Here's why dry construction technique is gaining popularity

 What is Dry Construction Technique?

By definition, Dry Construction Technique (DCT) is the utilization of innovation to reduce the use of water and the impact of real estate on the environment.

DCT involves lightweight construction of interior walls, ceilings and floors, using plastered or microfiber board that is joined at the time of installing.

Apart from dry wall and ceiling, the façade isalso done with Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP) instead of brickwork and plaster. This is a signature technique being followed in Panchshil projects like Yoopune (by Philippe Starck) and Panchshil Towers.

DCT is 8-10 times lighter than the traditional brick and cement work and allows up to 70 percent saving of construction time. The width of the wall constructed with DCT is only 80 mm in comparison to the 200 mm standard walls made of brick, leading to an increase of the carpet area in the process.

Water Conservation using Dry Construction Technique

For large-scale Panchshil projects, most of the development area is covered by a network of roads made with ‘paving blocks’. These blocks are fixed on dry crush sand, which do not require the use of water.

Moreover, during monsoons, paving blocks allow rain-water to percolate into the ground, which ultimately increases the ground water table.

When it comes to the use of concrete, Panchshil has used Curing Compounds (*an alternative way of curing the fresh concrete) in its prestigious projects like Trump Towers (Kalyani Nagar), the Pavilion (SB Road) and Panchshil Towers (Kharadi). The latter is well on its way to become India’s most technologically advanced residential project that uses high-end plasticizers and reduces the water-cement ratio, and has succeeded in saving nearly a million liters of water so far!

 Light-weight Dry Construction Technique

Light-weight DCT originated from a need to minimize the mass without compromising on the structural strength. Its growing use is primarily owed to its advantages such as shorter construction timelines, good economics, better building mechanics, superior sound insulation and fire-protection. Some of its other benefits include ease of repairs, renovation and maintenance.

Unlike the traditional method, light-weight DCT generates minimum construction waste. It also helps to preserve room temperature and provides energy efficiency. Incidentally, most of Panchshil projects have been awarded Platinum and Gold LEED certification.

Panchshil today is India’s number one brand in commercial realty, construction technology, and international branded residences.

Future of Dry Construction Technique

Globally, DCT is projected to become a USD 79.08 Billion market by 2020 (Markets & Markets 2015), growing at a pace of 5.3 percent YoY (Research & Reports 2015).  However, most of the growth is now expected to come from India and China.

With increasing commitment to sustainability in all aspects of construction, ‘green’ dry construction technology involving re-manufacturing, durability, low-maintenance, recycling and reuse is touted to be the future of DCT best practices in India.

(The author is the Executive Vice President for Construction with Panchshil Realty)