In a first, units under the 2BHK housing scheme of Telangana government will be completed in 40 days flat when compared to 150 days it used to take previously. GHMC said the tunnel form construction technology — under which a 10-storeyed building can be raised in 40 days — is being adopted now to build 2BHK houses at Rampally village in Keesara mandal.
According to experts and builders, if an S+10 tower has to be raised in the traditional construction method, it would take not less than five months. OSD (housing), GHMC, K Suresh Kumar said tunnel form technique is a system that facilitates the casting of walls and slabs in one operation. “One floor can be completed in 30-40 hours under this technique. A tower of 10 floors can be finished within 40 days,” explained Suresh Kumar.
In a statement, GHMC said the structures would be robust and earthquake-resistant. “This type of technology is being adopted for the first time in a government scheme,” it added.
When contacted, GHMC officials said this technology was being used only after seeking approval of IIT-Hyderabad professors, experts and a special committee consisting of engineers from the Telangana State Housing Corporation Ltd and GHMC.
After casting three walls and the slab in one go, the fourth wall is built in the traditional manner. In Rampally, the fourth wall was built using brick, cement and beams. While building the towers, a pre-cast staircase was used.
More than 6,000 units being built in 52 towers
Even if the technology is all about pre-cast construction, it helps raise structures quickly if concrete filling (making of walls and slab) is taken up on site,” explained SP Anchuri, vicepresident (south), Structural Engineers World Congress.
Officials said 6,240 such units were being built in 52 towers in an area spread over 41 acres. A flagship scheme of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, construction of each 2BHK flat cost Rs 7.90 lakh and with Rs 75,000 on amenities, the total cost of the flat came to Rs 8.65 lakh.
While construction of the towers has almost been completed, work on amenities such as water supply, laying of roads, electricity connection and sewage treatment plant is in progress.
