Construction Methods in India

1. Pre-Cast construction

Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mould

or form which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and lifted
into place. The standardized precast elements facilitate mass production, in order to build large
number of buildings in short duration.

By producing precast concrete in a controlled environment, it is afforded the opportunity to

properly cure and be closely monitored by plant employees.

Construction process

 Production of reinforced cages and main connections: The precast factory often has
specialist workshops for the manufacture and maintenance of moulds, and to produce jig-built
reinforcing cages and connections.
 Assembly of moulds: The reinforced cage is positioned in the partly assembled mould, then
the remaining mould section is completed.
 Concrete mix being poured: Carefully specified concrete is placed into the mould. Precast
works are employed by computer controlled batching plants.
 Compaction of concrete using poker vibrator: To ensure the optimum density is obtained
and specified strengths are achieved, concrete is placed and compacted using high-
frequency external vibrators or pokers.
 Precast concrete being moved to the stacking area: Once an appropriate strength has
been reached, the precast units are moved to the stacking area. Units are usually handled
within hours of casting as part of the rapid production cycle. The product exhibits a high
degree of dimensional accuracy and quality of finish. Economies of production are achieved
through the repetitive and automated process.
 Storage of high-quality units in works area: The finished precast components are stacked
on clean battens or plastic pads positioned to suit the design of the component. Care is taken
to keep the stacks vertical and to ensure that battens are placed directly above one another
within the stack.
 Transport to site: The components are delivered to site in a pre-determined sequence to
ensure that hardened concrete is ready for instant erection.
 Erection at site: The components are erected straight from the vehicle. This leads to faster
erection times with reduced on-site activity.
 Finished building

Where is it used?

 Used in Mass housing projects, Large volume apartments, Commercial and Hospitality
buildings.
 Bridge Beams, Exterior and interior walls, Precast solid slabs, Hollow-core slabs, Septic
Tanks/ Manholes, Pipes and Culverts, Foundation walls, Architectural Panels, Traffic barriers
and retaining walls/sound walls, Staircases, Fences and Pool Coping.
 They are also used in decorative applications such as countertops, sinks and bathtubs,
Furniture and Planters, statuary, Paving stones, Fireplace surrounds.

Projects where precast is used in India

1. Santushti Homes at Bhiwadi - 250 affordable homes

2. SRA scheme at Bhoiwada, Mumbai - 2500 apartment scheme, Slum Rehab Project
3. Lakeside at Chennai - 300 apartment schemes
4. Commune properties India Pvt Ltd at Bangalore - 550 apartment schemes
5. Tata Peenya at Bangalore - 1892 Apartments scheme
6. Marvel Sangria at Pune - Commercial Building of 250,000 sqft
 7. Metro constructions in India – Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Cochin
8. Starworth Infrastructure and Construction - Purva Riviera and Purva Venezia, Provident
Park Square- Bangalore, Metro Rail Bangalore, expansion of the Taj Hotel near Bangalore
International Airport
9. EWS Housing for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation - Affordable housing
10. Bhubaneswar Development Authority – Affordable Housing
11. Katerra Projects – Infosys Phase II, Gems Education, Lulu Mall, KMCH hospital, Embassy
7B, GKNM hospital

References

Precast Concrete

Development of precast in India

http://www.pessi.in/pdf/Day-2-1-SourabhPuradere.pdf

Methodology

Projects

2. Top Down Construction

Top down construction is the reverse method of bottom-up construction in which the
permanent structure is built from top to bottom of the basement along with deep excavations.

They are commonly used in congested areas. These can be installed near existing structure
with minimal loss of support to existing foundations. They are practically suited in the
construction of deep basements, Metro Railway Projects, tunnel construction, underground
construction.

Construction process

 Stage 1: Retaining wall (diaphragm wall) is constructed.

 Stage 2: Construct piles, place the steel columns or stanchions where the piles are
constructed.
 Stage 3: Proceed to the first stage of excavation.
 Stage 4: Cast the floor slab of first basement level.
 Stage 5: Begin to construct the superstructure.
 Stage 6: Proceed to the second stage of excavation; cast the floor slab of the second
basement level.
 Stage 7: Repeat the same procedure till the desired depth is reached.
 Stage 8: Construct the foundation slab and ground beams, etc. Complete the basement
 Stage 9: Keep constructing the superstructure till it gets finished.

Where is it used?

 Top down construction is mainly used for two types of urban structures, tall buildings with
deep basements and underground structures such as car parks, underpasses and subway
stations.

Projects where top down is used in India

 IHCL – Taj Dwarka (L&T)

 Intel SRR 3 (SPCL)

References
  SPCL Content
 Top Down Construction
 Advantages and Disadvantages
 Methodology
 ENR

3. Composite Construction (Steel / Concrete)

Composite construction of buildings refers to any members composed of more than one
material. The parts of these composite members are rigidly connected such that no relative
movement can occur.

The most common form of composite element in construction is a steel concrete composite.
Steel and concrete materials complete one another. Concrete is efficient in compression and steel in
tension. Concrete provides protection against corrosion and fire and steel brings ductility into the
structure.

The main composite elements in buildings are:

 Steel concrete composite beam

 Composite slab
 Composite column

Construction process

 Construct the RCC core using self-climbing shuttering.

 Raise structural steel columns for two levels.
 Fix main beams and secondary beams.
 Place decking sheets and concrete and encase columns in concrete.
 Carry out cementitious fireproof coating on the exposed beams.

Where is it used?

 They are used in multistory buildings, bridges, civil engineering and infrastructure, housing
and refurbishment.

Projects where composite construction is used in India

 Embassy Tech Village in Bangalore

 Mist Tower 1 in Noida
 Alphathum Tower in Noida
 Multi-level Car Parking at Sir Gangaram hospital-New Delhi
 Vijaywada Airport –New Terminal

References

Composite Construction

Composite Beam

Methodology

Composite Steel Structures

4. 3D Volumetric Construction

As the name implies, the 3D volumetric construction involves the manufacture of 3D units
in the form of modules in off site. At the time of installation, they are brought to the site and
assembled module by module.

Each modular unit manufactured are 3D units, hence this construction is called as 3D
volumetric construction or modular construction.

Construction Process

 The modules casts five sides in a single pour, or a three- dimensional shape creating
a pre-designed shaped room or multiple rooms.
 The moulds are customizable during the modules’ design process. All openings –
doors and windows, access points—piping and conduit and insulation are designed
into the mould.
 Building all the features into the mould’s design reduces project turnaround time and
costs.
 The openings for windows, doors are so precise that they can be ordered straight
from the drawings.
 The first fix MEP is installed at the time of casting thus reducing the time and labour
required for chasing the walls, fixing the conduits and plastering the walls.
 This method is replicated, and the modules are fitted together—side-by-side or atop
of each other. This allows the roof of the first module to become the floor of the
second module as they are vertically stacked, like Lego blocks or bricks. This ability
to fit the modules together reduces construction time.

Where is it used?

 They are commonly used for schools, construction site offices, health centers.
 Mass Housing.

Projects where 3D volumetric construction is used in India

 construction of a Pilot Building for Tata Housing was undertaken with 3DMVP – A
five-storey building with 20 apartments was manufactured and installed in 33 working
days.

References

 3D Volumetric construction
 The Constructor

5. Lift- Slab Construction

Lift slab construction is a method of constructing concrete buildings by casting the

floor or roof slab on top of the previous slab and then jacking the slab up with hydraulic jacks.

This method of construction allows for a large portion of the work to be completed at
ground level, negating the need to form floor work in place

Construction Process

 A concrete slab is first poured on the ground level.

 Lifting collars are set around each of the columns and cast into place as the slab is
poured around them.
 The lifting collars will later be used to support the slab as it is raised and secured in
place.
 Subsequent floors and the roof are then poured and formed on top of the initial
ground slab.
 Bond breakers are used between each floor plate to allow the slabs to separate as
they are raised.
 Along with reducing the formwork required to create the slabs, slabs can be easily
protected from inclement weather since all of the slabs remain together during the
curing process.
 Once the slabs have been raised to their desired height the lifting collars are welded
to the columns, along with shear blocks to support the slab from beneath.
 To assure the security of a structure during the raising of the slabs, the hydraulic
jacks, attached to the top of the columns, use synchronized consoles to lift the slabs
at an even rate.
 Conventional methods of mounting the jacks to the columns require that the jacks are
removed before continuing to raise the slabs.

Where is it used?

 They are generally used for multistory buildings.

Projects where Lift slab construction is used in India

 Intel SRR3 Project – Bangalore

References

Lift Slab construction