high-rise building

high-rise building, also called high-rise,  multistory building tall enough to require the use of a system of mechanical vertical transportation such as elevators. The skyscraper is a very tall high-rise building.
The first high-rise buildings were constructed in the United States in the 1880s. They arose in urban areas where increased land prices and great population densities created a demand for buildings that rose vertically rather than spread horizontally, thus occupying less precious land area. High-rise buildings were made practicable by the use of steel structural frames and glass exterior sheathing. By the mid-20th century, such buildings had become a standard feature of the architectural landscape in most countries in the world.
The foundations of high-rise buildings must sometimes support very heavy gravity loads, and they usually consist of concrete piers, piles, or caissons that are sunk into the ground. Beds of solid rock are the most desirable base, but ways have been found to distribute loads evenly even on relatively soft ground. The most important factor in the design of high-rise buildings, however, is the building’s need to withstand the lateral forces imposed by winds and potential earthquakes. Most high-rises have frames made of steel or steel and concrete. Their frames are constructed of columns (vertical-support members) and beams (horizontal-support members). Cross-bracing or shear walls may be used to provide a structural frame with greater lateral rigidity in order to withstand wind stresses. Even more stable frames use closely spaced columns at the building’s perimeter, or they use the bundled-tube system, in which a number of framing tubes are bundled together to form exceptionally rigid columns.
High-rise buildings are enclosed by curtain walls; these are non-load-bearing sheets of glass, masonry, stone, or metal that are affixed to the building’s frame through a series of vertical and horizontal members called mullions and muntins.
The principal means of vertical transport in a high-rise is the elevator. It is moved by an electric motor that raises or lowers the cab in a vertical shaft by means of wire ropes. Each elevator cab is also engaged by vertical guide tracks and has a flexible electric cable connected to it that provides power for lighting, door operation, and signal transmission.
Because of their height and their large occupant populations, high-rises require the careful provision of life-safety systems. Fire-prevention standards should be strict, and provisions for adequate means of egress in case of fire, power failure, or other accident should be provided. Although originally designed for commercial purposes, many high-rises are now planned for multiple uses. The combination of office, residential, retail, and hotel space is common

New construction technology – boon or bust?

As India’s construction industry globalises and gets ‘in sync’ with international trends and technology, the challenges that Indian construction faces are simple: how to ensure construction happens with speed, strength and savings. As Indian infrastructure and construction work on contracts overseas, they have been using newer technology to provide their global clients with worldclass construction. How do we ensure the same norms, the same technology gets adopted in India too?  Consider the current situation, says Sunil Mantri, President, Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI), traditional construction meant we used to take everything in stride. Wastage of time, money and material were a given, there were issues with skilled labour as also poor material management. “One needs to actually save money and time while getting worldclass quality,” informs Mantri. “The use of latest technology and equipments coupled with new construction materials helps reduce the construction time and wastage of materials is also controlled, this helps in the completion of the projects on time,’’ says Ashok Chajjer, Chairman, Arihant Superstructures Ltd. Adoption of new construction technology results in faster and better quality of construction, cost reduction, low maintenance and cleaner buildings. “Construction using the latest construction technology results in faster completion of the project and also brings down the cost of construction,’’ he says, adding that the Government should incentivise developers who buy these hi-tech equipments so that they can finish a project faster. This year’s budget has given impetus on green technologies, which may help achieve this goal, says Ashok Kumar, Country Head of Global Property Consultants Cressa Partners. ‘’Effectively integrating low-cost technologies within the construction framework to maximize returns, and updating advancements in technologies to upgrade the existing systems for higher output, that’s ideal for Indian Construction to be in sync with global trends,’’ he suggests. We need to look at China, to understand how new technology helps, says Sangeet H Kumar, CEO of 1stMumbaiProperties. He feels that ideally, construction in India should follow the China example, where technology has played an important part in building affordable homes. From theory to actual implementation, and validation of the concept that global technology and new materials actually helps build faster, better and safer comes from Aasif Khan, MD of Fabtech Sterling. “There are some issues that are a problem for the construction industry in India, these include buildings that collapse, buildings that develop cracks or suffer from leakage or seepage or have paint peeling off. This happens at times because of shoddy, cornercutting methods of construction.’’ Khan’s company has brought into the Indian construction space Plaswall Building System of Construction, which he describes as an innovative building option. ‘’It enables quick installation, effectively reducing construction time by almost one-third as compared to traditional methods.’’ Khan says Plaswall provides perfect resistance against heat and water, and structures made from Plaswall are far stronger and durable than traditional brick-n-mortar construction. “It is totally crack and leak-proof and requires no maintenance even after several years. Efficient to install and construct, it effectively increases site production by as much as 300 per cent,’’ he adds. So, will adoption of new construction technology actually bring in speed, strength and savings? Aasif Khan says the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. “When new construction technologies such as this are adopted by Indian construction, these aspects will become a reality.’’

A floor completed in just three days: New reality of Indian realty

With quick and timely delivery a selling point, developers take to newer construction methods.
It’s a race among real estate developers to complete a floor quicker than the rest. With timely delivery of projects turning into a selling point, innovative technology is being put to use by realtors like never before.

Raheja Developers, which recently tied up with Dubai-based Arabtec Constructions, would be using a combination of various technologies for three highrise residential projects in Gurgaon and Delhi. Expected to be the tallest tower in Gurgaon, the construction of a 60-floor Raheja Revanta will involve using three major techniques, ‘slip form construction’, ‘pre-fabricated construction’ and ‘dry-wall technique’.
Supertech, building an 80-floor mixed use building, Supernova, in Gurgaon, which it claims would be the tallest in the country, will be using a jump-form or slip form technology imported from Australia. Raheja Developers’ Director Nayan Raheja said slip form construction would enable them to build a floor in just three to four days, as against 15 days using traditional technology. “Slip form will take only one fifth of the time of what the traditional technique takes,” he said.
Concrete is poured into a continuously moving form that enables continuous, non-interrupted, cast-in-place “flawless” (no joints) structures, which have superior performance characteristics versus piecewise construction using discrete form elements.
R K Arora, chairman and managing director, Supertech, told Business Standard, the technique would help them do a floor in just seven days. Pre-fabricated construction includes doing electrical and plumbing work at the stage of casting RCC (reinforced cement concrete) on ground, which developers are starting to use these days. It is expected to cut construction time by more than half, Arora said.
“However, it has its disadvantage,” said Raheja. “As plumbing and electrical work can’t be changed at a later stage, we have to be very careful.” Yet, prefabricated construction is gaining pace in India, with many developers going for it.
“Developers are using steel frames to build a structure and then to do the interiors with prefabricated structures,” said Samarjit Singh, CEO, Agni Properties.
A dry-wall technique involves constructing interior walls, ceilings and floors through plastered or microfibre board, joined during the installation. Apart from offering sound control, dry-wall construction can also make an interior space fire-resistant and damp-resistant.
“A dry-wall technique is easier, faster and more economical compared to the traditional technique of hand plastering,” Raheja said.
Arora, however, calls the dry-wall technique an expensive one in India at the moment, as it involves sound proofing, which is not economical. “However, it definitely ensures quick completion of projects,” he said.
Raheja says construction techniques in India are nearly 20 years behind the Western world. “In the West, clay brick is out of construction; in India, we still use it.” He said innovative construction techniques would also add 10 per cent to construction cost.
Supertech has a business development department which keeps a watch on innovation and construction techniques around the world.
Anshuman Magazine, chairman and managing director, CB Richard Ellis (South Asia), said developers in India are importing advanced construction technology in order to maintain competitive edge in the market.
“Today, customers’ focus is on who delivers the project on time, which has become a selling point for the developers.” Also, a lot of highrise buildings are coming up, where one can’t do without the use of technology.
Singh said with the focus also shifting towards affordable housings, developers are cutting costs using improved and innovative construction techniques for quicker completion.
“Jerry Rao’s VBHC, an affordable housing project in Bangalore, is also focusing on using technology to build affordable homes at Rs four to six lakh, while promising delivery within six months from starting construction”.
Singh believes that the use of technology will only grow in the coming years, letting developers complete projects in just three to four months.

Foam Roofing Is An Example Of A Modern Day Construction Technique

Modern construction has given a lot of new techniques to make the construction easy and fast. The old methods are not used because they take more time and also they involve many different kinds of materials that have to be collected and then used but in the modern way of construction you have not to do all that because all the materials has been gathered at a single place and they can be used in construction. Foam roofing is an example of a modern day construction technique that is used to make permanent roofs and they are like other roofs that protect you from the outer environment and it is much easier to construct it and maintain it. Mostly it is used in the places where the building consists of many stories and all of them are used by independent companies so all of the companies design the offices according to their needs and they use foam roofing to cover their roof area and after that they decorate it with the ceiling that they want.

It is also used a resistance against the temperature control as it does not absorb and heat or it does not get cold in the winters. It saves a lot of energy that is used to make the place hot or cold as the environment that has a foam roof it does get affected by the temperature directly. This feature of foam roof can be said the most important for that much use. Foam roofing is constructed by the use of chemicals of different kinds and they are mixed in a special proportion and after that it is sprayed like a liquid over a place is sprayed and as it is exposed to the air it starts to free and expand with time to its standard size. It is a tough material that does not getdamaged so easily and it can also bear the load. As the time passes it remains the same and it doesn't affect a lot of anything because the chemical agents that are used in its making are not too much reactive to the natural environment. That is the reason it can stay in its place for a long time.

It can be used in every kind of environment and it is also used to cover large roof areas so that they can be made temperature resistant. Everything needs a replacement with new but it is not the case with foam roofing because it has no need to be replaced. Most of the time foam roofing remains as it is for years and even for decades but if due to some reasons it has to be changed there is no need of changing it completely because you only have to remove the part that has the problem and after that you can spray at that place carefully so that you can have your place covered by foam roof. This is an easy way and is in use for a long time and with the development it is getting better and better