Saving time with shear wall - a contemporary breakthrough in project design

For their prestigious residential project in the vicinity of Cyber Town, Kondapur – the suburbs of Hyderabad, the developer wanted to build a state-of-the-art township. Their ambition was to offer luxury living within a secure environment.

The project comprises 14 residential towers, each with 20 floors and two basements. Its 1,680 residences are set in an area of 18.9 acres. As a complete township, the campus provides all high-level amenities like a club, theatre, gym and sports hub, including a temperature-controlled pool, pharmacy, multipurpose hall, supermarket, and a bank.

For this upmarket residential project, the developer wanted to adopt fast track construction methods that ensured completion within 36 months, and JLL was entrusted with task of implementing the alternate construction methodology - Shear wall technology – an alternative to traditional construction methods, which uses a modular nut and bolt aluminium formwork to make a monolithic concrete structure that cuts the construction time by almost half, as compared to the traditional time consuming plywood formworks.

To achieve the target, JLL needed to ensure strict adherence to processes. As the workforce in the construction industry comes from diverse backgrounds, ensuring they followed procedures and were disciplined in their work practices emerged as a big challenge. In addition, we needed to make sure that only approved, and specified material was used.

JLL project teams monitored workers from multiple disciplines and established seamless coordination among more than 50 agencies and their small-time contractors. The team also skill-trained the workforce, which helped in improving productivity, ensuring minimal reworks and adherence to safety protocols.

The Client used the shear wall method for the first time in the project, and its successful implementation made them use it again in succeeding projects.

JLL also helped the Client develop a mobile platform-based project app to monitor the project's proper execution and quality management. Regular management meetings to address any quality lapses helped in controlling and improving quality.

A few of the time-consuming tasks like kitchen counter-top cutting, fitting door and window accessories, and the fabrication of steel railings etc., were done off-site. This had the additional benefit of reducing debris and pollution during installation on-site and ensuring the quality of the end-product.

Outcome

Such comprehensive and in-depth improvements in the processes, fine-tuning of methodologies and engagement with all stakeholders helped comply with regulations and quality standards. The project was delivered within the stipulated timeline. 

Throughout the project, there was no hassle and zero snags during the project handover. Moreover, besides Client’s appreciation, the project was awarded the “Best Construction Project” in 2020 by Construction Week.