Facets of Divine Construction - Community Flats

by Col. S.K. Bose (Rtd.) Trust Engineer

192 Community flats, each of 450 sq.ft. area were built in April 1990 in 183 days, using the L&T-Doka large area formwork system.

The constructions consisted of six blocks of four storied (ground + three) structures each having 32 flats. On seeing the speed with which progress was made, construction of additional 48 flats was undertaken, bringing up the total count to 8 blocks or 240 flats at Prashanthi Nilayam in the first phase.

Out of these 240 flats, 192 were handed over to the Trust within a period of six months for occupation by the devotees during the 65th birthday celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in November 1990. Work on the remaining 48 flats, which started in September 1990, was completed in December 1990.

With the help of L&T-Doka formwork systems, 130 mm thick reinforced concrete walls were cast in the first stage by employing the large wall panel forms; slabs over walls were used in the second stage with the Flex system. Cranes lifted and placed as well as removed and shifted the wall formwork panels. Apart from the speed and quality achieved, the cost of the flats ranged from Rs. 350 to 425 per sq. ft.

In all Larsen and Toubro built arount 1,000 flats at Prashanthi Nilayam. In the second and third stage alone 679 flats were built in 7 blocks, each consisting of 97 units. Unlike in the first stage, each flat had an area of 420 sq. ft.

Tunnel Form System

The community flats, in two blocks, are constructed using tunnel form technology with RC walls and slabs. One block consists of 20 dormitories at 52.50 m2 each in the ground and first floor and 50 rooms of 26.50 m2 each in the second and third floor. The second block consists of 90 rooms, each of 26.50 m2 in size. Every dormitory and room has an attached toilet apart from the common toilets in the ground and first floors. The total built up area of each block is 3252 m2.

These elegant flats were constructed within a period of 6 months and cost around Rs. 485 per sq. ft., indicating their suitability for mass housing in urban areas of India.