Precast Construction - Elematic Helps B. G. Shirke to Execute Mass Projects

B. G. Shirke Construction Technology is one of India’s oldest construction companies and well known for its pioneering efforts in introducing prefab building technology in India way back in 1972. The company has been in operations for over 70 years with its history rooted in civil engineering and high-quality housing projects. Early on, founder Padmashri B.G. Shirke decided to focus on quality and the modern ways of industrializing civil engineering construction – a practice that continues to be relevant till date.

“It has been the dream of our founder- chairman, Padmashri B.G. Shirke, to industrialize the civil engineering construction in our country by manufacturing standardized precast components for building construction,” says V.G Jana, senior chief executive at BGSCTPL. “We were the first company to develop prefab construction called 3S Prefab Technology (3S stands for Speed, Strength, Safety, and Sustainability) in India, and till date, no other construction company has been able to match our prefab residential construction amounting to over 50 million sq.ft. built-up area, comprising over 200,000 tenements, especially in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG) categories,” he adds.


Shirke’s winning formula with 3S pre-cast technology

India has a massive shortage of an estimated 20 million houses that need to be built. Jana admits that the task ahead is monumental. “Even with collective efforts of a few companies like us, it would take many years to mitigate this housing shortfall,” he rues. Mass housing projects need a time-tested and proven technology like prefab to be able to deliver houses efficiently, economically, and on time.

Elematic, a world-leading manufacturer of precast concrete plants and production lines, has delivered equipment especially developed as to produce 3S Prefab elements (as per BGSCTPL’s in-house design) for executing mass housing projects. BGSCTPL has set up three production lines at Delhi for making precast products, namely, circulation lines for room size floor slab, special walls, and ‘3-S’ columns. “B.G. Shirke wanted customized precast molds and equipment for casting precast components, so we delivered the special technical requirements to them,” says Tarmo Sahala, Area Sales Director at Elematic.

“Most building sites have limited lifting capacity, yet all the precast elements have to fulfill certain characteristics. So, all the molds and equipment were designed accordingly. The wall and floor slab lines are in two sheds adjoining each other with both having transportation and distribution systems, molds, production and handling equipment and curing system,” explains Sahala.


He informs that the ‘3S’ column is a unique product, having hollow cores and a relatively new technology for Elematic. The molds were developed based on a previous machine model for a similar hollow core product. “These columns are not too heavy to handle and install. The hollows are filled with concrete and necessary design reinforcement as per B.G. Shirke’s design,” he adds.

BGSCTPL is currently executing prestigious mega housing projects comprising over 50,000 tenements for Delhi Development Authority (DDA), as well as dozens of other projects across the country. For the company, quality and speed are two important factors for constructing housing projects on a large scale. It has set up tight schedules and timelines, with little room for delays, and makes no compromise on quality. Affirms Sahala, “The time-frame for their projects is very tight, and impossible to execute using the traditional way of construction.”

Says Jana, “Our ‘3S’ Prefab technology provides crucial factors such as stability of the structure, earthquake resistance, safety, adaptability to climatic conditions, thermal and acoustic insulation, and conformity to the codes and provisions that form the backbone of 3-S technology.”


To this list, can be added the ability to increase production capacity, higher quality finishing, material savings, less onsite material wastage, no air pollution as there is no dust, and water saving, all of which make a huge difference to construction costs in a country like India, where resources are becoming scarce.

Since Elematic and B.G. Shirke had co-operated in an earlier project, their association has deepened further. A few years back, Elematic had delivered a floor slab production line to the satisfaction of B.G. Shirke, which is also happy with their after-sales and services and the high-quality workmanship.

“The relationship between the two companies is set to grow in the years to come. Since they have special demands, it allows us to make innovations and new applications, which ultimately, will benefit the entire industry,” says Sahala.