Demand for faster construction and sustainable structures is driving the growth prospects of PEBs in India. Along with industrial and commercial segments, housing sector is also expected to drive more demand for PEBs in the coming years.

Today, speed is something the world is looking for at every aspect and construction has no exception. In 2020, China constructed a 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan in 10 days to combat the coronavirus threat. It was a bit surprising for many that how this could be made possible. There are many instances that China has proven its speed in construction. However, here they used Pre-engineered Building (PEB) method has really helped to set up such a larger structure in such a shorter time. Faster construction of prefabricated roof and floors off-site using advanced technology, helps in less time for construction and maintenance.

PEB is not new to the construction sector in India. But the demand for faster construction and long-lasting structure has paved the way for new developments in PEB construction. In India the project execution timelines are shrinking in all infrastructure and realty constructions. PEB can help in rapid and sustainable construction practices. It offers many benefits such as lower construction time, lower cost, flexibility of expansion, low maintenance, large clear span, quality control etc. PEB provides a better alternative to conventional structures and with the rise in technological advancements, it is only going to rise.

What is trending?

In recent times, the construction sector in India has grown leaps and bounds and PEB in construction activities is steadily rising. PEB has taken the centrestage in many areas of construction, viz, factories, warehouses, metro stations, bridges, railway stations, vehicle parking sheds and stadiums. Now apart from commercial buildings and hospital buildings, residential projects are using PEB methods to construct structures. 

“In the Asia-Pacific region, the demand for PEB is growing and in value terms, the PEB market is to grow by at least 11.5 percent CAGR. We are now observing that the PEB application are also spreading across the country now and a diversification in the use is also visible,” says Dipankar Dey, Director – Sales, Marketing & Business Development, Zamil Steel Buildings India Pvt Ltd. 

According to Er. Dr Abhay Gupta, Director, Skeleton Consultants Pvt Ltd, one of the things trending in PEB is the use of higher-grade steel. He adds on other trends, “Integrated construction is something which is trending on the PEB. We should use a pre-engineered construction using all the services and that is what is now coming up, means the entire unit of volumetric 3D construction is now trending.”

Dr Gupta also sees a new push for PEBs in housing sector as he highlights, “Apart from industrial and commercial segments, PEB is finding a big movement in housing sector also. There is a huge shift of the population from rural to urban areas and this has created a huge gap between the demand and the supply.”

There are a lot of design innovations happening in PEBs in the recent times as Dey highlights, “Initially PEBs were box type with a maximum of 30 m span. But since last four-five years we have started to go beyond that limitation. Now there is a shift in the market in terms of PEB requirements, as we have also supplied a larger single clear span building of 92 m.”

Harsh Pareek, Regional Sales Director – India and SAARC, Trimble Solutions, says, “PEB is a concept that is growing across the world and India is definitely embracing it. The Construction industry in value terms is expected to record a CAGR of 15.7 percent to reach $ 738.5 billion by 2022. In light of the ongoing pandemic and to realise the existing opportunities, it is important for companies to adopt the off-site, manufacturing centric construction practices and that is where PEB is catching up very fast. Inclusion of technologies has become inevitable and construction industry is adopting these technologies at various levels and phases of the projects to drive its lean construction agenda.”

Technology trends

Innovative technologies have always been the backbone of the development of any industry. Especially digital technologies have played a major role in the transformation of PEBs from a simple box structure to complex and aesthetically appealing design structure that we see today. Digital technologies are being used currently in PEB construction for complex designs. Software solutions such as BIM help in creating new complex designs for the emerging requirements of customers in the design and development of PEB structures. Different types of 3D modelling and detailing software solutions integrate the entire workflow in the whole project lifecycle.

“The core foundation of our technology revolves around three key concepts (3Cs) called constructible, connected and content enabled digital models, which are construction ready, as-built virtual models. The model enables you to experience the complexities of construction and effectively simulate your construction planning before you hit the ground. This helps the project teams with complete clarity on planning and execution, thus avoiding time and cost overruns,” says Pareek.

On the role of digitalisation in PEB, Dey adds, “Digitalisation is part of our complete process with an integrated kind of module. Right from the design stage, we use steel of various strengths upon the ultimate optimised use of steel. So, we don’t have limitation to any grade of steel, thereby we control the steel consumption per square feet of the building, optimising every element of it. We also optimise the building stability using the 2D and 3D design. All these possible permutations and combinations are done through the digitised method.”

According to Pareek, today’s world requires a little more than just a 3D model. He adds, “Today’s world requires a little more than just a 3D model. The Tekla PowerFab is a complete steel management software suite that provides the user with a systematic collaborative approach to manage fabrication. It not only builds/integrates 3D models and does the estimation, but also takes the overall process to the next level of MIS, managing a variety of functions like material optimisation, inventory control, production management, purchasing, order entry and product management. It enhances your capabilities by enabling access to this information on the fly with its powerful cloud enabled interface, leveraging the power of mobile devices, ‘access information anywhere anytime with any digital device.’   

Insulations for safety and comfort

While we consider PEBs for rapid construction, there are some cool and safe requirements to be considered for these PEBs. In the concept of WELL building standards, elements like good quality air, water, sound, materials, thermal comfort and peace of mind to people over there are of important factors.

India as a vast country shows extreme weather conditions and temperature range across the country. In order to sustain the such extreme climatic conditions, the PEB structures need suitable and effective insulation materials. Tushar Shinde, DGM – Sales and Marketing, ALP Aeroflex India Pvt Ltd, says, “We have to keep the environment inside the PEB structure cool and comfortable. At a region where the day temperature is extremely high, there is a possibility of heat radiation passing through the roof of the PEB structure resulting in higher temperature inside. With the use of a suitable insulation material, we can prevent such instances.”

ALP offers sustainable and effective insulation solutions to PEBs. “We give completely technologically advanced insulation materials for PEBs. We maintain a good environment for the people who are working inside the PEB structure. Our materials can be installed pretty fast, thus adding speed to construction,” Shinde says.

Build to last

According to Dr Gupta, we are very poor on the maintenance front. So, anything which is pre-engineered, anything that is offsite made and assembled will certainly have better quality control and much more consistency. “In our country, structures are exposed to extreme environment and we need products, which can really last longer without someone really being attentive to them. Many of our failures are because we install well, do good things in the beginning, but then we forget. So, we need something which will perform well when we forget them. We need something which is done once well done and last longer,” he points out.

According to Dr Gupta, steel is a material which is very consistent, good and reliable. “It is long lasting, durable though cost is a bit higher. But with proper designing and detailing, an efficient construction can be done with the cost effectiveness. PEB gives us speed, quality, safety, sustainability, good thermal acoustics and fire-resistant characteristics, and lifecycle cost,” he adds.  

Driving steel demand

Steel plays an important role in PEB as a major consuming material. According to market analysis reports, steel PEB construction has benefits such as up to 50 percent speed in construction, high quality, and minimum wastage. These factors could generate a significant demand for steel. According to Dey, the global per capita steel consumption is around to 225-230 kg whereas in India the consumption is around 75-76 kg. “So, there is a big room available as a country to grow in steel consumption and PEB can offer larger prospect in steel consumption,” he adds. 

Market outlook

Though the demand is more in industrial and commercial segments for PEB structures, the residential segment is expected to hold the maximum market share in future, due to the increasing population coupled with rapid urbanisation.

From a technology front, Pareek says, “In the steel industry, the entire process needs to be marked in the digital form, and support is required not only in the design stage, but also in procurement, inventory and production stages. That is what we are committed to deliver and where the whole industry is moving forward. I am certain that these technologies will benefit the entire industry.”

As far as the general infrastructure in India is concerned, the occupancy rate is much higher compared to some of the western countries. “We require faster construction and we cannot wait further implement. The process-based construction is needed and PEB industry is in that sweet spot to leverage the potential of such technologies to drive on-time, on-Budget lean construction,” Pareek concludes.

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“Inclusion of technologies has become inevitable and the construction industry is also adopting them at different phases and levels of projects to drive lean construction.”

– Harsh Pareek, Regional Sales Director – India and SAARC, Trimble Solutions

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“We are now observing that the PEB application are spreading across the country now and a diversification in the use is also visible.” 

-Dipankar Dey, Director – Sales, Marketing & Business Development, Zamil Steel Buildings India Pvt Ltd

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“We provide complete range of technologically advanced insulation materials and solutions for PEBs.”

-Tushar Shinde, DGM – Sales and Marketing, ALP Aeroflex India Pvt Ltd

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“PEB is finding a big movement in housing sector as there is a huge shift of the population from rural to urban areas which has created a huge demand-supply gap in housing.”

-Er. Dr Abhay Gupta, Director, Skeleton Consultants Pvt Ltd