BuildMat 2019, an exhibition of building materials and technologies, will be held here from February 14 to 17 with focus on affordable housing.
P. Arun Prasad, chairman of the fair, told presspersons on Tuesday that the ninth edition of BuildMat would have 600 stalls spread across two lakh sq.ft of display area at the CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex.
Organised by the Indian Institute of Architects, Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India), and Builders’ Association of India, the exhibition will have one hall dedicated to affordable housing and entry is free for it. The displays in this section will be affordable materials and technologies and affordable housing projects. Bankers will have stalls to provide loans for buyers of these houses and a team of experts from the associations will address the queries of the visitors on affordable housing. Seminars will be held on February 15 and 16 at The Residency with experts speaking about developments in the affordable housing sector.
Mr. Arun Prasad said that contractors and builders were trying to reduce labour and bring down the materials used to save on costs. “It is difficult to get quality labour,” he said. Use of pre-fabricated and pre-cast structures were on the rise. People were going in for automation and ready-to-use products. The fair would highlight these products. The expo would create awareness on sustainable practices, rainwater harvesting, smart cities, building safety systems, and measures that could be adopted to upgrade infrastructure in rural areas, he added.
About 50,000 people are expected from across the region during the four days.
