Precast Is Gaining Momentum In Commercial, Residential, Industrial And Infrastructure Projects.

Kapilesh Bhate 

Director, Precast India Infrastructures

How is precast technology gaining momentum in today’s construction activities?

There is an overall upswing in construction activities itself, be it buildings or infrastructure. So, the given set of labour pool is in higher demand as the cast in situ projects, being the more conventional type of construction, are attracting the labour in more numbers. Also, the construction work is now spread out across the country, urban as well as rural. So, the labour is getting diluted further at any given location. Due to these reasons, there seems to be a genuine labour shortage in the Indian construction market. The increase in demand is also applicable for the engineering staff and to an extent, senior managements too. Hence, automatically, the entrepreneurs are looking for construction solutions that may be executed with lesser manpower, as a whole. This is why the demand for precast technology is gaining momentum.

What are the major advantages of precast technology? Which segments drive the demand?

The reason for the growing popularity of precast technology is its closeness towards conventional RCC unlike other construction technology like PEB. The cost difference is also not so high as compared to other construction systems. In fact, if the volume of projects is high, then precast is even more economical than in-situ, given the repeatability of robust mould systems as well as earlier delivery in less manpower. Precast is gaining momentum in commercial, residential, industrial and infrastructure projects. Special applications due to advantages are found in water tanks and underground structures.

What are the latest technologies offered by the company in precast concrete?

PIIPL has launched its proprietary wall to wall connection technology called the ‘PIC’, under its new vertical, Precast India Connections Pvt Ltd. This latest technology is being widely adopted successfully by precast companies all over India. We are able to provide options and solutions to precasters as never imagined before. We are hopeful that this solution shall positively assist the growth of precast technology because core walls and shear walls in precast projects are very crucial to be constructed and connected with a good, fast and economical system.

What are the challenges in precast construction of structures, especially in the handling and transportation of the precast structures?

Handling and transportation challenges are being well addressed by various agencies concerned with these activities. Crane availability and trailer availability, even for rent or for sale, has increased manifold in the last 4-5 years.

What are the future plans of the company in the precast construction technology?

We are looking for expanding our turnovers by tapping into the data center sector. We have constructed three data centres in the last two years and the overall harmony of delivery and economics is fitting well for our customers and us. We have also entered infrastructure sector by producing and supplying metro and flyover elements such as cantilever arms, girders, etc.