construction is one of the quickest and most efficient methods. It is quick, easy, economical, and agile since it constructs every component of the building at once, leading to remarkable dimensional correctness and perfectly sized spaces on the construction site. The fast construction of the column forms is made possible by the efficiency with which these panels are bolted together using stub pin and wedge connections. This hybrid innovation is a ground-breaking construction method that is most suitable for the economics of our country.

On the same grounds, the Avon Vista project by Naiknavare Developers at Balewadi, Pune is bringing in new features with such technologies to achieve effective construction. Availability of a full force of labour for all trades is increasingly causing delays in project and to be able to mitigate this risk, automation of steel cutting and introduction of aluminium form work for columns finds the right balance between reduced dependency of labour, relatively unskilled labour is required for the conventional slabs and hence project delivery can be met seamlessly. In addition, now realtors like Naiknavare Developers experimented by bringing in aluminium framework panels 25 years ago to the construction industry for mass housing, are now shifting their focus on hybrid solutions that address the current construction eco-system.

Another technique which aids both safety and speed concerns is establishing safety cages or MS platforms for high-rise structures. These safety cages climb with every slab and can provide not only safety to all the workers and neighbouring communities (as dust pollution is also restricted), but also create a break in the verticality of the building allowing the commencement of finishing activities like windows and internal flooring well in advance. Such techniques are being deployed at Avon Vista.

Offsite construction

Offsite construction, one of the new developments in the building sector, enables the designing, production, and fabrication of building components in a factory. In conventional construction, bad weather drives up prices by adding unforeseen expenses and requiring more labour hours. Also, onsite building generates a lot of material waste. Besides that, Quality, worker safety, and sustainability are also significant factors in the building lifecycle.

Construction Site Inspection & Safety of Construction Workers

Nowadays realtors are assuring Quality & Safety by combining efforts of in-house qualified & experienced staff backed up with advice from external industry experts. It is challenging to manually oversee construction projects since they are widely scattered geographically and require a lot of resources, both human and material. In spite of some building site locations being out of human reach, constant inspection is still essential. New construction materials can protect building users against harmful chemicals that can be inhaled, such as volatile organic compounds, or from dust that can be ingested.

Since companies choose to cut labour costs, worker safety is still one of the most ignored areas in the construction sector. Modern building increasingly adheres rigorously to worker safety regulations. In addition to reducing health risks and saving your employer money, a safety management programme that promotes a safety culture offers the following advantages:

· Enhancements in production and quality

· improved staff engagement

· improvements in staff retention and recruitment

· improved reputation and image with the public, suppliers, and customers.

· Continuously monitoring of site, also provide their safety staff to ensure “Zero Accident”

Developers Need to assure a few things

It is essential to evaluate arriving materials, hold tradesman training sessions, and build a mock-up of the desired quality before starting any new project to assure high quality. Until the project is finished, the mock-up should remain on the job site for reference. Defining Quality Inspection Parameters (QIP) for the relevant activity is a step in the process. Materials must be sampled and tested in compliance with RERA regulations. according to developers, all testing and measurement tools must have current calibration certifications. Businesses in the construction industry use AI algorithms to foresee risks and implement the necessary safety measures. To reduce the danger of mishaps, field workers can receive immersive instruction using VR and AR, while fabricators can scan through the items. Furthermore

Wrapping up

Construction has also been impacted by the epidemic, which has accelerated the use of construction technologies to levels that would have otherwise taken decades to achieve. The Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and virtual reality will all play important roles in the Indian construction industry in the near future. To elevate the overall safety awareness across the organization, periodical campaigns & achievement celebrations are conducted including national safety week in March every year. In order to achieve “Right first time, fit for purpose” for Quality & “Injury Free Work Progress” for Safety, NDPL follows the principal of “Positive reinforcement is the key to success”.

The intersection of speed, quality, safety and costs is an important focal lens for construction firms and all need to be at the forefront for a successful outcome of any project. The use of technology for the sake of technology is not sustainable but a combination of multiple technologies in a hybrid manner can help deliver all 4 goals meticulously.