Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the impact of mechanization in construction activities of high-rise apartment projects in India. Methods: Initially, the current scenario of mechanization in the country is captured with the help of review of literature, questionnaire survey and case studies. As it is found to be low, especially in activities like masonry, plastering, painting etc, a list of advanced equipment to be adopted for executing these activities is proposed. To explore the impact of the proposed equipment on time and cost associated with the activities, a comparative analysis between the usage of these equipment and manual execution is conducted. Finally, in an attempt to validate the positive impact of these proposed equipment on a construction project, a schedule comparison is done along with return-on-investment analysis and payback period calculations. Findings: The study demonstrates a 55 to 75% savings in time and 40 to 67% savings in cost in activities on its own when mechanization is employed. As far as a project is concerned, a reduction of 11.26% in its duration is achieved just by mechanizing masonry and wall finishes’ activities in addition to the conventionally mechanized activities. Novelty: There is a hesitation among construction professionals in Kerala to employ equipment in non-mechanized activities owing to the lack of thorough context-based analysis on the same. This study attempts to analyse the impact of mechanization by proposing equipment based on the availability of indigenous equipment and technology, skilled operators and local market rates specific to Kerala. Hence, the findings will help industry professionals realize the benefits mechanization can reap when the right equipment is employed.

Keywords: Assessment; Equipment; Impacts; Indian Construction Industry; Mechanization Level