Advantages of GFRG Technology for Real Estate Industry

• @kw
• 10 Aug 2020

Real Estate Industry is facing scarcity and increase in the cost of construction material which is having a spiraling effect on sale price of constructed space.  As per the report of The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA), In India rural housing shortage is over 40 million units and urban shortage is around 19 million units. This requirement is for Economically Weaker (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG), which accounts for 99% of the total requirement under this category. 

IIT Madras had carried out research over a decade for developing an alternative method to reduce the cost of construction for this segment. GFRG panels are made of high quality gypsum with special glass reinforcement were first introduced in the year 1990 in Australia. This technology enables to manufacture pre-fabricated panels in the factory and use them at construction site in place of traditional brick and motor. This technology can revolutionize the construction industry by drastically reducing construction time and cost. 

Once the foundation is completed these panels are directly erected on the foundation by using cranes. Since the smoothness of the surface of this panel plastering and paintings are not required like a normal wall. The entire process requires very less time to install. This technology is still not very popular in India as the final finish does not allow very fancy architecture. There are some restrictions on plumbing and electrical work limiting its commercial attractiveness. Though it is expected that with further modernization in GFRG technology commercial aspects shall be taken care to use in affordable housing projects of PMAY and also in low cost housing project by Private Real Estate Sector.

GFRG panels raw materials are easily available and unlike normal concrete slabs does not require curing time reducing construction time and cost. India has almost 64 million tones of stockpiled gypsum waste generated at various fertilizer plants, with an addition of almost 2.5 million tones every year. Recently, the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) confirmed GFRG as a green building material.

In India the requirement of affordable housing is growing at an exponential rate and therefore it is very important to adopt to technologies which offer housing that can be built is shorter time frame and at affordable rates keeping safety at par with the traditional methods of construction. Considering the ever-growing need of houses in India, it is very important to have a technology that can be used to build houses faster and at affordable rates. Therefore, GFRG technology is a quick and affordable method to provide affordable housing to all.