New data provided by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) shows that the rate of investment in the housing sector has increased to 44.3% this year from 38% in the Iranian calendar year of 1385 (March 2006-March 2007), reported ISNA on Saturday.
Despite the considerable increase in housing investment, “we need to pay full attention to standardization and qualification of the buildings,” said Fariborz Vahedi, general manager of the roads and urban development organization of Tehran Province.
Vahedi described manpower as the most impressive factor in developing construction standards, saying the best experts in the field have gathered in the construction engineering organizations in different provinces and that the organization is now a profit for organization rather than being a non-profit entity.
Experts in the sector emphasize that traditional methods no longer fulfill the needs in the country and that modern methods based on industrialization of construction should be adopted, considering the 1 million housing units required annually across the country.
According to Vahedi, the estimated useful life span of buildings in the country is only 20 years, while the number could reach up to 70 years if the construction sector moves towards industrialization.
A serious challenge the construction sector is facing that regulations, in many cases, are not consistent and comprehensive. Builders often need various references for different issues. Different interpretations of the regulations and law lead to further confusion. The regulations date back to two decades ago, and a substantial revision seems necessary regarding the rapid technological progress made in civil engineering and construction techniques.
