Discover 5000+ schemes. Track your portfolio 24X7
MC30 is a curated basket of 30 investment-worthy mutual Fund (MF) schemes.
The new age digital currency to diversify a portfolio.
Visit this section to access live price and charts.
Learn and stay informed about cryptocurrency in India.
Learn, discover & invest in smallcases across different types to build your long term portfolio.
Explore from India`s leading investment managers and advisors curating their strategies as smallcases.
Diversify your portfolio by investing in Global brands.
Pre-configured baskets of stocks & ETFs that you can invest in with a single click. Developed by hedge funds, global asset management companies, experienced wealth management firms and portfolio managers.
Fundamental, Stock Ideas, Multibaggers & Insights
Stock & Index F&O Trading Calls & Market Analysis
Technical Call, Trading Calls & Insights
Commodity Trading Calls & Market Analysis
Currency Derivatives Trading Calls & Insights
Options Trading Advice and Market Analysis
Model portfolios, Investment Ideas, Guru Screens and Much More
Proprietary system driven Rule Based Trading calls
Curated markets data, exclusive trading recommendations, Independent equity analysis & actionable investment ideas
Curated markets data, exclusive trading recommendations, Independent equity analysis & actionable investment ideas
STOCK REPORTS BY THOMSON REUTERS
Details stock report and investment recommendation
Set price, volume and news alerts
At least two persons were killed and some trapped under the rubble after the ceiling of a sixth-floor Gurugram apartment, where renovation work was underway, collapsed on February 10, causing the floors underneath the flat to cave in.
There were a series of building collapses in other parts of the Delhi-National Capital Region -- Greater Noida and Ghaziabad -- a few years ago that were blamed on poor construction quality and weak foundations.
Most of the constructions in Greater Noida were in urban villages adjoining housing societies constructed by real estate developers. Unlike them, the building that collapsed in Gurugram was a newly built, 18-storey apartment complex.
“Homebuyers spend their hard-earned savings to buy house for life but in this case, the collapse happened within four years of possession. This has exposed the serious lapse in the working of both the Development Authorities and also the RERA Authorities. We have seen in the past few years, many such cases where chunks from roof have fallen but still no quality check measures are being undertaken by both development Authorities or by RERA Authorities either during the construction period or before possession is being offered,” said Abhay Upadhyay, president of homebuyers’ body Forum for People’s Collective Efforts.
“Issue of Occupation Certificate is now merely a formality rather than actual physical inspection, which is mostly obtained through illegal means by builders. Sadly, the RERA Authorities merely rubber stamp such certificates which certainly does not absolve them from their prime responsibility to protect the interest of homebuyers,” Upadhyay added.
The commissioner said a thorough inquiry will be conducted to ascertain the reasons for the collapse, but added that an initial probe had found repair work in the sixth-floor flat may have triggered the cave-in.
Gurugram Police registered a case of negligence against the builder of the Chintels Paradiso housing complex in Gurugram's Sector 109.
The case was registered on a complaint filed by one of the two dead, identified as Ekta Bhardwaj (31), who was staying on the second floor of the tower.
In the complaint, the husband blamed negligence and sub-standard construction by the developer and the contractor.
In a statement, Chintels Paradiso said: “This is an extremely unfortunate incident and we have taken it very seriously as the safety of our residents is our utmost concern. Upon preliminary investigations, we have come to know that some negligence in repair work done by the contractor in an apartment led to this incident. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and ensuring all support. We extend our heartfelt condolence to the affected families."
Experts told Moneycontrol that it was important for homebuyers, both buying old apartments or moving into new projects, to carry out structural audits of high-rise housing societies. Also, claims that the buildings are seismic zone 5-compliant need to be verified.
Buyers should get hold of structural drawings from the builder, the experts said. Also, once they have moved in, they should be careful about making major structural changes to the apartment. They should get the renovation and alteration plans approved by the designer of the building.
The first thing homebuyers should remember to do is to hire a civil engineer to check the physical condition and construction quality of the building where they intend buying an apartment.
Always ask for the structural drawings, said Abhay Gupta, structural engineer and owner of Skeleton Consultants Private Limited.
Get a concrete quality check done on old buildings. The quality of the concrete used in a building depends on grade of the building material that has been used, what the mix ratio is and whether it was allowed to cure for a sufficient length of time.
One rule of thumb is that it should not be too easy to drive a nail into the walls. If quality tests have not been conducted for the concrete used in construction, ensure the structural engineer accompanying you tests it on site.
Ensure there is no water-logging around the structure in case of low-rise buildings. Always ensure that the level of the house is at least 1 foot above the level of the road.
“The size of the columns and beams used and the foundation is important as some of these buildings are constructed in earthquake zone 4. The minimum size of the columns should be at least one foot and the minimum depth of the beam should be 1 inch per foot length,” Gupta said.
A building is ideally designed for 60 years. The age of a building is considered in working out the cost of the structure, explained Gupta.
“We consider buildings to have a life of 60 years and all design forces are considered for that time period. Most buildings that have come up even 15 years ago are unlikely to survive for more than 10 years more because of poor construction quality. Their steel reinforcements have started to rust and the columns have begun to crack,” he added.
Any additions/alterations in the constructed flats should never be done without approval from structural designer of building, he said.
“The size of the pillars and beams used as the foundation is important as some of these buildings are constructed on earthquake zone 4. The minimum size of the pillar should be at least one foot and the minimum size of the beam should be 1 inch per foot length,” said Gupta.
Explaining the technical nuances of construction, experts said that there were two types of construction -- one wherein you have a conventional Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) column beam and the Mivan structure wherein the walls are made of RCC. Mivan is a fast-paced construction technique wherein the walls and slabs are cast simultaneously at the site by using a lightweight aluminium shuttering formwork.
In case of the conventional construction technique, columns and beams are made of RCC, but the walls are made of brick.
It has been observed often that many people remove the wall between two rooms in the name of renovation to make the flat appear bigger. In the case of conventional construction, the brick wall is the load-bearing wall and acts as a curtain; even if you remove it, the entire structure is not impacted.
In the case of Mivan construction, the walls are generally made of RCC and act as structural wall. In the event of an owner deciding to remove it, the load of the building gets disrupted, experts said.
The load from the upper levels to the lower level undergoes a change and there is stress on the lower-level walls, leading to building collapses. Usually, the structural stability of a new building does not get impacted unless the construction quality is not up to mark, the experts said.
A proactive measure such as a third-party audit can be extremely beneficial; it provides a safeguard against unpleasant surprises. In India, consumers can approach auditors registered with the Quality Council of India for an inspection to determine if the materials used in construction meet all safety norms, experts said.
The quality of construction has been one of the key provisions that was mentioned in the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act. Not just that, the Act clearly mentions what needs to be done in case of any structural defects. As per the provisions under the Haryana RERA, in case of any structural defect or any other flaw in workmanship, quality or provision of services as per the sale agreement, the buyer can approach the builder within five years from the date of handover of the flat.
“The builder is mandated to rectify these defects without any charge within 90 days failing which buyers shall be entitled to receive appropriate compensation in the manner as provided under the Act. However, the provisions also maintain that in case the buyer carries out any structural or architectural changes from the original specifications/ design, then the builder shall not be liable,” said Prashant Thakur, senior director and head of Research, ANAROCK Group.
An earlier report by a consultant had pointed out that price, construction quality, timely delivery, reliability, trustworthiness, brand awareness and visibility as well as the past track record were the key factors homebuyers considered when selecting an affordable housing property.
At the time of purchase, homebuyers tend to put cost at the top, followed by safety and security. Safety of the structure is equally important.
Here’s a list of things homebuyers should keep in mind before buying a house in new projects as well as those that are old.
*Hire a civil engineer to check the physical condition and construction quality of the building you intend moving into.
*Always ask for the structural design. Also ask the developer for a blueprint of the building. If he is not forthcoming, check for other available options.
*Get a concrete quality check done. The quality of the concrete used in a building depends on what grade of concrete has been used, what the concrete/sand ratio is and whether the concrete was allowed to cure for a sufficient length of time. One rule of thumb is that it should not be too easy to drive a nail into the walls.
*Ensure there is no water-logging around the structure. Always ensure that the level of the house is at least 1 foot above the level of the road.
*Check for signs of rust. Look for small dark brown patches or cracks along the building. The rust volume increases when steel gets corroded. In buildings with open stilt parking, one will often find signs of cracks on concrete on pillars.
*Check the transformers and electricity poles and how they have been positioned or installed.
Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes
Copyright © e-Eighteen.com Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of news articles, photos, videos or any other content in whole or in part in any form or medium without express writtern permission of moneycontrol.com is prohibited.
Copyright © e-Eighteen.com Ltd All rights resderved. Reproduction of news articles, photos, videos or any other content in whole or in part in any form or medium without express writtern permission of moneycontrol.com is prohibited.