Gone are the days when we used to rely on incompetent construction processes, which used to be highly time & cost consuming and high on material & maintenance. The future of construction belongs to futuristic technologies such as prefabrication, which prove to be superior to conventional construction techniques in all the realms.

Across the world, prefabrication and Pre-Engineered Buildings (PEB) have been a significant part of the metamorphosis of the construction industry. The offsite construction and onsite assembly models have been prevalent in many developed countries in Europe, South-East Asia, and across the USA and Canada. Developing countries are also increasingly recognizing the benefits of prefab construction, mainly when construction requires speed and larger construction volumes. In India, prefab technology is currently used to construct commercial buildings and a few government housing projects. There is a massive potential for prefab construction in the Indian market. Using steel structures and precast concrete building components helps the clients achieve streamlined construction and a higher RoI.

THE ALLIED ADVANTAGES

Besides being technologically advanced and being future-ready construction methodology, prefab buildings are great alternatives for construction companies due to their inherent advantages. Let’s look at some of those promising aspects that hold the future of construction in India…

Cost-effective: Prefabrication is one of the most cost-competitive technologies of construction as it enhances savings on the three most critical aspects – Material, Labor, and Time. Prefab or pre-engineered building manufacturers undertake precise planning, constant monitoring, and accurate measurements during the offsite construction and the onsite assembly of the build structures. Construction can be completed much more quickly than the conventional method because of the time saved due to parallel completion of various structural elements at the offsite location and the reduction in the delays due to scheduling, labor, and weather fluctuations. Prefab construction also results in the enhanced human spirit, which increases output, enhanced levels of dominance, clarity and accuracy, and a superior monitoring mechanism to reduce fatigue. As these buildings are prefabricated in a controlled factory environment, there is negligible wastage of materials resources.

Schedule: Prefabrication construction schedules are pre-planned and are independent of each others’ work completion schedules as they are performed offsite. This way, construction companies can achieve time savings by employing simultaneous production techniques. It takes almost 50% less time for the building to be complete than a traditionally constructed building. There are very few chances of deviations in the schedule because the individual units’ casting is carried out in a controlled environment that cannot be affected by climate, causing delays.

Quality: The Quality of Production and Design are the two most vital parameters considered in the construction industry. Prefabrication technology enhances the precision of the products and allows superior control over each aspect of quality. Prefab construction is commenced after comprehensive planning, and the designs provide flexibility to incorporate changes in case a discrepancy is observed at any stage of the construction process. The materials used for prefab construction are of high quality, and most of the production process is completed offsite under quality-controlled conditions. This is reflected in the superior quality of the finished buildings.

Energy Efficiency: Prefab buildings hold great potential in incorporating energy-efficient systems, such as energy-efficient glass, geothermal systems, solar panels, and other green features. Some research estimates highlight that prefab construction can reduce energy consumption during the building process by around 67%.

Safety: Prefabrication involving steel, precast concrete, light gauge steel framing, and RCC provide customization and solid strength to the building. The quality control offered by offsite construction and with the stringent checks and regulations in place, prefab construction ensures that errors are minimized, and the safety of the finished build is of the highest standards. The structured factory environment also protects the built components from problems arising due to moisture and environmental factors and ensures the safety of the workers.

Sustainability: Prefab construction using steel structures and panels minimize the use of wood, soil, rocks, and other scarce natural resources. The offsite construction of structures helps to reduce emissions. Less transportation is involved since the structures can be brought over together or in fewer trips. Also, the use of exact measurements ensures that raw material wastage is reduced during offsite construction. The most significant advantage of prefab is that the prefabricated steel buildings have 100% salvage value at any time. For instance, the overall average end-of-life recovery rate for steel from buildings in the UK has been estimated to be 96%. Every ton of scrap recovered substitutes one ton of primary steelmaking. This process can be performed several times without compromising on properties or performance of the steel.

STEELION’S INNOVATION IN PREFAB CONSTRUCTION

Over the next few years, India is set to become one of the world’s fastest-growing countries in construction output, driven by technological interventions. There is a massive opportunity for prefab companies in India, and this is where Steelion aims to position itself as the leader in prefab construction technology. Armed with decades of experience in bringing new age construction technologies to the Indian market, Steelion is poised to script the next growth story in new age construction. As pioneers of transformation in the industrial and residential real estate sector in South India, each of our projects is unique, with a distinctive approach based on client requirements and focused on their satisfaction.

Our next-generation state-of-the-art Hybrid Composite Prefab Technology (HCT) combines the construction systems of prefabricated steel, precast concrete, light gauge steel framing, and RCC casting in-site. This allows us to customize solutions for our clients for their projects’ specific technical requirements – increased fire and seismic performance, improved thermal and noise insulation, better flexibility for building modifications and renovations, achieving higher spans, reduced structural member sizes, and increased usable spaces.