FCC

Precast Concrete Construction and India?s Way Forward

2021-07-23

Timely completion of projects at a low cost is imperative in today?s construction industry. Government?s ?Housing for all? scheme, new residential & commercial spaces, smart cities, demand for low-maintenance, and timely completion of projects are the key driving factors behind precast concrete. Though it is still at a nascent stage in India, the early movers in precast materials and equipment will emerge as the winners in the construction space in the long-run.

Considering the huge variation in socio-economic characteristics of India?s population and large variations in the prevalence of locally available materials and locally appropriate technologies, the housing problem further becomes complicated. Considering these factors, it is rather difficult to identify technologies for adoption across the board and prescribe the same for implementation on the large scale. However, looking at the huge scale of the demand, and the urgency associated with the need to address this demand, Precast Concrete Construction (PCCon) can be identified as a prime candidate with the largest common denominator to serve the needs of housing judiciously. However, the unfortunate ground reality is that many architects and designers are not aware of the true potential of PCCon and how it can be leveraged to produce good functional and efficient products.

Of late, precast concrete segmental construction has become a ubiquitous feature of Metro viaducts all over India. However, what is of topical relevance here is the use of PCCon for buildings. Will precasting be the key enabler of modernisation of India?s construction sector?