Innovative Construction Technologies for PMAY-U Light House Projects

Urban India is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U), which aims to provide housing for all. To meet this ambitious goal, it's crucial to shift from traditional construction practices to innovative technologies. Embracing modularization, standardization, off-site construction, and the use of newer, lighter materials will expedite the delivery of quality, durable homes, making safety and sustainability the new norm in urban development.
Dr. Shailesh Kr. Agrawal, Executive Director, S.K.Gupta, Dy.Chief (TDE&IC), C.N.Jha, Dy.Chief (S&PD), Pankaj Gupta, Dy.Chief (I&D), & Dalip Kumar, Sr. Field Officer (DC&E), BMTPC, New Delhi.

 

Urban India is undergoing a rapid transformation

 

Introduction

Urban India is transforming at an unprecedented rate as regards urban renaissance is concerned. Besides, Atal mission for rejuvenation and urban transformation (AMRUT), there are other flagship programmes run by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs such as Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat (Urban) Mission, Heritage City Development & Augmentation (HRIDAY) Scheme, Urban Transport & Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U).

The PMAY-U has been the landmark in the annals of India history where it envisions providing shelter and security to one and all. It is one of the biggest missions ever thought of around the globe with the objective of providing 1.1224 crore houses. Under the mission, 1.1864 crore houses have been sanctioned, out of which 1.1441 crore houses are grounded and 85.55 lakh houses are completed/delivered to beneficiaries. More than 16 lakh houses are being constructed with emerging construction technologies in various states.

The PMAY(Urban) Scheme not only provides housing for urban poor but also contribute towards economic growth of the country through consumption of sizeable amount of steel and concrete and generating employment directly and indirectly to more than 3 crore persons.

The cast-in-place brick by brick construction and RCC beam-column construction are the things of past and are slow track construction practices. Also, it has been realized that these methodologies often offer time & cost overruns and are unsustainable in the long run. The world over, building construction has been shifted from site to the factory where building components partially or fully are manufactured and then transported to the site for their erection, assembly and finishing. This is known as typically precast or prefabricated construction where building components as a whole or in parts are cast in the factory. In addition, there are other options also such as replacing the wall by sandwich panels or creating a customized formwork for the building or manufacturing the entire three-dimensional building in the factory which can be pre-finished or printing the building layer by layer manufacturing at site. Most of these techniques are time-tested and proven and it is high time that we look at these global construction practices and adapt them to suit Indian conditions. These are fast track construction systems with much improved structural & functional performance, better durability, low life-cycle cost, resource-efficient, with minimum wastages, air & land pollution than the cast-in-situ RCC construction.

In order to have an integrated approach for comprehensive technical & financial evaluation of emerging and proven building materials & technologies, their standardization, developing specifications and code of practices, evolving necessary tendering process, capacity building and creating appropriate delivery mechanism, MoHUA set up a Technology Sub-Mission (TSM) under PMAY-U with the Mission statement as ‘Sustainable Technological Solutions for Faster and Cost Effective Construction of Houses suiting to Geo-Climatic and Hazard Conditions of the Country’.

Global Housing Technology Challenge - India

To give it further impetus Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) conceptualized the Global Housing Technology Challenge – India (GHTC-India) as a platform with which a holistic eco-system can be facilitated so that appropriate technologies from around the world and relevant stakeholders can be catalysed towards effecting a technology transition in the housing and construction sectors of India. GHTC-India was organised through Construction Technology India – 2019 (CTI-2019): Expo-cum-Conference at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi during 02-03 March, 2019 to bring together multiple stakeholders involved in innovative and alternative housing technologies, for exchange of knowledge and business opportunities and master classes. The Expo was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. The purpose of CTI-2019 was to study & evaluate globally available time tested & proven construction systems which can help build at a much faster rate than the conventional construction cost-effectively suiting to Indian geo-climatic conditions. Through a high level Technical Evaluation Committee, 54 innovative technologies were shortlisted out of globally participating agencies based on the technical framework. These are being promoted as future technologies for the construction sector and have been further categorized into 6 broad categories.

  • Precast Concrete Construction System - 3D Precast volumetric (4 Technologies)
  • Precast Concrete Construction System – Precast components assembled at site (8 Technologies)
  • Light Gauge Steel Structural System & Pre-engineered Steel Structural System (16 Technologies)
  • Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System (9 Technologies)
  • Monolithic Concrete Construction (9 Technologies)
  • Stay-in-Place Formwork System (8 Technologies)

Construction of Six Light House Projects under GHTC-India

The shortlisted technologies are showcased through six Light House Projects (LHPs) constructed across six locations namely, Indore, Rajkot, Chennai, Ranchi, Agartala and Lucknow, using distinct technologies from each of the six broad categories. The details of the LHPs are as under:

These LHPs are pilot housing projects which are paving the way for further adaption and use of these innovative technologies in the construction sector. The projects are showcasing construction of ready-to-live houses which are sustainable, cost-effective, resilient and built in much lesser time from the conventional cast-in-situ RCC framed construction. The Light House Projects at Chennai, Rajkot and Indore have been completed & handed over to the beneficiaries by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The LHPs at Lucknow, Ranchi & Agartala are at advanced stage of completion.

These light house projects is acting as open live laboratories for different aspects of transfer of technologies to field applications. An online drive for Enrolment of TECHNOGRAHIS under GHTC-India: Light House Projects was launched by MoHUA. Technograhis are the Change Agents of innovative and sustainable technologies who will bring about technology transition in the construction sector for its adoption & replication in the country. They will act as a catalysts to transform the Urban Landscape for a New Urban India, aligning with the vision of AtmaNirbhar Bharat. So far, more than 35000 Technolograhis have registered for various LHPs. Technograhis are being exposed to the innovative construction technologies through onsite activities to learn different phases of use of innovative technologies in LHPs as well as through offsite Workshops/ Webinars, Webcasting, Mentoring on Technical know-how/Module etc.

The shortlisted technologies are showcased through six Light House Projects

 

The details of innovative technologies used in six Light House Projects are as under:

Light House Project at Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Project Brief:

  • No. of Dwelling Units : 1152 Nos. (G+5)
  • No. of Block / Tower : 12 Blocks
  • Units in each Block / Tower : 96 Nos.
  • Technology Used: Precast Concrete Construction System-Precast Components Assembled at Site

Technology Details:

  • Precast building components (beams, columns, slabs, staircases, sunshades) are cast in casting yard near site
  • Precast components erected sequentially to construct the entire building
  • The joints between precast components (i.e. beam-column, beam-slab, column-foundation) are cast-in-situ for structural integrity and monolithic action
  • The walls comprise of light weight and environment friendly Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Block masonry.
  • Internal services are pre-planned in sync with precast components
  • Minimum use of shuttering and scaffolding materials
Light House Project at ChennaiFigure 2: Construction Process of Precast Concrete Construction System at LHP Chennai

 

Precast Concrete Construction System-Precast Components Assembled at Site

Urban India is undergoing a rapid transformationFigure 1: Structural configuration of 3S System

3S system incorporates precast dense reinforced cement concrete hollow core columns, structural RCC shear walls (as per design demand), T/L/Rectangular shaped beams, stairs, floor/roof solid Precast RCC slabs, lintels, parapets and chajjas. AAC blocks are used for partition walls. Hollow core columns are erected above substructure, over which beams are integrated in the column notches followed by erection of slabs. Structural continuity and robustness is achieved through wet jointing using Dowel bars/ continuity reinforcement placed at connections and filling the in-situ self-compacting concrete in hollow cores of columns. All the connections and jointing of various structural framing components is accomplished through in-situ self-compacting concrete/ micro concrete/non-shrink grout as per design demand along with secured embedded reinforcement of appropriate diameter, length and configuration to ensure monolithic, continuous, resilient, ductile and durable behavior.

3S Prefab Technology completely eliminates the use of timber and forest produce of any category. On the contrary, use of flyash and GGBS enhances the sustainability. The thermal and acoustic insulation provided by the AAC block masonry, facilitates reduction in energy towards maintaining comfort level temperature within enclosed habitat space. Also, considerable reduction in dead load is achieved due to use of form finish precast components & AAC material resulting into better performance under seismic loads.

All the structural components are pre-engineered and manufactured in factories / site factories with objective quality control resulting into dimensional accuracy, correctness in spacing of reinforcement, uniform protective cover, full maturity of components and assurance on design strength due to use of design mix concrete having minimal water-cement ratio which ultimately results into durable structure.

Precast building componentsFigure 3: Beam – Column jointing


Essential Requirements: Precasting yard / factory set up is required with facilities such as casting yard, computerised batching plant, Moulds, Transportation facility, stacking yard for materials & components, Lifting and loading facility, laboratory to test raw material & finished products, water tank of enough holding capacity as required for 2 – 3 days, service road, etc. Utmost attention is required for process engineering before taking up any field work. Close co-ordination between design crew, field staff and quality crew is essential.

Light House Project at ChennaiFigure 4: Completed Light House Project at Chennai

 

Light House Project at Rajkot, Gujarat

Project Brief:

  • No. of Dwelling Units : 1144 Nos. (S+13)
  • No. of Block / Tower : 11 Blocks
  • Units in each Block / Tower : 104 Nos.
  • Technology Used: Monolithic Concrete Construction using Tunnel Formwork

Technology Details:

  • Conventional RCC foundation is first laid upto plinth level
  • Over the plinth, customized Tunnel formwork, made in the factory, is installed along with reinforcement cage
  • Concrete is then poured into the Tunnel formwork to cast monolithically the entire module of the Unit.
  • Next day, tunnel formwork is removed and taken to the next floor.
  • During installation of the formwork for a floor, the service lines i.e. electrical, plumbing are also installed in the already cut openings.
  • Once the structure is finished, finishing items are installed.
Tunnel formwork is customized engineering

 

Monolithic Concrete Construction using Tunnel Formwork

Tunnel formwork is customized engineering formwork replacing conventional steel/plywood shuttering system. It is a mechanized system for cellular structures. It is based on two half shells which are placed together to form a room or cell. Several cells make an apartment. With tunnel forms, walls and slab are cast in a single day. The structure is divided into phases. Each phase consists of a section of the structure that will be cast in one day. The phasing is determined by the program and the amount of floor area that can be poured in one day. The formwork is set up for the day’s pour in the morning. The reinforcement and services are positioned and concrete is poured in the afternoon. Once reinforcement is placed, concrete for walls and slabs shall be poured in one single operation. The formwork is stripped the early morning next day and positioned for the subsequent phases.

The on-site implementation of 24 hour cycle is divided into following operations.

  1. Stripping of the formwork from the previous day.
  2. Positioning of the formwork for the current day’s phase, with the installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.
  3. Installation of reinforcement in the walls and slabs.
  4. Concreting and if necessary, the heating equipment.
Tunnel Formwork System at LHP RajkotFigure 7: Construction Process of Tunnel Formwork System at LHP Rajkot


The types of Formwork System are given below:

i. Modular Tunnelform

Tunnelforms are room size formworks that allow walls and floors to be caste in a single pour. With multiple forms, the entire floor of a building can be done in a single pour. Tunnel forms require sufficient space exterior to the building for the entire form to be slipped out and lifted up to the next level.

This Tunnelform consists of inverted L-shaped half tunnels (one vertical panel and one horizontal panel) joined together to create a tunnel. Articulated struts brace the horizontal and vertical panels. These struts enable the adjustment of the horizontal level of the slab and simplify the stripping of the formwork. The vertical panel is equipped with adjustable jacking devices and a triangular stability system. Both devices are on wheels.

A range of spans is possible by altering the additional horizontal infill panel’s dimensions. Due to the distribution of the horizontal beams on the vertical plank, the formwork also cast staggers and offsets in the layout of the walls as well as differing wall thicknesses. The half-tunnels shall be equipped with back panels to cast prependicular shear walls or corridor walls. Assembly and levelling devices ensure that the formwork surfaces are completely plumbed and levelled.

Placement of Tunnelform and casting of concreteFigure 8: Placement of Tunnelform and casting of concrete

 

ii. Wallforms

Wallforms are temporary moulds in which concrete is poured in order to build a structure. Once the concrete is poured into the formwork and has set, the formwork is stripped to expose perfect finished concrete. These forms constitute a system approach for construction and are particularly suited to build structural walls, columns, bridge piers, culverts etc. This system adopts well to daily work-phase of both repetitive and non-repetitive tasks. The equipment used each day is productive and is reused in subsequent phases. The four daily operations which outlines the daily production cycle for wall form equipment are identical to those for Tunnel form equipment with the exception that it is solely used for casting concrete walls. The slabs are cast as a secondary phase. The existing equipment can be adapted on a day-to-day basis by the addition of standard elements and corner-wall formwork to take into account different wall configurations on site. All safety and stability devices shall be fully integrated into the standard version of Wallform equipment.

These Wallforms are tools specially designed to be used on specific buildings and structures. This vertical wallform panel is a multi-purpose formwork system. This system has been designed and developed to ensure that it is simple and quick to assemble and position the following:

  • A full range of standard dimensioned components
  • Multiple combination of panels for simple adoption to specific configurations
  • Basic standard equipment incorporates complete safety, circulation and stability equipment
  • Caliper–device opposing Wallform packages are craned into position in one lift.
Completed Light House Project at RajkotFigure 9: Completed Light House Project at Rajkot

 

Light House Project at Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Project Brief:

  • No. of Dwelling Units : 1024 Nos. (S+8)
  • No. of Block / Tower : 8 Blocks
  • Units in each Block / Tower : 128 Nos.
  • Technology Used: Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System with Pre-Engineered Steel Structural System

Technology Details:

  • Over RCC foundation up to plinth level hot rolled steel columns and beams are erected, aligned and assembled to form structural skeleton frame
  • Subsequently, deck slabs are laid with in-situ concrete screed for floors
  • The factory-made Rising EPS Cement Panels are erected as wall panels. These are sandwich panels having light weight concrete core with thin cement fibre board as outer faces.
  • While laying walls the service lines i.e. electrical, plumbing are also installed in the already cut openings
  • Once the structure is finished, finishing items are installed.
Placement of Prefabricated Sandwich PanelsFigure 10: Placement of Prefabricated Sandwich Panels in Steel Structure Frame

 

Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System with Pre-Engineered Steel Structural System

These are lightweight composite wall, floor and roof sandwich panels made of thin fiber cement/calcium silicate board as face covered boards and the core material is EPS granule balls, adhesive, cement, sand, flyash and other bonding materials in mortar form.

The core material in slurry state is pushed under pressure into preset molds. Once set, it shall be moved for curing and ready for use with RCC or steel support structure beams and columns. These panels are primarily used as walling material but can also be used as floor and roof panels. These are non-load bearing panels to be used with structural support frame only. However, if used in G+1 structure, these can be used as load bearing panels.

Construction Process of Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System Figure 11: Construction Process of Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System at LHP Indore

 

Size and Type of Panels

Size : Panels are normally produced in sizes and dimensions as given below:

Length : 2440 mm (may be increased up to 3000 mm)

Width : 610 mm (may be altered as per requirement but should not be too wide since handling of the panels become difficult)

Thickness : 50-250 mm.

Panels are produced in 4 types i.e. Pole holes, Solid heart, Rod holes and Block hole. These four types of panels have different applications depending on the requirements e.g. Solid heart should be used as walling material in any type of construction and pole, rod and block hole may be used where different types of inserts are used like iron rods or wires for security, etc.

In steel structure frame, panels can be fixed with either with steel clips or U type channels to hold the panels with the structure. Clips should be welded with the frame pillars or beams to hold the clips / U channel firmly with the pillars / beams and floor. Then only the panels should be inserted into the U channels. Thereafter, PU glue should be applied to hold the panels firmly. The thickness of the panels shall determine the size of U channel. After installation of the panels in both the above systems, all gaps should be checked and filled with additives, PU and cement mixers and later thin putty should be applied to give uniform smooth surface ready for paint.

Light House Project at IndoreFigure 12: Completed Light House Project at Indore

 

Light House Project at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Project Brief:

  • No. of Dwelling Units : 1040 Nos. (S+13)
  • No. of Block / Tower : 4 Blocks
  • Units in each Block / Tower : A(494), B(130), C(208) & D(208)
  • Technology Used: Stay in-place PVC Formwork with Pre-Engineered Steel Structural System

Technology Details:

  • Over the RCC foundation up to plinth level factory-made hot rolled steel columns and beams are erected, aligned and assembled to form structural skeleton frame
  • Subsequently, deck slabs are laid with in-situ concrete screed for floors
  • The pre-finished PVC wall forms are then erected and filled with light weight concrete to construct walls
  • While laying walls, the service lines i.e. electrical, plumbing, are also installed
  • Once the structure is finished, finishing items are installed
Placement of PVC WallFigure 13: Placement of PVC Wall Form Panels in Steel Structure Frame

 

Stay-in-place PVC Formwork with Pre-Engineered Steel Structural System

The rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based formwork system serve as a permanent stay-in-place durable finished formwork for concrete walls. The extruded components slide and interlock together to create continuous formwork with the two faces of the wall connected together by continuous web members forming hollow rectangular components. The web members are punched with oval-shaped cores to allow easy flow of the poured concrete between the components. The hollow Novel Wall components are erected and filled with concrete, in situ, to provide a monolithic concrete wall with enhanced curing capacity due to water entrapment, as the polymer encasement does not allow the concrete to dry prematurely with only the top surface of the wall being exposed to potential drying. The polymer encasement provides crack control vertically and horizontally for the concrete, and provides vertical tension reinforcement thus increasing the structural strength of the wall. The resulting system is unique and provides substantial advantages in terms of structural strength, durability enhancement, weather resistance, seismic resistance, design flexibility, and ease of construction. Steel dowels are necessary to anchor the wall to the concrete foundation.

Construction Process of Stay in Place PVC FormworkFigure 14: Construction Process of Stay in Place PVC Formwork at LHP Lucknow


This System is suitable for residential and commercial buildings of any height from low rise to high rise. In order to achieve speedier construction, strength and resource efficiency, the composite structure with Pre-Engineered Steel Structural System as structural members is being used in the present project.

Size of Panels

PVC Wall Forms have been developed in various cross-sectional sizes as per project requirement. The common sizes are 64mm, 126mm, 166mm & 206mm.

  • N64 walls are erected individually and not preassembled, except for headers and sills.
  • Pre-assembled walls sections are used for walls over 4300 mm (14’) high.
  • The height of walls made with the Formwork vary according to the requirement.
  • N126 walls less than 4300 mm (14’) high are erected individually except for walls of unique projects and for headers and sills.
Light House Project at LucknowFigure 15: Completed buildings of Light House Project at Lucknow

 

Manufacturing Process in the Plant

The formwork components are manufactured from extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The extrusions consist of two layers, the substrate (inner) and modifier (outer). The two layers are co-extruded during the manufacturing process to create a solid profile. The raw material is fed into the screw barrels of the extruders & heated in the barrels to molten form, where the temperature is electronically controlled. The extruded profile is cut to designed length, labelling of the components takes place in the coring, cutting, foaming or assembly areas, and the stay in place sections are ready to move for erection at site.

Light House Project at Ranchi, Jharkhand

Project Brief:

  • No. of Dwelling Units : 1008 Nos. (G+8)
  • No. of Block / Tower : 7 Blocks
  • Units in each Block / Tower : 144 Nos.
  • Technology Used: Precast Concrete Construction System – 3D Volumetric

Technology Details:

  • The building units are manufactured like Lego blocks in the casting yard in complete form including finishes
  • These blocks are then transported, aligned and erected over the already laid RCC foundation to construct the entire structure
  • These building units are also finished with services in the casting yard
  • The building units are connected horizontally and vertically with proper jointing arrangements using base-plates, mechanical fasteners, nut bolts and concrete grouting.
Placement of MagicPodsFigure 16: Placement of MagicPods

 

Precast Concrete Construction System – 3D Volumetric

An already established system for building construction in Europe, Singapore, Japan & Australia, this 3D Volumetric concrete construction is the modern method of building by which solid precast concrete structural modules like room, toilet, kitchen, bathroom, stairs, etc. and any combination of these are cast monolithically in plant or casting yard in a controlled condition. These modules termed as MagicPods are transported, erected & installed using cranes and push-pull jacks and are integrated together in the form of complete building unit. Subject to the hoisting capacity, building of any height can be constructed using the technology.

 Construction Process of 3D Volumetric SystemFigure 17: Construction Process of 3D Volumetric System at LHP Ranchi

 

Manufacturing process of the Building Modules/MagicPods

  • 3D Steel moulds are created as suiting to various sizes of building units
  • High strength steel as per the structural design is placed inside 3D moulds
  • Electrical and plumbing lines are set up. Block outs for doors and windows are also set up at the same time.
  • The pods are cast into their final shape using high-performance concrete.
  • Stringent quality checks is taken for each pod before they are packed for shipping, which ensures that the construction project adheres to strict quality standards.
  • The pods are then loaded and shipped. Care is taken to ensure that the shipping is done as per the sequence of erection at the site.

Construction & Installation Process

Sequential construction in the project here begins with keeping the designed foundation of the building ready, while manufacturing of precast concrete structural modules are taking place at the factory. Factory finished building units/modules are then installed at the site with the help of tower cranes. gable end walls are positioned to terminate the sides of building. Pre-stressed slabs are then installed as flooring elements. Rebar mesh is finally placed for structural screed thereby connecting all the elements together. Consecutive floors are built in similar manner to complete the structure.

Completed building of Light House Project Figure 18: Completed building of Light House Project at Ranchi

 

Light House Project at Agartala, Tripura

Project Brief:

  • No. of Dwelling Units : 1000 Nos. (G+6)
  • No. of Block / Tower : 7 Blocks
  • Units in each Block / Tower : A(112), B(154), C(118), D(168), E(168), F(168) & G(112)
  • Technology Used: Light Gauge Steel Framed (LGSF) System with Pre-engineered Steel Structural System

Technology Details:

  • Over the RCC foundation up to plinth level hot rolled steel columns and beams are erected, aligned and assembled to form structural skeleton frame. Subsequently, deck slabs are laid with in-situ concrete screed for floors.
  • The factory-made Light Gauge Steel Panels (cold formed steel panels) are then erected to form wall panel and connected with the structural frame using self-driven metal screws.
  • The Light Gauge wall panels are later covered with thin precast concrete panels (which are cast at site), and the hollow space between the panels is filled with light weight concrete.
  • While laying walls, the service lines i.e. electrical, plumbing are also installed.
  • Once the structure is finished, finishing items are installed.
Placement of LGS framesFigure 19: Placement of LGS frames in Steel Structure System

 

Light Gauge Steel Framed (LGSF) System with Pre-engineered Steel Structural System

Light Gauge Steel Framed Structure with Infill Concrete Panels (LGSFS-ICP) Technology is an innovative emerging building and construction technology using factory made Light Gauge Steel Framed Structure (LGSFS), light weight concrete and precast panels. The LGS frame is a “C” cross-section with built in notch, dimpling, slots, service holes etc. produced by computerized roll forming machine. These frames are assembled using metal screws to form into LGSF wall and roof structures of a building. Provisions for doors, windows, ventilators and other cut-outs as required are incorporated in the LGSFS.

The LGS frames are manufactured in a factory and assembled in to LGSF wall structures and then transported to the construction site and erected wall by wall on a pre-built concrete floor as per the floor plan of the building. Steel reinforced concrete panels of size 800mm X300mm X20mm thick are manufactured at factory and transported to site. These panels are fixed on either side of the LGSFS wall, using self-drilling/tapping screws to act as outer and inner faces of the wall leaving a gap between them. This gap is then filled with light-weight concrete using a special mixing and pumping machine. Electrical and plumbing pipes/conduits are provided in the service holes of the LGSFS before concreting is done. Self-compacting concrete is mixed and pumped into the gaps between two panels. The concrete flows and fills the gap and provides adequate cover to the LGS frames and joints. The concrete shall also adhere to the concrete panels. After curing, LGSFS with in-fill concrete and panels (LGSFS-ICP) forms a monolithic sandwich composite wall structure with thermal and sound insulation properties.

Construction Process of Light Gauge Steel FramedFigure 20: Construction Process of Light Gauge Steel Framed (LGSF) System at LHP Ranchi


The roof structure of LGSFS-ICP building is constructed using metal/plastic formwork system with steel reinforced concrete as per structural design. Standard procedures are employed to concrete the roof slab. After curing for 96 h, the formwork is demoulded and the wall and roof are putty finished. Door and window frames are fixed to the LGS frames and shutters fixed with necessary accessories. Finishing work such as laying floor tiles, fixing electrical and sanitary fixtures and painting is carried out using standard conventional methods.

After completion of ground floor, first, second and third floors of the building is constructed using the same procedure that of the ground floor. The staircase, chajja and parapet walls of the building are also constructed using LGSFS-ICP Technology.

Epilogue

Through GHTC-India under Technology Sub-Mission of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs in association with State Governments have successfully implemented the first of its kind Light House Projects with innovative construction technologies showcasing field level application and in turn assimilating their usages for further adaptation and replication. BMTPC, being technical partner to the Ministry, has since been advocating use of these SAFER (Sustainable, Affordable, Functional, Economical, Resilient) fast track construction technologies for housing and it is more apt now since India is committed to climate change mitigation, reduction of carbon footprint, resource-efficient & environment-responsive clean technologies. These construction technologies being based on industrialized systems claim to bring resource-efficiency with regard to natural building material and human resource, waste reduction, energy efficiency and eco-friendliness bringing down GHG emissions and disaster & climate resilience.

Introduction of the identified innovative construction systems will bring not only paradigm shift in construction sector but also bring cost-effective systems, better environment, enhanced building marketability, reduced liability, improved health & productivity, low lifecycle cost. Already, a sizeable number of companies have set up plants for manufacturing customized building components in India. It is required to give them little nudge and create an enabling eco-system which facilitates use of these systems. The day is not far when India will start manufacturing buildings.

Placement of Precast Concrete PanelsFigure 21: Placement of Precast Concrete Panels filled with Light Weight Concrete in LGS frames

 

References

  1. Operational Guidelines for Implementation of Light House Projects (LHPs) issued by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, June 2020.
  2. Compendium of Innovative Emerging Technologies shortlisted under Global Housing Technology Challenge – India by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2021 (https://ghtc-india.gov.in)
  3. Booklet on Light House Projects at Chennai, Tamil Nadu by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2021
  4. Booklet on Light House Projects at Rajkot, Gujarat by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2021
  5. Booklet on Light House Projects at Indore, Madhya Pradesh by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2021
  6. Booklet on Light House Projects at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2021
  7. Booklet on Light House Projects at Ranchi, Jharkhand by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2021
  8. Booklet on Light House Projects at Agartala, Tripura by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2021
  9. Compendium of Light House Project at Chennai, Tamil Nadu under Global Housing Technology Challenge – India by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2022
  10. Compendium of Light House Project at Rajkot, Gujarat under Global Housing Technology Challenge – India by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, 2022.
  11. Performance Appraisal Certificates issued under PACS by BMTPC.

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Boosting Precast Construction with Augmented Reality

Blending virtual information with the real-world view, AR has become an effective tool in construction management to improve project planning, execution, and delivery. Bhavin Lakhani, Project Controls Specialist Lead, PMP, and CCM

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3DXB Group Sets Guinness World Record for Largest 3D-Printed Villa in Dubai

3DXB Group Sets Guinness World Record for Largest 3D-Printed Villa in Dubai

3DXB Group, a leading innovator in 3D printing solutions for the construction industry, unveiled its achievement in making the world’s largest 3D-printed villa in Dubai. This groundbreaking project signifies a pivotal moment in the UAE

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Rapidcast Boundary Walls: Best Quality Concrete Precast Textured Walls

Rapidcast Boundary Walls: Best Quality Concrete Precast Textured Walls

Rapidcast LLP brings to you for the first time in India the best quality concrete precast elements such as RCC precast compound walls and RRC precast stormwater UDrains. The new generation Rapidcast boundary wall/fence is a high quality precast

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Elematic's Large Precast Concrete Plant for My Home GRAVA Project

Elematic's Large Precast Concrete Plant for My Home GRAVA Project

Hyderabad is witnessing the construction of Asia's tallest towers with a planned built-up area totalling 3.7 million sqm. The two 180-meter towers, each comprising 43 storeys, will be accompanied by six more similar towers. With each tower

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Benefits of Shear Keyed Surfaces in Precast Building

Benefits of Shear Keyed Surfaces in Precast Building

Depending on the finish of the concrete surface, different coefficients are assigned by international codes in the calculation of shear resistance. The American Concrete Institute Code ACI318, Nov.19, states the following: Chapter 16.2.1.1 – Transfer of forces by

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Revolutionizing Precast Industry with Advanced Tracking of Precast Concrete Elements

Revolutionizing Precast Industry with Advanced Tracking of Precast Concrete Elements

The precast concrete industry is undergoing a transformative change with innovative software solutions that offer enhanced tracking of precast concrete elements. One of these pioneering software solutions is StruSoft’s Impact Precast, which aims

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Emerging Trends & Growth of the Prefab Industry

Emerging Trends & Growth of the Prefab Industry

Prefabricated technologies are becoming increasingly popular in the construction industry, particularly for large-scale construction. As prefabricated structures continue to evolve and improve, they are being used to construct warehouses, factories

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Precast RCC Structures versus Pre-Engineered Steel Structures

Precast RCC Structures versus Pre-Engineered Steel Structures

A comparative study on Industrial Building Adopting Structural Frames as Precast RCC and Structural Steel Frames with Prestressed Precast Hollow Core Slabs as Flooring Slabs, presented by C. A. Prasad, Director, METEY Engineering Consultancy, Hyderabad

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My Home Mega Project Shows Potential of Precast Construction Technology in India

My Home Mega Project Shows Potential of Precast Construction Technology in India

Storey by storey, Asia’s tallest precast towers with a total planned built-up area of 3.7 million sqm are rising towards the sky in Hyderabad. These two 180-meter towers of 43-stories each will be followed by six more similar towers. With each tower

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Mekuba: A Leader in Mould Releasing Agents for Concrete

Mekuba: A Leader in Mould Releasing Agents for Concrete

With over 47 years of experience in the petrochemicals industry, and an expert in the formulation and production of mould-releasing agents, Mekuba Petro Products is growing rapidly in the construction chemicals segment with a daily production

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Dextra Groutec Coupler - A Unique Solution for Reliable Joints in Precast

Dextra Groutec Coupler - A Unique Solution for Reliable Joints in Precast

Dextra has added yet another customer-centric, innovative, and custom engineered product - the Groutec Coupler - an efficient product that has been qualified and tested successfully on several major infrastructure projects in the recent past. With the

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India an Important Market for TOPWERK

India an Important Market for TOPWERK

Sachin Shetty, India Head – Operation & Sales, and Rajesh Jha, India Head - Sales & Market Development, TOPWERK INDIA, discuss the potential of precast concrete construction in India, localization of non-critical components to bring down cost, and the possibilities of digitalization

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Vollert: Building A Stronger India with Precast

Vollert: Building A Stronger India with Precast

Vollert India has recently expanded its production capacity in Sikandrabad (UP) India. As a global leader in precast concrete components, systems, and machine solutions, Vollert’s investment in India indicates a growing interest among German companies

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