13 2.3.6 CLIMATE AND VERNECULAR One of the most significant influences on vernacular architecture is the macroclimate of the area in which the building is constructed. Buildings invariably perform well when built with regard to the local climate rather than a technological trend that may not be as appropriate. The local environment and the construction materials that market can produce govern many aspects of prefab development. Vernacular, by definition, is sustainable, and will not exhaust local resources. For a country that has followed vernacular practices successfully for generations, like India, moving to a concept like prefab may not prove to be climatically as suitable. For example, in many hot regions of India, masonry walls that are heavy and dense conduct heat slowly. This simple process, called thermal lag, reduces peak cooling loads in summer and peak heating loads in winter. The result is a more comfortable home all year long that produces significant savings in energy. However, in India there are 6 distinct climate zones ranging from cold and dry to warm and wet. Therefore, India’s architecture is varied in its use of materials, style of construction and cultural difference that cannot be generalized. Prefabrication in a technology transfer mode struggles take into consideration these vernacular differences.
2.4 CASE-STUDY ON USE OF PRECAST TECHNOLOGY FOR CONTRUCTION OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS BY SANDEEP JAIN4 2.4.1 INTRODUCTION (PRECAST AS SOLUTION FOR HIGH DEMAND IN HOUSING) India is the world’s fastest developing country with an economic growth rate averaging 7.5% for last 5 years. To cope up with this housing necessity, the country needs to build 30 to 35 thousand units of houses per day at least for the next 8 years. With the rapidly growing population, and to fulfil the aforementioned housing demand, a more reliable, faster, sustainable method of construction is deemed necessary by the construction industry. The concept of “built it fast” in the most economical way has not changed since the beginning; however, new technologies have been developed to suit the modern world construction. One such solution is precast concrete construction technology. Precast constructions have been a common construction method in United States of America and many European countries. On the other hand, Precast for residential construction has been used in India for only less than a decade, but it has been growing very fast in the past 5 years.
4 Case-study on use of precast technology for construction of high-rise buildings by sandeep jain