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With new solutions for the country’s high-paced growth being found in the use of structural steel, Elizabeth Thomas delves into the virtues of the alloy and examines how sustainable it can be in the Indian context.
With its over 1.1 billion population growing at a rate of 2.1% per annum and a GDP that showed no signs of fatigue even during recession, it is about time India looked at materials and technology that are not just a means to construct four walls and a roof. The challenge is to find solutions to address the future demand for housing.
That is where steel as a construction material gains importance. While it is increasingly being recognised as a smart and viable option for residential housing throughout the world, India has been quite reluctant to trust steel – until recently. Geographically placed in a tropical climate, where the height of summer temperatures can rise to 45o Celsius, constructing a steel apartment block may seem insane.
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But an award-winning building design from the UK-based architecture firm of designer Piercy Conner for the West Bangor city of Kolkata dispels many doubts with its sustainable project for the masses.
Called SymHomes Mk1, the design used steel for cladding and shuttering as well as for the internal structure. The winning entry of The Living Steel International Architecture competition in 2005, it also won the MIPIM AR Future Project Sustainability Award in 2007.
Could this be an answer to the swift urbanisation process taking place in Indian cities? Whether it is or not, it’s an indication of things to come, as there is remarkable potential for steel in the Indian market.
Frame of preference
Steel is a versatile and reliable building material. Unlike in the 19th century, when it could not be mass-produced, it is now accepted worldwide as one of the most reasonably-priced building materials. Globally, steel is by far the most frequently used metal building material. And with the number of skyscrapers mushrooming in densely-populated developed cities, structural steel is among the most-sought-after solutions.
“The project and construction segment, which includes the real estate sector, is second only to the agriculture sector in terms of its share of GDP and employment generation. Almost five per cent of the country’s GDP is contributed to by the housing sector. In the next five years, this is expected to rise to 6%,” says Vinod Mittal, vice chairman and managing director, Ispat Industries.
According to estimates of the 11th Five Year Plan, there is a shortage of 26.53 million dwelling units, including the backlog. Thus, over the next 10 to 15 years, even by estimates given by the 10th Five Year Plan, 80 to 90 million dwelling units will have to be constructed – with a majority of them catering to middle- and lower-income groups.
Apart from this huge demand, India also scores high on the construction front. A McKinsey report reveals that the average profit from construction in India is 18 per cent, which is double the profitability for a construction project undertaken in the USA.
With this background and with the recent ongoing growth of steel in construction, the future scenario is robust for the steel industry.
“Steel has entered the high-rise commercial buildings sector as the main structure along with glass facades. Technically speaking, structural steel finds its advantages where spans are large – for example, in the case of airports,” says Sushim Banerjee, director general, INSDAG. He lists a number of qualities that make steel the building material of choice – among them “economical, safe, flexible and elegant.”
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COMMENT
Picture #3 reminds me of elders finding appreciation in this piece.If a tourist can stay in something that "residents li