At a time when the spotlight is back on road conditions in Kerala, experts have called for the adoption of sustainable, durable and innovative technologies in the construction sector.
Addressing the two-day National Conference on Resilient Infrastructure (NCRI 2022) organised by the Kerala Highway Research Institute (KHRI) and IIT-Palakkad, they underscored the need to boost efficiency in construction to meet growth requirements and suitability targets. Emphasis was also laid on effective recycling of construction materials to reduce costs and impact on natural resources.
The construction sector needs to look at technologies such as pre-casting, 3-D printed concrete buildings, and Building Information Modelling (BIM), N. Raghavan, from IIT-Madras, said. The adoption of concepts like 'lean construction,' a management method that sought to minimise waste at every stage, could maximise benefits, according to him.
Pre-cast concrete pavements, for instance, had the advantages of faster and higher quality construction and durability, while being eco-friendly and requiring less maintenance, he said.
Minister for Public Works P. A. Mohamed Riyas released the Guidelines for Durability Design and Performance Specifications for Reinforced Concrete Structures, prepared by IIT-Madras for the KHRI, an agency under the PWD, on the occasion.
Manu Santhanam, Dean, Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR), IIT-Madras, one of the authors of the report, stressed the importance of identifying durability parameters and test methods for a given environment in construction projects. He also called for effective recycling of construction and demolition waste to reduce costs.
Radhakrishna G. Pillai of IIT Madras and Huygheen Albert, Chief Engineer (Design), PWD, also spoke.
