BUILDING SUPER-STRUCTURES

As the construction activities in the real estate sector have picked up pace, the demand for new-age formwork and scaffolding is expected to rise.

Indian construction industry has undergone a rapid transformation in the last few years. The infrastructure sector, especially the real estate industry, has witnessed the use of newer construction materials and construction techniques to keep pace with rapid development. This transformation has been necessitated due to the rise in demand for affordable homes aided by several reforms announced by the governments both at the Central and state levels to give a boost to the ailing real estate sector.

Construction techniques, especially scaffolding and formwork, have witnessed a significant change in the last few years due to the adoption of various western world techniques of construction to ensure speedy completion of projects.

Demand for Formwork

Formwork is an essential component in the construction industry as it plays a critical role in creating concrete structures. Formwork is a temporary or permanent structure or form into which concrete is poured, which later hardens taking the desired shape. This technique of construction has been used since a very long time as it helps in creating structures of desired shapes and sizes.

Formwork is typically a temporary structure which is removed after use and can also be reused. For concrete formwork, timber and steel are most commonly used. Now, with technology taking the centre stage, building plans and designs of big structures are created using software, which has not only improved the pace, effectiveness and safety of construction and also substantially lowered the costs.

Nowadays, since the construction materials used are far more robust and long-lasting as compared to the older materials, it becomes even more pertinent to have strong formwork to build safer and more practical structures in a short span.

Contractors in the construction sector are adopting advanced solutions to make infrastructural projects cost-effective, while boosting the speed of construction and flexibility as well as the surface quality of construction property. At present, builders and contractors are facing high competition, which is creating demand for economic formwork solutions for ensuring greater speed of operations, timely completion of construction projects, enhanced safety of workers, and improved quality of work. To keep pace with the construction activities and to reduce overall costs, there is a high demand for reusable materials.

According to a report by The Insight Partners, the proliferation of the construction industry, supported by favorable government initiatives and growing inclination toward green buildings, is a key factor impacting the infrastructural projects, thus driving the formwork system market growth.

The agency stated that timber and plywood products are adopted to a greater extent than other materials as they are available at lower prices and can be used for multiple applications. “Moreover, with advent of sophisticated technologies such as tunnel formwork, fiberglass shuttering, and wireless temperature monitoring formwork system in formwork industry is projected to generate ample of growth prospects for formwork,” it said.

“Dynamically changing trends over the last couple of years have resulted in a surge for skyscrapers. Most of these sky-high buildings in India are residential. For formwork in tall buildings developers opt for Mivan Shuttering, MS Shuttering or Aluminium shuttering.

Various measures are taken by developers to reduce accidents, injuries and deaths at the construction site. For flexible modular design, steel scaffolding systems are preferred as it is more flexible and easier to adapt. Aluminium scaffolding is not used for skyscrapers as these cannot reach over 30 feet,” said Vinit Dungarwal, Director, AMs Project Consultants.

Formwork Materials

Over the years, newer materials are being used in formwork. Some of the prominently used formwork materials are

1. Timber
2. Plywood
3. Steel
4. Aluminum
5. Plastics
6. Magnesium
7. Fabric

The wood formwork is a commonly used formwork compared to other materials such as steel, aluminum, plastic, and fabric, according to the report. The wooden formwork has been a conventional choice in the construction sector. The plywood and timber shuttering are available at lower prices and are easily accessible. Factors such as the easier process of production of wooden shuttering, involving low labor costs, boosts their procurement of reusable form work material, therefore these systems are appropriate for small scale project.

Climbing formwork, beam formworks, flexible formwork, staircase shuttering, slab formwork, concrete road construction, and supporting metallic shuttering are among the applications of wooden formwork in concrete. SVA Formwork Solution, PASCHAL, METSÄ Group, TECON Formwork, and G.B.M. Building Equipments S.r.l. are a few of the wooden formwork system providers catering to different requirements of construction sector.

Demand for Scaffolding

Scaffolding is characterized as the erection, alteration or dismantling of a temporary structure, specially erected to support a platform. Scaffolds are widely used for working at heights, and it involves the risk for a scaffolder (person working on a scaffold) to fall from an incomplete scaffold during the erection and dismantling of a scaffold.

Scaffolding is a form of prefabricated construction that entails large structures or components of construction built off-site, generally at factories to be erected later on-site on a concrete foundation. Increasing FDI in construction in the Asia Pacific region and supportive government regulations and policies are driving the scaffolding market. The scaffolding market is constrained by factors such as fluctuating raw material prices and slower economic growth, which impede market growth.

Rapidly expanding industrialisation and rapid urbanisation, has lead the growth of the scaffolding industry worldwide. The demand for scaffolding is being supported by improvements in residential infrastructure as well as new building activities. According to research agency Maximize Market Research, globally, the scaffolding industry is likely to be led by growing FDI in building and supporting government policies regulating labour safety. New residential properties being built in developing nations like China and India are propelling the global scaffolding market forward.

Pre-fab Gaining Momentum

According to Aditya Kushwaha, CEO & Director, Axis Ecorp, over the years, construction technology has evolved significantly. Currently, for tall structures, most developers prefer prefab technology as it helps in saving cost, time and is not labour intensive. It also offers better durability and quality consistency.

“Another reason for opting for prefab technology is that it requires low to no maintenance. The only flip side to using prefab technology is that it is beneficial only in regards to large scale projects. There are stringent norms that have been put in place by the government to ensure the safety of the labourers on site. There are various measures undertaken to make sure that even in case of an accident, there is minimum chance of an injury,” he said.

Kushwaha further noted that despite the ever-present challenges of ballooning input costs and shrinking margins, the real estate industry has been bracing new trends that add value to the consumers.

“The concept of sustainable housing has gained prominence in the last 4-5 years. In the post-pandemic world, with people placing greater emphasis on well-being, the demand for sustainable projects has multiplied even further. There is a common misconception that sustainable projects or projects that use recyclable products are cost-effective. In reality, these costs vary from project to project. Since these projects are designed keeping in mind environmental factors, they may offer savings on the monthly utility bills,” he sums up.

Covid Impact

According to The Insight Partners, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected the growth of the formwork system market. Lockdowns and other restrictions, as well as halt in the construction sector, has hindered the growth of the formwork system market. However, the ease of lockdown restrictions since Q4 2020, along with the rise in emphasis on the effective restoration of the construction sector, is expected to support the speedy recovery of the market hereon.

Similarly, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a direct effect on rental construction services such as scaffolding, roofing, and interior finishing materials like acoustic panels, carpets, and fire alarm protection systems. Being heavily reliant on China for almost all materials and machinery the construction industry faced a major setback.

Way Forward

According to Market Research Future, global scaffolding market is projected to be worth USD 84.34 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.20% during the forecast period (2022 – 2030), The market was valued at USD 48.85 billion in 2021.

On the other hand, the formwork system market is projected to reach USD 7,486.32 million by 2028 from USD 5,618.35 million in 2021, as it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% from 2021 to 2028, according to the report by The Insight Partners.

As the demand for residential real estate in India is expected to touch the pre-Covid levels, the demand for construction materials including formwork and scaffolding will see a significant rise in the coming quarters.

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