In the early days, speed of construction was the overriding driver of demand for steel construction for all forms of infrastructure, says S Krishnakumar, CEO, Building Solutions, Everest Industries, as “steel construction saves almost 40 per cent time in comparison to conventional building methods”. However, he notes that sustainability and sensitivity to limit the consumption of resources across the project lifecycle are now driving demand for steel building solutions. One outcome of this trend, according to Krishnakumar, is that “customers are increasingly conscious of the possibility of making the building energy-efficient and resource-scarce by the use of dry construction techniques exemplified by our Rapicon wall panels and our rooftop solar solutions.” “Demand for solar-compatible pre-engineered building roofing systems is on the rise, as users look to maximise the environment-friendly credentials of such structures,” affirms Piyush Nahar, General Manager, Marketing, Tata Bluescope Steel. Additionally, nowadays, “some clients require pre-engineered building vendors to take up the civil foundation work along with the pre-engineered building packages as turnkey solutions,” observes Nahar. “To this end, leading pre-engineered building developers are offering complete solutions to the projects market, far from being just a primary foundation component.” “Customers are increasingly looking at the convenience of engaging vendors who offer one-stop solutions,” agrees Krishnakumar. “They don’t want multiple agencies to work in their buildings and the hassles of coordinating between them.” Everest has, therefore, integrated the expertise and product range of its various verticals to include factory-made wall panels, façade solutions and rooftop solar panels. CHARU BAHRI