Emerging Popular Technologies in Low-Cost Housing in India

With the recent push by the govt. to promote low-cost housing in India and with
a set target to build 20 mn affordable houses by March 2022, the affordable
housing segment has seen a recent spurt in sales and demand. One in every
five houses is now priced at but INR 25 lakh. the whole contribution of affordable
housing to residential sales has increased to 21% from 8% within a span of 3
years. Between 2016 and 2019 sales have tripled for lost cost homes with year on
year growth of 32% in Q2 2018.

Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum technology

One of the most popular technologies currently in usage in India is the GFRG or
Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum technology. GFRG panels are made from high-
density alpha-based gypsum plaster reinforced with glass fibres and were first
introduced in Australia in 1980. This panel is eco-friendly, prefabricated and may
be cut to desired sizes for walls, roofs with openings for doors and windows. In
Tamil Nadu , Karnataka and Kerala, projects have already started by various
developers with this technology to create houses, hospitals and schools. Houses
made by GFRG technology are often as strong as a conventionally constructed
house using concrete and bricks. These houses are designed to possess a long
life. This technology has been used for long in Australia and thought of one of
the safer options because these houses are fire and earthquake resistant. it's
possible to build up to ten storeys in low seismic zones and to a lesser height in
high seismic zones. However, such construction must be designed by a qualified
structural engineer. The govt has accorded approval of GFRG panels for
construction in India.

Less construction cost

● Cheaper substitute to concrete and bricks construction
● Reducing the duration of overall construction
● Lower labour cost as construction finishes faster
Advantages of GFRG houses
● economical
● earthquake resistant
● fire & water resistant
● eco- friendly

GFRG panel

GFRG panels have been qualified for carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol
by the World Bank. Houses using GFRG panels promote reuse of industrial waste
by-products for construction, thereby reducing the dependence on virgin raw
material. Recently, the United Nations Framework on Climate Change(UNFCC)
confirmed GFRG as a green building material.

GFRG technology-based schools and houses in Tamil Nadu

Precast Modular Technology

Another technology which is hugely in demand in India is that the Precast
Modular Technology. The method involves the on-site assembly of standardized
items that were manufactured in the factory and transported to the
construction site. This technology involves the utilization of materials such as
expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels, steel and fibre cement. This technology
involves lesser cost and reduces construction time significantly.
Advantages
● mitigating the labour shortage
● cost effectiveness
● time saving
● quality control
● lower environmental impact
● reduced site disruption
Disadvantages
● For huge prefabricated parts, transportation costs can be high.
● Modular building design and construction requires high levels of
cooperation between project parties, particularly architects, structural
engineers and manufacturers.
● To ensure affordability through prefabrication, increased production
volume is required.
● Initial costs for construction are higher.
● The initial production of designs is time-consuming.
 ● Large prefabricated parts require heavy-duty cranes and measurement
of precision from handling to position on site.

Companies like NCL Industries, Loom Crafts, Woodbarn India are offering pre-
fabricated housing solutions. Globally, Burj Khalifa and Sydney opera are
leading examples of this technology. With this technology, a house are often
built in 2-3 hours, or a faculty in just 30 to 60 days. Meitra Hospital in Kerala is that
the first fully prefabricated hospital in India. Lulu Mall, in Lucknow, is being built
with the pre-fabricated construction materials.

Pre-fabricated Houses in Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

Monolithic reinforced concrete construction system
The last technology that must be discussed is the monolithic reinforced concrete
construction system. The Monolithic construction technology is a type of
construction technology which allows constructing houses and tall structure
rapidly. It increases the speed of construction by using a special type of
formwork like tunnel formwork.
This technique is a popular and widely recognized as a practical and low-cost
solution to effective housing on a mass scale. this technique allows the
contractor to cast foundations, walls, ceilings consistent with a pre-defined
cycle. Recently, the Central structure Department has decided to adopt
monolithic construction technology for all projects above INR 100 crore. This is
able to ensure less manual intervention and elimination of entire plastering.
Advantages of Monolithic Construction
● Allow speedy Construction.
● It helps to fill the gap between the demand and supply of housing quickly.
Provide a speedier solution to the housing shortage.
● This technology helps to optimize the cost & time of project.
● The structure was constructed by optimal use of time, money, and
building material.
● It provides a disaster-resistant structure.
● In this technology, No need for any type of bricks, blocks, and plastering
work.
● The thickness of walls is less due to that we get more plinth area and
carpet area.
● The durability and quality of Monolithic construction are very high as
compared to normal construction.
● The monolithic construction was Fast and lightweight.

Disadvantages of Monolithic Construction

● Require Skilled & Semi-skilled laborers.

● Required a few days of training for workers.
● Repair and maintenance of monolithic construction are difficult.
● The thermal radiation is more.
● High Initial Investment
 ● Required Special type of Formwork like Tunnel Formwork.

Currently, this technology is getting used in EWS housing projects in Karnataka,

Andhra Pradesh , Odisha and Maharashtra.

EWS housing societies in Karnataka

The 448 Houses were constructed in 5 Acre land with the help of this technology
at Sathagally Behind VTU Regional office Mysore. There 14 (G+3 Storey) blocks
were constructed. Each block includes 34 houses And the cost of this project is
around 1350 lakh.

Monolithic Construction in Mysore, India

MIVAN Construction Technology
Mivan technology, also better known as Mivan shuttering. This system is same as
wooden formwork but using aluminium instead of wood to act as a mould into
which concrete is poured. It is also called an aluminum formwork system.The
concept became popular when the Indian government announced its scheme
housing for all by 2020.Aluminium being more durable, resistant to seismic
activity, reducing construction time, and adding that smooth finish at a low cost
makes it a popular choice.

Advantages

● highly durable & earthquake resistant

● low maintenance
● higher carpet area
● panels can be reused upto 250 items

Disadvantages

● finishing lines will be visible

● no room for alterations or modifications
● requires uniform planning to reduce costs and alterations
● prone to visible cracks which can be avoided if precautions are taken.
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