Comprehensive information on construction activities in India - An article from Construction World - Nov 2004 issue

Cover Story
Building on Innovation
Will the much vaunted real-estate boom sustain itself? Will property prices bottom out across major cities? Will supply overshoot demand? CONSTRUCTION WORLD analyses these questions and more.
Techniques, procedures and tools for construction project management have evolved appreciably during the past decade. Where do Indian construction project management companies stand in terms of developing and using these innovative methods in national and international projects? CONSTRUCTION WORLD has the answers.
The Engineering and Construction Division of Larsen & Toubro (L&T-EC) has been very busy. Recent successes under its belt include a gas and crude distillation unit at Zirku Island in Abu Dhabi; an FCC regenerator and combustor, which just happens to be the world's largest regenerator, for the Reliance refinery in India; the landmark Salalah power project in Oman; and the Mumbai-Pune expressway, India's first six-lane concrete expressway built to international standards. The list is much longer, both of projects completed, and those on the anvil, in sectors like oil and gas, refinery, power, petrochemical, fertiliser, chemical plants, cement and minerals, food and pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure.
The list may be long, but the bottom line is brief and succinct: the top Indian engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies are rocking. Because they have dared to innovate, pushed themselves to go the extra mile.
The world view
With a slew of technological expertise, strategic alliances and world-class standards, the global EPC sector has reinvented itself with brilliant results. Arresting cost and time overruns is the new mantra. Besides, ecological factors have compelled EPC companies worldwide to go back to the boardroom for a comprehensive strategy on sustainable development. These days, companies across the globe have been willing to integrate their core competencies to tackle the disadvantages of the global recession. A slew of clear-cut strategies and programmes, like international alliances, collaboration and consolidation and outsourcing, are bound to provide a head start for any EPC company.
Some of the major factors that determine the success of an EPC company are:
o Customers: The customer is the king, and is aware of intense global competition and the resultant benefits accrued to him. Thus, EPC companies have to use all the technological and innovative skills at their disposal to satisfy the customer.
o Alliances: Today, no company, big or small, can afford to think in isolation. Alliances, hence, form the essence of any effective business strategy. Global alliances can achieve the businesses of scale and size to meet the tremendous global demands. In fact, the number of alliances between Asian, American and European companies, irrespective of industries, grew 30 times during the last decade, and is poised for a further boom.
o Global standards: World-class standards are the only guarantee for the survival and success of any company. The year 1947 saw the birth of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to facilitate international exchange of goods and services and usher in cooperation between intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activities across the globe. As newer standards of excellence continue to evolve, it is imperative for any country not to lose out in the race.
"Our country does have the right talent and expertise in construction project management." - TB Patel, Director - Field Operations & Administration, Jacobs H&G Pvt Ltd
"Construction involves complex, costly and risk-inherent activities that are all independent but lead to a common, final objective," says TB Patel, Director - Field Operations & Administration, Jacobs H&G Pvt Ltd. "Over the past two decades, much emphasis has been placed on tools and techniques in managing projects and with the power of the PC, a large number of sophisticated engineering, scheduling and control systems have been developed. But we must not forget that projects involve people. Melding the skills of the participants together is the single biggest determinant for the project's success. Mutual trust and adequate and timely compensation to all performance partners is a must."
"These days, the total span for executing projects is reducing," says PK Dang, General Manager - Construction & EPC, Aker Kvaerner Powergas India Ltd. "Every customer expects a project of high quality and world class construction, built in the minimum possible time. Contractors should analyse the logistic requirements of the project before accepting the contract. Vigorous follow-up actions, large scale mechanisation, selection of a resourceful contractor, use of electronic media, identifying the key and critical activities in time and proper construction supervision are the necessary tools to achieve this goal."
Getting the job done
How do Indian construction management companies ensure that projects are successfully completed in terms of timeliness, cost-effectiveness and quality? TB PATEL has some suggestions.
Older methods used for monitoring project schedules are no longer adequate for completing present-day projects in reduced duration and stiffer budgets. Some major activities need constant attention for the successful completion of projects on schedule, within budget and, needless to say, of a desired quality.
These objectives can be achieved through:
o Procurement cycle compression: Early ordering is a key to achieve shortest completion time.
o Identifying long delivery items: Procurement is the name of the game and this activity plays a key role in the success of the project.
o Delivery period reduction: It won't always be possible to procure the desired equipment from the market in the required time. One way to deal with this is to expand the database of the qualified supplier list and keep track of the latest product developments in the market.
o Innovation in construction: Construction and erection activities govern the completion period to a large extent. The emphasis today is to find new methods of construction to reduce time. Carrying out constructability studies and periodic constructability reviews ensure that construction time is reduced.
o Minimising rework: Rework is a very common phenomenon that delays completion and needs to be avoided to prevent time overruns. The majority of reworks are owing to engineering and sequential execution deficiencies. Many of these can be identified upfront with the help of constructability studies. Nowadays, engineering design output is routinely done on a 3D platform which helps to carry out clash checks and avoid rework at site.
o Cost: For the client, the main factor for the investment decision is the return on investment, and therefore pressure grows to reduce plant costs. This leads to a search for opportunities to save and avoid cost overruns.
o Change control: Although there should not be changes in the basic parameters during project implementation, changes always take place. Change management is thus important and requires a highly systemised approach to track changes and their impact on cost, schedule and quality. Timely decision-making and the authorisation of such changes is beneficial.
o Quality: The preparation of an elaborate quality plan and its implementation are now an inherent part of project execution.
Prabhakar Bhandarkar, Director - Business Development, Simon India Ltd, echoes Dang's sentiments when he says, "The successful completion of any project needs proper scheduling of parallel activities. This enables the requisite deployment of the right resources as well as tools and tackles for site activities. Advance analysis and study of logistics help in optimal movement of suitable and qualified men and in ensuring the timely availability of various types of material required at site."
The home front
These facts haven't escaped the movers and shakers of the Indian EPC sector. Apart from L&T, this elite group includes Dalal Mott MacDonald, Jacobs H&G Pvt Ltd, Toyo Engineering India Ltd, Uhde India Ltd, Chemtex Engineering of India Ltd, Simon India Ltd, Tecnimont ICB Pvt Ltd, Aker Kvaerner Powergas India Ltd, Gammon India Ltd, Valdel Engineers & Constructors Pvt Ltd, Artson Engineering Ltd, Birla Technical Services, RJ Associates (Engineers) Pvt Ltd and R L Dalal & Company Pvt Ltd, among others.
Policy Matters
To upgrade all Indian EPC companies to world-class standards, some urgent steps required from the government are:
o To permit Indian companies to partner with reputed foreign companies as a joint venture or a consortium to bid for lump sum turnkey (LSTK) projects.
o To relax pre-qualification criteria, like past experience in LSTK projects, earnest money deposit, etc, for Indian companies bidding for contracts.
o To enable Indian companies to avail of benefits on physical exports and not just deemed exports.
o To provide preferential treatment on price to Indian companies over their foreign counterparts.
o To put in place competitive bidding instead of international competitive bidding to claim deemed export benefits.
These top construction project management companies are bridging the gap with the West in terms of developing and using innovative construction project management tools and methodologies for successful and cost-effective completion of projects on time.
A major catalyst has been the Government of India's thrust on developing infrastructure facilities and attracting foreign investments. The National Highways Development Programme, comprising the const-ruction of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) and the North South East West corridor, brought a fillip to the construction industry and changed the way business was done. "I have seen the construction industry change and grow to new heights," asserts Dang. "The productivity for construction of roads and flyovers increased to a new dimension with the facility of ready-mix concrete plants available at various locations and new machinery in place." Dang commends the efforts of Indian contractors who have built such projects "more or less in time".
Apart from infrastructure projects, industrial projects have not lagged behind either. Already implemented or in the pipeline are projects are in various sectors such as petrochemicals, metallurgical, polymers and plastics, oil refining, fertilisers and industrial chemicals, power, and foods and pharmaceuticals. India has the necessary talent and expertise in construction management, according to Dang. "These projects too are being built with world-class quality and with safety norms implemented at sites," he believes.
What's more, many second hand plants and machinery are also set to be relocated and reused, depending on capacity and site-specific economics with respect to inputs and outputs. This business of relocation, re-engineering and refurbishing is expected to play a vital role in reducing cost and project schedules for more and more prospective clients in India as well as other developing countries.
Advantage India
The good news is that Indian EPC majors have not just limited themselves to national shores, but are looking across the borders. Major projects are foreseen in the Middle East, China, Africa, Vietnam, Latin America and, of course, the Asia Pacific rim countries.
Of all the above, the Gulf region is the current hotspot where the cheap availability of energy, feedstock and finance will witness a quantum jump in project activities. As Bhandarkar points out, "In the Middle East, the focus is definitely shifting to the supply of value-added intermediates as well as end products to consumers, rather than only the feedstock and raw materials as was the case in the past."
"A number of Indian contractors have been winning global orders and have been successful in completing their projects in time." - PK Dang, General Manager - Construction & EPC, Aker Kvaerner Powergas India Ltd
In this vibrant global market, where do Indian companies stand? "Our country does have the right talent and expertise in construction project management," is Patel's reply. "Indian expertise is recognised in railway and power transmission projects. If a rating is to be assigned, I would rate our talent more or less on a par with developed countries. What we do lack is image! Our skills are not acknowledged openly but the cost advantage is." Patel feels we need to find ways to utilise the expertise acquired overseas in terms of using modern construction machineries and techniques. "The creation of consortiums to compete may open up new avenues," he adds.
Engineering know-how and on the spot expertise are essential in constructing large plants.
"A number of Indian contractors have been winning global orders and have been successful in completing their projects in time," says Dang. "We have an edge over other countries due to low cost, fast execution and availability of resources." For his part, Bhandarkar sees India's advantage as its "excellent English speaking manpower with specialised technical experience". This manpower, he says, is getting increasingly deployed for overseas projects through Indian as well as international construction contractors. "This opportunity will increase substantially in coming years despite the competition that could be expected through deployments from Philippines, China and East European countries."
What's more, Indian construction companies by and large revolve around a strong core team with supervisory leadership capabilities with exposure to international procedures, codes and standards applicable for project management in various sectors. "The capability and experience of working in uncertain conditions with respect to weather, local factors, political and economic disturbances, inadequate and, at times, unreliable infrastructure facilities have made Indian project management teams very strong in terms of adapting and adjustment to change in demands for location-specific project activities," adds Bhandarkar.
To their credit, Indian contractors have demonstrated total dedication to cost, quality and implementation schedules for overseas projects, thereby enhancing the credibility of Indian goods and services. "In fact, many developing countries are looking forward to Indian contractors to not only help in putting up the plants but subsequently operate and maintain them for a few years during which operational training could get imparted to the local people to upgrade their skills in taking over and running the same smoothly in future," says Bhandarkar.
The brick-n-click trick
The most exciting development for the EPC sector today, though, is that from being just a brick-and-mortar industry, it is swiftly moving towards computerisation and IT initiatives.
Projects have been greatly helped by IT initiatives to integrate vast technologies and best global practices available across the world. The rapid globalisation of the Indian economy and the IT skills available in the country have further helped the Indian EPC sector to adopt IT skills. "The use of electronic media from the inception to the commissioning of a project has bridged the loose links in the process map of construction technology," observes Dang.
Some of the IT tools that can keep an EPC abreast with the global technological strides are:
o Computer-aided design (CAD): There are applications that range from mere automatic pipe support design systems to programmes that use CAD-based data to optimise the entire plant construction and operating cost cycle. The use of bar-code technology plays a major role in assisting job-site staff in tracking and locating materials and equipment. The CAD system has been helping professionals carry out detailed engineering and is used for architectural planning, structural design, etc.
The rapid globalisation of the Indian economy and the IT skills available in the country have greatly helped the Indian EPC sector.
o E-commerce: In the high-speed age today, where time is the greatest constraint, electronic commerce (e-commerce) has come as a godsend. With innovative software and Internet tools, e-commerce has enabled EPC companies to square off deals and transact business between its suppliers, clients and industries across the globe. Electronic procurement has enabled companies to cut costs considerably and speedily procure the best of products and raw materials. Besides, it provides EPC companies with a wide range of opportunities to go in for the best products at competitive costs. Another important advantage with e-commerce is the electronic bidding system (EBS). EBS has facilitated the entire long-drawn-out and cumbersome tendering process to be streamlined and hastened in real time.
"Simulation and modelling techniques are increasingly playing a major role in the successful management of construction projects," says Bhandarkar. "Global networking and a database on quality product and package unit suppliers as well as sub-vendors updated on a continuous basis are essential for good contracting companies."
"IT has become an integral part of the EPC business, and in India too it is progressing well," says Patel. "But IT-related innovations have not been greatly used on construction sites and remain limited to project and design offices of the companies. However, the Internet has helped in achieving quick transfer and assimilation of data though improvements are required to install these facilities at remote project locations to make their use more effective."
"Simulation and modelling techniques are increasingly playing a major role in the successful management of construction projects." - Prabhakar Bhandarkar, Director - Business Development, Simon India Ltd
As time goes by, continuous innovations in the IT sector enabling high capability software developments as well as communication facilities are bound to see tremendous impact on the utilisation of e-routes for management of projects globally. "In fact, this will be the basic requirement by the client for ensuring timely completion of quality projects," adds Bhandarkar. "Indian project contractors will have to keep upgrading multiple skills as well as continuously update the empanelment of experts in various disciplines to be utilised at a short notice for relevant activities during the implementation phases."
Overcoming obstacles
Of course, while the majors in India's EPC sector have evidently risen to the global challenge, on the whole the industry still lags behind considerably. A case in point is the Indian government's proposal in 2000 to set up a new fertiliser plant on a lump sum turnkey basis. Despite several fertiliser plants in the country, it was noted with concern that no indigenous fertiliser company was in a position to complete a turnkey project without foreign collaboration.
The paucity of a trained workforce and top-of-the-line training institutes are also huge limitations for Indian companies. "More qualified personnel need to be encouraged to enter the construction field," says Dang. "The majority of workers are on contract through local contractors and are not compensated well for their work, which forces them to look for jobs abroad. We need to retain construction workers by providing them good service conditions and motivation. We also lack the skills required for mechanised work and for using advanced technology."
Bhandarkar brings up another interesting point. "Indian contractors, by and large, lack financial resourcefulness and institutional support," he says. "While undertaking jobs overseas, it is essential to have the capability of assessing integrated risk in all aspects as well as knowledge of taxation (local, state and central) and statutes and legalities connected with authority engineering work."
Another problem is that many global standards today have emerged with very little indigenous inputs and contributions. The only solution to this is active participation on the part of Indian EPC companies in the formulation of international standards. To safeguard the future, Indian EPC companies will need to evolve strategies to remain competitive in the global EPC realm; develop services to facilitate efficient project and product delivery systems; and reduce barriers to misunderstandings and conflicts in global projects.
Indeed, partnerships with the client are increasingly becoming the basis for many construction projects in India as well as abroad. "Indian construction contractors need to excel at developing such partnerships in future," says Bhandarkar. "Also, adequate exposure to modularisation of plant and machinery will be essential in the long run for speedy execution of construction projects. And strict compliance with safe practices as well as environment-friendly execution modes will get further enforced in future projects."
Safety, in fact, is a major concern for Patel. "Even though we have the required expertise and engineering skills, we are still not on a strong footing to demonstrate our ability to manage safety at construction sites," he admits. "If we can demonstrate safety implementation on construction sites compatible to that prevailing in developed countries, it may open up many international markets for Indian construction management companies. I consider that the biggest challenge for our industry."
Looking ahead
The EPC sector now has to gear up for this and other challenges. Infrastructure development looks set to continue unabated. The demand for polyester and subsequently for its raw material will also result in new mega projects. Indian refiners have surplus naphtha, which is the feedstock for the petrochemical industry; this sector too will see new projects in coming years.
"The future looks good," says Patel. "But we need to remain focused on consistently meeting schedule and quality." Dang, though, is unqualifiedly optimistic. "With the progress of infrastructure and industrial projects, the horizon is endless," he smiles. Now all that remains is for Indian contractors and construction companies to build on this optimism.
"Indians have an edge over foreign counterparts in EPC."
- Ramesh L Dalal
- Chairman, RL Dalal & Company Pvt Ltd
Time has never been so good for Indian construction manage-ment companies. The upsurge in domestic infrastructure projects and the outsourcing opportunities provided by overseas majors has given a shot in the arm for Indian EPC companies, notes Ramesh L Dalal, Chairman, RL Dalal & Company Pvt Ltd.
However, Ramesh Dalal, the former Chairman and Managing Director of Dalal Mott MacDonald (DMM), has a word of caution. He urges Indian engineers and consultants to have right exposure to the most modern gadgets to update themselves with recent developments. In an interview with COSTRUCTION WORLD, Ramesh Dalal speaks of the opportunities and challenges before the Indian EPC firms.
What are the latest innovations in technologies, procedures and tools for successful management of construction projects?
Beginning with scaffolding, shuttering, excavation, loading, unloading, packaging of materials, all these have become much more modern and repetitive, thanks to the concept of prefabrication, recasting and use of ready mix materials (RMC).
How do Indian construction management companies ensure that projects are successfully completed in terms of timeliness, cost-effectiveness and quality?
Construction management companies make serious efforts to ensure complete, detailed drawings for architects and engineers. In addition, utilities such as power supply, waste disposal, fire protection, plumbing, electrical and illumination also enable the timely completion of projects. These, in turn, also result in effective control of costs.
What kind of opportunities are there on the emerging horizon, both nationally and internationally, for Indian construction management companies?
Nationally, infrastructure, urban development, utilities - transport, highways, pipelines, seaports, airports - etc are seriously being considered. Moreover, finance requirements and local approvals for their speedy implementation are also in position. Internationally, English language, metric system and a large number of engineers, supervisors, craftsmen and staff on site are our strength. They enable us to enter the construction management market efficiently and successfully.
The emerging scenario the world over shows IT as an integral part of EPC business. How is India progressing in this direction?
Growth of IT is facilitating rapid telecommunication and infrastructure requirements. Besides, rapid purchase of materials and equipment greatly helps the speedy completion of projects. India is progressing slowly in this direction.
Some of the projects handled by Indian EPC companies have won global recognition. Can you elaborate on some of these world-class projects?
I wish to enumerate some of the projects handled by Indian companies. They are Mathura Refineries, expansion and modernisation of Konkan Railways, Western Expressway and Eastern Expressway in Mumbai, Pune Expressway, Delhi Metro project and Kandla-New Delhi pipeline.
How do you rate the Indian talent and expertise in construction project management?
I rate the Indian talent as world class, willing and enthusiastic. However, I believe that Indian talent needs more exposure to modern gadgets. For example, all engineers employed for highway work and planning work have to have a driving licence and must be familiar with such other related activities.
What are the competitive advantages of Indian EPC companies compared to their counterparts in other countries?
Indian companies have an edge over their foreign counterparts as regards serious efforts for engineering details, simplification concepts used for repetitive concepts, cost control, and so forth. These result in competitive capacity for pricing, speedy completion and long-term maintenance of projects.
How do you foresee the future of Indian construction project management business?
Construction project management business has a great potential, based on the assumption that the buyer in the Indian context is keen on economic cost, rapid completion and use of modern concepts of implementation systems. Besides, the future can lead to growth, based on the willingness of EPC companies to offer effective post-completion services.

Cover Story
Interiors
Interiors
On the cutting Edge
The use of glass in modern architecture is a showcase for the intelligent synthesis of art, nature and technology, where decoration is performance and performance is decoration. A closer look.
Glass will take centre stage at BAU 2005 in Munich, Germany from January 17-22, 2005. ‘Visions of Glass’, a special display spread over 10,000 sq m, will showcase all the latest developments and products in the field of glass and glass architecture. In a broad glass ‘boulevard’, market and innovation leaders will present the latest trends, and will create impressive architectural structures in glass. All the majors will be there – Glas Trösch, Interpane, Isolar, Okalux, Pilkington, Saint-Gobain and Schott. BAU 2005 organisers know they have a winner on their hands – the display is already being touted as a highlight of the show.
Building with glass
For the last thousand years, glass has been the surface through which light, but not rain or wind, has entered buildings, revealing the internal spatial art of architecture, and allowing the outside to be seen from within, and vice versa. Glass as architecture, or glass architecture, began its legitimacy during the Gothic period, when use of the sun and skylight to illuminate storytelling in stained glass gave glass its apotheosis.
The 21st century is at the dawn of another glass renaissance brought about by the intelligent synthesis of art, nature and technology where decoration is performance and performance is decoration – and it's dynamic rather than static.
“A liberating material, glass is the only versatile material in the building construction industry,” says Architect Sanjay Puri. “It encloses and still visually expands spaces.” Architect Kapil Bhalla agrees. His take: “It is a superb medium, a separation between the interior and exterior face without any visual impact. I like glass treated, coloured, textured, stained, or even in its natural form. If you have to have transparency, which is a must in buildings, you have to use glass.”
According to Shrikant Nivasarkar, President, Indian Institute of Interior Design, “Glass as a material because of its transparency has the ability to give intangible form to the space, and also has the ability to act as an element to control light, and add and subtract colours to the space. In this context, glass can be called an element with a lot of hidden strength for adding dynamism to spaces.”
Architect Kamal S Malik of Kaiser-I-Hind strikes a cautionary note, though. “The latest trend of using glass in construction of buildings and malls without proper consideration of the fundamentals like energy cost and environmental impact is absolutely wrong,” he says. “Glass has to be used where there is a need to use glass, and not just for the sake of using it. The basic consideration before me is the purpose of the building. Based on that, the architectural pattern has to evolve and the materials to be used have to be decided.”
Nevertheless it can't be denied that glass offers many superior properties in different applications. It is environmentally friendly and fully recyclable, an increasingly important consideration with the growing emphasis on life-span thinking.
Free form glass domes, cable net walls, glass beams, glass fins and glass columns demonstrate what is possible with glass today.
The possibilities General phobias regarding the fragility of glass are gradually being replaced by an acceptance of its structural potential. Free form glass domes, cable net walls, glass beams, glass fins and glass columns demonstrate what is possible with glass today.
“Glass is being extensively used in all types of buildings, like residences, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, libraries, museums, airport terminals, solariums in windows, shelves, doors, safety glazing for partitions, shop fronts, railings, curtain walls, shower installations, sloped glazing, skylights, glass roofs, glass floors, aquariums, showroom facades, lobby facades, escalator side plates and solar control applications,” says Paresh Misra, Head - Architectural Division, Gujarat Guardian Ltd (GGL). GGL, a JV between Guardian Industries Inc, USA, and India's Modi Group, is the only glass company having ISO 9002 certification and has India's largest marketing network.
“Technological innovations have made glass one of the most valuable and extensively used materials in contemporary architecture.” - Shrikant Nivasarkar, President, Indian Institute of Interior Design
“Glass could be manufactured as clear, extra clear, tinted (coloured) and reflective. Also, as glass can be bent, toughened (safety glass), heat strengthened (tough, impact and shock resistant, withstanding high temperature), laminated (bullet proof, safe, security glazing, glass floors, skylight), insulated (low sound transmission), coated, painted, etched, and acid washed, it can be used in so many ways.”
Modern glass technology has done away with the need for any compromises in terms of energy economy. Different types of coating and insulating glass structures mean that modern glazing applications can be so designed that they meet even the most stringent thermal insulation requirements. As Nivasarkar says, “From float glass technology to the toughening process, bending, frosting, tinting, staining and reflective glass, these”.
The 21st century is at the dawn of another glass renaissance brought about by the intelligent synthesis of art, nature and technology.
Structure and skin
Structure and skin can be considered a building envelope's fundamental technical components. The structure supports it and the skin keeps the weather out. Lighter, more compact and efficient structures allow the skin to play a larger and more responsive role to light, the critical ingredient in the perception of architecture. The skin can become a filter of light – either as a transparent, translucent, or even a variable chameleon-type surface that can change its nature.
Technology has permitted a slow and gradual transformation of buildings from solid structural walls with only small holes for light to penetrate through, to thin envelopes which modulate and control light and architectural transparency as well as energy gains and losses.
“Glass has to be used where there is a need to use glass, and not just for the sake of using it.” - Kamal S Malik, Architect
Developments in building technology have led to thinner and more efficient structures where columns get smaller, bearing walls disappear and, generally, the structure becomes more lightweight.
For its part, the skin can now let in more light, with better responses to solar energy considerations and a larger scope of architectural expression. Commercial treatments, such as metallic reflective films, body tinting, or light selective films, improve the solar reflective or absorption characteristics of the glass. One exciting new development in glass technology is glass that can change its transparent or translucent nature with liquid crystal interlayers, thermochromic interlayers, photochromic coatings and interlayers, or more recent holographic diffractive or angle selective films. These will be the wave of the future.
Bent glass
With the continuing advances in glass technology, the improving safety properties and energy economy of glass and the new methods available for producing bent glass, its future prospects are very promising. Bent glass has been used primarily in public buildings, office complexes and in the facades of corporate facilities. Typical building projects where bent glass is used include airports, exhibition areas, museums, concert halls and shopping arcades.
There are two main categories of application: interior and exterior architecture. In exterior architecture, bent glass is used for facades and display windows, skylights and cupolas, skywalks, entrances, revolving doors and canopies, and conservatories. In interiors, it is used for railings for staircases and elevated walkways, elevator glass panels, and partitions.
Bent glass is a powerful tool. Curved surfaces help effectively to tone down the coldness and hardness that is usually associated with glass. They also bring large glass surfaces alive and help the building stand out of the mass. Bent glass can be used as part of the building facade, or to make up the whole facade. Now, a growing proportion of all bent glass is processed to make safety glass. Bent laminated glass has the same safety features as flat safety glass – shattered safety glass remains firmly in place: it does not drop out its frame, no sharp pieces are left lying around and there is no gaping hole in the surface.
The image of curved glass has long been tainted by quality problems that have now been largely eliminated with new advanced furnaces and mould technologies. Top manufacturers are now capable of producing bent laminated glass with superior optical and design properties.
India watch
The term ‘flat’ glass comprises float glass, sheet glass, figured glass and wired glass. At present, there are 11 units in the organised sector with an estimated production of 8.2 lakh tonne during 2002-03. These are further processed into mirror, toughened glass, laminated glass, double-glazing, etched glass, glass doors, automotive glass, etc. Flat and float glass find major use in the construction, architectural, automotive, mirror and solar energy industries. Till 1992, only sheet glass was being manufactured in the country. Limited quantity of float glass was imported into the country. In 1993, the first float glass plant was set up in the country by GGL. Since then new varieties of float and sheet glass capacities have been added. Technology development has resulted in insulated glass that results in energy savings for air-conditioning.
“The demand for float glass witnessed a growth rate of more than 20 per cent in the year 2003.” - Paresh Misra, Head - Architectural Division, Gujarat Guardian Ltd
“The use of glass not only adds to the aesthetic beauty of buildings but also leads to substantial savings of wood thus conserving forest resources,” says Misra. “The present per capita consumption of float/sheet glass in India is 0.5 kg, which is very low in comparison to 2.5 kg in Indonesia, 3.5 kg in China and 14 kg in Japan. Currently, both sheet and float glass are exported to countries in South Asia, East Asia, South and East Africa, etc. The demand for float glass witnessed a growth rate of more than 20 per cent in the year 2003.”
Smart glazings dynamically respond to exterior conditions to control daylightings and solar heat gain.
Major surge
This demand can only grow. Driving it, according to Misra, is “the increase in the usage area of glass in buildings; replacement of wood by glass in furniture; higher usage of mirrors; increase in the use of thick glass for store fronts; increase in demand of insulated glass; need for architectural laminated glass; and more curtain walling using reflective and high performance glass”.
French multinational Saint-Gobain Glass has committed Rs 500 crore worth of investment into its Indian operations over the next three to four years for its capital expenditure projects. These investments will be primarily made into its float glass facility in Tamil Nadu. Anand Mahajan, Country Head, Saint-Gobain Glass India, says, “The company is also on the lookout for acquisitions in the domestic market to augment its market share.”
“We hope to move up the exciting value chain of glass by providing design, products and services that make glass more versatile and user friendly,” says Sanjay Labroo, Managing Director and CEO, Asahi India Glass. “We offer world-class quality and technology and now to that we add innovation and originality.” With the construction boom happening across the country, Labroo expects the demand for float glass to grow at a fast clip: 11 per cent to 12 per cent per annum over the next five years.
He’s not kidding. Proof enough is the latest news: Pilkington, one of the world’s biggest producers of glass, is planning to set up a float glass manufacturing unit in India at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore. Talk about cutting-edge competition.
Future watch
Product developers, building owners and designers are taking a new look at high-performance glass facades as key in creating buildings with improved access to daylight, better indoor air quality and improved energy efficiency. But a facade that helps improve a building's interior environment and limits its loss of energy is not enough, say some. A building's skin should be a power generator rather than an energy liability.
“Although glass curtain walls are becoming more and more thermally efficient,” says Gregory Kiss, a founder of Kiss + Cathcart Architects, Brooklyn, USA, “the goal of creating an energy-conserving facade is one of 'diminishing returns'.” His firm has designed a hypothetical 150-storied tower to be built in New York City in 2020 with a skin that would be a source of power. The structure, clad entirely in photovoltaic (PV) panels, would generate 60 per cent of the building’s electricity requirements. Wind turbines enclosed in PV louvers would supply the rest.
Although the 2020 tower may seem more like a fantastic vision, Kiss maintains that PV technology “is ready for prime time”. And despite the fact that many recent high-profile projects use PVs to generate only a small portion of their total power requirements, building-integrated PVs could be commonplace in three to five years, he predicts.
Scientists and manufacturers are also looking beyond photovoltaics to the next generation of variable materials. These so-called ‘smart’ glazings dynamically respond to exterior conditions to control daylighting and solar heat gain. The most promising of such switchable technologies for use in buildings is electrochromic glazing, which undergoes a reversible change in optical properties when exposed to light, according to Stephen Selkowitz, head of the building technologies department at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA.
Double-skin facades are a popular approach to all-glass building envelopes in Europe. Chicago-based architects Murphy/Jahn designed a 40-storied, double-skin headquarters building for Deutsche Post in Bonn last year where the building's envelope consists of an outer layer of laminated glass and an interior layer of double-glazed glass with operable windows, separated by a 1.7 m gap. Blinds between the two layers, controlled by a building management system, provide protection from solar gain. During the cooling season, warm air is drawn into the gap and purged through outlets located every nine stories. Cooler air on the inside of the blinds is drawn into the office space through fan-coil boxes that further lower the air temperature. Radiant cooling in the floor slab helps lower the room temperature more before the air is exhausted into an atrium space. During the heating season, the system acts as a buffer, tempering the outdoor air before it is drawn into the offices. This system could cut energy use by 50 per cent, compared to a building with a single facade and central air conditioning.
Murphy/Jahn now plans to use a double-skin system that is only 26 cm deep for a speculative 200 m office tower in Frankfurt set to begin construction in 2005. The goal is to achieve the same efficiency in a thinner package. In Philadelphia, contractors are nearing completion of a $ 16.5 million building for the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science that is clad with a double-skin system with a 4 inch wide cavity between an external double-glazed unit and an interior single-glazed unit. The architects chose the system in order to maximise the penetration of natural light into the building while maintaining the thermal comfort of the users. The cavity also houses adjustable blinds that keep out solar radiation. Now, that’s cool.