NATION’S FIRST HIGH-RISE TOTAL PRECAST CONCRETE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING – STATE OF THE ART OF PRECAST TECHNOLOGY IN INDIA

摘要

Through the last decade, India has seen unprecedented developmental changes with rising standard of living amongst the masses. Significant and sustained increase in housing demand, coupled with considerable shrinkage in skilled labor has challenged the industry, which could result in a shortfall of several million houses in the next few years. Traditionally, residential houses in major cities of India have been multi-storied high-rise apartments suitable for modular construction. Precast construction methodology fits perfectly as an alternative for traditional construction with shorter construction duration and reduction in labor, while exceeding quality standards of conventional construction practices in India. This paper describes the design and planning of a project consisting of six 23 storied total precast residential buildings (1.2 million square feet) in Mumbai (Seismic Zone 3 Coastal Region). It elaborates upon the challenges faced and deviations from the traditional precast practices used overseas, in order to suit local construction needs. Phase 1 (three buildings) was constructed with approximately 30% reduction in labor, as compared with traditional construction labor. In conclusion, the paper infers that Precast Methodology for Residential Buildings is a successful and proven technique for modular mass housing, even if the technology is at an inception stage in India.