New construction technologies key to upgrading Thai property sector

Developers are, therefore, always seeking new ways to construct buildings faster while using fewer workers to deliver construction standards accepted by customers.

Consequently, many technological innovations such as prefabricated concrete walls, lightweight materials for walls and special steel frameworks have become increasingly prevalent.

As these system-based installations are primarily produced and partially assembled by skilled technicians in factories, production quality can be carefully controlled. When the material arrives on site, the parts are quickly assembled, which allows projects to be completed more rapidly and be transferred to customers faster than ever.

However, these technologies have had an impact on the way projects are designed, and the way developers have had to work in order to win consumer acceptance. Drafting a project now requires designers to work alongside civil engineers and systems engineers so that they can seamlessly incorporate various elements of these new systems for various functions in each room.

This collaborative effort is necessary as these new technologies do have some limitations compared to conventional techniques, and planning well at the outset ensures that construction costs remain within budget.

The challenge in designing, then, is to offer both great functionality and beauty to the home-owners, and yet ease of construction.

For example, lightweight concrete blocks have sound-absorbing qualities and are readily used in many developed countries such as the US and Japan.

These concrete blocks are manufactured for multiple functions and thus offer designers great freedom in using them throughout the premises, from wet spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens, to dry areas like bedrooms and living rooms.

While every material has its strengths, which are employed to great effect, they also have weaknesses that designers have to learn to work around.

In designing walls, purpose and usage have to be properly ascertained before determining the type of material that will be used.

Prefabricated concrete walls are very strong and difficult to drill holes into, and where it is a load-bearing wall, the wall cannot be punctured.

Conversely, lightweight concrete blocks cannot bear too much weight.

Therefore, architects have to be supported by product designers of each type of material to ensure that the project construction yields good results.

When the construction system changes, this has an inevitable effect on contractors whose workers are familiar with conventional techniques, and have yet to be educated on how these new materials can shorten construction time and reduce waste at the project site.

These new systems also help a contractor weed out unskilled workers and emphasise the need to improve the efficacy of its skilled workers. Therefore, contractors can manage their projects better and increase profitability.

In fact, it can also be a competitive edge for contractors who study these new construction techniques and adopt them faster than their peers despite the risk of whether the industry accepts these new materials and technologies.

Property developers also face a challenge in terms of their ability to persuade customers to purchase homes constructed with these new systems and materials.

The marketing team has to carefully study the key selling points and ways to sell these products in terms of pricing, relatively shorter period to transfer the property to buyers, and the quality of the homes.

Marketers have to introduce new types of construction materials, such as soundproof and knocking-proof walls, that Thai consumers are typically wary of even though they are commonly used everywhere in Japan.

These systems are usually a combination of lightweight walls that are insulated to reduce every type of sound, including knocking, to a degree that is at least comparable to or even better than conventional concrete walls, although the knocking sounds on concrete and lightweight walls do differ.

It is necessary that property developers and designers work on ways of introducing new types of construction technologies to upgrade and improve the Thai property industry.

Not only will these technologies help increase the efficacy of construction workers and reduce management costs, but they are also excellent ways of helping reduce waste and improve the quality of the environment compared to conventional construction methods.