Benefits
1. SEISMIC SAFETY
Steel is safer than concrete since it bends without breaking. It is one of its prominent and convincing features that added its higher usage in the seismically poor zones worldwide . Steel is lighter in comparison to wood, concrete, stone and brick. Thus, during earthquake less forces are exerted on the structure. Additionally, steel is a ductile material, which is adept at absorbing tensile stresses, thereby, it provides stability to the whole construction. Using concrete tiles and CLC for filling provides added benefit by giving a robust structure that provides better safety. Steel does not depend upon water and cement ratios or mix design for its strength. Also, it does not have corrosive chemicals or moisture that can corrode or degrade connectors. Thus, our structure is far better than traditional style especially in the earthquake prominent regions.
2. SPEED & COST
Construction of a typical building using our technology is at least 300% faster, as the steel frames and concrete tiles are fabricated and assembled in the factory. This also provides additional cost benefit, as the building can be used sooner.
3. PORTABILITY
Since LGS frames are lightweight and can be assembled on site with ease, transporting them to remote sites is much easier than conventional construction materials. Even the concrete tiles come in standard sizes and can be transported relatively easier.
4. THERMAL & ACOUSTICS INSULATION
The Cellular Lightweight Concrete (CLC) is an excellent insulator, providing up to 500% more insulation than bricks and conventional concrete. CLC also provides excellent sound insulation.
Common brick has a R-Value of 0.22, regular concrete has value of 1.22, and CLC of density 500Kg/m³ has a R-Value of 6.30
*source – Concrete Producer Magazine
5. FIRE RESISTANCE
Steel and concrete have a higher fire rating than other construction material.
6. DESIGN
Our building solution allows for various kinds of designs to be implemented. From warehouses that can have a continuous span of upto 15m to buildings up to 8 storeys. Additionally, LGS can be used in combination with other construction technologies including mild steel and RCC. There is also flexibility for the aesthetics of the building as any kind of external cladding can be applied on the building, including vernacular façades.
7. LABOR
Since most of the materials are manufactured in the factory, a small team of 5 people can easily construct a residential house in 2-3 weeks. This is significantly less than current construction method, which takes over 10 laborers and 8-9 months in a comparative sized structure. Even for commercial buildings, the need for labor does not rise significantly.
8. PRECISION CONSTRUCTION
Since everything is prebuilt precisely using machines all alignments are exact and precise, reducing wastage and eliminating variance during construction adding to the overall quality of the buildings.
9. LOCALLY MADE
Our solutions is locally manufactured, with steel rolls being the only significant import in few cases, adding to the local economy and workforce. The other materials like cement, sand, and water are locally available and sourced, adding to the local economy. These technologies also bring knowhow to traditional construction methods, improving overall construction capabilities of Nepali workforce.
10. BETTER PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The build itself is easy to manage as most of the work is pre-planned and pre-designed. The need for complex project management on site is significantly reduced adding to overall speed and cost saving for the project. Since this is mostly dry construction method management of raw materials at the project site is easier and efficient. This is highly significant in densely built urban areas, where construction materials stored in public spaces such as roads and footpaths pose a hazard to the general population.
11. REDUCED WASTAGE AND GREEN CONSTRUCTION
The waste produced in construction site is greatly reduced because all the components are pre-planned and designed precisely. Steel is also the most recycled product, and this it one of the most environmentally green construction technique.
*source – Steel Recycling Institute