CONTENTS

CE&CR MAY 2020 • VOL. 33 • NO. 05

NEWSCAN CONSTRUCTION TRENDS

News 10 50 IoT: Building With Wireless Intelligence
International News 13 DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR SCAFFOLDING
ENGINEERING MARVEL 52 Layher Digital Scaffolding Planning -
Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) House, Germany 16 Scaffolding Information Modelling

FACE-TO-FACE CONCRETE RECYCLING PLANT

Mr. Prashant Jha, Chief – Ready-Mix Concrete, 20 54 Environment Conscious Concrete Recycling Plant

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. EXCAVATORS

Mr K K Pahuja, President, 64 56 Australian Company Selects Volvo ECR235CL For Retaining
Indian Stainless-steel Development Association Wall Work

Mr. Vijay Sharma, Director, 67 COVER STORY

Jindal Stainless 58 Bituminous Road Construction Equipment

CONCRETING SPECIAL REPORT-BIM SOLUTIONS FOR STEEL

GGBS: The Most Effective SCM For Concrete 24 70 Constructible BIM Solutions By Trimble

by Dr. NV Nayak For Steel And Steel Structures

Performance Assessment Of Concrete Made With Ternary 32

FEATURE - STEEL
Cementitious Blends Against Chloride Ingress And CO2 Attack 72 Structuring A Steely India!
by Mr. VV Arora, Mr. Puneet Kaura, MODERN STEEL
Mr. Piyush Mittal, Mr. B N Mohapatra
74 Wear Resistance: The Underlying Property In Modern Steels
Concrete With Limestone Calcined Clay Cement 38
75 JMC PROJECTS (INDIA) LTD. SUPPORTS THEIR
by Mr. Sohom Sen
DAILY WAGE WORKERS AMIDST THE CRISIS
Stamped Concrete 42
by Dr. KM Soni 76 RECENT PANDEMIC - COVID-19 POST-LOCKDOWN
STRATEGY IN CONSTRUCTION
Special Concrete Using Bajaj Reinforcement Fibre Tuff 46

Innovative Product For The Sustainable Recovery Of 48

78 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
Returned Concrete From Mapei

CONCRETE MONITORING SENSORS

Kryton Launches The First Truly Wireless 49
Concrete Monitoring Sensors

6 CE&CR May 2020

 Ready-Mix Concrete
R
eady-mix concrete is manufactured in a batch plant, according to a set engineered mix design.
Ready-mix concrete is normally delivered in two ways - barrel truck or transit mixers. This type
of truck delivers concrete in a plastic state to the site. Second is the volumetric concrete mixer.
This delivers the ready mix in a dry state and then mixes the concrete on site.
Batch plants combine a precise amount of gravel, sand, water and cement together by weight
Dr. R Kuberan (as per mix design formulation for grade of concrete recommended by the structural consultant),
allowing speciality concrete mixtures to be developed and implemented on construction sites. The
first ready-mix factory was built in the 1930s, but the industry did not begin to expand significantly
until the 1960s, and it has continued to grow since then.
Ready-mix concrete is often used over other materials due to the cost and wide range of uses in
from the editor’s desk

building, particularly in large projects like high rise buildings and bridges. It has a long life span when
compared to other products of a similar use, like road ways. It has an average life span of 30 years
under high traffic areas compared to the 10 to 12 year life of asphalt concrete with the same traffic.
For a small to medium project, the cost and time of hiring mixing equipment, labour, plus purchase
and storage for the ingredients of concrete, added to environmental concerns (cement dust is a
particular airborne health hazard and nuisance) may simply be not worth it when compared to the
linear cost model of ready-mixed concrete, where the customer pays for what they use, and lets
someone else do the work up to that point. For a large project, outsourcing concrete production to
ready-mixed concrete suppliers means delegating the quality control and testing, material logistics
and supply chain issues, and mix design, to specialists who are already set up for those tasks, trading
off against introducing another contracted external supplier who needs to make a profit, and losing
the control and immediacy of
on-site mixing.
Concrete has a limited lifespan
between batching / mixing
and curing. This means that
ready-mixed concrete should be
placed within 30 to 45 minutes
of batching process. Modern
admixtures and water reducers
can modify that time span to
some degree.
Ready-mix concrete can be
transported and placed at site
using several methods. The most
common, and simplest, is the
chute fitted to the back of transit
mixer trucks, which is suitable for
placing concrete near locations
where a truck can just reverse in.

8 CE&CR May 2020

nationalnews
Piramal To Restructure Steel Ministry Identifies Projects Worth Rs 8,000 Cr
Residential Projects
T he Ministry of Steel has identified four slurry pipeline projects totalling over Rs 8,000 crore
to be implemented over financial years 2020-2025. The total capital expenditure for these
identified projects is estimated at Rs 8,225 crore.
A slurry pipeline is a specially engineered pipeline used to move ores such as coal, iron or
mining waste over long distances.
Out of the four, three projects worth Rs 5,441 crore are to be implemented through public-
private partnership (PPP) route, while one slurry pipeline project of Rs 2,784 crore is to be
implemented in Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode.
The finance ministry said a government task force has projected total investment of
Rs 111 lakh crore in infra projects over five years to augment infrastructure and create jobs in the
country.

Oberoi-A&M Infra-Consortium To Develop Infrastructure

E urope-based leading infrastructure development company A&M Development Group will

be establishing its office in India as Oberoi-A&M Infra-Consortium (under incorporation),

P iramal Capital and Housing Finance is

working on restructuring some of the
200-odd residential projects it has invested
along with Polaris Energy Resources.
The consortium will develop and construct mega projects in India, including low-cost housing
and smart cities via the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) plus finance model.
in. Piramal Capital and Housing Finance has
invested in over 200 residential projects. Its Oberoi-A&M Infra-Consortium will be looking towards infrastructural activities and contracts
in the SAARC region for development/construction and finance via EPC plus finance business
wholesale residential realty disbursement
model in the priority infrastructural and development projects within India in low-cost housing,
was around Rs 24,085 crore as of December
roads, bridges, metro networks, international and domestic airports, hydroelectric and irrigation
2019.
dams as well as smart cities.
The company has already started an
The consortium will initially make an investment of USD 20 billion. The consortium has
exercise of evaluating these projects as
decided to establish its SAARC head office in New Delhi. The office will be focused on executing
it needs to understand the impact of the
infrastructure development projects which are of priority to the government of India.
pandemic and come up with a solution to
ensure their completion.
“We are evaluating the projects because Godrej Properties To Acquire Land For Rs 1,359 Cr
we need to understand the impact of delayed
construction, sales and collection due to
the lockdown. Each project will require a
G odrej Properties will acquire 26.58 acre prime property in Delhi for Rs 1,359 crore. The
acquisition value of Rs 1,359 crore will be paid in instalments over several years as stipulated
in tender documents.
different set of solutions -- some could be
The land parcel will be purchased from
restructuring under the DCCO, for some it
the Railway Land Development Authority. It
could be a top-up from the unutilised credit
is situated in the Ashok Vihar area. The land
lines, among others. We are almost close to
which is spread over 26.58 acre, will offer about
completing this exercise for each project,”
three lakh sq. m (3.28 million sq. ft.) development
explained Khushru Jijina, Managing Director, potential and will be developed as a luxury group
Piramal Capital. housing project.
“We are focused on project completion The site is surrounded by parks on three sides
because unless they are completed other offering stunning greenery and city views. This
issues like whether interest rates will fall or is the company’s second project in Delhi after the launch of Godrej South Estate in Okhla
prices should come down, are irrelevant.” in 2019.

10 CE&CR May 2020

nationalnews
Odisha Clears Six DMRC Invites Bid For Patna MRTS Phase-I
Proposals Of Over
Rs 9,000 Cr T he Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has
invited bids for works of Patna Mass Rapid
Transit System (MRTS) Phase-I.
The scope of work involves civil works for
construction of new ISBT rail depot, including
earth filling, boundary wall, depot buildings,
workshop, inspection shed, plumbing, drainage,
external development, architectural finishes, road The estimated value of the project is
works, design and construction of PEB works, etc. Rs 172.18 crore with completion period of 30
for Phase-I of Patna MRTS in Bihar. months.

T he 22nd High Level Clearance Authority

(HLCA) meeting held under the
BRO Completes Four Wildlife Passes On
Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
Construction Of Bridge In AP NH-6 Gets Go-Ahead
has approved six investment proposals with
an aggregate investment of Rs 9,100.29 crore.
These projects will create an employment for
more than 6,525 people.

The CM approved two investment

proposals worth Rs 8,850.19 crore with an
employment potential of 5,250 people.
This includes two investment proposals of
Rungta Mines and Dhunseri Ventures totalling
Rs 8,850.19 crore.
The proposal of Dhunseri Ventures is for
setting up Maleic Anhydride manufacturing
unit and the proposal of Rungta Mines (RML)
is for setting up an expansion of its integrated
steel plant project.
In the footwear sector, the proposal of
Niren Kumar Anand, for setting up footwear
manufacturing unit of one million pieces
capacity was approved.
The proposal of Kashvi International to
set up an additional 1.2 million tpa iron ore
beneficiation plant to its 0.6 million tpa iron ore
pelletisation plant was also given nod.
Another proposal was approved in the
metal downstream sector. The Odisha Carriers
and Trade also received an approval for setting
up three logistics park-cum-fulfilment centres.
T he Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has
completed the construction of a key
bridge in Arunachal Pradesh that will allow
speedier movement of people and logistics
material towards the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) with China.
The bridge over the Daporijo River in
Arunchal Pradesh, was constructed in less
than a month while adhering to safety norms.
It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pema
Khandu via video conferencing link on 20 April
2020. The bridge is a strategic link towards
LAC between India and China.
All supplies, rations, construction material
and medicines pass over this bridge. The new
bridge can withstand 40 tonne of weight
allowing a safe passage for heavier vehicles
catering not only for requirements of the
Indian Army but also future infrastructure
development requirements of Upper
Subansiri district.
D ecks have been cleared for construction
of four wildlife underpasses on NH-6
between Sakoli in Maharashtra and Deori
in Rajasthan with Regional Empowered
Committee (REC) of the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) finally
giving a go ahead.
The National Highways Authority of India
(NHAI) will spend about Rs 400 crore on these
underpasses.
The already widened NH-6 cuts through
vital wildlife corridors. Over 50.68 ha of forest
land will be diverted for the project that
will enable animals to safely pass under the
highway. Fresh tenders have already been
floated as the underpasses were not part of the
works when the highway was widened.
The proposal includes three underpasses
of 750 m and one underpass of 700 m length.
The REC had approved the proposal in January
2019 and accordingly Stage-I clearance was
granted in March 2019.

CE&CR May 2020 11

nationalnews
Work Begins On Widening
Of Karur Road
W ork on widening the narrow Karur Road
has commenced by the state highways
department. The cost of the project is worth
Rs 55 crore. The 11 km narrow stretch of Karur
Road serves as a crucial link connecting western
districts with Trichy and other delta districts.
The width of the road near Thiruchendurai will
increase from 7 m to 10.5 m.
As part of the project, the highways
department has commenced foundation work
on a retaining wall along a portion of the road
that borders the Cauvery to eliminate the black
spots causing fatal accidents.
The state government had sanctioned Rs 55
crore to widen the road in August 2019.
The highways department has taken up
the work on a portion of the road that requires
men and machinery to enter the riverbed. The
25 m long retaining wall will be completed in
two months. Gradually, the ground filling and
road widening work will be taken up once
the lockdown is lifted.
12
L&T’s Construction Wins ‘Significant’ Contracts
E ngineering and construction giant Larsen &
Toubro (L&T) has said, its construction arm
has won ‘significant’ contracts for its Buildings
and Factories Business. Though the value of the
contracts is not specified, a significant contract
as per its specification ranges between Rs 1,000
crore to Rs 2,500 crore.
“The Buildings and Factories Business of
L&T Construction has secured orders from
prestigious clients in India. The business has
won an order to design and construct an The business has also secured an order to
integrated resort complex project at Goa,” the construct a Technology Park in Trivandrum over a
company said in a statement. total built up area of 2.3 million square feet.
World Bank Undertakes Work On Upgrading Road
T he World Bank has approved US$ 82 m (Rs 585 crore) for the State Roads Transformation
Project (HPSRTP) for Himachal Pradesh.
The project envisages upgradation of major roads as well as modernisation of the
department. Works of 45 km Barotiwala-Baddi-Sain-Ramshehar; 14.5 km Dadol-Ladraurr
road; 28 km Mandi- Riwalsar-Kalkhar; and 3.5 km Raghunathpura-Mandi-Harpura-Bharari
will be undertaken with first tranche of project funds.
A target of construction of 900 km road length was fixed for the year 2019-20 but only
800 km was achieved as works were halted due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent
lockdown.
Also, construction of 4,960 km roads has been fixed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojna (PMGSY) for the year 2020-21 for which financial allocation of Rs 1,666 crore had
been made.
NBCC Invites Bids For Dream Valley-Enchante
N BCC (India) has invited bids for balance works of Dream Valley-Enchante in
Uttar Pradesh.
The scope of work involves construction/rectification of balance works/left out works of
Dream Valley-Enchante in Grater Noida of Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh pertains
to Amrapali Group of Companies on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis.
The scope of work involves execution of balance works of civil, internal and external electrical,
plumbing, sanitary, fire-fighting, HVAC, lifts, STP/ WTP, signages, ESS, DGs, transformers, check
post, landscaping other left out works including rectification of defects on as is where is basis.
The estimated cost of the work is Rs 251.1 crore with completion period of 36 months.
CE&CR May 2020
internationalnews
USA ITALY DENMARK

MTA Finishes Repair Work Fagioli Installs Final Piece $8 Bn Tunnel To Begin
On Train Tunnel In Genoa Construction In
January 2021
Italian heavy lift and transport specialist
Fagioli installed the final section of the
new Genoa road bridge in Genoa, Italy, on
28 April, 2020.
The new bridge, designed by famous
architect Renzo Piano, replaces the Ponte
Morandi built in the 1960s. Part of the Morandi
Bridge (officially the Viadotto Polcevera)
collapsed in October 2018.
Fagioli has been involved throughout
the replacement process, starting with the
demolition. This involved the removal of
the collapsed and damaged deck sections
and piers. The first new bridge section was C onstruction of the world’s longest
immersed tunnel connecting Denmark
and Germany will begin in January next year,
installed on 1 October 2019.

T he Metropolitan Transportation Authority the Danish transport minister said.

(MTA)’s truncated repair job on the East
River L train tunnel, Hurricane Sandy-damaged
L train tunnel has wrapped, Gov. Cuomo has
announced.
Subway service through the tube, which
was damaged in 2012 by flooding from
Hurricane Sandy, had been reduced to
20-minute headways on nights and weekends
since last April while the work was underway.
Trains will be fully back up and running
starting end of April.
The new bridge consists of a 1,067 metre
continuous steel deck with 19 support
spans made of steel and concrete. These
are: 14 spans 50 metres long; three at 100
metres long; one at 40.9 metres; and one at
26.27 metres.
Support for the bridge is 18 elliptical-
section reinforced concrete piers. The
dimensions are 9.50 x 4.00 metres and they
are the same for the 50 and 100 metre spans.
This gave a uniformity to the design, helped
speed up and simplify the construction and
meant just one type of external formwork
was needed.
The Femern Belt link, which includes an
18 kilometre long rail and road tunnel with
an electrified double-track railway and a
four-lane motorway, will connect the Danish
island of Lolland and Puttgarden in Northern
Germany.
Denmark’s government first announced
plans for the project in 2015 with a completion
date in 2024, but the tunnel is now expected
to open for traffic in 2029.
The entire project is estimated to cost
52.6 billion Danish crowns ($7.6 billion) in
2015-prices, according to the Femern Belt
Development fund.

Crews over the past year covered stretches

of saltwater-damaged concrete “bench walls” USA
in the tunnel that house now-defunct cables
with shells made of a special fiber polymer. New
Mississippi DOT Begins Construction On New Highway
fireproof cables were strung across the walls

of the tubes, and a new pumping system was
installed to make the tunnel more hurricane-
proof. A new set of tracks has been installed
on each side of the crossing.
MTA officials said the project will be
T
he Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has begun construction on a new four-
lane highway segment on State Route 76 in Itawamba County.
Worth $81 m, the project is partly financed by a $52.4 m Infrastructure for Rebuilding America
(INFRA) grant. Last month, the contract was awarded to Eutaw Construction Company of Aberdeen
and the work is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

finished for nearly $100 million less than the
original budget. The MTA in June plans to
complete a new electrical substation, which
will allow for more frequent train service. A slate
of projects to make more stations on the L line
handicap-accessible is also ongoing.
The project is a nine-mile extension of SR 76, staring from SR 23 to SR 25 and the working crew
started clearing right-of-way on Martin Road, about half a mile north of Fairview Banner Road.
The increased capacity is expected to help carry an anticipated increase in freight traffic,
especially between Toyota in Blue Springs and the Toyota-Mazda site in Huntsville, Alabama.
At present, the freight traffic on the Corridor V has to use a 13-mile section of two-lane SR
23 when travelling from Interstate 22 to Alabama. The new highway is expected to bring down
four miles from the trip.

CE&CR May 2020 13

internationalnews
AUSTRALIA
Australia’s Tallest Building Hines To Invest €350m To
Gets A Go-Ahead Redevelop Racing Track
And Sports Complex
G reen Spine, located on Melbourne’s Yarra
River, designed by Dutch architect UN
Studio and Australia’s Cox Architecture, will
be part of the US$1.3bn Southbank, which is
being developed by local property company
Beulah International.
Green Spine will be a cantilevered structure
composed of two towers. The taller of them
will be a 356 m residential building, and will
be crowned by a publicly accessible botanical
garden. The second 252 m structure will
accommodate offices and a hotel.
The Victorian government said that the
project would pump $1 bn into the state’s
economy, which will help it recover from the
economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some 4,700 employees will work on the project
throughout its seven-year construction period.
Philip Cox, Cox Architecture founder,
said “The architectural and cultural impact
Southbank by Beulah will leave on Melbourne
is an exciting prospect and will undoubtedly
set a benchmark both locally and globally, now
and well into the future.”
14
ITALY
A former racing track and sports complex,
the 150,000 m 2 area has not hosted
any sporting events since 2013. Hines has
purchased the area from Italy’s gaming
licensee Snaitech through the Invictus
real estate fund, managed by Prelios SGR,
following the signing of a preliminary
agreement in 2019.
Under the initial plan, the mixed-use
scheme would comprise a park of more than
30,000 m2 and a residential unit.
The preliminary urban regeneration
project, which is planned to be submitted
to the relevant authorities for approval in
the near future, is expected to be completed
over four years.
Hines Europe CEO Lars Huber said: “This
is an important investment in the future of
Milan. We will leverage our expertise in urban
regeneration and residential development
projects across Europe and around the world,
working with local authorities and partners
through our team in Italy to create a dynamic
and sustainable new community.”
The transaction is part of Hines’ plan to
invest around €3 bn for redeveloping historic
buildings in the city’s centre, student housing
and large urban regeneration areas.
NETHERLANDS
BAM Builds Fully Electric Road Roller
B AM Infra Nederland has built what it claims
is the world’s first fully electric 10- to
12-tonne road roller. It was created by BAM’s
plant and equipment department, working on
an old machine that was due for an overhaul.
The emission-free road roller was put to
work on its first project, in the city of Almere.
The company said that electric alternatives are
available for many types of lighter equipment
but that the options in the heavier categories
are few and far between. Thanks to its electric
propulsion, the roller emits no carbon dioxide
or nitrogen whatsoever. In addition, the
EGYPT
Fugro Wins Role On
Cairo Megaproject
F ugro has won a site investigation contract
for the second phase of the Cairo
Monorail ‘megaproject’. The geophysical
and geotechnical investigation contract was
awarded by the National Authority for Tunnels
represented by Arab Contractors.
The megaproject involves the construction
of two monorail lines that will create the first
public transport links from both Egypt’s
as-yet unnamed new administrative capital
(NAC) and 6th of October City to the Greater
Cairo area.
Fugro plans to deploy up to 15
geotechnical drilling rigs along the 43 km
line that will connect 6th of October City to
Giza via 12 new stations. The testing on the
soil samples will take place in Fugro’s IAS-
accredited laboratory in Cairo.
The Cairo Monorail contract is Fugro’s
second major urban project in Egypt and the
company said that it solidifies its commitment
to strengthening capabilities in the country.
“We are constantly striving to improve our
service offering and deliver a comprehensive
range of site investigation services that allow
our clients to forge ahead with the design and
construction of their strategic projects,” said
Mohamed Mostafa, business line director for
land site characterisation at Fugro.
electric road roller
is much quieter than
conventional models.
The electric conversion
saves seven litres of fuel
per hour compared to
the roller’s original diesel
engine. With the electric
road roller, BAM is able to reduce its carbon
emissions by approximately 236 kg per day.
On an annual basis, with 180 days of operation,
the roller could reduce CO2 emissions by more
than 42,000 kilograms.
CE&CR May 2020
 ENGINEERING MARVEL

Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) House,

Germany
The first algae-powered building in the world

T
he world’s first algae-powered building in Hamburg,
Germany, the 15-unit Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) House,
is a four-storey residential building, which was launched as
a part of the 2013 International Building Exhibition. It was launched
with the aim to test the world’s first ‘bio-adaptive’ façade, which
Sunlight Tracking Around a Vertical Axis
uses micro-algae to shade the building as well as generate energy.
The BIQ House is the first building in the world to have a bioreactor
façade.
Construction
The structure, which features a bio-adaptive algae façade,
was built by international design firm Arup in collaboration with
Germany’s SSC Strategic Science Consultants and Austria-based
Splitterwerk Architects. Arup is the design and engineering firm
that brought the world the Centre Pompidou and the Sydney Opera
House.
The apartment building was conceived as part of a European
movement to design carbon neutral, self-sustaining, and renewably
powered structures. The BIQ was funded in large part by the German
government to incentivize the development of new adaptive, smart
construction materials. Algae was selected as of all the technologies
on display, algae power is perhaps considered with the finest
pedigree and greatest potential.

16 CE&CR May 2020


The greenness of the façade, called SolarLeaf, shows that the
algae are breaking down the carbon dioxide and processing it
through photosynthesis. This renewable form of energy production
is thus, visible from outside the building, and is an intentional part of
the architectural concept.
Second Green Skin
The sides of the building that face the sun have a second outer
shell that is set into the façade itself. The micro-algae used in the
facades are cultivated in these flat panel glass bioreactors that make
up its ‘bio skin’, measuring 2.5 m x 0.7 m. In total, 129 bioreactors
have been installed on the south-west and south-east faces of the
building. This bio-reactive panelling is filled with 200 m of algae. 2
The 200 m2 of integrated photo bioreactors algae façade comes
with a net annual energy supply of about 4,500 kW/h of electricity
more than an average household consumes in a year (3,500 kW/h
per year).
While the north-east and north-west facades of the building are
stylishly attention-commanding, the south-east and south-west
façades feature panels of algae that produce heat and biomass to
supply the building with energy from renewable sources. The algae
AirLift-System Bubbles Rising in the SolarLeaf Louvers
CE&CR May 2020 17
ENGINEERING MARVEL
are continuously supplied with liquid nutrients and carbon dioxide
via a separate water circuit running through the façade. With the aid
of sunlight, the algae can photosynthesise and grow. This process
for generating sustainable, renewable energy creates a shimmering,
dynamic green facade for the building.
The panels can rotate along their vertical axis to track the
position of the sun, and when fully closed, they form together a
continuous outer skin providing a thermal buffer. The two inner
layers form an 18 mm wide cavity with a capacity of 24 litres
for the circulation of water and growth of algae. For safety and
thermal insulation, the photo bioreactor is clad on both sides
with laminated safety glass. Compressed air is introduced to
the bottom of each bioreactor at certain time intervals. The gas
emerges as large air bubbles and generates an upstream water
flow and turbulence to stimulate the intake of CO2 and light by
the algae. At the same time, the inner surfaces of the panels are
washed by the mixture of water and air that is visible to the people.
Glass Photo-bioreactors Create the Suitable Environment for Photosynthesis
Prototype of the Algae-filled Glass Louver
ENGINEERING MARVEL
Two Sides of the Building are Clad in Panels Containing Live Micro-algae
The Holistic Energy Concept
The BIQ house captures all the energy needed to generate its
electricity and heat from the sun, leaving fossil fuels untouched.
The bioreactors not only produce biomass that can subsequently
be harvested, but they also capture solar thermal heat - and both
energy sources can be used to power the building. This means that
photosynthesis is driving a dynamic response to the amount of solar
shading required, while the micro-algae growing in the glass louvres
provide a clean source of renewable energy.
The bioreactors help to insulate the building and keep out noise.
The heart of the system is the fully automated energy management
centre, which controls each reactor. Here, solar thermal heat and
algae are harvested in a closed loop to be stored and the reactors
are turned towards the sun. Excess heat from the sun, unused by
the algae, is either used directly for solar hot water or stored in tanks
under the building for later use.
Diagram of the Energy Flow and Operating System Image
18 CE&CR May 2020
When the algae hits a certain rate of growth, some of the algae
is harvested and taken into the building for processing, where the
biomass is converted into biogas which can be burned to provide
heat in the winter and electricity. The carbon dioxide from burning
the biogas is then used to feed the algae. This façade is the first of
its kind in the world and makes use of the very latest energy and
environmental technology.
These innovative façades contribute to the reduction and
removal of 2.5 tons of CO2 emissions from buildings each year.
This remarkably sustainable energy concept is therefore capable
of creating a cycle of solar thermal energy, geothermal energy, a
condensing boiler, local heat, and the capture of biomass using the
bio-reactor façade.
The apartment provides the option of ‘living on demand’, where
the individual functions of the apartment can be swapped about or
combined to form a ‘neutral zone. This innovative living concept is
aimed at ensuring maximum design versatility for everyday life and
gives us a glimpse into urban life in the future. With its innovative
living concept, futuristic exterior, and “intelligent” algae façade, the
BIQ is a highlight of ‘The Building Exhibition within the Building
Exhibition’. The BIQ building shows that in the future façades will be
able to serve a number of different functions and be much more
than an aesthetic cladding to protect against rain and cold.
References
1. https://pocacito.eu/sites/default/files/BIQhouse_Hamburg.pdf
2. https://www.arup.com/projects/solar-leaf
Amrita Batra
Associate Editor
Civil Engineering and Construction Review
FACE-TO-FACE
“Disruptive Specialised
Products Have Emerged
As Frontrunners In A
Crowded Space”
Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. has been a part of the Indian
construction landscape since 1999, through its cement
business. The company has an established presence
across all major cities and towns in India, with its close to
sixty-five ready mix concrete plants in India. Mr. Prashant
Jha, the head of the RMX Business, talks about Nuvoco’s
excellence in the concrete sector.
C
ivil Engineering & Construction Review: How do you think
the Union Budget for FY 2020-21, will impact the concrete
industry?
Prashant Jha: To augment India’s infrastructure and create jobs, the
government in the Union Budget launched Rs. 103 trillion worth of infra projects
in addition to providing about Rs. 1.70 trillion for transport infrastructure
and accelerating highways construction. The high allocation as proposed
in the latest budget may meaningfully boost the demand for rural housing
and infrastructure. The government’s budgetary push for infrastructure,
logistics and warehousing will also be a shot in the arm for the industry. The
emphasis on highways and roads development is well-placed; it captures the
priorities of economic development and an aspirational India. The emphasis
on infrastructure development, 100 new airports and a focus on roads will go
a long way to revive concrete demand. The budget aims at making growth
more inclusive while retaining focus on the immediate priorities. Preference
given to household, roads, railways, economic corridors, solar power, and an
accelerated development of highways should help boost development and
wealth creation. The sops provided in the affordable housing segment will
further boost the concrete industry. As per the Prime Minister’s ambitious
vision of ‘Housing for All by 2022’ relaxations offered in affordable housing to
home buyers and developers alike will offer a large impetus. India is not just
the second largest manufacturer of cement in the world; but it is also its second
largest consumer. This certainly makes the sector crucial for the India growth
story; that is derived from the burgeoning of the housing sector, which also
indirectly benefits from the government public spending on infrastructure.
20
Mr. Prashant Jha
Chief – Ready-Mix Concrete
Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd.
CE&CR: Nuvoco offers a range of Artiste Craft
Concrete. In this context, is India’s construction
sector ready for high-end RMC products having
niche applications?
Prashant Jha: We keenly believe that India’s
construction sector is more than ready for higher end
and more sophisticated ready-mix concrete products
and solutions. This has been evident from the nature
of projects that even Nuvoco has been working on
over the years. Currently also, a significant number
of our projects come with very specific requirements
that call for customising. The end-consumer, having
been exposed to global trends and developments, is
more discerning and demanding.
Nuvoco was one of the first to identify this
progression, and we have been addressing it through
our Construction Development and Innovation
Centre (CDIC) based in Mumbai, which has emerged
as our distinguishing feature. It is here where we
research, analyse, experiment and address the gaps
that we have identified in the market. The CDIC is
also NABL accredited, which gives us access to over
55 internationally approved testing and analysis
systems.
To illustrate, when Lodha started working on
World One, the world’s tallest residential towers,
we were the only ones in the country who could
offer them concrete with M95 strength (which is
CE&CR May 2020

unheard of even today). Artiste has paved the entry walkway of the
Khodaldham Temple in Rajkot, which saw over 300,000 footfalls
on the inaugural day. In Eastern India, we have been associated
with Nazrul Tirtha in Kolkata, where Agile (free-flowing concrete)
was used to carry out the intricate stencil work, which wasn’t
possible with any other form of concrete. InstaMix, our ready-to-
use bagged concrete, was chosen for the restoration of Elephanta
Caves, a world heritage site off the coast of Mumbai. InstaMix, in a
customised formula, was transported by sea saving considerable
time, money and accompanying resources. The dome of the
Amritsar Entry Gate (second largest after the Taj Mahal) has used
Nuvoco’s XLite with Polibre to lighten the structure’s weight and
control cracks. The Metro projects of Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, and
Jaipur have all benefitted from our expertise in offering customised
products and solutions based on a need-gap analysis. For instance,
the underground tunnel section of the Mumbai Metro is created
using precast concrete segments that are guaranteed to be last for
125 years.
CE&CR: What factors affect the choice of concrete products?
Please elaborate on the specific variants opted by different
sectors.
Prashant Jha: Concrete is the second-most consumed product
after water, which makes it an innate part of our lives. With the
rapidly evolving construction methods; disruptive specialised
products have emerged as frontrunners in a crowded space.
Nuvoco is a preferred building materials partner in the country
since it swears by the three parameters that play an important role
in selecting the ideal product/solution, i.e. offering assured quality,
right-on-time delivery and being innovative (as evinced from our
repertoire of varied customised solutions).
There are three main sectors which drive concrete requirement
in India, namely, housing, industrial/commercial, and infrastructure;
and Nuvoco offers solutions in each of them.
Housing: Housing is one of the most burgeoning sectors in
India today. With the government push towards ‘Housing for All by
2022’ there will be a surge in demand for concrete in housing sector.
As far the choice of concrete is concerned it depends a lot on the
demography meaning a city like Mumbai where there is more of
vertical structure High Performance Concrete (HPC) has emerged
as a frontrunner. Today, it not only offers huge compressive
strengths, above 65 MPa (classified by Indian Standard Codes as
High Strength Concrete), but also imbibes structures with higher
tensile strength, enhanced durability, and increased resistance
to wear-and-tear. HPC is also designed to facilitate the efficient
utilisation of resources, owing to which, columns built using HPC
are considerably smaller in size, but big on strength. Nuvoco’s HPC
CE&CR May 2020 21
FACE-TO-FACE
is a specialised, innovative product, which has widespread applicability
in the construction of complex buildings and infrastructure projects.
Close behind is self-compacting, levelling and placing concrete
that has helped simplify the construction process, besides reducing
the time and labour required. Owing to its potential for enhancing
the aesthetics of structures, and the construction of both vertical
and horizontal parts of buildings and edifices, it is getting rapidly
adopted. Nuvoco’s Agile is one of the leading self-compacting,
free-flowing concrete products, which is widely regarded by
builders, structural consultants, and architects.
In the housing segment, repair and retrofitting of existing
structures forms an important part. The mixing of dry-mix micro-
concrete at the construction site is a major challenge that plagues
repair contractors as well as clients, as it needs skilled labour
and close supervision during the mixing process. As a result, the
execution of such projects is usually quite slow. Hence, a ready
to pour, pre-mixed, non-shrink wet micro concrete provides the
perfect solution. Nuvoco’s InstaMix Microne has filled the niche
in the growing market of repair and retrofitting of structures.
For filling up sunken portions in a building/house or terrace
overlay XLite is yet another popular product offered by us, which
boasts of low density and thermal efficiency. Because of its
short turnaround time and consistency in quality, it has become
an excellent alternative to Brickbat coba. With a density of
800-1800 kg/m3, it also helps reduce the structural weight of a
building. Another innovative solution, which is fast catching up
amongst IHB’s is Structural XLite. It offers high strength and a
density of 1000-1800 kg/m3, while being much lighter. The main
advantages of structural grade lightweight concrete structure are
lower dead load; improved seismic structural response; improved
fire endurance, thermal and acoustic resistance. As a result,
structural grade lightweight concrete can be used extensively in
top floors of high-rise construction and adding storey/floors to
existing buildings.
FACE-TO-FACE
Decorative concrete is another popular innovation, which
helps builders (commercial and IHB) have the freedom to push the
boundaries of design, which also requires reduced maintenance,
and offers enhanced durability. Nuvoco’s Artiste is a popular
solution as it looks much better than conventional alternatives
like pavers, and comes in a variety of vivid colours, patterns, and
textures.
One of the biggest challenges faced by IHB’s is availability
of quality concrete at their doorstep without having to run to
multiple vendors for sand, cement, and aggregate. This problem
is addressed by our InstaMix first ready-to-use wet concrete in
35 kg bags. This unique product guarantees quality assurance and
sustainable construction in the space of affordable housing, job
sites in congested areas where accessibility is a big challenge and
big construction sites where low volumes of concrete are required
for ease of construction. It is easy to use, ensures minimal wastage,
and enables faster construction keeping the job site clean.
Industrial/Commercial: Industrial flooring has specific
requirements, for example, it needs to be durable, cost effective;
and if used for pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, it is also
bound by numerous constraints like safety and hygiene. Nuvoco’s
Artiste Engrave and Artiste Hue belong to the family of decorative
concrete that can be used for industrial flooring as they combine
the freedom of design with low maintenance and high durability.
Available in an array of vibrant colours, patterns and textures,
Artiste is a stunning design material which also offers all the
traditional advantages of concrete such as resilience and resistance
to wear-and-tear, perfectly levelled and monolithic structure that
lasts up to 20 years.
We have also successfully used Agile, our free-flowing concrete
for constructing oncology chambers in hospitals, which follow
stringent rules laid down by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
(AERB). Agile is an ideal solution for structures with complex
configurations or requirements as it affords more floor space by
reducing the thickness of the walls without compromising on
impermeability.
22 CE&CR May 2020
Nuvoco also offers Steelibre, which is concrete reinforced with
steel fibres. This helps increase the ductility allowing for superior
load-bearing capacity and safer floors; in addition to being
economic.
Infrastructure: under this category the first and foremost
requirement is of concrete which gives the desired strength
in minimum timeframe and have a long shelf life. Basis these
requirements we have Robuste – a high grade, high performance
concrete for 50 to 100 + MPa strength. Robuste provides economic
benefits through thinner construction elements and reduced
construction time. For the ongoing Mumbai Metro, we are supplying
Robuste. Then we have Instante and Structural XLite which helps
in early strength and faster removal of formwork without altering
the quality and giving the same strength as compared to normal
concrete without increasing dead load, respectively. For the piling
work of Mumbai Metro, we have supplied Lente.
CE&CR: In what way will using your RMC product help an end-
user company?
Prashant Jha: Nuvoco’s vision of building a safer, smarter and
sustainable world means our offerings – be they conventional
products or customised solutions – are designed to bring greater
comfort and improve the quality of our customers’ everyday
surroundings; while also minimising the negative impact on the
environment.
Our range of 14 ready-mix concrete products and their variants
emphasise quality, reinforce innovation and build trust. They can
be customised to suit any specific construction need and provide
multiple benefits. Our concrete flagship brands encompass:
− Agile, the self-compacting and self-consolidating concrete with
a high-quality surface finish has been used for the Aquatics
Gallery Ahmedabad.
− Artiste, a range of decorative concrete that combines freedom
of design with low maintenance and high durability, has been
selected by Lemon Tree Hotel Udaipur as well as Magic Mountain
(one of the biggest amusement parks in India).
− Xlite, the low-density concrete that reduces structural weight
and lowers thermal conductivity, was supplied to the Bengal
Rowing Club and the P&G Factory in Baddi (Himachal Pradesh),
amongst others.
InstaMix, our ready-to-use bagged concrete and mortar
offerings are designed to deliver cost-effective, easy-to-use
construction solution in any location. InstaMix was chosen
for Antila (Mr. Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai) as
well as the INOX Theatre in Inorbit Mall, Malad (Mumbai).
CE&CR: What is trending in terms of concrete for infrastructure
projects and how are these trends reflected in your recent
launches?
FACE-TO-FACE
Prashant Jha: The concrete which is widely in demand for
infrastructure projects are high-performance concrete with early
setting from dedicated captive batching plants. As one of the leading
and most trusted building materials manufacturers in the country,
Nuvoco has had the privilege of being the primary supplier for four
major Metro projects in India, namely in Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, and
Jaipur. Nuvoco was entrusted the full scope of work, starting from
the setting up batching plants to their operation, maintenance, and
procurement of raw materials.
For the Delhi Metro, Nuvoco executed a CC34 package
comprising three underground metro stations, one launching shaft
and one cross-over. Likewise. for the Jaipur Metro, Nuvoco supplied
concrete solutions for the construction of the underground tunnel
between Chandpole and Badi Chouper, as well as the metro stations
of Choti Chouper and Badi Chouper on the East-West Corridor.
We were also chosen to supply 243,700 m3 of concrete for the
Noida Metro’s NC 01 - elevated viaduct and 8 elevated stations, and
NC 02 - elevated viaduct and 7 elevated stations. Nuvoco set up three
dedicated captive plants for the project to achieve concrete output
of 250 m3/hr, with one plant being used as a precast yard for the
casting of pre-stressed U girders for the elevated viaduct. Nuvoco
used its high-performance early strength concrete, Robuste, of M55
Grade, for the project, ensuring the U Girders achieved a strength
of 12 – 14 MPa at 12 hrs for early de-shuttering. As a result, it was
successfully able to erect 200 U-shaped girders in May 2016, which
earned the project a place in the Limca Book of Records, as it was
the most number of girders erected in a month on a single metro
line project.
The Mumbai Metro Line – 3, an ongoing project, is the first
underground metro line in Mumbai, connecting Cuffe Parade to
SEEPZ, with 26 underground stations and one at-grade station.
The concrete was required for package 4, which will comprise
three underground stations of Siddhi Vinayak, Dadar, and
Shitladevi. Nuvoco set up a dedicated captive plant at the site,
for the production and supply of 2,48,000 m3 of concrete, which
include High Early Strength as well as standard concrete. The
project required the construction of 6082 m twin bored tunnels
with an internal finished diameter of 5.80 m. The underground
tunnel sections needed to be 1.4 m long, 1 m wide, and 275 mm
in height, with a volume of 1.4 m3, and required the use of precast
concrete tunnel segments or rings, to provide a protective lining
and reinforcement to the structure. The precast concrete segment
has to be strong enough to take the heavy load, durable enough
to last 125 years and plastic enough when casted to take proper
shape and set properly. Nuvoco addressed all these issues with
products Agile and Robuste, which ensured high early strength for
enhanced productivity and provided ease in placement of concrete
in the thin structural moulds, which ensured faster production cycle.
CE&CR May 2020 23
Robuste of M-50 grade is designed to set rapidly and gain 14 MPa
strength in 16 Hours with a slump of 100 mm to 140 mm, as per the
approved mix design is produced at the Nuvoco captive batching
plant, and transported to the location by transit mixers. Instamix
Mortare a fibre reinforced water resistance cement plaster available
in 30 kg packaging ready to apply wet plaster was used for plastering
and finishing the wall, and Robuste was used to reduce the amount
of reinforcement. As a result, Nuvoco ended up completing the
casting of the entire diaphragm wall without any glitches and with
utmost customer satisfaction.
CE&CR: Please tell us about your company’s offering to address
waterproofing concerns in Indian construction project.
Prashant Jha: With the need to build stronger, sturdier structures
in various environmental conditions, construction chemicals have
started playing a bigger role than before. Construction chemicals
are specialty products that are crucial for sustainable infrastructure
and energy conservation, for increasing the durability of buildings,
and providing added fortification from environmental hazards. This
growth in the market can be attributed to escalation in construction
of residential houses and commercial complexes across the country.
Nuvoco offers a range of products that address waterproofing
concerns. We have an entire vertical, Modern Building Materials,
which includes products like construction chemicals to save from
seepage, peeling and cracks; wall fill solutions for architectural
freedom; and cover blocks for strong, lightweight and stable
frameworks under the Zero M and InstaMix brands. We recently
launched InstaMix Plastosmart, which is a high-performance ready-
mix dry cement plaster meant for exterior, interior and ceiling
applications. Its PAF technology makes the plaster resistant to
water and shrinkage cracks; thereby enhancing the durability of the
structure.
Similarly, our Duraguard Waterseal Cement is characterised by a
Damp-Lock Formula, which blocks the micro pores in standard brick
and mortar walls and helps guard the structure against dampness
from the foundation to the roof. In addition to keeping kitchens and
bathrooms dry and free from humidity; Duraguard Waterseal can
also be used to protect TMT bars from corrosion.
CONCRETING
GGBS: The Most Effective SCM For Concrete
Dr. Narayan V. Nayak
Principal Advisor
Gammon Engineers and Contractors Pvt. Ltd.
Introduction
The factors - durable, sustainable and economic are necessary for modern
concrete. The basic requirements for producing such concrete are:
–– Low water binder (w/b) ratio. Low w/b ratio is always desirable,
rather essential for high strength and high performance
(durable) concrete (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).
–– Secondary cementitious materials (SCMs)
Fig. 1: Generalized Relationship between Water Binder Ratio and Compressive
Strength of Concrete - Lower the Ratio, Higher is the Strength
In Fig. 1, from all the three curves [BIS, ACI and Road Note No.4
(U.K.)], it can be noted that as w/b ratio decreases, strength increases.
Fig. 2: The Effect of w/b Ratio on Permeability of Concrete
24
Similarly, from Fig. 2, it can be noted that as w/b ratio decreases,
permeability decreases substantially and vice versa. For example,
when w/b ratio changes from 0.35 to 0.65, the strength decreases
by 63%, but permeability increases substantially by 950 times.
Permeability is directly linked with durability; for making the concrete
more durable, its permeability has to be kept low, rather the concrete
has to be made ‘impermeable’.
Main Secondary Cementitious Materials
–– The SCMs presently available are Fly Ash (FA), Ground Granulated
Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), Metakaolin (MK), Micro-silica (MS)/Silica
Fume (SF), Rice Husk Ash (RHA), Ultrafine Slag (UFS) and Ultrafine
Fly Ash (UFFA). All these SCMs are industrial waste products, except
Metakaolin (MK); MK is a natural produce, which is heated to 700-
800°C to make it amorphous and reactive.
–– Fly ash is a waste product from thermal power stations and is
generated around 300 Mt per annum, thereby creating huge
problem of its disposal. Government is providing incentive for
using FA in embankment, etc; however, still there is substantial
excess material.
–– GGBS is a slag waste product from steel plants, which is
subsequently processed. Around 11 Mt of GGBS is produced
per annum and the entire quantity is fully utilized in the cement
industry (for manufacturing slag cement, PSC), or used at batching
plant long with OPC. An increased quantity of GGBS is required
for use in the cement industry as it is the ‘best’ SCM, as illustrated.
Hence, efforts should be made to get raw materials and slag even
by importing.
–– MS/SF is a waste product from silicon industries. It is basically an
imported product, which is imported from Norway, Bhutan and
China. Its use in high strength concrete and high performance
concrete is essential because of its characteristics of imparting
early strength and early high impermeability to concrete.
Fortunately, better local products are now available in India to
replace SF/MS, such as UFS and UFFA.
–– RHA is a product, considered as waste product, produced from
rice husk. But in India, it is generally burnt in open air, thus
polluting the environment. We are still in R & D stage to use RHA,
though it is marketed in USA under patented name ‘Agro Silica’.
CE&CR May 2020
CONCRETING

–– UFS is produced from GGBS. The same is available under the

patented name ‘Alccofine’, and is produced in Goa. It is found to
be more effective than MS/SF in concrete.
–– UFFA is a much finer product than FA. It is also considered that it
can replace SF/MS in concrete, though adequate tests are yet to
be conducted in recognized institutes.
FA and GGBS are known as fine SCMs, whereas MK, MS/SF, RHA,
UFS and UFFA are known as ultrafine SCMs.

Basic Requirements Of SCMs And Codal Stipulations

In general, finer varieties of SCMs are found to be more effective;
for example, ultrafine fly ash (UFFA) is found to be more effective
than fly ash (FA) and ultrafine slag (UFS) is found to be much more
effective than GGBS. Also, it has been observed that along with
fineness, particle size distribution (PSD) has profound influence on
‘rheology’ of concrete. Well graded PSD, particularly combined with
other cementitious materials, gives better strength and durability
to concrete. Fig. 3 provides generalized PSD curves of some of fine
and ultrafine SCMs, along with OPC-53 grade cement. Thus, it may
be noted that PSD curve for ultrafine slag scores over other PSD
Fig.3: Generalized PSD Curves for Ultrafine Slag, Metakaolin, OPC-53,
Fly Ash and Densified Micro Silica
curves including that of GGBS, which may explain majority of the
effectiveness of ultrafine slag.
The permissible upper limits of SCMs as per the National and
International Codes/Standards are given in Table 1.
From Table 1, it can be noted that as per Indian Standards (except
IRC), maximum permissible limit of replacement permitted with
GGBS is practically 2 times as compared to with fly ash. Further,

Table 1: Permissible Limits of SCMs as per Various National/International Standards

Upper Permissible Limits for Use in Concrete as per,
Indian Standards
SCMs in British Standards American Standards
Concrete BSEN 450-2012 and BS ACI 232.2R-18 and ACI
MoRTH : 2013
IS 456 : 2000 IRC 112 : 2011 IRS : 2003 4246-1996 233R-17
(5th Revision)

Generally 35% could

35% for general concrete
be more as per the
Fly Ash Max. 35% Max. 35% 55% (BSEN 450-2012) and can be higher for mass
Amendment 4 to IS
(Very concrete (ACI 232.2R-18)
456 : 2000
Unfortunate
Generally 70% could Provision in IRS)
be more as per the
GGBS Max. 70% Max. 70% 85% (BS 4246-1996) 50% (ACI 233R-17)
Amendment 4 to IS
456 : 2000
No limits specified No limits specified
Ultrafine (Usually 5-12% for (Usually 5-12% for
- - - -
SCMs SF, 3-12% for UFS & SF, 2-20% for UFS &
6-20% for UFFA) 6-20% for UFFA)
As per Table 1 Clause
5.1 of IS 16415 : 2015,
combined fly ash and
Composite
GGBS content shall - - - - -
Cement
be max. 65% and
min. OPC content
shall be 35%.

Note: Literature survey (Table 2) indicates that some of the countries and
1. MoRTH: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for certain types of concrete, permissible replacement of GGBS
2. IRC: Indian Roads Congress (slag) is as much as 80 to 90%; it is 90% in Mexico and 80% (even
3. IIRS: Indian Railway Standards exceeding 80%) in France.

26 CE&CR May 2020

 CONCRETING

Table 2: Permissible Limits of Replacement of Slag in Blended Table 3: pH Values of Mortar and Concrete with
Cement in Various Countries and without GGBS
Country National Symbol Designation Slag % S. Description pH Value
No. of Material
BLF IRAM-1636 10-35 Initial After After After After After 6 After 12
Argentina 7 28 56 90 months months
PSL IRAM-1630 35-75 days days days days
Canada 10 S CAN/CSA 25-70 Mortar
BLF GB1344-85 20-70 1. Cement 12.8 12.4 12.3 12.2 12.0
China
BLF-LH GB200-89 100% +
20-60
Water 0.4
CHF NFP 15-301 40-75 w/b
France CHF ES P 15-319 60-75 2. GGBS 100% 9.7 - - - -
+ water 0.4
CLK NFP 15-301 >80 w/b
HOZ DIN1164-1 36-80

Germany HS (HOZ) DIN1164-1 70-80 3. Cement 12.4 12.3 12.2 12.2 -

30% +
NW(HOZ) DIN1164-1 36-80 GGBS 70%
BSC-B JIS R 5211 30-60 + water
Japan 4. Cement 12.7 12.4 12.3 12.1 -
BSC-C JIS R 5211 60-70
40% +
BLF-S KSL 5210 25-65 GGBS 60%
South Korea + water
BLF-1 KSL 5210 25-65
5. Cement 12.8 12.3 12.3 12.2 -
Mexico SL Li NOMC-184 65-90 50% +
GGBS 50%
+ water
Source: Bensted J., Barnes P. “Structure and Performance of Cements”, Concrete Mix
Second Edition (2001), CRC Press Publication. 6. Cement 12.3 12.3 12.4 12.4 -
100%
This paper strongly recommends use of at least 70% GGBS in 7. Cement 12.4 12.3 12.3 12.2 12.1 12.2 12.2
all concrete, including superstructures. The initial slow strength 30% + GGBS
70%
gain with high percentage of GGBS can be overcome by the use of
ultrafine slag (SCM) in small percentage (say around 3%). 8. Cement 12.4 12.4 12.3 12.3 12.2 12.1 12.1
40% + GGBS
It is to be noted that cement manufacturers generally do not
60%
exceed 50% GGBS in slag cement. In any case, GGBS should be
mixed at the batching plant, where the plant is computerized 9. Cement 12.4 12.6 12.4 12.5 12.3 12.2 12.2
50% + GGBS
using permissible Codal high percentages of GGBS. This gives 50%
economic advantage to the client/customer, as compared to the
manufacturers. Note: As per IRC 112-2011, B2-1-pH value of pore solution in concrete is
generally in the region of 12-14. Steel will not be generally corroded until the pH
Main Characteristics Of GGBS
drops below 10.
pH Value Of Concrete With GGBS
a period of 1 year had pH values higher than 12.1 (Table 3).
pH value of GGBS and OPC is around 9.7 and 12.8, respectively.
Hence, many are apprehensive that pH value of pore solution Permeability Of Concrete
particularly with high percentages of GGBS, may fall below 10.0, The best way to make the concrete durable is to make it
thereby exposing the reinforcement to corrosion; fortunately, such impermeable. GGBS has significant influence in reducing the
an apprehension is found to be untrue. One of the projects wherein permeability of concrete. Literature survey indicates that concrete
the author was involved, laboratory experiments were conducted made with slag/GGBS is more impermeable than PPC concrete
and it was observed that concrete even with 70% GGBS and after (concrete with fly ash) or pure OPC concrete (Table 4). The table shows

CE&CR May 2020 27

CONCRETING

Table 4: Chloride Diffusion for Different Types of Concrete Contribution Of GGBS To Sustainability
Type of Cement Chloride Diffusion sq.cm/s x It is a known fact that concrete adds to the greenhouse gases in the
10-8 with w/b = 0.5 at 25°C atmosphere. The cement produced adds roughly 0.9 t of carbon to the
OPC 4.47 (10.9) atmosphere. However, replacing cement by waste products like Fly Ash,
Pozzolana Cement (70% OPC and 30% fly ash) 1.47 (3.6) GGBS, and the emission of greenhouse gases can be reduced. From Table
Slag Cement (35% OPC and 65% fly ash) 0.41 (1.0)
1, it can be noted that the various National and International Codes permit
Sulphate Resisting Cement 10.00 (24.4)
much higher replacement of cement by GGBS. Thus, GGBS contributes
that it is far more impermeable as compared to Sulphate Resisting to producing sustainable concrete. At the same time, concrete becomes
Concrete (SRC). more durable (because of reduction in permeability) and economical, as
Note: Values in () are multiples of that with respect to slag cement. fly ash and GGBS are cheaper than cement. Also, their long term (say 1
Source: Nayak, N. V., & Jain, A. K. (2018). Concrete Sustainability. Anne year) strength gain is higher than OPC concrete.
Books Pvt. Ltd.
Quality Of GGBS Product
Our Codal (BIS and UK) stipulation recommends SRC concrete In general, the quality of GGBS is very good and consistent
when sulphate content is high. Sea water in general has high
unlike fly ash, ultrafine fly ash, silica fume, etc. FA, UFFA and
sulphate as well as chloride content. Hence, if we use SRC in marine
SF vary widely in quality. Metakaolin could have been of good
conditions, it will be harmful for durability of concrete because of high
quality and consistency if temperature during processing could
permeability. Hence, Tomlinson and the author strongly recommend
be maintained consistently between 700-800°C, which rarely
not using SRC in marine works.
Table 5: GGBS vs. Fly Ash- Merits and Demerits
Further, the author in one of their project, conducted Rapid
GGBS Fly Ash
Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT) on concrete, with slag (GGBS) and
Permissible Higher (70-85%) (+) Lower (35-55%) (-)
without it. The results are indicated in the Fig. 4. It can be observed Percentage
that RCPT values after 56 days of concrete M40 have decreased from Replacement
1615 to 279 coulomb with 50% GGBS and to 213 coulomb with 70% Quality of Very Stringent and very Not Stringent and not
Product consistent (+) very consistent (-)
GGBS, which is indeed a significant reduction.
Cost of Product Generally costly (40-50% of Generally cheap (≈20%
Some have reservation of RCPT results and would prefer rapid cost of cement) of cost of cement) (+)
chloride migration test (RCMT). The author would like to conduct these (But concrete may workout
cheaper with higher
tests in the near future, but is confident that trend of the results would percentage of GGBS) (+)
be same. Such a drastic reduction in coulomb cannot be expected Hydration Hydraulic (+) Non-hydraulic (-)
from fly ash (Table 4). Mass Concrete Lower mainly because Relatively higher
– Concrete of higher permissible because of lower
Temperature replacement (+) permissible
replacement (-)
Production South India and Western Practically, all over
Facilities/ India. Hence, more costly the country. Hence,
Availability in Northern India. (+) cheaper. (+)
Long Term Much higher than OPC Lower than high % GGBS
Strength (over (≈35-40% with 70-85% but more than OPC
28 days) GGBS) (+) (≈25-30% with 35-55%
replacement) (-)
Creep – Initial Far less with permissible More than GGBS with
and Total high percentage of GGBS high permissible
and small percentage of percentage of fly ash
UFS (Alcofine (3-6%) (+) and small percentage of
UFFA (6-20%)
Segregation and Lower chances than OPC Lower chances than
Bleeding (+) OPC (+)
Sustainability Very high with permissible Lower than GGBS (-)
Fig.4: RCPT Test Results at 7, 28 and 56 days for M40 Grade of Concrete high replacement (+)

28 CE&CR May 2020

 CONCRETING

happens in the present Indian conditions. Creep, segregation
and bleeding is also greatly reduced as noted in Table 5,
wherein merits and demerits of fly ash and GGBS are highlighted.
GGBS: Most Effective Tool In Resisting Environmental
Attacks On Concrete
There are five environmental factors which affect the durability
of concrete. These factors are:
–– Marine environment
–– Carbonation in environment
–– Sulphate attack
–– Alkali-silica reaction
–– Industrial waste product environment
It is known that PSC concrete is ideal for marine environment
subjected to chloride corrosion. Higher the GGBS content, better
is the chloride corrosion resistance of concrete, mainly because of
substantial reduction in permeability of concrete with increasing
GGBS, as illustrated in Fig. 4.
Effect Of Ultrafine Slag On Concrete
Micro silica because of its characteristics of yielding early high
strength and early high impermeability became part of high strength
and high performance concrete. Unfortunately, there are many other
limitations of MS, such as shrinkage cracks, difficulty in pumping,
decreasing strength on aging, etc.
Fortunately, India has developed a new product, which has all
the advantages of MS and no disadvantage of silica fume. Such a
product is patented and is known as ‘Alccofine 1203’. It is superior to
micro silica, with reference to slump development, slump retention
and ease of pumping; while with micro silica, pumping of concrete
was difficult, as the concrete would become sticky.
Another major advantage of Alccofine is that when it is added in
small quantities (say around 3%) to the concrete mix, the cost of the
concrete gets reduced, in addition to making concrete more durable
and economic. The cost reduction is INR 200/- per cubic metre of
concrete for M25 to M40 grades of concrete. Further, the reduction
is more in higher grade of concrete. Also, cost reduction is apparently

Few years ago, PSC concrete or concrete with GGBS was more than when fly ash is added as SCM rather than GGBS.

considered weak against carbonation attack. The subsequent studies Conclusion

have revealed that concrete with GGBS and low w/b ratio is more For producing durable, sustainable and economic concrete,
impermeable, as can be noted from Table 4 and Fig. 4. Hence, PSC it is necessary to use low w/b ratio in concrete mix and also
use secondary cementitious
Table 6: Effectiveness of Various SCMs with respect to the Environment
materials as part replacement
% Addition with Resistance to
On to cement. Of the various
Type of respect to Total alkali-silica On Carbonation On Chloride On Resistance to
S. No. Sulphate
SCM Cementitious reaction/ Resistance Resistance Industrial Waste SCMs, replacement of cement
Resistance
Materials Expansion
by GGBS is permitted to a
Slightly Better
1. Fly Ash 35-50% Excellent Moderate Good Good maximum of 70%. Thus, it
than OPC
Moderate to helps in producing sustainable
2. GGBS 50-70% Excellent Good with Low Excellent Excellent Excellent c o n c r e t e . Fu r t h e r, i t i s
w/b Ratio
observed that of the various
Silica Moderate
3. 5-10% Excellent Moderate Very Good - SCMs presently used in India,
Fume to poor
Moderate GGBS is the most effective
4. Metakaolin 10-20% Excellent Moderate Very Good -
to poor in resisting environmental
concrete with high percentages of slag and in particular with low hazards on concrete. Also,
w/b ratio resists carbonation very well. once permissible upper limit of replacement is much with GGBS,
Table 6 indicates effectiveness of various SCMs in resisting it helps in producing sustainable concrete. It was also observed
environmental hazards. that ultrafine GGBS, Alccofine is more effective than SF and it also
reduces the cost of concrete. Hence, it can be said ‘GGBS: The Most
From Table 6, it is evident that GGBS is the ‘best’ SCM. Out of the
Effective SCM for Concrete’.
five environmental issues, it is ‘excellent’ in four cases, whereas the
other three SCMs have received ‘excellent’ only in one case. Even in References
carbonation resistance, it is better than the three other SCMs. 1. American Concrete Institute 232.2 R-03, Use of Fly Ash in Concrete.

CE&CR May 2020 29

CONCRETING
2. ASTM C 1240 – 15, Standard specification for use of Silica Fume as Mineral
admixture in hydraulic cement concrete, mortar and grout.
3. ASTM C 618, Standard specification for coal fly ash and raw or natural calcined
pozzolan for use in concrete.
4. Barnes, P., & Bensted, J. (2002).  Structure and performance of cements.
CRC Press.
5. British Standard 4246-1996 Specification for High Slag Blast Furnace Cement.
6. British Standard European Norm 450-2012, Fly Ash for Concrete.
7. Dinakar, P. (2010). “Effect of Ultrafine Slag on the Fresh and Hardened
Properties of Ultra High Strength Concrete”, Proceedings of ICI-AECON 2010,
5-9 December 2010, IIT Madras, Chennai, India.
8. Indian Roads Congress, IRC:112-2011- Code of Practice for Concrete Road
Bridges
9. IRC 112 – 2011 - Code of Practice for Concrete Road Bridges.
10. IRS – Code of Practice for Plain, Reinforced and Pre-stressed Concrete for
General Bridge Construction (Concrete Bridge Code). 2nd Rev. 1997. Reprint
2014 (incorporating A & C 1 to 13).
11. IS 1489 (Part-1): 2015, Portland Pozzolana Cement – Specification, Bureau
of Indian Standards.
12. IS 15388: 2003, Silica fume – Specification Bureau of Indian Standards.
13. IS 16415: 2015, Composite cement – Specification Bureau of Indian Standards.
30
14. IS 16714: 2018, Ground granulated blast furnace slag for use in cement, mortar
and concrete – Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards.
15. IS 3812: 2013, Pulverised fuel ash – Specification (Part-1&2), Bureau of Indian
Standards.
16. IS 455: 2015, Portland Slag Cement – Specification, Bureau of Indian
Standards.
17. IS 456: 2000, Plain and Reinforced Concrete - Code of Practice, Bureau of
Indian Standards
18. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Specifications (MoRTH) Specification
for Road and Bridge Works 2013 (5th Revision).
19. Nayak, N. V. & Yatin, J. (September, 2019). “Fine and Ultrafine Materials for
Concrete Durability”, Civil Engineering & Construction Review, 32(09).
20. Nayak, N. V. (2015). Foundation Design manual (7th Edition). DhanpatRai
Publications.
21. Nayak, N. V. (October, 2019). “Simple Guideline for Producing Sustainable,
Durable and Economical Concrete”, New Buildings Materials & Construction
World, 25(4).
22. Nayak, N. V., & Jain, A. K. (2018). Concrete Sustainability. Anne Books Pvt. Ltd.
23. Nayak, N. V., & Mokal, M. (2018). Handbook on “Quality and Productivity
Improvement of Concrete”, Narosa Publishing House.
24. Test data from Gammon Engineers and Contractors Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai,
India.
CE&CR May 2020
CONCRETING
Performance Assessment Of Concrete Made
With Ternary Cementitious Blends Against
Chloride Ingress And CO2 Attack
V V Arora
Joint Director,
National Council for Cement and Building Materials
Puneet Kaura
Deputy Manager,
National Council for Cement and Building Materials
Piyush Mittal
Project Engineer,
National Council for Cement and Building Materials
B N Mohapatra
Director General,
National Council for Cement and Building Materials
I
n the Indian market, the share of blended cements regarding
the total quantity of cement manufactured in 2010 was 68% and
has increased to 73% of total cement production in 2017. This is
largely due to the market’s growing acceptance of blended cements,
emerging awareness of sustainability concepts, the availability of fly
ash from thermal power plants and the use of advanced technology.
The production of Pozzolana Portland Cement (PPC, fly ash based)
had grown from 61% in 2010 to 65% in 2017. However, the quantum
of Portland Slag Cement (PSC) in total cement production remained
saturated, i.e., at less than 10%, over the same period.
Use of PPC and PSC for structural use has been pretty much
established by the concrete technologist. It has been seen that
usage of blended cements in general imparts improved durability
characteristics to concrete in aggressive environment by reducing
its permeability. This leads to higher resistance against aggressive
32
environment like sulphate, acids, chloride ingress and improved
resistance against alkali silica reaction. Use of fly ash and granulated
blast furnace slag in the production of blended cements, i.e.,
Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) and Portland Slag Cement (PSC)
is also beneficial for conservation of natural resources. Such method
indirectly also allows significant reduction in CO 2 emission by
reducing the quantities of clinker used in the cement manufacturing
through replacing it by mineral additives with hydraulic properties,
such as blast furnace slag and fly ash from power plants. However,
certain issues like carbonation and carbonation induced corrosion
in blended cement has always been a matter of concern. Indeed,
carbonation in blended cements is high in comparison to ordinary
Portland cement, but subsequent corrosion rate may be on the
lower side. This is mainly due to the development of dense cement-
aggregate matrix at later ages in case of blended cements.
Nowadays, use of industrial by-product as a multi-cementitious
component in the manufacturing of composite cement is a gaining
momentum. However, end users are still apprehensive with the
application of ternary blended system or composite cement in
structural use.
It is a well-known fact that the production of cement is the third
largest source of anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide that
roughly contributes as much as 8% of the global CO2 emissions[1].
To mitigate the CO2 emissions, alternative in terms of partial or full
replacement to cement is desirable, as manufacturing of one tonne
of OPC approximately requires 1.5 tonnes of raw materials, which
approximately leads to the generation of 0.9 tonne of CO2 [2].
The worldwide use of fly ash and GGBS in concrete as a
sustainable and durable constituent had been studied by various
researchers over the last 30-40 years. Exhaustive research work done
has been devoted to study the effect of fly ash and slag cement in
concrete and its durability characteristics in laboratory and field
environment. P. Van den heede et al. [3] had studied the effect of
chloride ion migration in concrete made with fly ash (15% and
50 %), and concrete made with slag (50% and 70 %) for service life
CE&CR May 2020

assessment in submerged marine environment. Their study indicates
prolonged curing has beneficial effect on the chloride resistance of
concrete containing fly ash, whereas concrete mixes with 50% and
70% slag shows decrease in migration coefficient with increase in
slag content irrespective of the curing age. Gengying Li et al. [4]
carried out a study on concrete in-cooperating FA and GGBS together
(i.e. GGFAC), control made with ordinary Portland cement (PCC) and
high-volume FA high strength concrete (HFAC). The assessment
was made based on short-term and long-term performance test of
the concrete under acidic environment simulated by using of 2%
H2SO4 solution. In their study, HFAC contains 40% FA and GGFAC
contains 25% FA and 15% GGBS. The test result indicates that GGFAC
concrete is superior to HFAC and PCC against the H2SO4 attack with
lowest rate of decalcification while maintaining long term strength.
Michael D. A. Thomas et al. [5] investigated the long-term field and
laboratory performance of concrete made with 30% fly ash and 70%
slag as a partial replacement to Ordinary Portland cement exposed
to chloride laden environment. The result indicates that diffusivity
of chloride ion in concrete containing fly ash or slag is considerably
more sensitive to the aging than that of Plain Portland cement
concrete. The reduction in the rate of diffusion was observed for
the field conditions, i.e., marine environment in which blocks were
exposed and found to be like values obtained experimentally in
laboratory. Mukesh et al. [6] studied the suitability of CEMII (fly ash
based as per EN 197) and CEM V cement (i.e. composite cement
containing fly ash and slag as per EN 197) to produce green concrete
through mechanical and durability tests. Mechanical properties have
been studied in terms of compressive strength, flexural strength,
drying shrinkage whereas carbonation and initial absorption test
were used to determined durability behaviour of the concrete.
The test results indicate that the performance of ternary blends in
terms of compressive strength and flexural strength is comparable
to control concrete, whereas drying shrinkage of ternary blends
concrete is far lower to that of control concrete at later ages. In terms
of durability performance, ternary and binary blends have shown
superior permeation, property but lower resistance to carbonation.
It was also seen that carbonation resistance in ternary cement
concrete was more influenced by the amount of SCM’s and effect of
water-cementitious materials ratio is insignificant. However, effect
of water cement ratio on carbonation resistance was found to be
more prominent in case of binary system concrete, which agrees
with the work done by Atis et al. [7] and Khunthong Keaw et al [8].
M. R. Jones [9], examined the carbonation and chloride resistance of
concrete containing ternary blended concrete (TBC) and compared
the same with PC (Portland Cement) concrete and binary (PC/PFA:
70%/30%) concrete of equivalent standard 28 day cube strengths
CE&CR May 2020 33
CONCRETING
of 20, 40 and 60 N/mm2. In TBC mixes, percentage replacement of
PC with PFA (pulverized fly ash) has been varied from 15% to 35%,
with GGBS has been varied from 25% to 65%, and silica fume being
kept constant to 10%. The test results show that the carbonation
depths of TBC mixes were on average 2.5 times higher than those
of the PC/PFA control and degree of carbonation relates to the
amount of PC replaced. However, in terms of chloride resistance,
TBC mixes on average had 80% lower chloride concentration at 16-
30 mm depth than the PC/PFA control. These results are in line with
the work done by Jose Caballero [10], where effect of fly ash, slag
and their combinations have been studied for marine environment.
VV Arora et al. [11,12,13,14,15] studied the effect of blended cements
on the service life design of concrete structures exposed to coastal
environment and semi-arid environment. Their study shows that
w/c ratio has significant effect on durability behaviour of concrete.
Even the durability tests either conventional long term or short-term
tests are influenced by the w/c ratio and type of binder composition.
Concrete made with blended cements shows higher resistance
against the chloride ingress when tested as per ISO 1920 part 11.
Indeed, carbonation resistance of concrete made with blended
cement is lower than that of conventional concrete made with
OPC but the rate of increase of carbonation in concrete made with
blended cement i.e. PPC and PSC was somewhat less in comparison
to concrete made with OPC. This implies the carbonation model for
concrete made with OPC cannot be used for concrete made with
blended cements. Their studies also suggest that non-destructive
tests like electrical resistivity and torrent air permeability can be
used for the service life assessment of RC structures provided that
concrete composition is known.
Research Significance
Recently, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has brought out
standard specification IS: 16415-2015 for composite cement. The
composite cements or ternary cementitious systems are blended
cements that are manufactured using 35-65% Portland cement
clinker/ordinary Portland cement along with 15-35% fly ash and
20-50% granulated blast furnace slag together as the blending
component. Application of composite cement for the structural use
in present form is not advisable because of some durability concerns.
To address this issue, NCB has taken up the study to investigate
the effect of composite cement or ternary cementitious blends (fly
ash and GGBS) in concrete. This study conducted at NCB will also
support the cement industry, which is presently facing problems
due to depletion of natural resources like fuel and shortage of raw
materials (i.e. cement grade limestone) along with climate concerns
like CO2 emission, it will also be helpful for the construction industry,
 CONCRETING

which is still apprehensive while dealing with supplementary The concrete mixes were designed with low OPC content and
cementitious materials. In the present work, ternary concrete mixes high volume of supplementary cementitious materials like fly
as described below were designed at water-cementitious materials ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). By utilizing
ratio of 0.60. combinations of these two - industrial products as a partial
Concrete Mix Proportion replacement to OPC in concrete, the concrete can be made more
sustainable and economical.
Total
Sample Cementitious OPC Results And Discussion
Cementitious Flyash (%) GGBS (%)
Id system 43G (%)
(kg/m3) Compressive Strength

S5 Binary 300 65 35 0 Compressive strength of concrete is the measure of resistance

against compressive forces and mainly used at construction site
Ternary or for quality control purposes. Generally, compressive strength of
CM1 300 40 35 25
composite
the concrete is influenced by various factors, such as concrete mix
Ternary or proportioning, w/c or w/cm ratio, type of cement, curing regime,
CM2 300 50 25 25
composite specimen geometry and many more.
Ternary or
CM3 300 55 20 25
composite

Ternary or
CM4 300 35 15 50
composite

Performance of the ternary concrete mixes or composite cement had

been evaluated in terms of mechanical parameters and durability
parameters as listed below, and comparison was done with binary
concrete mix containing 35% fly ash (also known to be PPC with fly
ash content 35%).
List of mechanical and durability test conducted to measure the
Fig. 1: Compressive Strength Development with Age
performance of the concrete mixes against chloride ingress and CO2
attack as follows: The compressive cube strength of the various ternary concrete mixes

Mechanical Parameters at water-cementitious ratio 0.60 made with combination of varying

–– Compressive strength
–– Flexural strength
–– Drying shrinkage and moisture movement
Durability Parameters
–– Rapid chloride penetrability test (RCPT)
–– Electrical Resistivity
–– Accelerated Carbonation induced corrosion study
For each concrete mix, a number of concrete cubes (150 mm),
concrete prism bars (75x75x300 mm), concrete beam specimens
(100x100x500 mm), concrete cylinders (100 mm dia, 200 mm height),
concrete slabs (300x300x100 mm) and reinforced concrete slabs
(350x250x100 mm) were cast. After 24 hours, the concrete specimens
de-moulded and water cured for 28 days. After 28 days of water
curing, most of the concrete specimens, either beams, cylinders
and slabs were shifted to controlled laboratory environment of
RH = 65 ± 5% and temp = 27 ± 2°C till the age of testing.
percentage of fly ash, GGBS and binary concrete mix are given in Fig.
1. Appreciable gain in compressive strength has been observed in
ternary concrete mixes in comparison to binary concrete mix, S5. In
most of the ternary concrete mixes, compressive strength at all the
test ages is higher to comparable concerning binary concrete mix S5.
Ternary concrete mixes CM2 and CM3 performances better in respect
to other concrete mixes. Test results support that contribution of
these supplementary cementitious materials at later ages, i.e., after
28 days due to the slow pozzolanic reactions. The role of fly and GBBS
as cementitious constituents is to allow formation of extra calcium
silicate hydrate (CSH) gel that is formed due to the reaction between
fly ash and GGBS particle with the portlandite (CH), which further
densify the pore matrix.
Flexural Strength
The flexural strength or modulus of rupture of different ternary
concrete mixes and binary mix are shown in Fig. 2. It was observed
that the flexural strength of ternary concrete mixes at 28 days is

34 CE&CR May 2020


slightly lower in comparison to binary concrete mix. However, at 90
days, flexural strength of almost all the ternary concrete mixes except
CM 4 is at par to the binary concrete mix, S5. When tested at later
age, i.e., 90 days, ternary concrete mix containing maximum amount
of fly ash, i.e., 35%, CM1 had shown slightly higher flexural strength
in comparison to binary concrete mix as well as other ternary
concrete mixes. The test results indicate that as the percentage of
fly ash in ternary mixes increases, flexural strength also enhances.
On comparison gain in flexural strength at 90 days w.r.t 28 days
flexural strength value, an average of 17% gain in flexural strength
is observed in ternary concrete mixes in comparison to 10% gain
in binary concrete mix.
Fig. 2: Flexural Strength Development with Age
Drying shrinkage And Moisture Movement
Drying shrinkage mainly corresponds towards the loss of
capillary water due to evaporation, resulting into formation of tensile
stress cracks. Drying shrinkage is dependent upon various factors
that include the properties of the concrete making constituents,
their proportioning, environmental conditions, curing technique
and member size. The concrete mixes when tested at 28 days for
drying shrinkage and moisture movement, it was seen from the
Fig. 3, that the percentage expansion in case of ternary concrete
Fig. 3: Flexural Strength Development with Age
CE&CR May 2020 35
CONCRETING
mixes is slightly lower in comparison to binary concrete mix. It has
been seen that each ternary cementitious blend has distinctive
characteristics, each contributing to concrete shrinkage.
Rapid Chloride Penetrability Test (RCPT)
Various researchers have used RCPT test to evaluate the
behaviour of SCM’s against chloride penetration. This test method
has been used for the basic evaluation of different type of materials
and is quite sensitive to the age of testing, curing regime, type of
mineral additions, etc. In this test, charge passed after applying
potential difference of 60 Volt dc for 6-hour duration measured,
which provides a qualitative relationship with the chloride ion
penetrability class. The testing had been carried out at two ages,
i.e., 28 days and 56 days. From Fig. 4, it could be seen that ternary
concrete mixes have shown significantly higher resistance in
comparison to binary concrete mix. However, the effect of age is
found to be insignificant in case of ternary concrete mixes, but in
case of binary concrete mix, reduction in charge passed at 56 days
can be observed.
Fig. 4: Charge Passed with Age
Electrical Resistivity
Surface electrical resistivity is a measure to determine the flow
of ions in pore and can be related to the stages of the processes
of reinforcement corrosion, i.e., initiation phase and propagation
phase [14,15]. Electrical resistivity test can be served as a best tool
Fig. 5: Electrical Resistivity with Age
CONCRETING

for durability assessment as it is rapid and non-invasive way of and GGBS indicates that rate of corrosion depends upon the fly
evaluating concrete. ash content. From Fig. 7, it was observed that as the percentage
The test results indicate that the addition of SCM’s significantly of fly ash content increases, rate of corrosion decreases.
improves the electrical resistivity and provides better resisting
property. From the Fig. 5, it is observed in case ternary concrete
mixes, the rate of increase in electrical resistivity of concrete with
age is high. The value of electrical resistivity for ternary concrete
mixes is almost 2 times higher as compared to binary concrete mix.
Accelerated Carbonation Test
Carbonation is a complex physicochemical phenomenon
that involves physical and chemical reactions, resulting into
microstructure changes. Atmospheric carbon dioxide molecules
Test Specimen for carbonation: - RCC slabs
dissolute into aqueous phase and react with calcium hydroxide, with
C-S-H gel and with the alkali and calcium ions in the pore solution.
The consequence of these reactions is drastic and could be analysed
by determining the pH of the system [16,17].

CSH + 3CO2 -> 3CaCO3 2SiO2 3H20

C3S + 3CO2 + vH20 -> SiO2 vH20 + 3CaC03
C2S + 2CO2 +v H20 -> SiO2 vH20 + 2CaC03
The carbonation study was conducted on RCC specimens
(350x250x100 mm) as shown in Fig. 6. To study the effect of OPC
Carbonation chamber
content as well as synergistic effect of fly ash and GGBS as a whole,
ternary concrete mixes as well as binary concrete mix have been Fig. 6: Test specimen and Test chamber for Carbonation
exposed to CO 2(4±0.5% by volume) for an exposure period of
35 days in carbonation chamber. From the Fig. 6, ternary concrete
mixes in which GGBS content remains constant, i.e., 25%, depth
of carbonation was found to be the function of fly ash content
and increases in proportion to the fly ash percentage. According
to various literature [18,19], depth of carbonation is the function
of amount of OPC content or SCM’s, i.e., as the percentage of
SCM increases, depth of carbonation also follows the same trend.
However, in our ternary concrete mix, i.e., CM4 that contains 50%
GGBS and 15% fly ash along with lowest clinker percentage, i.e.,
35%, the depth of carbonation was found to be less in comparison
to ternary concrete mixes containing 40% and 50 % OPC content,
i.e., CM1 and CM2, respectively. This may be due to the presence of
Fig. 7: Corrosion Rate and Accelerated Carbonation Depth
slag in excessive amount in mix CM4 in comparison to CM1 and CM2,
with 25% slag content. In general, all ternary concrete shows higher
Among all the ternar y concrete mixes, concrete mix CM1
depth of carbonation in comparison to the binary concrete mix.
made with highest fly ash content as 35%, i.e., has the lowest
Corrosion Study: Carbonation Induced Corrosion Study rate of carbonation induced corrosion, although the depth of
Corrosion rate has been measured through linear polarization carbonation is highest. On comparison with binary concrete
resistance (LPR) technique. Test results of carbonation induced mix S5, corrosion rate of CM1 is comparable, whereas in other
corrosion study of ternary concrete mixes made of fly ash, ternary concrete mixes, rate of corrosion is on the higher side.

36 CE&CR May 2020


Conclusion
–– In terms of mechanical properties, i.e., compressive strength and
flexural strength, performance of ternary concrete mixes studied
is better than binary concrete mix.
–– Drying shrinkage and moisture movement of ternary concrete
mixes studied is lower when compared with binary concrete mix.
–– Test results of RCPT indicates that ternary concrete mixes have
significantly higher resistance against the chloride ingress in
comparison to binary concrete mix.
–– Addition of SCM’s significantly improves the electrical resistivity
and provides better corrosion resisting property. The value of
electrical resistivity for ternary concrete mixes is almost two times
higher as compared to binary concrete mix.
–– Ternary concrete mixes had shown higher depth of carbonation
in comparison to the binary concrete mix. Ternary concrete mixes
consisting of 35% fly ash has the lowest rate of carbonation
induced corrosion with respect to other concrete mixes but has
higher carbonation rate.
–– Ternary cementitious blends with OPC content 50-55 % and fly
ash content of 25 % give adequate performance w.r.t carbonation
resistance and corrosion rate when compared to binary blends,
i.e., PPC (with 35 % fly ash). However, more research is needed to
study the effect of cement and SCM’s properties on durability as
the present work corresponds to only one given set of materials.
Further research to study this aspect is under progress at NCB.
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12. V V Arora, and Puneet Kaura, “Durability test methods for service-life design
of concrete structures-Exposed to semi-arid environment”, Proceeding of 14th
NCB International Seminar.
13. V V Arora, and Puneet Kaura, “Service Life Prediction of RC Structures using
Short term Durability Testing Methods/Technique”. Proceeding of 15th NCB
International Seminar.
14. VV Arora, and Puneet Kaura, “Service life design of concrete structures
subjected to carbonation”. One day symposium on Durability and service life
design of concrete structures 2017, NCB Ballabgarh.
15. Puneet Kaura, V V Arora, Bikekananda Mohapatra, “Service life design of
RC structures prone to carbonation using accelerated test methods” .15th
International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement (ICCC 2019)
16. VV Arora, and Puneet Kaura, “Durability testing of blended cement-
Relationship between accelerated tests and long-term tests”, 2nd ICDC
(2014), New Delhi
17. Arnon Bentur, Neal Berke, Sidney Diamond. “Steel Corrosion in Concrete:
Fundamentals and civil engineering practice”.
18. D o n g - h u i Ya n g, G u o - Pi n g l i , T i n g - H u a Yi , H o n g - N a n L i “
A performance-based service life design method for reinforced concrete
structures under chloride environment”. Construction and Building Materials
2017, 124, 453-46.
19. M.Thiery, G.Villian, P.Dangla and G.Platret, “Investigation of the carbonation
front shape on cementitious materials: Effects of the chemical kinetics”.
Cement and Concrete Research 37 (2007), 1047-10.
CONCRETING

Concrete With Limestone Calcined

Clay Cement
cement. Having clinker content 50%, Limestone content 20% and
Limestone content 30% makes a better New Generation cement.
Sohom Sen, Purpose Of Study
Executive Director,
City Crafters Private Limited In the construction sector today, people choose Ready-
Mix Concrete, because it is superior in all respects. The proper
management of raw materials and saving of unnecessary waste
of resources make ready mix concrete acceptable to construction

A
fter the industrial revolution, as the whole world became practitioners, supervisors and common people. In this paper, we
concerned about growing industries, the construction will compare Limestone Calcined Clay Cement with other available
sector also focused on industrial boom. This also includes cements and its effect. The importance of LC3 use in the sector of
infrastructure like heavy industries, skyscrapers and roadways. The construction is important because of its good qualities, i.e., increased
backbone of the all the infrastructure and structures is concrete production (50% Clinker and other Materials), less emission of GHGs,
and steel, which is the second most consumed product by people and eco-friendliness.
after water. Steel is a product, which is produced in a controlled The trials conducted using LC3 and other cement are tabulated
condition and has superior quality. But concrete is a composite and below with proper Identification Mark (ID):
heterogeneous material, which consists of cement, fine aggregate/
ID Cement and SCM content W/C Ratio Trial Group
sand, coarse aggregate/gravel, water and required chemicals for
A1P1 320 kg pure OPC
long term durability. Although cement is a key ingredient that gives
A2P2 320 kg pure LC3 0.51 Trial Group 1
the main purpose of making of this concrete, to produce cement,
A3P3 320 kg Pure PPC
emission of carbon dioxide content around 14 to 16% is required,
which will somehow partially affect the environment. To reduce this
B1C1 300 kg OPC+100 kg PFA
emission, researchers have found an innovative solution, which will 0.41 Trial Group 2
B2C2 300 kg LC3+100 kg PFA
cut down the emission by half.
In this paper we discuss the New Generation cement called
C1H1 260 kg OPC+120 kg PFA
Limestone Calcined Clay Cement, also called LC3. Yes, there are 0.42 Trial Group 3
C2H2 260 kg LC3+ 120 kg PFA
existing cements and their technology, which are very progressive.
Three groups of trials were conducted, and each group
But in the recently conducted forum on ‘Global Climate Change’,
consists of sub-trials. The grade is not defined for any trial and
World Cement Association addressed the problem of carbon dioxide
designed as per the relevant Indian Standard 10262:2009 with
emission from cement manufacturing plants and estimated it to
varying water to cement ratio and projected slump value.
reduce by 24% by 2050[1].
Cement is normally made from Limestone, Silica, Alumina and Method Of Study
Gypsum, but when all these ingredients are mixed at a temperature This whole study was conducted at Prism Johnson Limited
o
of 1500 C, it causes an emission of CO2 on environment. To (RMC DIVISION), Lucknow. This Laboratory is QCI certified and
reduce this, the researchers found that the use of clinker should equipped with all testing Instruments relevant to Indian Standards.
be reduced. And here the answer is Limestone Calcined clay The raw materials were use in this study are listed as follows:

38 CE&CR May 2020

 CONCRETING

Raw Material Brand/Source But in most of the cases it was found that LC3 mixes need some
more chemical admixture/water, because of higher specific areas of
OPC 43 Grade Prism
the particles.
PPC (29% of PFA content) Birla Gold PPC
Casting And Curing
LC3 TARA, Development Alternatives
9 cubes are casted for every trial. 3 cubes are taken for 3 days, 7
20 mm (C.A) Kabrai
days and 28 days, respectively. Curing is done on curing tank with
12.5 mm ( C.A) Kabrai
maintained temperature of 27+/-2oC.
CSS/M Sand Kabrai
For Trial Group 1, we can see the first 3 days result of A1P1, A2P2
PFA Rosa (Reliance), U.P.
and A3P3. The initial strength of A2P2 is lower than the other two,
Water Borewell but at 7 and 28 days, A2P2 gains its strength; the gain is 10 MPa from
Chemical Admixture Mid PCE based 7 days to 28 days, whereas A1P1 gain 11 MPa, which is sharp. On the
Design Consideration other hand, A3P3 gains only 8 MPa.

Trial Group 1 used pure cementitious content of 320 kg with water

to cement ratio 0.51; 20 mm and 12.5 mm aggregates taken in 50:50
ratio, and CSS is taken as 42% with 2-hour retention time. Admixture
dosage was taken as 0.5% of cementitious content.
The Trial Group 2 consisted of cement and scm. PFA is replaced
with 25% of total cementitious content. Water to cement ratio was
0.41; 20 mm and 12.5 mm aggregates in 50:50 ratio, and CSS is taken
38% with 2-hour retention. Admixture dosage was taken as 0.55%
of cementitious content.
The Trial group 3 was considered as a M30 grade. PFA is replaced
by 32% of cementitious content. And rest of the considerations Fig. 1: B2C2 Trial @ 120 Mins Fig. 2: Freshly Cast Cubes B2C2

were same as above. The fresh properties with 2-hour retention is

Result And Discussion
tabulated below:
Cubes were cast for testing after 3, 7 and 28 days. Cubes were
Trial Group 1 IDs Slump @ 0’ Slump @ 60’ Slump @ 120’ tested at Digital Compression machine of 2000 kN capacity. The
A1P1 200 mm 170 mm 130 mm results and graphs are shown below:
A2P2 180 mm 140 mm 100 mm
Trial Group 1 A1P1 A2P2 A3P3
A3P3 200 mm 140 mm 110 mm
3 Days 21.4 13.1 15.5
Trial Group 2 IDs Slump @ 0’ Slump @ 60’ Slump @ 120’ 7 Days 29.5 29.8 20.6
B1C1 210 mm 180 mm 150 mm 28 Days 40.67 38.06 28.67
B2C2 200 mm 160 mm 140 mm

Trial Group 3 IDs Slump @ 0’ Slump @ 60’ Slump @ 120’

C1H1 200 mm 170 mm 135 mm
C2H2 200 mm 160 mm 120 mm
The Tables show retention time of all the mixes. So, it is found that
for Trial Group 1, the slump value is less for the case of A2P2 mix, and
the requirement of addition of water could increase the slump value.
The slump value in the case of Trial Group 2 and the Slump value
of B2C2 is almost same as B1C1 mix. The addition of Fly ash may turn
the mix cohesive as well as soft. The Trial Group 3 was also found to be
same. No such Slump Loss was found in the mix. The dosage varied
with different mixes +/-0.05% of the total cementitious content.

CE&CR May 2020 39

CONCRETING

Trial Group 2 B1C1 B2C2 A3P3

3 Days 24 26.2 15.5
7 Days 38.6 41.7 20.6
28 Days 46.6 45.8 28.67

In Trial Group 2, it is surprising that the strength gain happens

between 3 days and 7 days for both the cases. Trial B2C2 gains only 4.1
MPa, from 7 to 28 days, whereas B1C1 gained 8 MPa. The incorporation
of fly ash may cause initial rapid gaining of strength for B2C2 mix.
It has shown that OPC+LC3 mix characteristics is almost same
as LC3+ PFA mix. Conclusion
Trial Group 3 C1H1 C2H2 A3P3 This work concludes the following points:
3 days 20.9 17.7 15.5 –– The water requirement of LC3 is high due to its specific surface
7 days 25.5 23.9 20.6 area.
28 days 38.6 36.4 28.67 –– The dosage required for mix other than standard mix also high
(adding to the cost of concrete).
–– Use and practice on LC3 could be useful for future by replacing
OPC grade.
–– LC3 can be used for precast applications.
–– Incorporation of PFA in the mix could minimise the water
requirement of the mix. Also, PFA can minimise the stickiness of
the mix too.
–– At RMC industry level, design should be done carefully because
the LC3 mix is optimized with proper water content; higher water
content may cause loss of strength.
–– Limestone Calcined Clay Cement is a promising material to the
construction industry.

References
1. Cement Producers Are Developing a Plan to Reduce, Chelsea Harvey, E&E
Trial Group 3 has shown that gain of strength is stable for both News on July 9, 2018.
the cases. For Trial C1H1, there is 5.4 MPa and 13.1 MPa gain from 3 2. Indian Standard 10262:2009, 456:2004, 4926:2015.
to 7 days and 7 to 28 days, respectively, whereas for C2H2, 6.2 MPa 3. www.LC3.ch
and 12.5 MPa gains found. 4. DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES, TARA.

40 CE&CR May 2020

CONCRETING
Stamped Concrete
Dr K M Soni,
Addl DG (Retd.),
CPWD, New Delhi
S
tamped, textured or imprint concrete is a decorative concrete,
used in flooring. Large number of finishes can be achieved with
such concrete in desired colours with the surface resembling
bricks, stones, tiles or wood. The process includes preparation of
subgrade, placing of forms, providing reinforcement for stability,
placing the concrete, screeding and finishing the concrete, applying
colour and lastly, stamping the concrete using desired moulds.
Thus, stamped concrete can be used for functional and aesthetic
requirements. This also saves natural stone and thus, can be
categorised as a green material.
Stamped concrete can be used in the landscaped area, entrances
and pathways.
Advantages Of Stamped Concrete
Some of the advantages of stamped concrete are:
–– Different patterns can be achieved with stamped concrete,
resembling from bricks to tiles to stones.
–– It can be made available in many colours as per the architect’s
choice.
–– It can be laid on any sub-grade over plain cement concrete base
or RCC base as per the available sub grade characteristics.
42
–– It is durable, long lasting and almost free from maintenance.
–– Customised designs and patterns can be achieved.
–– Since it can be laid over RCC, it has better resistance to water and
uplift pressure due to water and may prove to be durable even
in case of occasional submergence.
–– It does not have joints like bricks, tiles and stones, hence is
aesthetically better and durable compared to bricks, tiles or
stones.
–– Laying of stamped concrete is easier than traditional materials like
bricks, tiles and stones and provide better and consistent surface.
–– Since it saves natural stone, it can be categorised as a green
material.
Procedure Of Casting Stamped Concrete
Laying stamped concrete includes the following steps:
1. Subgrade preparation: The subgrade is important for concrete
roads and subsequently for stamped concrete. The subgrade
must be well-compacted to stop settlement and cracks due to
settlement.
2. Placing the formwork: Next step is to place the forms made of
wood, metal or plastic as per specifications of the item. Formwork
should be clean with enough stiffness and capable of retaining
its shape during casting of concrete.
3. Placement of reinforcement: Nominal reinforcement is usually
placed for structural function to provide structural integrity to
avoid cracks and increase impact resistance.
4. Placing the concrete: In this step, concrete is placed, usually ready
mixed concrete (RMC) as per design requirement. The concrete
should be placed as close as possible to the destination. To avoid
CE&CR May 2020

concrete splatters, adjoining structures may be protected from
plastic sheets.
5. Screeding and finishing the concrete: Screed is basically a
thin layer of cement and fine aggregates or cement, sand and
aggregates of small size, laid on to a concrete floor base to act as a
smooth flat levelling surface for taking on the final floor finish. The
work done immediately following concrete placement is critical
as imprinting is required after this step. The surface is levelled to
prevent any undulations in a way that cement paste comes to the
surface to permit a pre-defined imprint.
6. Applying colour: Desired colour is then added to the concrete
for stamping.
7. The stamping: Before actual stamping, the stamp layout is
diagrammed and enough workers are deployed as the window of
time for stamping is generally short, especially in warm weather.
Typically, the edges are pre-textured first so that when larger
stamps are used later, they may not overlap the forms and get
fully depressed into the concrete. The concrete is then stamped in
the same sequence it was placed. Stamping alignment is checked
regularly verifying the pattern to ensure desired outcome.
8. Curing: Curing is then carried out as per specifications.
9. Installing joints: Joints are then cut as per the requirements at
planned locations.
10. Sealing stamped concrete: In final step, sealer is applied to enrich
the colour of concrete and to block penetration of stains from dirt,
chemicals, leaves, etc.
Nomenclature Of The Item
Nomenclature of the item is as follows for guidance:
Applying stamping finish to the top surface of freshly laid plain/
reinforced concrete in pavements/paths, including placement of
CE&CR May 2020 43
CONCRETING
concrete and screeded to the finished grade, and floated to a uniform
surface by using standard finishing techniques. The approved colour
hardener @2.7 kg/sq. m shall be applied evenly to the surface of the
fresh concrete using the dry shake method by sprinkling in two or
more shakes, floated after each shake and trowel led only after the
final floating. The approved release agent @0.113 kg/sq. m shall be
applied evenly to the trowelled surface before stamping. While the
concrete is still in plastic stage of setting, the stamping tools shall be
applied to the surface. After stamping, the curing shall be done as per
manufacturers specifications. After initial curing, the imprinted joints
shall be grouted using cement slurry mixed with colour hardener
as per the requirement. The surface shall be sealed by applying
acrylic based sealer on finished surface. The construction joints shall
be provided by groove cutting of size 4 mm x 20 mm in panel size
3 m x 3 m or lesser as per the site conditions and filling the same with
10 mm baker rod and providing and laying PU based joint sealer of
approved make as per manufacturer’s specifications.
Specifications Of Stamped Concrete
The following specifications are given for the guidance:
–– Stamped finish concrete is inclusive of freshly laid concrete
layer of specified thickness, UV resistant colour hardener, curing
compound, release agent and acrylic sealer, special imprinting
and texturing tools, sealer application tools, etc.
–– All stamping works is to be executed by the approved specialized
agency as per the manufacturer’s specifications and direction
of Engineer-in-charge. Condition of preparation of mock-up
sample of appropriate size can be included prior to taking up
the stamping work.
–– Concrete of the specified grade is to be used as base material for
stamping over concrete.
–– Regular grade UV resistant colour hardener of approved colours
is to be used as per manufacturer’s specifications.
–– The release agent of approved make as per manufacturer’s
specification and colour(s) is to be used.
CONCRETING
–– The pattern shown in architectural drawings and approved by
the Engineer-in-charge is to be made by using imprinting tools.
–– The imprinted concrete slab is to be cured as per manufacturer’s
specifications.
–– The acrylic sealer of approved make and as per manufacturer’s
specifications is used. The consumption of sealer should not be
less than 0.167 litres per sq. m.
–– The formwork should be installed in accordance with the
drawings. The slab thickness should be specified in the drawings.
–– Construction joints and/or expansion joints should be provided
in accordance with the drawings and as specified in the
specifications or as decided by the Engineer-in-charge.
–– The concrete should be placed and screeded to the finished grade
and floated to uniform surface using standard finishing tools and
techniques as per manufacturer’s specifications.
44 CE&CR May 2020
–– The UV resistant colour hardener of approved colours duly
approved by the Engineer-in-charge should be applied evenly to
the surface of the freshly laid concrete by the dry shake method in
two or more shakes, floated after each shake and trowelled only
after the final floating.
–– The release agent approved by the Engineer-in-charge should
be applied evenly to the trowelled surface prior to imprinting.
–– While the concrete is still in its plastic stage of set, the imprinting
tools should be applied to the surface to get the desired pattern.
–– The concrete should be cured in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations. After initial curing period,
the imprinted joints should be grouted, and surface be sealed as
per manufacturer’s specifications.
Conclusion
Stamped concrete though prepared from conventional concrete,
is durable and aesthetically resembles the desired pattern of stone,
bricks or tiles. Stamped concrete possesses many advantages over
traditional materials and is almost maintenance free. Stamped finish
concrete can also be used as a replacement of natural stones for
flooring and as such qualifies to be a green material.
The specifications used in the project of NISM, Mumbai have been
given as a guideline, which can be modified as per the requirements
at the site.
References
1. Sahay, Anant Shekhar, “Stamped Concrete: A new Concept in Outdoor
Flooring in India”. New Building Materials & Construction World, Feb 2011
issue
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamped_concrete
3. http://www.stampedconcrete.org/step-by-step.html
CONCRETING

Special Concrete Using

Bajaj Reinforcement Fibre Tuff
C
oncrete is a material, which is weak in while non-metallic fibres offer their ability have high tensile strength ranging from
tension and fails in a brittle behaviour to delay the formation of micro cracks and 0.5 - 2.0 GPa with modulus of elasticity of
when subjected to flexure, tension avoid terrible breaking, along with very low 200 GPa.
and impact forces. When fibres are added density. The mixtures were prepared with Polypropylene Fibre: Polypropylene
to concrete, the behavioural effectiveness blended cement containing 23.13% of silicon fibre, a synthetic carbon polymer, is produced
of this combined material is found to be di oxide, 8.76% of Aluminium tri oxide, 4.62% as continuous mono – filaments, with
higher than natural concrete and many other of Ferrous tri oxide, 58.66% of Calcium oxide, circular cross section that can be chopped
construction materials of equal cost. Due 0.90% of Magnesium oxide, 2.18% of Sulphur to required length (or) tape of rectangular
to this advantage, use of fibre reinforced tri oxide, and 1.69% of loss on ignition, which cross section. Polypropylene fibres are tough
concrete has increased largely in the recent satisfies the requirements in the Indonesian but with low tensile strength and modulus
years. Moreover, this finds its application Standards for Pozzolan Portland Cement. of elasticity. They have plastic stress-strain
in airdrome and highway pavements,
Research were conducted with different characteristics. Furthermore, their ability to
earthquake-resistant and explosive-resistant
types of concretes. The strength, workability cause interference with the capillary forces by
structures, mine and tunnel linings, ridge
and energy absorption characteristics of the which water bleeds to the surface of concrete
deck overlay and dam structures.
composite were studied. reduces the risk of plastic settlement due
Several works have been conducted
Steel Fibre: Typically steel fibres have to water evaporation. A blend of steel and
in discovering the relation between
equivalent diameters of 0.15 mm to 2 mm polypropylene fibres can combine structural
permeability and crack width; it has been
and length from 7 mm to 75 mm. Aspect elements with plastic cracking in fresh
described that using steel fibre has decreased
ratio generally ranges from 20 to 100 (Aspect concrete and drying shrinkage cracking in
the permeability of the samples with
ratio is defined as the ratio between fibre hardened concrete and to improve post-
reduced crack width up to 100 microns.
length and its equivalent diameter, which is cracking toughness. Micro synthetic fibres
Steel fibre reinforced concrete containing
up to 1.5% fibre by volume when tested for the diameter of a circle with an area equal to also increase resistance to spalling in fire
impact strength has considerably improved the cross section area of the fibre). Steel fibres situation.
resistance to impact and greater energy
absorption. The geometrical dimensions
and young’s modulus of fibres are the main
factors, which will disturb the performances
of fibre reinforced concrete.
Hybrid fibre reinforced concrete have
become more popular in these recent years
as they provide well physical and mechanical
properties in concrete for structural purposes.
The use of different types of fibres in a right
combination may potentially improve the
mechanical properties of concrete and result
in synergic performance.
Further, addition of steel fibre normally
provides contribution to the energy
absorbing mechanism (bridging action),

46 CE&CR May 2020


Conclusion
In the fresh state addition of steel,
polypropylene and hybrid fibre reinforced
concrete caused lower workability. The
experimental value of energy absorption of
SFRC without reinforcement was higher by
5.26%, singly reinforced was 32.8% higher
and doubly reinforcement was 48% higher
than the normal concrete. The corresponding
value of poly propylene fibre reinforced
concrete without reinforcement was higher
by 155%, singly reinforced was 35.5% and
doubly reinforcement was 13% higher than
the normal concrete. The investigational
value of hybrid fibre reinforced concrete
without reinforcement was lower by 17%,
singly reinforced was 18% lower and doubly
reinforcement was 155% higher than the
conventional concrete.
CE&CR May 2020 47
The analytical value of results and
observations, it could be concluded that
the energy absorption of SFRC without
reinforcement was higher by 5.88%, singly
reinforced was 31.6% higher and doubly
reinforcement was 60% higher than the
normal concrete. The corresponding value of
propylene fibre reinforced concrete without
reinforcement was higher by 176%, singly
reinforced was 37.4 % higher and doubly
reinforcement was 19.88% higher than the
normal concrete. The investigational value
of hybrid fibre reinforced concrete without
reinforcement was lower by 23.5%, singly
reinforced was 25% lower and doubly
reinforcement was 187% higher than the
normal concrete.
The experimental values of the energy
absorption of steel, polypropylene and
CONCRETING
hybrid fibre reinforced concrete beams are
compared with that of the corresponding
estimated values of the energy absorption
of normal reinforced concrete beams. The
analytical results were compared with the
experimental results of energy absorption
behaviour. It was observed that experimental
and analytical values of energy absorption
pertaining in the case of polypropylene
fibre reinforced concrete beams were almost
higher than steel and hybrid fibre.
For further information,
visit: www.bajajreinforcementsllp.com
Abhishek D. Khupsare
Technical Officer,
Bajaj Reinforcement LLP
CONCRETING
Innovative Product For The Sustainable
Recovery Of Returned Concrete From Mapei
Re-con Zero – Returned concrete with zero impact
T
he use of sustainable and durable
materials is becoming an increasingly
real need, since consumption of
the natural resources available must be
reduced. Over the last few years, all those
operating in the concrete sector have
become increasingly sensitive to the theme
of ‘sustainable building’, whereby a great
deal of attention is paid to the life cycle
of a ‘from cradle to grave’ structure. This
approach is known as Life Cycle Analysis
(LCA) and adopts analysis processes, such
as LEED, Itaca or similar, so that a structure,
material or type of concrete may be certified
on a voluntary basis as sustainable.
The main objective is to reduce the
impact that a structure or building has on
the environment, from the design phase
right up to the actual construction phase,
by providing all the stakeholders in the
48
building process with guidelines to help
potential bidders monitor the work, and by
giving clear indications of the environmental
characteristics required by those issuing
tenders. In the case of concrete, recycled
material regards mainly recycled aggregates
from demolished buildings and aggregates
from excavated material, as well as from
recovered waste concrete generated during
the actual production process.
SUSTAINABLE CONCRETE IS
THE QUESTION...RE-CON LINE MAPEI
ADMIXTURES ARE THE ANSWER.
Recycled materials are obtained by
processing inorganic materials previously
used in construction work. For this
reason, their physical and performance
characteristics are often inconsistent over
time and they may have an influence
on the performance characteristics of
concrete. Often, the use of recycled
aggregates means considerably more
water is required for the mix and it is
difficult to maintain workability of the
concrete due to it being more porous,
and because of the higher amount
of fines contained in the aggregates.
The presence of recycled aggregates
in a concrete mix must be taken into
consideration when designing the mix,
and therefore, it is important to adopt
the most innovative solutions in order
to achieve the best results. To meet
the needs of concrete manufacturers
who encounter problems associated
with the use of fine aggregates on an
increasingly regular basis (recycled
materials or aggregates containing clay),
Mapei has developed the RE-CON line, a
series of products specifically developed
to mitigate the negative effects of using
recycled materials.
The current RE-CON line includes the
following:
-- This absorption-inhibiting liquid
admixture, if used in combination with
a super-plasticising admixture from
the DYNAMON line, allows for better
control of the increased amount of water
required when using recycled aggregates
and/or aggregates containing clay,
bringing therefore, the water/cement
ratio back within the design limits.
-- Super-plasticising and absorption-
inhibiting admixture. Thanks to its
combined action of reducing the amount
of water required and controlling the
absorption rate, when using recycled
aggregates and/or aggregates containing
clay, it brings the water/cement ratio
back within the design limits.
-- Two-component powdered product to
recover returned concrete. This system
allows fresh concrete returned from
site, which would normally have to be
scrapped, to be transformed into new
material that can be used again without
producing waste. The new aggregate
may then be used to partially replace
normal aggregate or as material to form
roadbeds or subgrade.
For further information,
visit: www.mapei.in
CE&CR May 2020
 CONCRETE MONITORING SENSORS

Kryton Launches The First Truly

Wireless Concrete Monitoring Sensors
K
ryton International Inc., a company
known for bringing innovative and
valuable concrete technologies to the
world, chose World of Concrete 2020 in Las
Vegas, Nevada, to launch their latest product,
Maturix™ Smart Concrete® Sensors.
depths, are displayed to the user in real time.
Additionally, by using Maturix’s patented
process, this data is converted to actual in-
place concrete strength. Temperature and
strength readings are recorded and reported
as required by the user. The ability to monitor
to North America felt like a natural fit for
Kryton, whose main mission has been to
provide contractors with reliable, advanced
technologies so that they can build faster,
achieve better performance, and save money
at the same time.

Real-time monitoring of structures is an concrete strength and temperature in real

emerging field in the construction industry
made possible through the rapidly expanding
Internet of Things (IoT) — the interconnected
digital network - allowing everyday objects
to be embedded with electronics collecting
and sharing data. Maturix Smart Concrete
technology runs on the Sigfox 0G network,
the world’s largest IoT network covering over
1 billion people in more than 65 countries.
Sigfox’s long-range and low-power-demand
network allows Maturix Sensor batteries
to last for years - a vast improvement over
current sensor products that last for just a few
weeks. No other concrete sensor can claim
such a long life and be completely wireless.
The Sigfox network also means that
Maturix users are not required to physically
visit the worksite to take data readings. Fully
wireless, Maturix Sensors transmit data to a
user’s Internet-connected device anywhere in
the world. Concrete temperatures, at chosen
time from remote locations helps expedite
faster construction schedules, optimize
efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve safety.
“What is really exciting about this
technology is that the sensors are reusable,”
says Kevin Yuers, VP of Product Development.
“Unlike single-use sensors that are cast into
concrete, Maturix Smart Concrete Sensors
can be used over and over for multiple
castings and projects. Not only does this
significantly reduce cost, but it’s also a
much greener and more sustainable use of
materials.”
Developed by Sensohive Technologies
ApS in Denmark, the Maturix devices and
software platform have proven themselves
on countless projects for such companies
as PASCHAL-Werk G. Maier GmbH,
VolkerWessels, HeidelbergCement, NCC,
“We are super excited to bring Maturix
Skanska, Kruse Smith, and many others.
to North America,” proudly announces
Bringing this industry-proven technology
the sensors’ co-inventor Tobias
Ejersbo. “We believe this solution
is perfect for the market here. The
combination of cloud computing
and rugged sensor technology
provides a reliable and easy,
yet powerful tool for today’s
contractor.”

For further information,

visit www.kryton.com

CE&CR May 2020 49

CONSTRUCTION TRENDS

IoT: Building With

Wireless Intelligence
• By Amrita Batra

C
onstruction is an essential component of the infrastructure with real-time data about the site and the workforce. The IoT is allowing
and architecture development of all other industries. It is for the positioning of low power sensors that communicate cost-
a determinant of how and where people live and work. It effectively. The sensors lets the platform reproduce a digital detailed
is only recently beginning to undergo a much-required modern representation of the product itself. Consequently, experts based
transformation. With the growing digitalization of human interactions anywhere in the world can provide monitoring, troubleshooting, and/
and exponential decrease of the timeframe at which people are or repairs without needing to be physically present at the worksite or
embracing new technologies, the fourth Industrial Revolution is contractor’s location.
expected soon. In addition, the data collected from IoT-enabled products and
The construction job site is now prepared for major changes that systems provide detailed information on their most useful and most
allow efficiency, safety, process upgrading and new tools. As Internet of ignore features. IoT-enabled construction equipment, through the
Things (IoT) continues to become more pervasive, it is having a greater historical data, can help shape patterns of information to better
impact on the construction industry. IoT allows every stakeholder to understand the requirements of the customer and contractors, the
understand the steps at every stage of the construction process in real- environment in which they operate, and ultimately, offer appropriate
time, from planning to actual construction, post-construction and how solutions as per their necessities.
the building is operated during service.
The IoT platform provides detailed information that can be
What is IoT? selected according to the need at the time. Following are some of
Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the concept of basically connecting the tangible and vast applications of IoT in construction industry:
any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each
other). The technologies behind the IoT have existed for several years
in the construction market. Features like remote access, office-to-field
data exchange, cloud computing and data storage are not new to the
construction industry. Though it has been available for some time, not
all construction contractors have invested in these new technologies;
whereas in consumer markets, these technologies are still fresh and
ground-breaking.
IoT And Construction
The IoT Platform provides construction equipment manufacturers
and the end-user contractors with analytics and reports about several
facets of their tasks and assets. This helps to enhance the decision-
making process and attain the best management of resources, fleets
and workers.
In the construction industry, the key to IoT is sensors. Sensors, Safety And Security
installed with the capability of with the capability of sending and Some of the biggest challenges encountered on a construction job
receiving data, allow capturing information required to improve results site are theft and safety. As construction sites are vast, relying merely

50 CE&CR May 2020


Augmented Reality in Construction
on manual security isn’t viable or practical. IoT security strategy for a
construction site can work on averting invasion and quick discovery as
well as recovery from undesirable happenings. Autonomous vehicles
and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) like drones are being favoured
for site monitoring, which are suitable for monitoring and surveillance
of vast spaces. These drones can gather accurate aerial images and
survey maps of a site. Using IoT enabled tags, any material or theft of
items is easily resolved as these sensors will notify the current location
of the materials or item. Attaching IoT enabled tracker to such assets
provides higher accuracy and convenience. The data collected from
these trackers are easily actionable and dependable.
Machine Control And Maintenance
Several human-operated heavy machines are a part of
construction work. This task can be simplified through IoT; with
sensors, these machines can work more precisely and with minimal
human effort. Further, equipment condition and maintenance related
issues can also be supervised uninterruptedly through IoT sensors.
With the availability of real-time information, it becomes possible to
know the status of every asset, to schedule maintenance stops, or
refuelling and turn-off idle equipment. Beyond this, sensors can be
also used to monitor materials’ condition, like the suitability of the
temperature, or humidity of the item/environment, handling issues,
damage and expiration.
IoT is the Future of Construction Sites
CE&CR May 2020 51
CONSTRUCTION TRENDS
IoT Cycle
Augmented Reality (AR)
With the use of AR, operational instructions, or navigational and
driving information are witnessed over the IoT in real time and are
overlaid onto the real-world view. Through IoT, inanimate objects
such as smart glasses can be connected to the internet. Such devices
include Google Glass and Microsoft HoloLens. These technologies
are currently being applied to planning and modelling step of
construction. Smart-glasses can be used to reproduce a suite floor
with all the furnishings; this can be peeled back layer by layer, to study
and plan the intricacies of the work behind the walls. Clients are also
using the smart-glasses for sales so that residents get an immersive
view of what their new facility feels and looks like. Employees are also
empowered on and off the job site since through connected smart-
glasses they can view work instructions while performing specific
tasks, potentially improving their performance.
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be optimized through
generative design, prediction of cost overruns using appropriate
features, risk mitigation through the identification of the biggest
risk factors on a job site, application of reinforcement learning to
project planning, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, labour
deployment optimization, off-site construction and post-construction.
Computer models that have been used to direct real-life construction
can, in turn, be updated by sensors placed in the buildings that have
now been constructed. The sensors can send back information on the
way that materials are affected by changing climates and the passage
of time. They can supply information on possible changes in energy
efficiency in roofing, how structures behave when there are earth
tremors, or how a bridge bends under the weight of passing traffic.
Thus, IoT is here to stay. It is the future, and for many it is the
present. In the construction sector, the success of technology that
facilitates construction contractors to complete projects more
accurately based on their own historic production data and get
their jobs completed faster, more accurately, and more efficiently
using intelligent interconnected technology, has raised customer
expectations.
DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR SCAFFOLDING

Layher Digital Scaffolding Planning -

Scaffolding Information Modelling

D
igitalization is affecting every modules of LayPLAN SUITE
industry now a days, including can be found in this article.
scaffolding construction. Rightly
LayPLAN CAD
so, because nothing else optimizes project
LayPLAN CAD system
planning so effectively while opening
is integrated solution
enormous potential for both transparency
and cost savings. Layher therefore asked for 3D model. The basic

itself the question of how the BIM (Building planning can be handled in

Information Modelling) concept originating automated form using the

in civil engineering could be adapted to proven LayPLAN CLASSIC.
scaffolding in temporary structures; the Project data can be quickly
proven Layher systems permit faster and recorded using input masks,
safer upward access, yet are not part of the ensuring a time saving for
actual structure. Furthermore, scaffolding every order. The data is then
can also be used independently of civil simply exported into the
engineering projects, for example as stand- AutoCAD program, which offers further export them as 3D model too; for instance,
alone structures like temporary bridges.
possibilities for detailed 3D planning. A visual for professional customer presentations or to
The result is SIM (Scaffolding Information
collision check is possible with the aid of share 3D models. A transfer to visualisation or
Modelling).
volume rendering. Using a convenient search animation software is also possible without
The future in scaffolding construction is
function with preview image, scaffolding any problem. This allows projects not only
Digital – and its name is “SIM”
planners can find not only an extensive to be planned economically and adapted
SIM is a process based on 3D models
library of Layher individual parts, but also precisely to actual requirements, but also to
and designed by Layher to meet the specific
assemblies already prefabricated for even be presented professionally to customers.
requirements of scaffolding construction.
faster design work. The detailed drawings The LayPLAN CAD module is available
SIM not only allows you to plan, assemble and
can then be printed out. It is possible to in German, English, French and Spanish.
manage temporary scaffolding structures
more efficiently, but also affords access to
BIM at the same time. With the integrated
Layher software solution ‘LayPLAN SUITE’,
you have a powerful tool for the SIM process:
LayPLAN CLASSIC facilitates a start in digital
planning by allowing automated planning of
predefined scaffolding applications – and if
required even with temporary roof structures.
For complex scaffolding structures as part of
large-scale engineering scaffolding, there is
LayPLAN CAD. Detailed information on the

52 CE&CR May 2020


Planning And Scheduling Certainty At
Sites
Dependable 3D planning of scaffolding
structures without collisions is just one of
many benefits. Added to that are the realistic
visualization of scaffolding, allowing work
to be coordinated with other trades or
construction sequence simulation, transfer of
the scaffolding planning to structural analysis
programs, and output of material lists and
assembly plans. Transparency at every work
step results in a reduction in costs, and an
increase in safety and profitability.
LayPLAN CLASSIC For Allround Scaffolding
LayPLAN CLASSIC facilitates a start in
digital planning by allowing automated
planning of predefined scaffolding
applications, whether they are for circular
or facade scaffolding made from Allround
Scaffolding, for birdcage scaffolding and
free-standing towers made from Allround
Scaffolding, or for structures with temporary
roofs.
Once the key data has been entered,
scaffolding manufacturers receive in
seconds a scaffolding-proposal that includes
anchoring, bracing and side protection.
During the design phase, the overall length,
standing heights and areas are continuously
calculated and displayed to reflect the latest
CE&CR May 2020
DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR SCAFFOLDING
plan. A materials list can also be easily created
at the push of a button: scaffolding erectors
benefit from more certainty when planning
the commercial and technical details; from
optimized use of their stocks; and from
full cost transparency at every stage of the
project.
With the LayPLAN CLASSIC modules
for Allround Scaffolding, individualized
scaffolding solutions can be configured
quickly and easily: whether they are for
circular or facade scaffolding, for birdcage
scaffolding and free-standing towers made
from Allround Scaffolding, or for structures
with temporary roofs. Once the dimensions
and the required assembly variant have
been entered, LayPLAN CLASSIC delivers in
seconds a scaffolding proposal, including
anchoring, bracing and side protection.
During the design phase, a materials list
can also be created at the click of a button
and then printed out, together with an
assembly sketch for the area to be enclosed
in scaffolding plus the total weight. This
also helps with the logistics – the required
material is guaranteed to be there where it
is needed.
Layher LAYPLAN QUANTIFY®
Quantify® makes managing scaffold
business easy. From one user-friendly
program, you can monitor inventory, ship
materials, generate invoices, set reminders,
manage re-rentals, and oversee all your jobs
– with web-based tools making information
and site operations available on-the-go.
-- Visualize, manage, and track your
success with Quantify – trusted by
industry leaders all over the world.
-- The clear visual representation allows
for efficient and effective management
at all levels of the scaffolding business.
-- With workflows built for the industry –
easier tracking for better outcomes.
-- Comprehensive inventory control, and
scaffold asset management – minimize
losses and waste, maximize utilization
and returns.
-- Individual scaffold scheduling, tracking,
and reporting, providing a clear picture
of activities on a job site.
For more information,
visit: www.layher.co.in
Mithilesh Kumar
Director,
Layher Scaffolding
Systems Pvt Ltd
53
CONCRETE RECYCLING PLANT
Environment Conscious
Concrete Recycling Plant
C
oncrete is the world’s second most
consumed material after water,
and its widespread use is the basis
for urban development. It is estimated
that 25 billion tonnes of concrete is
manufactured each year. Twice as much
concrete is used in construction around
the world when compared to the total
of all other building materials combined.
Construction and demolition waste
generation has exceedingly increased
around the world to about 40% annually,
out of which, concrete constitutes about
80% of the total waste. Therefore, it is
necessary to recycle concrete waste to
recycled aggregate and recycled aggregate
concrete. Sustainable development is
Stetter Concrete Recycling Plant RA6
54
focussed through usage reduction of
natural raw materials and consumption of
recycled goods.
Recycling of slurry water is necessary
to avoid ground water contamination,
which poses a great hazard in the ground
water table. The solution is recycling
the concrete and the slurry water. The
benefits to it are that it reduces the
production of greenhouse gas emissions
and other pollutants by decreasing the
need to extract raw materials and ship new
materials to long distances.
Conservation of natural resources and
a responsibility towards a greener future
enabled Schwing Stetter to manufacture
recycling plants of RA6, RA12 and RA20.
Profiting from extensive experience gained
with sieve/cyclone separation systems,
Stetter had already developed and
implemented the concrete recycling plant
by 1976. The use of recycled aggregates
from construction and demolition wastes
is showing great interest in construction
because it is a huge money saver for every
company and cuts down the cost on effort
of transport and manpower. It conserves
natural resources and reduces the space
required for the landfill disposal.
Concrete And Its Ingredients
Concrete is a mixture of cement, water,
and aggregate material. Cement is made
by heating a mixture of limestone and clay
containing oxides of calcium, aluminium,
silicon and other metals in a kiln and then
pulverizing the resulting clinker. The fine
aggregate particles are usually sand.
Coarse aggregate is generally gravel or
crushed stone. When cement is mixed with
water, a chemical reaction called hydration
occurs, which produces glue that binds the
aggregates together to make concrete.
Concrete Washout
After concrete is poured at a
construction site, the chutes of ready
mixed concrete trucks and hoppers of
concrete pump trucks must be washed to
remove the remaining concrete before it
hardens. Equipment such as wheelbarrows
and hand tools also need to be washed.
At the end of each workday, the drums
of concrete trucks must be washed. This
CE&CR May 2020

is customarily done at the ready mixed
concrete batching plants, which are usually
off-site facilities, however large or rural
construction projects may have on-site
batch plants.
Wet Concrete Recycling
Builders often order more ready mixed
concrete than they need, so it is common
for concrete trucks to have wet concrete
remaining in their drum after a delivery.
This unused concrete can be returned to
the ready mixed plant and either (1) used
to pour precast concrete products (e.g.,
highway barriers, retaining wall blocks,
riprap), (2) used to pave the ready mixed
plant’s yard, (3) washed into a reclaimer, or
(4) dumped on an impervious surface and
allowed to harden, so it can be crushed
and recycled as aggregate. Unused wet
concrete should not be dumped on bare
ground to harden at construction sites
because this can contribute to ground
water and surface water contamination.
Schwing Stetter recycling plants helps
in conserving the environment by not
contaminating the ground water through
recycling of slurry water and reusing it in
making concrete. An explanation on one
such product is:
CE&CR May 2020
CONCRETE RECYCLING PLANT
RA-6
Schwing Stetter’s RA6 can recycle the
concrete at a washing capacity for normal
concrete at 6 m per hour. The major
3
benefits to RA6 are compact design, semi-
circular feed hoppers with 1.9 m width,
discharge height up to 2 m with optional
extension, easy operation, fully automatic,
no wastage of aggregates or raw materials,
short vehicle downtimes during cleaning,
no disposal costs, exceptionally resistant
to wear, variable installation possibilities
and low operating costs.
Operation of Schwing Stetter’s RA6
is based on reverse flow principle. This
provides quick intake of concrete. It
separates aggregates in various sizes
ranging from 63 mm to 0.2 mm. Vibrators
are available for free concrete flow
and aggregate flow. Drum rollers are
provided with nylon ring for increased
life, maintenance door provided for easy
access to wash drum, drive protection
cover provided for safety.
Schwing Stetter are the best in the next
generation - recycling plant. RA6 offers
easy to use, low noise equipment wherein
it separates aggregates and slurry from the
concrete to be reused. The major benefits
of concrete recycling includes keeping
concrete debris out of landfills saving
landfill space, recycled gravel reducing
the need for gravel mining and using the
recycled concrete as the base material for
roadways, which reduces the pollution
involved in construction, satisfying legal
authorities guidelines of not allowing
waste water containing cement slurry,
which should be allowed to be flushed into
municipal drains and minimum payback
period of capital investments made on
Stetter concrete recycling system. The
other benefits of using Stetter concrete
recycling plant are as below.
-- Fresh aggregates and recycled sand
and water.
-- Minimum payback period of capital
investments from Stetter RA6, RA12
& RA20.
-- Low replacement part costs.
-- According to site limited space
condition, recycling plant can be
positioned.
-- Protection against overflow and
automatic drum-feed cut off.
-- Water conservation due to closed
water circulation during washing
operation.
For more information,
visit: www.schwingstetterindia.com
55
EXCAVATORS
Australian Company Selects
Volvo ECR235CL For Retaining Wall Work
A
ustralian company United Crib Blocks
Construction (UCBC) is using two
ECR235CL crawler excavators from
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) to
support the growing demand for retaining
walls in the country.
“Retaining walls are a demanding
business in Australia, with both the
domestic and commercial market segment
booming,” said Nicholas Bouhoutsos, co-
owner of UCBC. “We chose Volvo’s ECR235CL
excavator because the crawler excavator
has counterweights that allow for work near
other buildings and the ability to load up a
truck right next to the excavator.”
In 2015, UCBC purchased its first
ECR235CL and added a second one to
meet growing demand for short-swing
excavators, which have the ability to work in
confined areas and still deliver best-in-class
lifting capacity, stability, digging force and
fine control. The ECR235CL has a bucket
capacity of 1.09 m 3, a breakout force of
141.2 kN, maximum digging reach of 9.89 m
and maximum digging depth of 6.75 m.
On retaining wall job sites, the ECR235CL
excavators assist UCBC with backfilling,
56
levelling, and delivering longer reach plus
larger loading and load-moving capabilities.
Volvo’s ECR235CL short-swing excavators
offer increased safety and manoeuvrability,
features that are crucial for working on
congested worksites. The machine’s body
is so compact that its rear swings less than
185 mm, only fractionally outside its own
track width. This means that the excavator
can get extremely close to objects (walls,
trees, etc.) without risk of collision with the
rear of the machine as it swings.
The rounded shape of the cab is also
designed to stay within the rear swing
radius, yet it remains the roomiest and
most comfortable in the market – as befits
Volvo’s reputation for providing superior
operator comfort. A sliding door allows the
operator to access the machine easily – even
when parked close to an obstruction and
there is a brighter, colour LCD monitor plus
selectable hydraulic control options. This
monitor can also be used with an optional
rear-view camera, further increasing machine
operating safety.
Even when not working close to
obstructions, the short swing radius has
other uses – such as on highways, where the
machines can safely operate within a typical
single road lane width, minimizing disruption
to traffic flow. Today these versatile machines
can be found in a variety of applications,
including utilities work, mining, and forestry,
in addition to general construction.
“One of the main reasons we selected
Volvo’s ECR235CL is for the excavator’s
spacious cab and the fact it has its own
suspension,” Bouhoutsos said.
Established in 1977, UCBC is a family-
owned business based in Coogee, New South
Wales, Australia. Bouhoutsos currently runs
the business with his father George and
continues to expand his grandfather’s legacy
of delivering competitive and cost-effective
solutions to customers.
UCBC purchased the two Volvo ECR235CL
crawler excavators from CJD, Volvo CE’s
distribution partner in Australia.
“CJD provides outstanding customer
service,” Bouhoutsos said. “The Volvo dealer
is always thinking of how UCBC can grow,
remain cost-effective and continue to
generate a profit.”
For more information,
please visit: www.volvoce.com
CE&CR May 2020
COVER STORY BITUMINOUS ROAD CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

“India Is Poised To Become The Top Consumer

Of Bitumen In The Next Five Years”

T
he road sector, a significant demand driver for Construction
Equipment (CE), accounts for 21% of CE sales in India and is
one of the fastest growing sectors. India has one of the world’s
largest road networks with over 5.8 million km, transporting almost
65% of the country’s goods and close to 90% of total passenger
traffic, says Mr. Arvind K Garg, Executive Vice-President and
Head – Construction & Mining Machinery and Rubber Processing
Machinery, Larsen & Toubro.
Garg continues, “Globally, India is one of the top five bitumen
consumers with flexible or bituminous pavements being the
favourites for big projects like the Golden Quadrilateral or the
Bharat Mala…With the envisioned ambitious highways and airports
expansion plans, India is poised to become the top consumer of
bitumen in the next five years.” Mr. Puneet Vidyarthi, Brand Leader,
CASE India, in affirmation says, “This pace of execution over the next
5 years will help in increasing the market size and further demand
for CE.”
“ T h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s f o c u s o n
bituminous road tenders is high. Market
size of the bituminous road construction
equipment segment is in the range of 6,000
units (compactors, pavers included, for all
layers of road, as per off highway research
report),” comments Mr. Dimitrov Krishnan,
Managing Director, Volvo CE India Pvt Mr. Dimitrov Krishnan
Ltd. As per his estimation, annual growth Managing Director,
is expected to be 10~12% YOY, but this Volvo CE India Pvt.
most likely will take a hit due to Covid-19.
The budget 2020 has been a great support for the road construction
equipment sector, adds Vidyarthi.
Mr. Ramesh Palagiri, MD & CEO, Wirtgen Group India, talking
about the government’s shifting focus
from concrete roads to bituminous
roads adds, “the demand for Asphalt
pavers has picked up and is likely to
grow at faster pace. At present more than
80% of the roads around the world are
surfaced with asphalt…augmenting the
need for asphalt pavers across the globe Mr. Ramesh Palagiri
especially in developing countries.” In MD & CEO,
confirmation, Garg says, “While Ministry Wirtgen Group India
of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH),
over the past few years, has favoured the construction of concrete
over asphalt roads…factors like a 30% higher cost, longer lead times
for imported concrete pavers, availability of water, etc. have impeded
this initiative.”
Demand/Supply Scenario
Vidyarthi stating Off-Highway Research Indian Annual Review
2018 says, “Within Earthmoving, Backhoe Loader grew by 22% and
Hydraulic Excavator by 24%.” He continues, “A BofA Merrill Lynch
(BofAML) 2018-19 report had also given a positive outlook
for the highway sector with the government fixing
the national highways project award target at
20,000 km for FY19 up 25% over the
previous year.”

58 CE&CR May 2020

BITUMINOUS ROAD CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT COVER STORY
Developing countries such as China, India and Brazil have done
huge investment in developing the paved road networks in their
countries, which has significantly boosted the demand for asphalt
paver equipment in these countries,” states Palagiri.
In context of India, “the market size of Bituminous Road Equipment
is estimated to be about Rs. 5,000 crores for FY19-20 and has been
growing at a CAGR of over 16% for the last 3 years,” according to
Garg. “To meet the increasing demand in the Indian market, leading
Indian and multinational manufacturers offer the best of equipment
in sync with the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative with
adequate capacities.” In contrast, Krishnan suggests, “In the current
scenario, although there are a lot of new road project opportunities,
supply still seems to be higher compared to demand.”
Speaking about the demand for graders and rollers in this segment,
Mr. Adarsh Gautam- National Head- Sales & Product Support,
Road Construction Equipment, Action
Construction Equipment Ltd. says, “The
demand for graders and rollers is totally
dependent on amount of ongoing
and to be awarded infra projects…in
comparison to Backhoe loaders, which
has become like a utility machine at
every project site. Backhoe loader is
Mr. Adarsh Gautam
a must machine to handle small to
National Head - Sales &
mid-size jobs at various construction
Product Support,
sites. The demand of backhoe loaders
Action Construction
is highest in the country among all the
Equipment Ltd.
construction equipment because of its
versatility.”
Growth Drivers
Increasing investments in infrastructure sector is a key driver to
propel growth, accurately comments Palagiri. “Investments done
by public as well as private sector in development of infrastructure
in the emerging economies is boosting the growth of the Asphalt
Finisher market.”
Emphasizing on few projects towards growth of bituminous
road construction equipment, Garg says, “The Government has
CE&CR May 2020
envisaged several mega projects to
drive India’s road development.” He talks
about several Government initiatives
such as the Bharat Mala Pariyojana,
the Sagarmala Programme, and the
Setu Bharatam programme, which
are working towards infrastructural
Mr. Arvind K Garg
development. “Sagarmala, Bharatmala,
Executive Vice-President
Pradhan Mantri gram Sadak Yojna and
and Head – Construction
Trilateral Highway (India-Myanmar- & Mining Machinery
Thailand highway) are few prestigious and Rubber Processing
projects where CASE India’s machines Machinery,
are currently deployed. Larsen & Toubro
“More than 610 projects (Rs. 7.78 lac crore) have been identified
for implementation under this programme that is seen as the
second largest demand driver, during 2015-2033. As of 31-July-2019,
a total of 542 projects (Rs. 4.75 lac crore) were under various stages
of implementation,” points out Garg. He also includes the PMGSY
and the Rashtriya Rajmarg Zila Sanjoyokta Pariyojna, “that entail
the development of 6,600 km of highways at an estimated cost of
about Rs 60,000 crore, and aims to connect 100 district headquarters
across the country.”
Adding to the Government initiatives, Palagiri says, “MoRTH is
also looking at ways to monetize the existing operational highways
through the TOT (Toll Operate Transfer) model and also to rework on
the BOT model to make it more attractive.” He contemplates, “Another
driver of growth might be the reduction of costs in the construction
industry in India by using innovative technologies. Use of locally
available resources and materials can bring down the cost and use
of prefabricated and innovative technologies can reduce the time
for completion of the project.”
Garg adds, “Several policy decisions and external factors are also
aiding the growth of this sector, such as accelerated public-private
partnership projects in the road sector; relaxed FDI norms to boost
construction deals; the decline in global oil prices supporting bitumen
prices; advanced technology-driven fast-paced construction.”
According to Krishnan, the major growth drivers for this segment
include central government push for infrastructure development,
59
COVER STORY BITUMINOUS ROAD CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
especially road projects; budget allocation in 2019-20 NHAI - US$11.51
Bn; pending projects which were awarded and currently in execution
stages; with global drop in crude oil prices we expect more allocation
for bituminous road project in the days to come.
Significantly, Gautam points out, “The market scenario for
earthmoving and road construction equipment is not that exciting
w.r.t to FY 18-19. The compactor and grader industry were down by
around 25% & 30%, respectively as compared to last fiscal. Backhoe
loaders market has also witnessed negative growth of around 22%
compared to last year.”
Budget 2020
“The Budget 2020, has outlined a roadmap for the development
of the infrastructure and construction sector,” remarks Vidyarthi.
Discussing the Budget 2020, Garg states, “Budget 2020 plans to spend
Rs. 1.03 lakh crores on infrastructure development over the next few
years with a sizable allocation for road construction…The budget
envisages the development of 2,500 km access control highways,
9,000 km of economic corridors, 2,000 km of coastal and land port
roads and 2,000 km of strategic highways.”
Palagiri adds, “While the budgetary allocation in Budget 2020
increased by 10.6% for Road and Highway Sector, special push/
focus is given to some projects wherein approx. 15,000 km of road
& highway construction is earmarked under Access controlled
highways, economic corridors, coastal and land port roads and
strategic highways.” Garg elucidates, “The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
and two other packages are expected to be completed by 2023. The
Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is expected to start this year and 12
lots of highway bundles of over 6,000 km will be monetized by NHAI
before 2024.”
“The keen focus on highway projects
and monetization of the highway
bundles provides a lot of chances to
the stakeholders to make the most of
this year with the given opportunities.
We expect these steps to create better
opportunities in the segment in the
Mr. Puneet Vidyarthi
coming time,” explains Vidyarthi.
Brand Leader
Though Palagiri considers the current
CASE India
allocation of budget for road projects is
definitely a positive sign, he suggests, “the NHAI has to relook for
various other options for self-financing of new highway projects and
the MORTH is looking at the TOT and the BOT projects, the funding
for which could come from monetizing the existing highway projects
which are already operational.” Garg suggests, “The government
should also consider providing incentives to the industry to scale up
operations and help manufacturers grow their exports for long term
growth and development.”
60 CE&CR May 2020
Latest Technology/Product Trends
Globally speaking, automation is taking the lead in supporting
project completions well in time and maintaining high quality
demands. Today, we see a fair share of technologically superior and
advanced equipment’s for road and highway construction, speaks
Vidyarthi. However in India, automation is still struggling to make
a headway in compaction and paving operations, says Krishnan.
Having said this, he envisions, “intelligent compaction system and
paving system will be the guiding factor for all National Highway
Projects, closely followed by technology like machine to machine
communication mapping that will play a great role when contractors
are operating on wafer thin margins.” With a similar idea, L&T has
automated their machines like graders and excavators using 3D
levelling systems. Their pavers are being upgraded with 3D Paving
kits, comprising robotic stations and other associated optical and
electronic accessories.
Palagiri shares an insight on Wirtgen Group’s products that are
equipped with latest technology and could pave the roads with
highest accuracy and precision. Vogele has introduced several
innovations like the high compaction screed with pressure bars
and first electric heating of the screed; niveltronic plus operating
concept; ergo plus operator features; Spray Jet paver, which does
the tack coat and paving with the same paver; Mobile feeder, which
are now being used for building of airport runways and expressways
and also the in-line paving technology; Road Scan, which helps the
operator of the paver to know the exact temperature of the mic as it
is being paved. On the compaction side, HAMM offers HCM (HAMM
Compaction Meter), HTM (HAMM Temperature Meter), HCQ (HAMM
Compaction Quality), HAMMTRONIC, among others, which help
to carry out several analyses, third party validation of compaction
parameters, improve machine efficiency and productivity, etc.
Revealing the technology used in ACE Motor graders, Gautam
says, “The biggest USP of ACE motor graders is its drawbar pull &
blade down forces which…gives best of the productivity under
various types of site conditions.” He continues, “ACE has introduced
centralized greasing system in its graders…This minimizes the
maintenance time and labour effort which ensures higher availability
and better productivity. Further, ACE’s rollers are designed in such a
way that the weight distribution of front and rear module is perfectly
balanced. This also helps in attaining max. travel speed of the roller,
BITUMINOUS ROAD CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT COVER STORY
which is almost double as compared to other players.” In addition,
ACE Backhoe loaders are also now coming with telematics system,
which helps provide real time location, operating hours and health
report of the machine by just sitting at home/office.
“Apart from changes in materials and design methods, we see
tremendous benefits in adopting automation by going digital...Other
automation and digitalization options available off the shelf are: Use of
telematics for real-time data monitoring, adoption of robotics, grade
and slope control technology, RAP, Thermal Sensors, Autonomous
Construction Vehicles, BIM, etc.” Speaking about L&T’s association
with technology, Garg says, “Premium class equipment like those
offered by L&T and Komatsu have sophisticated and advanced health
monitoring systems that allow both manufacturers and users to track
almost all vital performance parameters remotely, online.”
Further, CASE’s compactors include technological features like
a compaction meter technology which aims at providing easier and
fast job completion; graders include a CRDI electronic engine for
on-board diagnostics, with laptop connectivity to download the
entire data log and analysis of operations and get to the root cause
of any failure; all products comprise a ROPs & FOP cabin system,
which ensures safety; Advanced Eagle Eye Telematics Solution is also
available in their machines.
Additionally, according to Garg, “Most manufacturers and
distributors are also using CRM systems and setting up Toll-Free Call
centres pan-India to streamline and improve their response times to
customer needs and enhance user experience.”
Fuel Efficiency
Emphasising the need for best-in-class technologies, operating
the machine efficiently and delivering the desired output most
cost-effectively, Garg discusses, “The earlier practices of measuring
fuel consumption against operating hours of the machine are being
challenged and replaced with the approach to measure output
against every litre of fuel consumed as productivity per litre of diesel
burnt.”
CE&CR May 2020
As per Palagiri, “The fuel efficiency of bituminous road
construction equipment depends on many factors like material, site
conditions, operator skills, etc.”
Volvo CE offers high torque @ low rpm engines, which are fuel
efficient when the machine utilization is less than 50% due to project
constraints. With regards to Asphalt compaction, it is ideal to use
the compactor for both forward and reverse directions. Automatic
Reverse Eccentrics feature plays a critical role in productivity and is
a key factor in compaction.
ACE’s products are one of the most fuel efficient machines
available in the industry. ACE Graders’ fuel consumption vary
from 11-14 L/h. For normal application, the fuel consumption
reported by some of the customers are even less than 11 L/h. For
Rollers, fuel consumption vary from 8-10 L/h in soil application and
6-8 L/h in asphalt application. ACE backhoe loaders gives 4-5 L/h
fuel consumption in backhoe application and 5-6 L/h in loader
application. The combination of fuel economy and productivity for
ACE products is best in the industry.
CASE’s equipment is equipped with new-generation engine
- developed by CNH Industrial subsidiary FPT Industrial, the world-
leading manufacturer of engines, transmissions and powertrains –
providing outstanding performance, fast response time and best-in-
class fuel economy. CASE India focuses on the use of quality engines
along with regular maintenance across their equipment, which helps
deliver excellent fuel efficiency. The FPT Industrial engine not only
increases the overall durability of the product but it also helps lifting
the productivity of the machine.
Komatsu and L&T have ushered in various cutting edge and
value-adding technologies: the KOMTRAX on the KOMATSU machines
helps the client optimise the fuel consumed by correctly selecting the
working modes. A lot of research goes into the right engine setting
and HP utilisation, so that the right power balance is achieved. The
L&T range of compactors and wheel Loaders have also been tuned
to give optimal balance between productivity and fuel consumed.
The next technological realm will be hybrid machines, run on
alternative fuels and electrically operated machines which can further
improve cost efficiencies and reduce emissions. An eco-system to
adopt such technologies, needs to be developed in our country to
facilitate their introduction and adoption.
The Wirtgen Group consistently developing products that offer
efficiency in terms of fuel consumption, which helps in sustainable
development and less carbon emissions, lower life cycle
cost and better productivity. The Wirtgen
Group equipment is designed for higher
productivity and less operating cost.
VOGELE “Eco Plus Package” is
61
COVER STORY BITUMINOUS ROAD CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
combination of innovative and latest technology in Asphalt Paver’s
and thus results in higher fuel efficiency.
On compaction side, HAMM also of fers technologies like
HAMMTRONIC which controls and regulate the power demand
thereby keeping the engine under optimum load at all time and
results in fuel efficiency.
Rental And Products/Launches In The Segment
Krishnan states, “For contractors, or those leasing from us for the
first time we offer a range of attractive financing options through our
Volvo Financial Services arm in terms of attractive finance proposals,
extended warranties.”
As for CASE India, their financial arm CNHi Capital provides a
comprehensive range of services, including wholesale and retail
equipment financing support for their customers in the market place.
Vidyarthi comments, “The service helps our customers and potential
customers in their equipment’s purchases. One needs a lot of capital
in order to purchase heavy duty equipment; rental/finance business is
easy on pocket…CASE India also provides a financial advisor service
called Capital Mitras to help the customers and educate them on
various financing related issues such as ‘kind of finance’ 6 months
instalments/quarter instalments, ‘best scheme ‘and help them in
their journey.
For on-road segment, CASE offers a range of compaction series
equipped with best-in-class technologies. For asphalt application,
CASE India offers 752EX Vibratory Tandem Compactor and 450DX Mini
Tandem Compactor. In soil compactors, CASE has 1107EX available
in three variants - Standard, Drum Drive and Pad Foot Drum. All
compactors are equipped with compaction meter, where on screen
operator can check amplitude, frequency and ICV (intelligence
compaction value) which is related to density of soil compacted.
CASE India also offers a range of Motor Graders and Crawler Dozers.
Each Volvo compactor has many features which help them deliver
more productivity and efficiency for road projects. For example, in
addition to optimizing power and productivity, the Volvo SD110BA
62 CE&CR May 2020
is designed to achieve high quality compaction and a flawless mat
finish. Similarly, the DD90B double drum asphalt compactor can
handle varying conditions and widths to offer flexible pavement
compaction in a variety of applications, including parking lots and
airport runways. Volvo CE also has pavers — the P4370B ABG (6m),
P5320ABG (7.5m), P6820C (9m), ABG7820B (10m), ABG8820B (13m),
ABG9820B (16m).
L&T provides a wide range of equipment for road making, to
suit the size of the project right from PMGSY projects which prefer
mini excavators and compactors to large expressways that require
larger excavators and compactors. Their products are more versatile
with variants for earthwork, long reach attachments, quarry variants
and a host of attachments like rock breakers, quick couplers, pile
drivers, piling drills, slope compactors and crusher buckets. The
road construction equipment include KOMATSU products such as
Komatsu – PC 71 - 7T Excavator, Komatsu – PC 130 - 13 T Excavator,
Komatsu – PC 210-10 - 20 T Excavator, etc. and indigenous L&T
products such as L&T – Soil Compactor – L&T 1190 - 11 T Compactor,
L&T – Tandem Compactor – L&T 990 - 10 T Bitumen Compactor, L&T
– Mini Compactor – L&T 491 – 3 T - Mini Compactor among others.
ACE Motor graders comes with a powerful Cummins engine
generating 173 hp. It is a robust machine with 15 ton operating weight
and 12 feet blade width. It is equipped with air-conditioned cabin
to increase the efficiency of the operators. In rollers, ACE offers two
variants (10 Ton & 12 Ton operating weight class) for soil application
and a 9 tonner variant for compaction of asphalt mix. ACE Backhoe
loaders arm have a unique D-box type structural design which is very
powerful…The bucket sizes are best in the industry with a capacity of
1.1 cum for loader & 0.24 cum for backhoe application, respectively.
Garg remarks, “Total investment in the roads and highway
sector has gone up by more than three times in the five-year period
of 2014-15 to 2018-19 according to a recent economic survey. To
derive maximum benefits from these investments, it is important
that project cost and time-overruns are minimised; Land-acquisition
needs to be streamlined and the pace of award of projects to
successful bidders needs to be expedited. These steps will accelerate
growth, although the current situation is a deterrent and the industry
seeks the government to take the necessary steps to help tide over
the adverse impact of the pandemic.”
FACE-TO-FACE

“The Domestic Stainless-

steel Industry Is Operating
At A Mere 60-70% Of Its
Total Installed Capacity”

ISSDA, founded in 1999, is a not for profit organization

committed to the growth and development of stainless- Mr K K Pahuja
steel industry in India. It was formed with the explicit President

objective of diversifying the applications of stainless-steel
in India and increasing usage volumes in the country.
Mr K K Pahuja, the head of the Association, details the
trends of stainless-steel consumption and its applications.
ISSDA (Indian Stainless-steel Development Association)
manufacturers as its members, ISSDA is emphasizing on
the grass root level for skill development of fabricators
and is also imparting hands-on training for selection of

C
ivil Engineering & Construction Review: ISSDA has been working
towards diversifying the applications of stainless-steel in India and
increasing usage volumes in the country. What benchmarks has
the organisation established? What milestones has it achieved?
K K Pahuja: Indian Stainless-steel Development Association’s (ISSDA) journey
began with the goal of expanding the scope of stainless-steel applications in
India; thereby, increasing its consumption. ISSDA recently celebrated its 30th
foundation anniversary and chronicled a milestone moment as India achieved
2.5 kg per capita stainless-steel consumption in 2019 against 1.2 kg in 2010,
registering an increase of over 100% in a period of just eight years. Today, India
is the second largest producer and consumer of stainless-steel in the world
with a total production of 3.92 MMT (for CY 2019). The exponential increase in
stainless-steel consumption in the country was possible due to the extensive
efforts of ISSDA and its members in fields of R&D and process development.
Recently, ISSDA was recognized by the International Stainless-steel Forum
(ISSF) for developing innovative product applications in stainless-steel like
bread moulds, e-rickshaws, fish cages, and a stainless-steel display van. This is
also a testimony to the fact that stainless-steel applications in India have grown
beyond traditional applications like kitchenware and tableware. Today, Indian
stainless-steel products mirror the benchmarks of world class products and
are being exported to critical markets like United States and European Union.
ISSDA, along with the government agencies like BIS, has been successful in
standardizing stainless-steel products and their respective usage. With key
appropriate stainless-steel grades.
In the last three decades, the Indian infrastructural
landscape has witnessed a vast transformation with
stainless-steel increasingly being adopted for modern
public applications. This includes railway bridges, foot
over-bridges, benches, water coolers, bus stands, sinks,
elevators, hand rails, gates, roofing, facade cladding,
street furniture and sculptures, public dustbins,
etc. Apart from this, mass transit infrastructure like
airports, railway stations, subway stations, gateways,
and transportation; structural applications like flyovers
and bridges; heavy machinery and process industries
are all relying on stainless-steel for a sustainable and
longer life.
ISSDA has worked with the Indian government
and has effectively advocated for the low life cycle
cost of stainless-steel, which is now being mandated
by the government across infrastructural projects.
Apart from this, stainless-steel stands the sustainability
test as it is ~100% recyclable and has minimal carbon
footprint. Moreover, a longer life and an impressive
end-of-life value are the two key parameters now
being considered by architects and engineers for new
project execution.

64 CE&CR May 2020

 FACE-TO-FACE

CE&CR: India ranks among the top 15 countries in the world in European Union. Additionally, the existing Countervailing Duty (CVD)
terms of per capita consumption of stainless-steel. Which sector and Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) enforced by the Indian government
has exhibited the maximum demand? on imports have been ineffective, with imports being on a consistent

K K Pahuja: An increased per capita consumption of stainless-steel rise (as seen in the table below).

is the result of increased acceptance of the metal across diversified 2018-19 2019-20 (April-Jan) Annualised
applications like Automobiles, Railways and Transport (ART); 4,84,548 MT 8,13,831 MT
Architecture, Bridges, and Construction (ABC); process industry, pipes Source: Department of Commerce
and tubes, and hollowware or white goods segments. However,
Moreover, the existing ADD and CVD have led to a trade diversion
hollowware segment continues to hold the lion’s share of stainless-
via Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries, specifically from ASEAN
steel demand in India, ranging between 40-45%. This includes
countries as shown in the table:
tableware, kitchenware, cutlery, sinks, stoves, utensils, and similar
products. The expected growth rate in this segment is nearly 7%. The ASEAN 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
share of this segment a decade ago was nearly 70%. Countries (April-December)
Indonesia 8,601 76,132 2,53,794
With a share of over 14% in the country’s stainless-steel demand,
ABC (Architecture, Building, and Construction) sector is another Malaysia 6,474 30,998 36,529
major contributor in the per capita consumption of stainless-steel. Singapore 6,418 7,726 5,982
Along with major projects like smart city development and highway Thailand 3,371 2,628 5,282
construction, the sector also comprises applications like railings and Vietnam SOC 2,795 9,683 8,253
gates, furniture (benches, chairs, tables, doors handles), decorative REP
items (ornamental pipes & tubes, metal handicrafts), facades, etc., Total 3,09,840
which are increasingly gaining prominence. This segment is now Source: Department of Commerce (figures in MT)
expecting a thrust, given the government’s renewed focus on Consequentially, the domestic stainless-steel industry is bearing
infrastructure under the new National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), the brunt of under-priced imports and is operating at a mere 60-70%
comprising projects like redevelopment of railway stations, metro of its total installed capacity.
projects, among other infrastructural developments. Stainless-steel
Apart from this, an import duty of 2.5% on key raw materials
reinforcement bars are also being explored in the construction sector.
like Ferro-Nickel and stainless-steel scrap further pushes the input
CE&CR: Though India’s stainless-steel consumption level has cost for the domestic players, distorting the model of a level-playing
reached 2.5 kg/capita in a short span of time, the domestic field with global peers. It is noteworthy that the Indian stainless-
stainless-steel industry faces several challenges. Kindly shed steel producers are equipped to manufacture world-class products.
some light on them, along with the suggested government Moreover, the currently installed production capacity is sufficient to
measures to boost domestic manufacturing. meet the domestic demand of stainless-steel.
K K Pahuja: An international sentiment of trade protectionism has
increased the dumping of stainless-steel products in India; be it
United States’ section 232 or protectionist measures put up by the

Fish Rearing Cage in Stainless Steel First Ever Stainless Steel e-Rickshaw Prototype

CE&CR May 2020 65

FACE-TO-FACE

Therefore, the challenges faced by domestic players need to be

addressed immediately by the government. We are providing all
support to the government on behalf of the industry. We now expect
a prompt action by the authorities.

CE&CR: Please tell us about the increase in the use of stainless-

steel as a building material in the last decade.

K K Pahuja: Stainless-steel is the new-age solution for a sustainable

infrastructure. The Architecture, Building, and Construction (ABC)
segment constitutes ~20% of the total Indian stainless-steel demand.
Over the last decade, the demand for stainless-steel in India has grown
at 8-9% per annum. The metal is a key raw material for modern day
infrastructure projects like redevelopment of railway stations, new
highways, and metro projects. Further, stainless-steel rebars and
plates are essential components of modern-day foot overbridges
(FOBs) and road-over-bridges (ROBs). Transit buildings such as airports
and metro rapid mass transport systems have been extensively
using this metal for various applications such as bollards, column
claddings, ticketing counters, escalators, lifts, handrails, canopies,
etc. Apart from this, stainless-steel is also a key ingredient for pipe
and tube applications in railings, furniture, decorative items, facades,
etc. In this background, the government’s continuous boost towards
infrastructure and a lofty investment of nearly Rs. 35,000 crore for
capacity expansion and modernization by the domestic industry
have uplifted the stainless-steel demand prospects for infrastructural
projects.
CE&CR: Which segments do you see as growth drivers for the
consumption of stainless-steel in the construction industry?
K K Pahuja: Cities in India are going through rapid urbanization with
construction activities picking up. Stainless-steel demand is picking
pace across segments such as hollowware, ABC segment, and railway
infrastructures (like road-over- bridges, foot overbridges, benches,
station redevelopment, etc.). The domestic players, along with ISSDA,
Stainless Steel for FOB Structures
have recently identified several key focus areas for stainless-steel
usage to expand. Moreover, the promising National Infrastructure
Pipeline project of the government is expected to harvest immense
demand for stainless-steel on various fronts. Some of these are listed
below:
− 65-70% requirement of energy infrastructure (including
Thermal, Atomic, Renewable energy) in coastal areas will bank
on stainless-steel for a sustainable and disaster-resilient setup.
− Demand from automobile segment for stainless-steel exhaust
systems now that the BS VI norms have come into force from
April 1, 2020.
− E-mobility market banks upon stainless-steel for effectively
executing last mile connectivity transportation.
− The stainless-steel decorative pipes and tubes segment, currently
growing at ~12% per annum, finds major applications in railings,
furniture, decorative items, facades, etc.
− Stainless-steel is an effective and healthy alternative to the
hazardous plastic for water solutions, leading to a better quality
of life.
CE&CR: What effort is ISSDA making to achieve sustainable
construction with the use of stainless-steel?
K K Pahuja: Over the past two decades, infrastructural growth has
aligned with the idea of sustainability. As recognition for sustainable
infrastructure is on the rise, public infrastructure is gradually shifting
from conventional metals to progressive ones like stainless-
steel which are suitable for modern construction. This includes
applications like water storage and management, food storage,
bridge construction, etc.
ISSDA has effectively brought together various stakeholders like
industry leaders, policy makers at all levels, small scale manufacturers
and fabricators, etc. across various demographics, and advocated
for adoption of stainless-steel.
The association continues to be a knowledge centre for industry
leaders and stakeholders and also ensures technical assistance to
drive out value of every new application. Apart from this, being the
bridge between industry and policy makers, ISSDA represents the
domestic industry’s concerns and demands.

66 CE&CR May 2020

FACE-TO-FACE
“The Domestic Industry Has
Adequate Stainless-Steel
Manufacturing Capacities
Installed…”
Founded in 1970, Jindal Stainless is one of the largest
stainless-steel conglomerates in India and ranks amongst
the top 10 stainless-steel conglomerates in the world.
Mr. Vijay Sharma, the Director of the group, shares his
insights on the stainless-steel market and the Indian
construction industry.
C
ivil Engineering & Construction Review: How do you think the
government’s big decision of slashing corporate tax will impact
the stainless-steel sector in the near term?
Vijay Sharma: This incentive will not only contribute to ease of doing business
in the nation but will also attract foreign investments in brown-field and green-
field projects, thus spurring economic growth. The step will ensure free cash
flow, meanwhile enhancing employment. The domestic stainless-steel players
need to capitalize on the increasing stainless-steel demand in India, currently
growing at a CAGR of 8-9%. The domestic stainless-steel industry welcomes this
affirmative policy initiative by the government and believes that this decision
will give a fillip to plans of diversifying or adding capacities.
CE&CR: What are the stainless-steel products offered by your company
for construction?
Vijay Sharma: As India’s largest fully integrated stainless-steel manufacturer,
Jindal Stainless is currently producing for all major sectors including
Architecture, Building & Construction (ABC); Automobile, Railways &
Transport (ART); process industries and white goods. The company produces
world-class stainless-steel coils in both hot-rolled and cold-rolled forms,
sheets, coin blanks, and precision strips. The company is the world’s largest
producer of stainless-steel strips for razor blades and India’s largest producer
of coin blanks, serving the needs of Indian and international mints. As market
demand for more durable, aesthetic, maintenance-free, and sustainable
materials is on the rise, stainless-steel products are now being widely used
in civil construction and infrastructure. Moreover, stainless-steel is innately
strong and is an all-weather material. Ease of fabrication and range of surface
finishes give stainless-steel an edge over other materials.
CE&CR May 2020 67
Mr. Vijay Sharma
Director
Jindal Stainless
Jindal Stainless has been making dedicated efforts
in stainless-steel ornamental pipes and tubes segment
which are generally used in handrails, balcony railings
and gates. We have recently launched co-branded
stainless-steel pipes and tubes with domestic pipe
and tube manufacturers with the aim of curbing
substandard material in the market. The company is
catering to an increasing demand for stainless-steel
roofing, interior, architectural cladding, lifts, elevators,
etc. is also witnessing an increased demand.
We are also producing for prominent stainless-
steel structural applications like bridges, flyovers, and
foot over-bridges in the urban civil infrastructure. This
new age infrastructure like metro extensively uses
stainless-steel as its basic material. Major economies
across the globe use stainless-steel in construction
sectors more aggressively than India. Therefore the
potential for stainless-steel growth in this segment is
immense.
CE&CR: How do the cheaper stainless-steel imports
impact the Indian industry?
Vijay Sharma: India is the second largest consumer and
producer of stainless-steel in the world. The metal has
registered the highest growth rate in India as compared
to rest of the world, with the per capita consumption
of stainless-steel at ~2.5 kg. However, this is almost
half of the world average. This underlines that India is a
distant second (as compared to China) and thus, holds
 FACE-TO-FACE

immense potential for stainless-steel growth. This makes India an

attractive market for stainless-steel producing nations across the
globe. Moreover, nations like China and Indonesia have excess
manufacturing capacities installed. This has resulted in high level
of imports, which have been plaguing the domestic stainless-steel
industry. Further, a surge of imports from FTA (Free Trade Agreement)
countries like ASEAN, Japan, Korea, etc. have added to the plight,
amounting to be ~60% of the total imports in India. This has not only
affected the domestic industry but has also bruised the exchequer.
We thank the government for its resolution of opting out of the
RCEP pact and further request the authorities to terminate FTAs in
the interest of the domestic manufacturing sector. period of just eight years. Henceforth, India ranks among top 15
countries in the world in terms of per capita consumption of stainless-
It is pertinent to note here that the domestic industry has
steel. An ascending stainless-steel demand in diversified applications
adequate stainless-steel manufacturing capacities installed to meet
such as ABC, ART, process industries and white goods, apart from
the domestic stainless-steel demand.
conventional use in kitchenware and utensils, has led to this increase.
Stainless-steel imports remain one of the biggest challenges for
It is noteworthy that the metal has consistently evolved over the
the domestic industry. As a result, capacity utilization of domestic
past three decades across all parameters, including production, R&D,
industry is at around 55% of the total installed capacity. According to
and consumption patterns. With a ~100% recyclability, impeccable
data from the Ministry of Commerce, the total stainless-steel imports
corrosion resistance, and low life cycle cost, stainless-steel is an
during FY 2018-19 increased by ~7% as compared to FY 2017-18, with
indispensable metal for diverse sectors including railways, metro
imports from Indonesia rising by ~1100% during this period. The
projects, bridges, nuclear projects, transportation, heavy machinery,
Indonesian import continued to ramp up to nearly 3000% during H1
kitchenware etc. We look forward to working towards achieving an
FY 19-20 as compared to FY 2017-18. Moreover, due to sub-standard
even better figure in the coming years.
low priced imports, the market pricing of goods in the domestic
We are also actively working with the Ministry of Steel, Government
market is distorted.
of India, and Indian Stainless-steel Development Association (ISSDA)
Over the years, the domestic industry has paired up with newer to promote stainless-steel usage where single-use plastic can be
technologies to produce world-class quality stainless-steel products. replaced with stainless-steel. We are committed to enhancing the
Consequently, the Indian stainless-steel products today have a global per capita consumption of stainless-steel by developing stainless-
acceptance. steel water tanks, water pipelines, and e-rickshaw body frames and
CE&CR: What are your views on increasing per capita stainless- components along with relevant stakeholders.
steel consumption in the country? CE&CR: Jindal Stainless recently conducted a fabrication
Vijay Sharma: India recently achieved a milestone of an enhanced training program for Varanasi Central Jail inmates. What other
2.5 kg per capita consumption of stainless-steel in the country, against initiatives are being taken to teach skills and ultimately, enhance
1.2 kg per capita in 2010, registering an increase of over 100% in a employment?
Vijay Sharma: In consonance with the Government’s rehabilitation
program for prisoners, Jindal Stainless recently facilitated a stainless-
steel fabrication workshop for the jail inmates at Varanasi Central
Jail in order to equip them with a skill and to ensure employment
opportunities for them once they complete their prison term.
Stainless-steel fabrication requires different expertise as compared
to handling mild steel or aluminium. Therefore, Jindal Stainless is
committed towards up-skilling the Indian youth and carries out
training workshops across Indian cities. The workshops entail expert
training on welding, cutting, and fabricating stainless-steel along with

68 CE&CR May 2020

FACE-TO-FACE

equipping the masses with the correct knowledge and techniques of

stainless-steel grade selection as per the application requirement. As
of now, Jindal Stainless has trained ~10,000 fabricators. Also, through
our specially designed stainless-steel showcase vans, we exhibit
various stainless-steel applications in different cities.
Jindal Stainless also works to uplift the weaker sections of
the society. The company, under its CSR banner, works towards
enhancing various skills among communities in order to sustain their
financial independence. The courses include dress designing, fashion
technology, beauty culture, stitching, and tailoring.

CE&CR: In the beginning of 2019, Jindal Stainless expanded its

stainless-steel footprint in the kitchenware segment to cater the
demand from eastern India. Which other areas are you planning
to look for expansion?
Vijay Sharma: While we are already present in all the segments,
Jindal Stainless has also aligned itself with the government’s initiative
of ‘building the nation’. Recently, the company marked its advent in
the stainless-steel structurals for railway infrastructure. The bridge
infrastructure of the nation has been compromised with poor quality
material for years. This has even resulted in severe accidents and
casualties. Aligning its efforts with the mega modernization plans
of the Indian Railways, Jindal Stainless recently signed an MoU with
Braithwaite & Co Limited, a Government of India undertaking under
the Ministry of Railways, to develop stainless-steel foot-over-bridges
(FOBs), rail-over-bridges (ROBs), etc. across the nation. Apart from
this, the company is also focusing on improving logistics including
infrastructure and waterways with stainless-steel.
CE&CR: Please share your views about the growth of the
stainless-steel industry in the last decade.
Vijay Sharma: Evolution of the Indian stainless-steel demand over
the last decade has witnessed a significant change; from humble
beginnings in the unorganized utensil segment to quintessential
economic fronts like nuclear, defence, ABC, ART, and energy
generation applications. This translates into an indigenous cultivation
of stainless-steel applications using indigenously produced metal. It
is noteworthy that the developed nations, in the past, have followed
a similar growth trend with stainless-steel applications. This justifies
that Indian economy is on the right trajectory and is using the right
means. Also, this unveils the adaptive nature of stainless-steel as per
industry requirements. The exceptional nature of stainless-steel as
a resource to be used in numerous applications boosts economic
growth. Globally, India has marked its presence as one of the most
quality-conscious stainless-steel producers. This is testified by the fact
that Indian stainless-steel products are exported to quality conscious
markets in Europe and US.
CE&CR: What are your prospects and plans going forward?
Vijay Sharma: Jindal Stainless recently increased its cold rolling
capacities in its manufacturing units. The company is in the process
of increasing the melting capacity at its Jajpur facility from 0.8 MT to
1.1 MT through de-bottlenecking, process balancing, and a capex
of around Rs 40-50 crore, which will result in a production increase
of 12-15%.
We are also focusing on increasing the capacities of value-added
products. With an estimated capex of about Rs 170 crore, the company
is doubling its precision strips’ production capacity. This is expected
to commission within FY21. We are also evaluating inorganic growth
options. So, overall, Jindal Stainless has good options for both, brown-
field expansions, and inorganic growth.
We also plan on developing a stainless-steel downstream park in
Jajpur, Odisha. We have proposed the state government to develop
this park in an area of 300 acres. This project promises immense
potential for downstream industries (pipes and tubes, re-rollers, rice
mills, general fabrication, etc.). The park will accommodate more
than 90 downstream units as well as one or more anchor investors
for need-based re-rolling and service centre facilities.

CE&CR May 2020 69

SPECIAL REPORT - BIM SOLUTIONS FOR STEEL
Constructible BIM Solutions By
Trimble For Steel And Steel Structures
Mr Jayant Keswani
Director Marketing,
Trimble Buildings
Use Of Software In Construction
Any construction, regardless of the material, is a complex process,
which requires high level of expertise and precision throughout
the workflow and involves multiple stakeholders. Even a small
construction project entails a commitment of significant amount of
money, material, and manpower. Failing to manage the resources
optimally leads to wastage and rework, which in turn increases project
costs and extends project timelines.
It has been estimated that construction industry generates
around 10-12 million tonnes of waste annually and only 50% of this
waste is recycled currently. Clearly, there is a dire need to reduce
the amount of waste as this impacts the profitability of construction
Tekla PowerFab 2020 Trimble Connect web visualizations
70
firms. The answer to this problem lies in the application of advanced
project management techniques, such as Constructible BIM that
can make sure that construction happens with the help data rich
drawings and thus, improved efficiency and minimum wastage in
terms of material, time and money. Trimble flagship software, Tekla
Structures, is a well-trusted Constructible 3D BIM solution across the
globe that helps construction professionals to build with confidence.
The 3D modelling features of Tekla Structures help create an as-built
model, which offers a high degree of accuracy and detail that assists
in a highly efficient construction process and helps minimize wastage
and rework, reducing cost and time to complete the project.
Using the constructible models, the building contractors can
construct sustainably too. Sustainable construction requires greater
transparency throughout the entire lifecycle of a building: from
design and construction to operations and maintenance. Paper-
based workflows are simply not equipped to deliver the required
transparency and communication for sustainable construction.
As all stakeholders involved in a project
switch to advanced construction management
software, they can communicate faster and
seamlessly. Tekla Structures for example, helps
every professional involved in a project get
real-time updates and find possible problems
before they show up on site.
Effective communication is not just needed
among different stakeholders, it is even more
desirable for construction tools and machinery.
The industry is moving to Open BIM software
that generates interoperable BIM models, which
can easily share and transfer data to different
types of construction machinery.
Tekla Structures provides an open interface
and is designed to interact and exchange data
with various software systems and technologies.
An industry leader in steel fabrication, Tekla’s
PowerFab, a highly advanced tool for steel
fabricators also offers interoperability with
several industry leading solutions.
CE&CR May 2020
 SPECIAL REPORT - BIM SOLUTIONS FOR STEEL
Tekla Structural Designer 2020 Grasshopper Direct Link
In summary, the dominant growth drivers for adoption of
sophisticated construction software tools are (a) the need to run
sustainable and profitable businesses and (b) achieve higher customer
satisfaction.
Steel Construction Related Software
Steel structures have gained greater popularity in recent times
as new urban infrastructure projects have come to the fore. The
construction industry has now openly accepted and adopted steel as
a favoured construction material, and this has spurred the demand
for steel construction.
Driven by important pre-requisites of steel construction, such as
achieving higher accuracy and precision in project planning, proper
field management and availability of off-site fabrication plants, the
industry has welcomed custom built software for steel construction
with open arms. Steel fabricators and detailers use Tekla Structures and
Tekla PowerFab software that helps them manage steel construction
better and offers unprecedented accuracy and detailing across the
workflow.
Constructing with steel is slightly more expensive than concrete
and thus, project managers must ensure minimum errors, wastage,
and rework in a project, along with proper timelines and budgets. The
raison d’etre for the steel industry to adopt advanced software for
truly constructible buildings, which can also enhance and streamline
collaboration across project teams, is more pronounced than ever
today. Complex steel structures necessitate use of software that
seamlessly integrates the entire workflow, generates, and manages
schedules and offers real-time visibility into the project. These factors
continue to drive ever increasing demand for steel construction
software.
Trimble’s Strategy In The Recent Past
Construction industry has been oscillating in the last few years
with residential real estate demand slowing but industrial construction
CE&CR May 2020
Tekla Structures 2020 Sloping slabs
picking with the focus on infrastructure build-out. Despite the
challenges, India has continuously worked towards rapid urbanisation
and infrastructural development, and its finished steel consumption
is anticipated to increase by 230 MT by 2030. With this growing
demand for steel and steel structures, the industry is forced to look
within for developing a sharper competitive edge. This necessitates
investing sufficiently in R&D to enhance their capabilities and of
course, leverage innovation and technology.
Trimble invests 14% of its revenues in R&D today. We provide the
widest breadth of technology solutions for each phase of the building
lifecycle. With the industry’s only truly constructible process, and full
range of tools and content to streamline team collaboration, Trimble’s
solutions help project stakeholders improve productivity and achieve
operational excellence at all stages of the construction process.
As a global leader in technology, our goal is to play a key role
in the transformation of Indian construction industry as it evolves
to compete more effectively and profitably with global players.
For example, we are continuously working towards making
constructability a practical, everyday issue-solver and to provide
the construction industry with necessary tools to execute better
throughout the construction lifecycle, irrespective of the stage of
construction.
Trimble has increased its business potential in India exponentially
in the past 4-5 years and has seen a growth of over 70% in its workforce,
and the resultant investment in office space and machinery. Over the
years, our local teams have contributed to the development of many
cutting-edge, innovative solutions like Mixed Reality w/HoloLens
(XR10), construction project management, collaboration, mobile
platform, that have firmly positioned Trimble as a technology leader
and delighted customers in India and globally.
For more information,
visit: www.trimble.com
71
FEATURE - STEEL
Structuring A Steely India!
A
ny discourse on the world economy
is incomplete today without any
reference to China, because its
might in manufacturing makes the world
look up to its second largest economy for
inspiration and innovation. China produces
10 times more steel than India does. Its per-
capita consumption is almost eight times
higher than ours. The nation mostly uses
steel to feed its urbanization programme
that calls for rapid development of modern
buildings, infrastructure and housing,
airports and metros, and many other
areas that warrant durable and speedier
construction.
Thanks to its unbridled population
growth, India is within the striking distance
of dislodging China to become the world’s
most populace nation. According to the
United Nations, India is expected to add
around 237 million between 2019 and 2050
to its current tally of 1.37 billion. In China,
58.55% people live in urban areas; in India,
this is just 34%. Yet, our cities are already
over-crowded. Our land area is inadequate
- only one-third that of China! This calls for
a rapid spate of urbanization, much quicker
than the rest of the world and at an affordable
cost, not just to accommodate the growing
population, but also for the meteoric rise in
people’s aspiration for a better and a cleaner
place to live in.
Steel is at the centre of urbanization,
because it allows designers and architects to
have flexibility despite its inherent strength,
durability, flexibility and elasticity. India
has started using steel to build durable,
sustainable, fire-resistant, easy-to-repair
houses, warehouses and skyscrapers; and
spruce up its beleaguered infrastructure
in areas like bridges, flyovers, highways,
airports, sea ports and public utilities; but,
72
the quantity is far less than what it should
have been. However, it is only a matter of
time for the usage grows rapidly, as steel
saves time and money. Its aesthetic property
and complete recyclability allow steel an
improved environmental performance
across the lifecycle of the structure.
Globally, residential sector accounts for
around 40% of the total structural steel
consumption, followed by infrastructure,
commercial sectors and others including
public utility. Of the various types of steel
used in the infrastructure and construction
sectors, growth potential is the highest for
structural steel in India. The usage is at its
nascent stage now – just 4.4% of the total
consumption, compared with the global
average of 9% and 11% in Europe, and 8%
in Japan and the Middle East. The share
is projected to go up to 10% of the total
consumption in 2023 and even higher in
2030.
Traditionally, India has been a supply-
driven market for steel; however, the
consumption growth for structural steel
is most likely to be demand-driven. The
demand for traditional and expensive
structural steel will make way for an improved
version – structural tubes! The future demand
for such cost-effective, lightweight and
tailor-made structural tubes will only grow as
different studies have pointed out. Structural
tubes can be a convenient and cost-effective
substitute to each and every construction
being built using structural steels. The usage
of structural steel tubes will make the world
a far better place to live in.
The market for hollow structural tubes/
pipes has remained largely untapped in
India. However, coupled with the drastic
improvement in the aspiration of its people
and their living standards, India’s exponential
population growth is slated to open a huge
opportunity for the application of the vibrant
variant. Structural pipes, available in varied
shapes and sizes, will be a better and a
durable solution to PVC pipes used in homes
and wood planks used in truck bodies. Door
frames, bridges and foot-overbridges can be
erected using structural pipes/tubes. There
are many such areas, including in public
utilities, where structural pipes/tubes can be
prudently used.
The National Steel Policy, unveiled in
2017, pegged India’s steel demand to grow
between 212 MT and 247 MT by 2030-31;
and consumption by infrastructure and
construction sectors to nearly quadruple
to 135 MT from around 33 MT in 2015-
16. Within the infrastructure space, the
prospect of growth was estimated to be
the highest, nearly 10-fold, to 90 MT in
areas like oil refinery, highways & bridges,
airports, seaports, urban infrastructure, water
transportation and sanitation, industrial
sheds and prefabricated buildings. Use
of steel in the construction of real estate
comprising residential, institutional,
commercial and industrial was estimated to
nearly double at 45 MT.
India has started using
steel to build durable,
sustainable, fire-
resistant, easy-to-repair
houses, warehouses and
skyscrapers
Quality products will be of the utmost
importance as India aims for strong and
durable construction. The industry needs
to gear up and come up with such products
to meet the rising demand. World-class,
cost-competitive and tailor-made products
must be delivered at the doorstep of the
customers. Capacity augmentation is also
the need of the hour.
CE&CR May 2020

The government has been supportive
to the cause of the steel industry for
long and its recent decision to pull out of
the Regional Comprehensive Economic
The National Steel
Policy, unveiled in
2017, pegged India’s
steel demand to grow
between 212 MT and
247 MT by 2030-31
Partnership (RCEP) accord is enough
to assume the fact that the support
will continue. The government’s policy
to provide preference to domestically
CE&CR May 2020 73
manufactured iron & steel products
(DMI&SP) in government procurement
has given enough cushions to domestic
manufactures to cash in on the unfolding
infrastructure story of the country. The
government has also omitted a massive
Rs 100 lakh crore investment towards
development of country’s infrastructure
over a period of five years till 2024-25.
Time is ripe for banks to come forward
and support the industry with funds for
enhancing capacity. A robust insolvency
resolution mechanism has already been
put in place to put a brake on rising non-
performing asset level of the banking
system. Banks should awake from their
deep slumber.
FEATURE - STEEL
Lastly, as the great French novelist
Victor Marie Hugo said, “Nothing is more
powerful than an idea whose time has
come”; India’s time to create a lasting and
indelible impression of a responsible nation
committed for the overall development of
the global world has come and we only
have to make sure that our beloved India
does not miss the bus once again. Our
future generations deserve a far better
place to live in!
For further information,
visit: www.aplapollo.com
Mr. Deepak Goyal
CFO,
APL Apollo
MODERN STEEL
Wear Resistance: The Underlying Property
In Modern Steels
R
ecent research predicts that the
mining automation market will
be worth $3.29 bn by 2023 — a
compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
6.7 per cent since 2017. While automation
greatly enhances productivity, it also places
additional demands on steel components.
Ben Smye, Head of growth at materials
search engine Matmatch, examines why
wear resistant steels are vital to modern and
enhanced production.
The research by markets and markets
found that the recent boom in automated
mining technology is going from strength-
to-strength. Atlas Copco, Rio Tinto and
Caterpillar are presently among the big
players in automated mining, and Asia-Pacific
(APAC) is set to becoming the largest market.
However, the more intense rigours
of automated drilling processes also put
greater demands on steels used in mining
equipment. Components like rock drills
are already subjected to factors that cause
considerable wear — like vibration and
the type of motion, temperature, load,
velocity, contact area, sliding distance and
atmosphere.
If the wrong steels are used for these
components, then this can lead to equipment
failures and downtime. That’s why choosing
the best-performing wear resistant steels
is crucial to getting the best performance
from automated drilling technology. Wear
resistant — or abrasion resistant steels — are
relied upon in applications where resistance
to abrasion, impact or sliding are essential.
Their popular uses include in rock drills,
wear plates for rock-processing machinery,
crushers and power shovels.
Wear resistant steels are typically
austenitic grades, the most widely used
74
grade of stainless steel. They are non-
magnetic and contain high levels of
chromium and nickel with low levels
of carbon — typically of around 1.2 per
cent. Austenitic steels are usually 12 per
cent manganese, a strong austeniser,
which means it helps to retain the steel’s
tough properties at room temperature.
They also have work-hardening
capabilities. Pure metals are rarely used in
manufacturing because they are too soft.
Instead, wear resistant steels contain the
non-metallic elements carbon and nitrogen,
the atoms of which fill the gaps between the
steel’s iron atoms. This “distortion” makes it
more difficult for the layers of the metal — or
the lattice — to slide over each other. Wear
resistant alloys are harder, less malleable and
more ductile than pure metals, as a result.
This is advantageous in applications like
in rock drilling, where the steel is repeatedly
pounded. The more pounding the drill takes,
the more the carbon and nitrogen deform the
steel’s surface and the stronger it becomes.
Another Layer Of Protection
Surface fatigue or micro-cracking are both
mechanisms that affect ultra-hard materials
and reduce the long-term performance of
components. This is the case with Ground
Engaging Tools (GETs) used in mining,
construction or agriculture. GETs are often
compromised because of wear caused by
gouging, high-stress abrasion or impact,
leading to loss of functionality or even
failures.
These consequences can be avoided with
an optimised steel coating — applying a
tougher material onto base materials through
nitriding, chromium depositing or welding.
The coating can enhance a component’s
Automated Drilling Processes put Greater Demands on Steels
(300 dpi)
hardness and toughness, protect from hard
abrasives and better withstand compressive
stresses. In such cases, it’s best to enlist
the services of a qualified surface solutions
expert, like Oerlikon Metco.
Ultimately, the properties of wear resistant
steels should link directly to customers’
needs. This applies to a steel’s compatibility
to heat treatment facilities and melt shops,
where wear resistant grades are through
hardened in a process known as quenching
and tempering (Q&T). The steel’s grain
structure is changed to increase toughness
and improve formability, which makes the
material less brittle.
Today, it’s more possible than ever before
to assess and choose the best wear resistant
steels for any given application. Matmatch
lists thousands of materials on its online
materials platform, where design engineers
can make better material choices for their
end use or heat treatment requirements.
As a growing number of mining projects
strive for greater levels of productivity
through automation, this knowledge will be
vital to ensuring that wear resistant steels
remain fundamental in withstanding the
rigorous demands.
For further information,
visit www.matmatch.com
CE&CR May 2020
 JMC DURING PANDEMIC

JMC Projects (India) Ltd. Supports Their

Daily Wage Workers Amidst The Crisis

I
ndia, after staying relatively unscathed for a while, is When tragedy strikes, JMC Projects does not leave their
witnessing the effect of the pandemic. Consequently, India workers helpless and hopeless; rather, they come together as
is under a prolonged lockdown to protect the country’s
one family.
1.3 billion people from the new coronavirus.
To support its 25,000 stranded workers across more than
The situation has led to closing of certain industries and
suspension of construction activities. Under lockdown, well-off 75 construction sites in India, JMC projects provided a roof of
Indians isolated indoors, worked from home and got groceries care and protection. This included:
delivered. However, millions of migrant daily wage workers, -- Emotional support
living in abominable conditions in our cities, contributing to
-- Medical attention
its economic growth, were forced to pick up their bundles
and leave when the pandemic struck, because the city is not -- Conducting awareness sessions
their home. -- Availability of food and supplies
The nationwide lockdown crumbled as workers risking
-- Engaging workers in physical activities to keep them motivated
their lives amidst COVID-19, began crowding at bus stops,
-- Taking care of hygiene and sanitation
attempting to leave for their villages. But, due to the closure
of state borders, the workers were left on the streets. -- Giving Financial Support

CE&CR May 2020 75

POST - LOCKDOWN STRATEGY
Recent Pandemic - COVID-19 Post-Lockdown
Strategy In Construction
T
he pandemic COVID-19 has closed
human activities in terms of “social
distancing”. The human civilization
was not at all ready to fight against this
attack. In this connection, I tweeted on 20-
04-2019 “…Many new viruses will affect us.
We have no weapons against that.” I meant
to say that we should have a rain coat. The
tweet was an imagination only, which was
put into few words.
Now I feel the situation is, “I could not
expect the impact”. All sectors are just
watching the daily counts. However, the
impact of social distancing on relationship,
culture, progress and health consciousness
is likely to affect the whole system of human
civilization. We will win this war and Charles
Darwin’s ‘Survival of the fittest’ will be re-
established.
As a result of the pandemic, we have
realized value of nature. Nature has proved
that less human population on roads has
lesser effect on nature. But, no one can survive
without the support of nature. Everything
76 CE&CR May 2020
is monitored by global rules, though we
never feel the system of monitoring. It
is impossible to understand and predict
anything to happen after a second. Nature
accommodates all the livings. Nature has its
own method to discard any unwanted guest
which disturbs the ecosystem. We should
remember that nature is our host. It has the
responsibility to balance its own structure.
Sun ray plays a major role in disinfecting open sky. People work in and outside both.
any virus by its ultra-violet rays. The bio Today, by the help of media, almost everyone
defence property is one of the control knows the behaviour of COVID-19. So, it is
measures. UV radiation is called primary not very complex to handle the situation.
germicide in nature. The nucleic acid within The pre- and post-lockdown situation would
the virus particle plays a crucial role in the be different. The impact will bring changes
absorption of UV radiation and in virus in all aspects. A serious effort is reduction
inactivation. In most viruses, the other of construction cost. Building specification
major constituents of the virus particles play will appreciate low cost modified interior
relatively minor roles in inactivation by UV; finishes, which will discourage virus or
this acts as the principal natural virucide in bacterial growth. We know that organic
the environment. It is true that viruses pose component enhances virus and bacterial
a lower potential threat for use in biological (gram positive & gram negative) growth
warfare or bioterrorism than bacterial and inorganic is safer than organic to reduce
threat, because they are expected to survive virus potentiality and threat; therefore, the
for shorter times when released into the inside finishing items and all others should
environment than bacteria. However, viral be virus unfriendly.
agents are hardier and reach further into the
Today, technology will be appreciated if
environment than previously expected. For
our shelter does not allow virus growth. We
example, Tucker JB and Zilinskas RA in their
should remember that COVID-19 can persist
research on ‘The 1971 smallpox outbreak
in the Soviet city of Aralsk: implications
for Variola virus as a bioterrorist threat’,
presented how an information leak in 2002
from the former Soviet Union reported
an accidental infection in 1971 of naval
personnel 11 miles offshore from a smallpox
testing site in the Soviet city of Aralsk.
COVID-19 will speak itself its birth history.
But, like other viruses, this also cannot persist
in sunrays. Construction industry is under

in cold, humid and confined
zone. That can sustain as aerosol
in air. So, care should be taken for
indoor climate in construction.
Also, we must remember
that COVID-19 is not the only
virus; we must design our tools
and concepts to protect ourselves from
harmful effect of any new virus which we
do not know.
We will maintain safety rules to conduct
construction activities. This has been learnt
from various incidents. Accordingly, safety
tools are prepared and strictly used in all
construction sectors. Those tools help us
to avoid any accident during construction
activities. Further, no one is allowed to
move inside the project site without a
helmet and safety shoes. Similarly, safety
belt is mandatory to work on scaffolding.
Also, safety glass and gloves are to be
used. Further, we are aware that during
construction work, the clothes, shoes and
hands get dirty. Thus, we have to follow the
safety methods.
Now COVID-19 will add additional safety
tools for all in construction industry. What
is that? Perhaps we think of sanitization.
We must select the object to sanitize. We
must appreciate our talent to overcome
this problem, to challenge COVID -19.
CE&CR May 2020 77
POST - LOCKDOWN STRATEGY
This includes protecting our work forces.
They should not be worried or confused.
Therefore, the method should be simple so
that our workmen and everyone get used
to it:
-- People carry the virus and it is
transmitted to other by close contact.
-- Construction site is not its birth place.
-- Everyday check of general health
simply by thermal screening using
simple FDA approved INFRARED BODY
THERMOMETER before and after work.
-- Workers should wear clean helmet and fellow worker and wash hands before
sanitized uniform before entering work food.
zone.
Life views of safety measures of a
-- They should not spit here and there
construction project by a reputed
with or without pan masala.
developer in India.
-- Social distance is little difficult at
construction site. Prevention is better than cure. We can
protect us effectively from this viral wave
-- Holes are not only in nose. So, this
is difficult to close all holes in body by protective measures.
including skin. But, musk will help to
prevent droplet spread. For more information,
-- Use a virus deactivating as well as please visit: www.aquacrete.co.in
sanitizing liquid to spray clothes and
hands after an interval of two hours.
The liquid must be non-hazardous and Premankur
non-toxic. Bhattacharya
-- Drink fresh water and eat healthy Technical Head,
normal food to immune. ANN WORLD
-- Do not eat anything offered by the
 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

Advertisers’ Index
Aimil Limited ..........................................................Inside Back Cover PRIMAX EQUIPMENT PVT. LTD. .....................................................30

Amman India Pvt. Ltd. ........................................................................3 Rotho .......................................................................................................7

Ann World ............................................................. Inside Front Cover Speedcrafts Limited ......................................................................... 19

STP Limited .......................................................................................... 31

Asian Laboratories (India) ...............................................................45
Trimble Solutions India Pvt. Ltd........................................................ 7
Bajaj Reinforcement LLP ..................................................................25
Vollert........................................................................................................9
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Complete Dewatering Systems Pvt. Ltd. ....................................57

H & K Rolling Mill Engineers Pvt. Ltd. ............................................15

J.B. Engineering & Industrial Co. ...................................................73 EXHIBITIONS/Seminar:

Layher Scaffolding Systems Pvt. Ltd. ............................Back Cover bauma CONEXPO INDIA .................................................................. 79

Minitech...................................................................................................5 Concrete Show India .........................................................................63

78 CE&CR May 2020