With a focus on sustainable practices and cutting-edge technology, Suretech Infrastructure Pvt Ltd redefines foundation engineering. This interview sheds light on the company’s journey and strategic initiatives to create resilient infrastructure for the future.

How has Suretech Infrastructure adapted to the changing demands of the construction industry amid rapid urbanisation and climate change?
We have always believed in bringing the latest technology to India. From being a leader in sales and product support of Earthmoving equipment, we diversified into Piling and Foundation engineering solutions, and today, we are a leader in our sector. I would credit Dr. E Sreedharan for bringing to attention the efficacy of Vibro Hammers to the Indian construction industry by making its use mandatory during the construction of the Delhi Metro. Vibro Hammers have since become one of the major piling equipment in India. Marine piling has always been a challenge, and with the growing demand for speedy execution of marine projects came the requirement of Reverse Circulation Drills. RCDs were the major piling equipment deployed in the construction of Atal Setu. Again, Suretech was at the forefront of bringing this product into India. We are working on Casing Oscillators for vibration and noiseless piling, impact piling rigs for pre-cast concrete piles, and tiny rigs for the installation of concrete-less piles that provide required load-bearing capacity simply from the ground soil within the pile casing. Suretech will always be there at the forefront whenever the foundation technology evolves.

Can you explain the technology behind the pile cutters and how they improve efficiency and accuracy while preserving reinforcement bars?
We have several options available for pile cutting; however, they all require a change in methodology while designing and constructing the piles. Fine mesh around the piles, thicker reinforcement bars, and excavation methods post-piling are all hindrances to the effective use of pile-cutting equipment. Until India adopts international standards in pile design, this equipment will not be of much help, and we shall have to continue with manual chiselling. Some advanced equipment is now available that can take care of Indian pile design, but it is prohibitively expensive.

What differentiates your products in the Vibro Hammer market?
The design and capability of different Vibro Hammers are similar. What sets us apart is our product support capabilities. Today, we are the only tech support provider for all the Vibro hammers brands in the Indian market, as none of our competitors have a service network. Indian machine operators are mostly semi-skilled and not comfortable with equipment with a lot of electronics, which results in frequent equipment failures. To address this issue, we went back to basics and introduced a complete analogue Vibro Hammer from Korea, the market has received it well. Our keen sense of understanding of what the market needs and to be able to provide it swiftly is what sets us apart.

How does offering rental options align with current industry trends and project needs?
Most of the large Infra giants do not want to invest in equipment that they can get on rent. This has opened up the rental market for Vibro Hammers. We have a very young equipment fleet and constantly add new machines to meet customer requirements. A major challenge has recently emerged in the rental business, with customers demanding five years and newer machines on rent. The customer needs to understand that a Vibro hammer cannot be put in the same basket as other Construction Equipment. Since their running is less, they can easily work efficiently for 15-plus years without any major breakdowns. Keeping the high value of these machines in mind, it would be unviable for any supplier to purchase and provide new machines for the low rent, which is prevalent in the market today. Thus, we are seeing a huge influx of old, used, and scrapped machines entering the Indian market with changed plates mentioning a more recent year of manufacturing.

How does Suretech Infrastructure integrate sustainability into its product offerings and operations?
Vibro technology is in itself a technology that reduces the environmental impact of projects. Vibro Hammers drive the sheet piles and casings without causing any impact on the ground conditions. What impacts the environment is what we do next, i.e., we pour steel and concrete into the piles. We are also trying to resolve this by introducing Tiny rigs, which can make piles of up to 600mm dia without any concrete or steel. These piles can be used for civil structures of up to 30 storeys.

What key factors drive your dominance and technical excellence in foundation engineering?
Our motto has always been “Customer first”. This resulted in a team focused on keeping the equipment in the best shape. 34 years of consistently doing this has resulted in unparalleled customer trust. The customer is important to us, and they could be using any make and brand of equipment; if they have come to us, we must attend to them. This has earned us credibility and we are a force to reckon with for any competitor entering the Indian market. Besides the support, we are always looking at innovations that can reduce the project execution cost for the customers, like the indigenisation of spares, local technological upgrades on the equipment, innovative solutions for challenging projects, etc. “Indian Jugaad” is wholeheartedly embraced by our team, which helps customers get more out of their equipment while keeping the spending to the minimum.

What emerging foundation equipment and construction technology trends does Suretech foresee impacting the industry shortly?
Impact piling and screw piling are technologies that are gaining ground across the globe due to their efficacy and negligible environmental impact. It is just a matter of time before these technologies come to India; we shall surely be at the forefront when they do.

For more information, visit: https://www.suretech.co.in/