The International Construction Expo which was held by the Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka in Colombo last week showcased several new systems of construction.
Catering to all aspects of the industry, the main thrust of the Expo was on what is now available in terms of both of both materials, equipment and services. With the oncoming boom it is expected the construction industry is gearing up to face the challenges it will bring in terms of time efficient construction, the organisers said.
In the sector of construction Ms. Micro Constructions (PTE) Ltd has introduced its Insulated Load Bearing Structural Panel Technology. Here panels and certain sections required are pre cast at another location and assembled on site. Compared with traditional building methods of brick and block this system gives several advantages. As all components such as walls, slabs, roof, stairways, curved surfaces and columns are easily fabricated construction can be completed in a very short time.
Speaking to the Business Times, Chaminda William Co-ordinations and Production Manager , Micro Constructions (Pte) Ltd said, “The saving is in terms of labour cost, wastage of material and time taken for construction is considerable. The cost saving on this system on average is projected around 25 %. Among the other advantages of the precast system is the flexibility of the stages of construction. Houses can be put up in stages by adding sections at a time.
This is particularly advantages to the lower income groups who wish to construct in stages. The precast panels are more load bearing, soundproof and stronger than the conventional brick and hollow blocks. The advantage of low construction time and labour utilization also generates large cost savings. Several small houses, luxury houses, apartments and commercial buildings have been constructed in Sri Lanka in this new format.”
Among the foreign participants was Staldom Co. Ltd of Russia which specializes in the construction of buildings with steel frames. Its Director Sergey Kamynin said that “steel was chosen as the material of choice as the prices from steel was stable and the same all over the world. Steel is also very long lasting and easy to handle. With our system of construction a small house of 500 sq ft could be put up and completed in a day. This however did not mean that this system could not be applied to larger buildings. But the true economy of this type of construction is when the number of same type units increase”.
He said this system of housing is widely used in both Europe and Russia now as the advantage of time taken for construction is very short. “When the time taken for construction is short this translates into being able to handle more projects at any given period of time. Also unlike traditional materials such as bricks the outer paneling can take any colour or texture. This is another advantage in this system of construction” he said.
Speaking of the costs, Mr Kamynin said that if Staldom Co. Ltd had to build here in Sri Lanka as a foreign company the duties would make the project prohibitive. “But we are looking for a local partner to set up a factory to turn out the required steel components here. This would drastically cut costs andalso create employment, ” he said. |
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