Construction & Building Material mgt.
By Mahesh Mudda
Compared to other branches of engineering, civil engineering has seen relatively lesser advances in both methods of construction as well as the building material that goes into its construction. If we have to track these changes from the medieval ages then the changes are major but compare it with advances in last 50 years with other technologies, then one notices that the changes are more in the methods of construction and in finishing material than in basic civil construction of shell and superstructure. One of the major reasons for this is the form factor of residences, commercial and industrial buildings which has more or less remained the same in last 50 years.
Methods of construction that have seen change in the last 50 years and also the building materials that have seen transformation have been brought about with three basic objectives in mind – like motto of Olympics.
To make it stronger
To make it cheaper
To make it faster
These objectives apply to both infrastructure projects as well as residential and commercial projects.
While the basic material used in infrastructure projects have remained more or less the same i.e. Cement, Steel, Brick and Blocks and Cement Mortar – the machineries that are used in infrastructure projects like Bridges, Dams, Canals, Tunnels have seen complete transformation – from simple ‘lever on fulcrum’ to sophisticated computer aided construction machineries like Horizontal Boring machines, Giant gantry and boom cranes, Concrete cutters, Concrete mixers and pumps, heavy earth moving machineries etc.
These sophisticated machineries very ably handled by skilled hands have made the task of building these mammoth structures relatively easy.
However in my opinion a tiny electronic gadget used extensively in modern construction of infra projects is the star performer. This handheld gadget called ‘GPS Receiver’ has made building the task of these mammoth structures not only easy but also more accurate.
Who can forget that scene of British & French Engineers shaking hands hundreds of feet below the sea in a tunnel where boring by horizontal boring machines started simultaneously from the two opposite ends of English Channel. This accuracy was the result of GPS aided construction machinery.
Similarly who can forget the scene of huge 100+ metre span of a bridge accurately rested on the columns by lifting it from the water surface instead of lowering it from the crane – just because there did not exist the crane big enough to lift it. This again was the result of sophisticated GPS equipment coupled with state of the art scientific prediction about the tide timings that aided lifting these spans.
Without the assistance of sophisticated computers, simulators and matching state of the art computer programs, man would not achieve what he has today and what we generally refer to as modern day miracles in civil engineering.
Modern day research in concrete has one single objective in mind – achieve higher compression strength with same ingredients and with lesser cost. This direction has led to researchers achieving higher compressive strength by lowering the temperature (sub zero) of the concrete mix. If and when this technology becomes commercially available, it will certainly lead to taller and stronger buildings at lesser cost. This is a big plus for construction industry.
Similarly addition of Carbon and Glass fibres in the concrete mix increases its strength and improves the possibility of reducing the use of steel in reinforcements is also becoming a commercially viable reality – albeit at higher cost right now.
Epoxy coating of reinforcement steel which was thought to be a fancy just a decade back is now becoming a reality – especially in areas with high salinity. People have already started using stainless steel for concrete reinforcements in some high end residential high rise buildings.
A lot has already been written about the advances in use of ‘building materials’ that go in finishes like flooring, ceiling, electricals, plumbing, HVAC and building automation and management systems. However, I thought about touching on those aspects which I feel is the future of construction industry.
We are already witness to the phenomenon of all Steel and Glass structures and with these fast changing construction methodologies, we may be opening for ourselves vast opportunities that will fulfil dream of ‘Sujalam, Sufalam India where there is ‘Makan’ for every Indian in addition to ‘Roti and Kapada’.
(Writer of this article is ex. Chairman of Builders Association of India – Mumbai Centre, and Executive Director and CEO of New Consolidated Construction Co. Ltd. – A Mumbai based Construction Company of Jasdanwalla Group.)
