Highlands Residency — 24-unit residential block
Six-storey residential building delivered four months ahead of schedule using in-house concrete tested for M30 grade with a 32.4 MPa average 28-day strength.
The Challenge
The Highlands Residency site sat on alluvial soil with a bearing capacity of only 110 kN/m² — well below the 180 kN/m² typically required for a six-storey concrete frame. Surrounding apartment blocks meant pile-driving was restricted by noise ordinances, and the developer needed handover before the next monsoon to avoid carrying an empty building through six rainy months. Further complicating matters: M30 concrete delivered from external suppliers in the area had been failing 28-day compression tests at a 22% rate, putting the structural design at risk.
Our Approach
We ran a full geotechnical survey and adopted a raft-foundation design with intermediate ground improvement (compacted granular columns) instead of piling — eliminating the noise restriction problem. For concrete, every batch was poured from our in-house plant and tested in our NABL-accredited lab before transport. We rejected 14 batches across the project. The on-site cube tests averaged 32.4 MPa at 28 days against the M30 spec of 30 MPa, giving the structural design a 7% safety margin above code. Procurement, fabrication, formwork and scheduling were all handled by NCC's own teams, removing handoff delays.
The Outcome
Practical completion: 14 March 2024 — 4 months ahead of the contracted handover date. • 28-day compression strength average: 32.4 MPa (M30 spec, +7%) • Zero structural quality audit findings at handover • 0 days lost to material-quality rework • ₹38 L saved versus the original baseline cost (foundation redesign + in-house concrete vs. external supply) • 24/24 units sold within 90 days of handover
“We've worked with three different construction firms before. NCC was the first to actually own the quality chain — when their lab said the concrete was ready, it was ready. The 4-month early handover let us start sales before the festive season and that alone covered the project's contingency budget twice over.”