
To arrest cost and time overruns for project delivery to end-customers as per the new regulations in the real estate sector, and faced with a paucity of funds by developers, contracting companies are striving to meet their construction schedules on time, using the best equipment available. This is prompting construction equipment manufacturers to integrate advanced technologies and features in their products for faster project completion.
With the real estate sector witnessing a modest revival, manufacturers of concrete pumps, tower cranes, scaffolding and hoists used in high-rise projects, are gearing up to offer products for faster construction, along with customized solutions and timely service and support, to developers and contractors.
Concrete Pumps & Mixing

Concreting solutions providers are taking a lead in making their products better indexed for high-rise construction. KYB-Conmat’s intelligent pumps, powered by 6-cylinder engines with s-valve technology, have been designed as per the company’s high-quality standards for optimum function, even in extreme jobsite conditions. Peak utilization of its trailer-mounted concrete pump SCP 5000, helps deliver pumping at 48 cum/hr, and the SCP 7500 has a concrete pumping capability of 75 cum/hr.


Theissen adds “Our high pressure BSA stationary pumps are equipped with Putzmeister’s exclusive Free Flow Hydraulics (FFH) which is designed to provide powerful performance across multiple applications.”
Moving away from the high-rise and long distance pumps, Putzmeister also offers the robust eSmart series stationary pumps with concrete pressure ranging from 70 to 100 bar. These pumps are equipped with the Human Machine Interface (HMI) control panel featuring Ergonic Graphic Display (EGD), which helps determine the real time operating status of the machine and diagnoses faults. The EGD displays performance parameters like pumping hours, concrete output, hydraulic oil temperature and stroke counter.

The eSmart series pumps' safety features include emergency switch on the control panel, which stops the entire operation of the machine in case of an emergency, and RSA grill safety switch that stops the pumps and agitator from functioning if the hopper grill is open, thereby preventing any accident. A plunger cylinder guard and engine fan belt guard prevent human interference with the machine while pumping.
Putzmeister has recently supplied its pumps for construction of Omkar Towers, in Worli, Mumbai. The project consists of 3 towers scaling as high as 81 and 76-storeys and having a central tower of around 325 meter high, and adjacent towers of around 300 meters each.
New Generation truck-mounted concrete pumps are Putzmeister’s other concrete solutions for the Indian market. Theissen says, “The great reserves of power of our truck-mounted boom pumps makes them suitable for the most extreme conditions, with reduced mechanical wear and tear, and ensure operational reliability. Our boom pump BSF 36-4 has been built using aluminum and high-grade lightweight steel that reduces its weight by more than two tons. The pump has ‘big mouth’ delivery cylinders of 230 mm diameter; and is 32% more efficient in filling the pipeline than smaller pumps. The ‘big mouth’ reduces running costs, diesel consumption, and maintenance cost on wear and tear parts for every cubic meter pumped. With its Z-fold boom, the BSF 36-4 combines an optimum reach on a 3-axle chassis with added features and versatility. The great flexibility of the Z-fold system and narrow cross-section of the arm assembly, enhance the machine’s maneuverability and reach to enable jobs to be completed promptly.”
Adds Theissen, “Putzmeister BSF 42-5 on a 4-axle truck offers optimum flexibility. The 5-arm boom in the RZ-fold system has an impressive action radius of 41.6 m vertical reach to meet all requirements in building construction, and 30.7m reach in depth, which is considerably more than the comparable 4-arm version. The mobile 5-arm boom provides the machine operator with more maneuverability under difficult conditions such as low buildings, tight inner-city areas, or in the event of obstacles between the truck and the site.”

He adds, “We find that in Indian working conditions, pumps driven with Programme Logic Controller and with heavy reliance on electronics governing pump operation are more susceptible to failures and difficult to maintain at site. Hence, we have designed our pumps to make them more apt for Indian working conditions with more emphasis on hydraulics and electro-mechanical interlocks, and more rugged for all weather conditions. The company adhers to OHAS 18001 safety norms with utmost importance to product’s working safety. The pumps have reduced decibel level in operation, which makes them suitable for use in close proximity to urban areas. With uniformity in the core pump design across several series, the pumps pose a lower O&M cost with respect to spares & maintenance requirements.”

The company has a team of dedicated service engineers based in 14 locations across India. Regular training is imparted to equipment operators; onsite as well as in class rooms on maintenance and operation and in critical aspects like pipe fitting and laying for concrete discharge, which are a prerequisite in high rise construction. AQUARIUS manufactures 16 different models of concrete pumps across three series of trailer mounted concrete pumps: 700-1000 and the 1400 Series.
Apollo Carmix’s self-loading concrete mixer 25 FX and 4TT have advanced features that ensure reliable performance. 25 FX – a 2.5 cum/hr batch transit mixer – has a bigger drum capacity for higher volumes of mixing in a single batch. Both the models are fitted with a larger loader shovel for loading bulk quantities of raw material at a time, thereby reducing cycle time.
A hydraulic shutter gate in the units prevents spillage of materials during loading; which ensures the correct volume of materials to be taken in the drum for the desired volume and quality of concrete, as per the mixed design and reduces wastage. A bigger 550-liter water tank with a high 320 liter/minute pressure allows 25 FX to store huge volumes of water to produce multiple batches without refilling and for machine cleaning. A 100-liter diesel tank allows the machine to maximize its operation without idling time for refilling. The 4TT has a 800-liter water tank with a high pressure water pump of 400 liters/min, and its 115-liter diesel tank ensures less idling/refilling time.

Both 25 FX and 4TT come with a 2500-mm turning radius for working in constricted urban areas. ROPS and FOPS prevent cabin deformation in the event of a rollover situation or accident. The joystick gives smooth operation of all the functions of the loader and shovel such as loader up and down, tilt, shovel shutter gate open and close in 4TT. Faster road speed of 24 km/hr in both 25 FX and 4TT ensures faster reach and travel time between job sites.
Tower Cranes
Demand for tower cranes by 2017-end was between 20-25% due to a slump in the real estate sector. But with the sector showing signs of revival, developers and contractors are looking for products that will ensure higher productivity and less owning and operating cost.


ACE manufactures 8-10-12-16-ton hammer head tower cranes and its flat top range is between 5-6 tons. One of the highest crane supplied by ACE is presently working on a 250-meter high project in Mumbai, which is being executed by Capacite.

He adds, “Our tower cranes have safe load indicators that are at par with our mobile or crawler cranes, and anemometers for wind speed calculation. Superior quality of the electrical motors curtails voltage drop in the cranes, which results in faster hoisting and slewing speed. Our cranes are most suitable for high rise construction jobs and our team of dedicated engineers provide the necessary service and support.”


For high-rise projects with their paucity of space and constraints, Liebherr India is promoting its luffing tower cranes, three of which it has supplied to the 300-meterhigh-rise Prestige project 1973 in Mumbai, being executed by L&T.
Zoomlion ElectroMech India Pvt. Ltd. is ensuring higher productivity and reliable performance of its tower cranes through superior welding of the mast and jib sections during manufacturing.

The company is also strengthening its product support initiatives for tower cranes. Informs Bishnoi, “Our services include dismantling of the tower cranes with internal climbing features for all types of tower cranes including Luffing cranes. We are bringing in specialized vendors, who, under the supervision of our service engineers, will ensure that the dismantling job is done safely and efficiently. We also provide onsite training to operators on safety aspects to avoid collision of cranes working in construction clusters.”

Zoomlion ElectroMech manufactures 5013-5, 5-ton and 5610-6, 6-ton Hammer Head Tower Cranes at its Pune facility. The Joint Venture entity also offers higher capacity Zoomlion tower cranes in India ranging between 10 to 80 tons. Its clients include L&T, NCC, Gammon, JMC Projects, Sobha Developers, Simplex and Omkar, among others.
Scaffolding


Layher Allround Event Deck for Mahamastakabhisheka-2018, (Approx. 3000 Sq. Mtr Area for in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka)
All the steel components of Layher scaffolding systems are hot-dip galvanized with a longer life-cycle than painted scaffolding. Other factors are yield stress (up to 460 N/mm2), number of standards, spacing of standards and capacity of platforms (decks) that determine the load bearing capacity of a complete structure. Usually, the requirements for the live load of scaffolding starting from load requirements that Layher designs as a suitable construction, using the parts from the All-round Scaffolding systems.
With reference to the Indian Standard Code of practice, it has been clearly mentioned that higher grade of tube (Grade Yst 460 N/mm2) gave higher axial stress in tension, bending stress, minimum shear stress and minimum bearing stress. The loadings on the scaffoldings shall comply with the appropriate requirements of relevant Indian standards/EN/BS regarding loading on temporary structures and scaffoldings (as per IS 2750-1964). All scaffoldings have been adequately stiffened; both longitudinally and transversely to take up horizontal loading.

Says Kumar, “With the growing safety considerations, our lightweight scaffolding with higher yield stress enables our structures to take on both live and dynamic loads, and remain free from bending stress. This makes the scaffolding more suitable for Indian working conditions, where often due to variation in project schedules, the scaffolding could be subjected to varied load conditions, and our scaffolding’s bolt-free technology makes it easier to erect and dismantle.”

He informs that welding is done as per the EN 1090 German standard, with Germany-trained, certified welders, and machinery audited by German authorities. “To ensure that the welding is done right for the scaffolding to take on dynamic loads during construction, we carry out compression tests to check for cracks, and tests for flaring and conduct impact tests so that the scaffolding is capable of working in -40 degree temperatures.”
“We follow all the safety norms as per European standards, which includes ensuring that the fitment of the locks is tight. As part of our technical support, our scaffolding experts coordinate with the contractors for studying their requirements and suggest the right materials to be used, and provide them training on the erection and disassembly,” he adds.
Technocraft has delivered their products to Lodha World One Tower being executed by Simplex, Rohan Life Scapes projects, and to the Prestige 1973 project being executed by L&T.
Elevators & Platforms
Manufacturers are incorporating advanced features and offering customization to meet demand for faster and safer vertical transportation solutions. They have been making advancements as per the evolving construction methodologies, necessitated by faster completion schedules.
KYB-Conmat offers 1,1.5 and 2-ton rack and pinion construction elevators for passenger movement and to carry construction materials. These are completely automatic PLC-based with HMI systems. Avers Sailaj Verma, Senior VP-Marketing, KYB-Conmat, “The elevators have numerous safety features such as a safety device that ensures that even in complete failure of the drive, the cage will not fall down. A mechanical, spring loaded safety brake is a standard feature in all KYB-Conmat elevator models. It ensures the safety and reliability of the elevator in everyday use, and the brake is protected from dirt and dust, and is almost maintenance free.”
.jpg)

Spartan’s portfolio of suspended platforms includes 250 kg, 500kg, 800 kg and 1-ton capacity platform up to 300-m height. The company has introduced rope suspended platforms for working in the lift shaft and duct areas. “Now, with our two new lift shaft SRP models, contractors can easily undertake jobs such as plastering, painting, preparing the wall surface, pipe laying etc in constricted areas, and even for 250-meter high jobs,” informs Mehta.
He adds, “For further optimization, our suspended work platforms now come with front and side folding extensions, which enables them to work under shades and on building corners. They have been provided with an elaborate, customized option of parapet wall, roof top, high beam mounting systems. The platforms have the standard anti-tilting and anti-swinging mechanism, and an additional anti-skidding feature.”
Universal Axis Lifting Solutions manufactures a range of vertical man and material handling equipment, including single and twin cage rack and pinion construction hoists, that range between 400 to 2000 kg capacity for use in structure heights of 10 to 300 meters.

He adds, “We carry out regular audits and certifications of the safety devices at our manufacturing facility in Satara. Universal Axis is the only Indian company to manufacture 10 to 25-meter wide mast climber platforms of 1-ton, 2-ton and 4-ton capacities. For greater safety, we have introduced a self-balancing and anti-tiling mechanism in our mast climbers. To acquaint our operators with the advancements being made, we give them regular safety and product upgradation training as well.”
According to him, Universal Axis wire rope suspended platforms are popular because of their additional safety features like digital load system, anti-sway and anti-tilt mechanism. Since the length of the platforms is modular, it helps to accommodate them in tight spaces, while hot dip galvanized steel gives the platforms a long life.

Arun Bishnoi, Director-Sales, Zoomlion Electromech, informs “With the growing trend of high-rise construction in India, safe transportation of men and materials is necessitating demand for high quality, reliable hoists. We are now marketing our products more confidently and have installed a good number of our hoists at several real estate projects in Mumbai.”
The company’s 2-ton hoists, which are available in single and twin shaft cages, can move at 63 meters/minute, and are best suited for 100 to 300-meter high construction projects. The hoists come with dual levels of safety to prevent a fall in case of motor failure. While the hoists are being imported from Zoomlion, the company is considering manufacturing them at its Pune plant in the near future as the volumes increase, informs Bishnoi.