3-D Concrete Printing Technology for Future Homes In India

• @kw
• 29 Jul 2020

There is going to be a revolutionary change in the construction process in Real Estate Sector. The advent of 3 D concrete printing technologies which has picked up the market in some countries is still in the nascent stage in India but due to huge requirement for low cost housing, 3 D concrete technology is the future of Indian real estate sector. This amazing technology will bring down the construction cost considerably and also reduce the construction time phenomenally. The Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojna project can benefit a lot by adopting the 3-D concrete printing Technology to provide low cost accommodation. However some policy reforms are required to adopt to this newer technology in construction. The first 3-D concrete printed home was made of 295.5 Sq. meters where outer walls of the building were printed by a company SPECAVIA in Russia.

India has world’s largest slum in the urban areas and the housing problem is going to escalate further as it is expected to be the most populated country by 2024 in the world. These slums have very poor sewage, water or electricity conditions. It is extremely important to re-think about the restructuring of urban slums to make them better place to live with dignity. Concrete 3 D-Printing might be able to alleviate these issues but the adoption of new technologies relies heavily on its profitability and sustainability in the market, especially in a highly competitive industry such as construction. It may be noted that Dubai which is known for superior construction technology has recently announced to adopt 3-D concrete printing for at least its quarter of its homes by 2025 to save huge cost of construction due to automated approach.

In India we are much depended on skilled construction laborers as much work is done manually as a traditional practice -– a category already scarce in availability. We need to adopt new technologies to meet the huge housing shortage. The modern technology requires unskilled labour input available in abundance. The highly mechanized approach involves investment in fixed Capital but in long run based on economy of scale  the ROI ( Returns of Investment) is very high which is essential for Indian housing ecosystem. To adopt a new technology takes its own time as the builders will see their salability and profits and the cycle time. An initiation is much needed to be undertaken in Government housing projects and also large construction companies to accelerate the use of 3-D Technology in Real Estate Construction sector. Once this technology gains popularity, real estate developers will start comparing with conventional methods to evaluate benefits.

We also need to think about sustainability concerning social issues which includes economic and environmental impacts. It is a matter of great concern that the traditional method of construction requires burnt clay bricks as primary raw material for housing activity. Brick making consumes fertile topsoil from agricultural fields making these unfit for cultivation for many years. Moreover, baking of bricks consumes energy and burning coal emits unhealthy smoke and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is therefore imperative that we must look for and develop alternative materials, which are energy efficient and more environment–friendly. Large scale application must be encouraged for semi-mechanized and mechanized systems using 3-D concrete printing technology. These would provide faster, durable, economical dwellings deploying limited unskilled inputs. Use of prefabrication technology or ready-made building components in traditional constructions can also help.