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Shortage of housing has been one of the most enduring problems faced by India. It is starkly evident by the fact that about 13.7 million households have been identified as living in slums by the census 2011 report. This problem has been growing exponentially with a growing population and increasing urbanization. Reports indicated that by 2031, about 600 million people will live in cities. To cater to the housing scarcity, the government of India launched the Housing for All scheme in 2015 with an aim to provide low-cost affordable housing to urban poor. It is proposed to build twenty million houses for the urban poor by the year 2022 under this scheme.

The massive housing deficit, highlighted by the problem of affordability cannot be tackled through conventional technology utilized in the construction industry. Emerging technologies will play a vital role in the effective implementation of policies like Housing for All. Precast Concrete Construction is one such emerging technology in India that can play a pivotal role. It provides a way to design and construct a sufficient number of suitable homes to meet the housing demand in a reasonable timeframe and at a reasonable cost. In the past, some of the developed countries have successfully met similar huge housing demands by adopting Precast Concrete Construction technology.

Precast Concrete Construction (PCC) technology.

  Precast concrete construction has evolved over the past five decades towards a flexible building technology that is used in many infrastructure projects and building projects throughout the world. The precast technology involves the manufacturing of different components of construction in a controlled environment such as a factory and delivering them to the site for erection and assembly. For a building, the precast components can include elements such as columns and beams, floor slabs, in-filled walls, bathrooms, and staircases, etc. These building components are manufactured under a controlled environment in a specific factory setting and subsequently transported and installed at the project site. Precast elements can be manufactured offsite as well as onsite.  

A building can be fully or partially precast, depending on the local construction conditions and requirements. Demands for precast connection types vary among different precast products, local building conditions, occupancy requirements, and loads.

Advantages of PCC technology   

Compared to the traditional cast-in-situ method, the use of precast concrete technology in construction has numerous advantages. As the precast elements are produced in a factory, the better quality of concrete can be achieved because of the controlled environment. The precast mode of construction has a lesser dependency on the labor force compared to a conventional technique which helps in minimizing the disarray in coordination, scheduling, and sequencing of the project. There is no need for curing on site after the assembly of members because the members are cured in a factory for the desired duration. The cost of the formwork is eliminated by using precast which can result in savings. Cost to carry out post concrete repairs can be eliminated by using precast members. Precast also enhances occupational health and safety as minimum operational risks are involved. Its use can lead to significant wastage reduction at the site because on-site construction activities are minimized.  Through effective planning and design, the material quantity required for doing the same construction can be reduced by using precast technology. This can be compounded by the fact that it helps in waste reduction making precast a more sustainable and environment-friendly technology for construction. The biggest advantage of precast is that it accelerates the construction process thereby reducing the duration of the project.  

With precast technology design possibilities are multiple with architecturally designed openings, balconies, and filigree elements, which, by the way, also provide ventilation in hot areas. A large variation in building outlooks and proven solutions ensure that an area designed using precast can provide a lively and affordable neighborhood with housing, services, and infrastructure. Precast concrete technology and design open a myriad of possibilities for spatial planning of urban environments and make it possible to manage even mega housing projects with highly competitive costs and schedules. 

(ii) Precast hollow concrete panels.

(iii) Precast RB panels.

(iv) Precast RB curved panels.

(v) Precast concrete/ferrocement panels.

(vi) Precast RC channel units. 

Hollow-core slab, one of the most common precast products, is a versatile prestressed concrete element typically used in floor construction in multi-story buildings. The weight is only 50 to 60 percent of a solid slab. The hollow-core slab is one of the most sustainable construction materials, enabling savings in concrete, cement and reinforcements. Concrete is used only where it is actually needed. The slabs meet the strict requirements for airborne sound transmission.