LIFE SPAN OF A HOUSE - HOW LONG BEFORE A STRUCTURE GETS DILAPIDATED

Left : Typical Western Country Structure. Right : Typical Indian Concrete Structure.

There is a huge difference between houses constructed in usa and India. In usa, people mostly have wooden houses with tin roofs which are light weight and less risky; whereas, in India, people mostly live in concrete structures, which are extremely heavy and far more risky in case of calamity. In earlier times, in India too, esp Assam and north-east had tin roofed houses; but, with growing population people are prefering concrete houses esp flats or apartments. Wooden or stone houses have far longer life-span than modern concrete ones. Thats why we see european stone castles and wooden houses of usa till date...surviving centuries; whereas, estimate life-span of concrete buildings are barely 30-40 years. Its a myth they have 99 years life, as we see buildings going for re-development in barely 30-40 years or so. Its mostly due to poor construction materials used, that these buildings do not last long.

Many people live in bunglows too, most of them constructed way back in the seventies and eighties. Of these many have been demolished to make way for apartment-like structures, where more people can be accomodated as compared to bunglows which typically consisted of a single family i.e the owner. Such bunglows were popular in other cities like Bombay too, but these days, they are very rare to be found. Bunglow owners sell their plot to builders for a lump sum, who then construct the towers with many flats within. Its a huge market, and its a trend that's catching up with cities like Guwahati. We have many apartment type structures emerging at every corner of the city. While these apartments are a cheaper, hence, popular choices for people, over time concrete structures has many drawbacks; as mentioned ~ their shorter life-spans.

In Bombay, we constantly get news of collapsing buildings during monsoons. While in cities like Guwahati, which sits in an active 4 category earthquake zone, buildings are often subject to major structural damages rendering them risky for habitation.. Recently, the CM had even announced mandatory demolition of structures 40 years or older.
While its not known if the govt funds the re-development of the structures, in Bombay, it is understood, often housing societies partner with builders to re-develop their buildings. Such re-developnents has some funding schemes from Maharashtra govt, and the builders too can, with permission, make additional floors and sell them off for a profit. So, in Bombay, buildings go for re-development every 30-40 years. After 40 years its a must. So, what about private bunglows in city like Guwahati? As mentioned, many owners already opt to sell to builders to make way for apartments. They either sell completely or conditional...where the builder might give them part money and a couple of flats in the upcoming project.

Buildings esp concrete, goes through tremendous wear and tear over the years. If not maintained well, they can pose a serious threat in future. They are. constructed with cement which is a permeable material. Water can penetrate cement structures and over time can cause serious leakage issues. And leakage in a concrete roof can be hazardous. Leakage issues can be caused either because of damage caused through rains or damages in the water tanks which are often kept in roofs of the buildings. Constant water seepages as such can rust the irons/steel holding the structure. Unlike tin roofs which are easy to repair, RCC roofs cannot repaired easily. Lot of caution needs to be applied. Plus cost of the repairs are exorbitant. And if not done in time, then it can get dangerous for the entire structure. Moreover, such roof repairs are not a one-time issue, as the problem might happen again..because, rains come again and again.

Besides leakage issue...there are other structural issues that might happen to a concrete building. The main plinth or beams that carry the roof can crack over time...as gravity or natural events like earthquakes does its job. These structures eg. the roof slabs are incredibly heavy, so over time the beams and pillars might develop damage carrying the constant weight...and this is a serious issue...that cannot be rectified easily. Infact, it is more difficult to repair a structural damage. A crack in wall might be bit easy...but if main structure is damaged then the life-span of the building is greatly reduced. It may even give away and collapse suddenly. Thus, it takes no time for a property which is normally considered an asset, to turn into a liability when such damages occur. As a result, its value depreciates. No one would want to buy a damaged structure anyways, much less pay a hefty amount for same. Things get worse if such structure is situated in unfavorable locationgs eg. on top of a steep hill.

So, why I've written this post. ( will update more, stay tuned )