India is slowly but surely moving away from the traditional onsite fabrication model in the execution of large products to workshop delivery models which are proving to be more efficient in terms of quality and timelines, said S.K. Kodandaramaiah, CEO, Sunil HiTech Engineers. He was speaking at the Round Table Conference held alongside MBSS – 2012, India’s largest exhibition for steel structures and allied products.

“The onsite fabrication model was deeply ingrained in the system because till about a decade ago, all large infrastructure projects were directly under the government, who played the role of owner, developer, designer and even EPC contractor,” he said.

The post-liberalisation entry of private players into the sector has led to many changes, he noted, particularly with regard to timelines. “Speed of execution has now become critical.”

Rohit Choudhri, Sr GM-Sales, JSP agrees that the sector is seeing a “natural progression” towards increased use of pre-fab in construction. “Till 2003, the choice of sections was restricted to what SAIL was manufacturing using old caliber rolling technology. However private players employed the more universal rolling technologies, resulting in availability of a wider range of products with variation both in terms of size and depth.”

Today a team planning a project therefore has a wider variety to choose from as more players are able to deliver a range of products with necessary dimensional tolerances. He also pointed to the increasingly sophisticated software that are available for planning pre-fab projects.

However, the shift has to be driven by a change “at the top” — in mindset of owners and principal consultants, he feels. “If a project is conceptualized well and orders are placed after accurate homework, then 100% erectible parts will be delivered to the site, resulting in significant time saving,” Choudhri states. In the case of a mega-power plant, for example, this can mean cost savings of at least a few crore, he believes.

Kodandaramaiah adds that the entry of private sector has already begun to impact cycle times. “Everyone wants faster execution,” he said, adding that now projects that took 60 months a few years ago are being executed in 30 months.

“Time pressure will propel the industry towards offsite fabrication, and owners and consultants will realize the advantages in terms of uniformity of finish and better quality, as steel producers learn to align their rolling sections to design needs,” he added.