AFCONS: Leveraging Technologies Like GFRP, HSFRC, UHPC, Precast & BIM

AFCONS Infrastructure is at the forefront of construction innovation, leveraging disruptive technologies like GFRP, HSFRC, UHPC, precast construction, and BIM to address labor shortages, enhance sustainability, and improve project efficiency.

More flexible and adaptable construction is on the horizon, thanks to modern innovations that improve efficiency, sustainability, productivity, and even deal with problems associated with lack of workers.

Dr. Lakshmana Rao Mantri - Dy General Manager (Designs), AFCONS Infrastructure

What disruptive changes are impacting the construction industry?

In recent years, the construction industry has experienced disruptive changes with the introduction of numerous innovative products, materials, and processes. The primary objective is to improve sustainability, efficiency, and productivity in light of the persistent scarcity of qualified labour. In response to these issues, the construction industry has adopted new technologies, supplies, and methods.

From smart technologies and sustainable practices to advanced concrete formulas and modular building processes, advancements are transforming the entire process of creating the built environment.

Please name some advanced building materials and their benefits?

GFRP: Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer offers a variety of benefits over traditional reinforced concrete, including increased tensile and flexural strength, reduced weight that enables construction of thinner and lighter structural elements, improved durability, resistance to cracking, and the potential to achieve superior aesthetics through its moldability and corrosion-free composition.

GFRP is being increasingly utilized in infrastructure projects, particularly in the construction of tunnels, bridges, architectural panels, facades, and decorative elements. This has resulted in a significant reduction in installation time and labour. At AFCONS, we are extensively using the GFRP reinforcement in D Walls of various Underground Metro Projects such as AMRCL, BMRCL, NCRTC, DMRC, Precast Tunnel Segments at MAHSR, pier Caps in Bridges at Male as an alternative to conventional reinforcement.

HSFRC: High-Strength Fiber-Reinforced Concrete is a type of concrete that is enhanced with high-performance fibers, which can be made of steel, synthetic materials, or natural materials. The resulting matrix further amplifies the advantages through a significant augmentation in tensile and flexural strength, better ductility and energy absorption capacity, enhanced crack resistance and longevity, and a decreased reliance on conventional steel reinforcing. HSFRC is commonly used in demanding constructions such as bridge decks, skyscrapers, tunnels, underground metro projects, industrial floors, and structures designed to withstand seismic activity.

Afcons has used Fiber Reinforced Concrete in Tunnel Segments at CMRL and in DMRC projects and Fiber Reinforced Shotcrete in many projects, including the Samruddhi Expressway for the tunnel lining, and MAHSR as a temporary lining to eliminate the conventional wire mesh.

UHPC: Ultra High-Performance Concrete is a new generation cementitious material that has exceptional mechanical properties, including compressive strength exceeding 150 MPa, exceptional durability, and resistance to environmental degradation, and self-consolidating properties that facilitate easier placement and reduced structural member sizes. Due to its exceptional properties, UHPC is used predominantly in applications related to bridge construction, prefabricated elements, and structural repairs.

What innovative construction methods are transforming construction?

Precast / Prefabricated Construction: These are off-site construction methods which are being extensively employed in the construction sector. Not only do they address labour shortage at remote sites, but also enhance efficiency and guarantee superior quality control. Benefits include superior quality and accuracy of castings that are enhanced by the controlled conditions of casting yards; decreased amount of time and labour required on construction sites; enhanced safety of workers, minimized weather delays, and potential integration of Smart Building Systems during the manufacturing process.

Afcons has fascinated and given more weightage to precast construction technology and has implemented it successfully in most of the elevated metro projects and in highway projects.

Automation and Digitalization: Automation and digitalization solutions are being developed for different construction operations to address labour shortages in certain regions and improve productivity. Several approaches employed in the construction industry include the use of bricklaying robots for efficient and accurate masonry work, autonomous vehicles for transporting materials on project sites, robotic systems for concrete finishing and surface treatment, and drones for site surveying, inspection, and progress monitoring. These technologies signify a significant change in construction methods, utilizing automation and digitalization to enhance efficiency, precision, and overall productivity in the sector.


We are implementing the tracking system for all our construction equipment working at one of our ongoing metro projects under DMRC for easy coordination and quick planning. We also implemented online monitoring systems for various instrumentations at construction sites, which has helped us in getting the data without any delays, enabling us to take immediate actions to prevent any safety hazards.

Building Information Modelling: By providing better collaboration across different trades and disciplines, BIM is changing the game when it comes to project planning and delivery. One major perk is the ability to see potential problems earlier in the design process and rectify them with the help of improved visualization and superior clash detection tools.

Afcons started implementing BIM in various projects, including a majority of underground projects, in the form of Architectural and Structural BIM models. They have also been linked with our planning and costing schedules, which helped us in reviewing the progress being made, the root cause of any delays, and do advance planning for men and machinery as per the schedule.

Overall, project management was improved by using BIM because it gave us more precise cost estimation and schedule forecasts. BIM also made it easier to use modular and prefabrication building methods, which boosted productivity and cut down manpower requirements on job sites. In fact, BIM has emerged as the go-to method for overseeing and carrying out large-scale projects.