Girish Nair Zonal Manager (South) Mapei Construction Products India Pvt. Ltd. www.mapei.com

Life expectancy is not just a term associated with a living, breathing being but even with an immobile non-living element, like a building. According to researchers, the general lifespan of a concrete building lies in the average range of 75 to 100 years and for a residential building, this can be even close to 40 years. By which time, complete deterioration can happen in the absence of building maintenance.

In this article, we shall discuss about repair of a residential building which is 40 year old using Mapei products and also listing of Mapei products that can be used for different type of maintenance of a building.

Each building, early deterioration of a building can occurs due to:
⦁ Poor design, detailing and construction
⦁ Severe environmental actions
⦁ Substandard construction materials
⦁ Unintended use
⦁ Poor management

Repair Of A Residential Building
Ground floor of a residential building which is 40 year old had deteriorated very badly and had one more floor with people living in it. The ground floor was damaged due to water seepage and bad maintenance. This house was to be repaired without damaging the first floor. The risk of crack and damage to the first floor was high. The damaged house had water seepage, no maintenance and usage of substandard construction materials.

Mapei offers wide range of repair products but due to budget constraints the following products were used for repair of the referred house.

Fig. 1: Shows the Damage of the House with Big Holes where the Termites had Damaged the Bricks	Fig. 2: Shows Treated Wall with Mapegrout T40 and Application of Planiseal 88
Fig.3: Smooth and even Wall using Mapewall Ready Mix Plaster	Fig. 4: Completed Wall

Conclusion
‘Better Safe than Sorry’ Following good construction practices and using construction chemical products during the construction of a residential
building give more life span and low maintenance cost.

Acknowledgement
The author thanks Mr. Chandrakanth Kamath and Mr. Jackson for the inputs of the residential building and photographs

Amol Popli Head Sales (Restofix) STP Limited www.stpltd.com

The deterioration of reinforced concrete structures is recognized as a major problem worldwide. Today, concrete repair is a major industry supporting the needs of virtually every concrete structure.

Each structure requires routine repair and maintenance, ranging from simple protective coatings to repair of spalling to strengthening of under-designed components. Apart from requiring regular maintenance, many structures require extensive Repair, Rehabilitation & Retrofitting.

Though concrete is quite strong mechanically, it is highly susceptible to deterioration and thus gets damaged & even fail ultimately, unless some measures are adopted to counter deterioration. Such deteriorated structures can be rehabilitated and retrofitted by using various types of modern repair materials and techniques.

STP Limited provides Restofix range of concrete repair materials manufactured to restore and repair damaged or sub-standard concrete by providing structural and non-structural repairs, in addition to sealing and bonding cracks through injections.

Understanding Deterioration And Corrosion
The durability advantage of cement concrete is a major reason why it is the world’s most widely used construction material.But material quality, design and construction practices, and severe exposure conditions can cause concrete to deteriorate, which results in aesthetic, functional or structural problems.

Generally, concrete deterioration is gradual; and, depending on their service and environment, steel-reinforced concrete structures can stand for decades before the onset of steel corrosion. Concrete can deteriorate for a variety of reasons, and concrete damage is often the result of a combination of factors.

Although concrete is porous in nature and the structure contains moisture and oxygen, due to its high alkalinity, the cover concrete surrounding the reinforcements, form a protective, passive oxide layer on the reinforcing steel that reduces the corrosion rate to a negligible level.

For reinforcing steel to corrode, the passive oxide layer on the steel must fail. If the concrete cover that protects the reinforcing steel is damaged and the bond between the concrete and steel reinforcing bar is broken, the steel’s passive layer will break down and active corrosion of the steel will start. There are two mechanisms, however, that will damage the passive layer on the steel reinforcement, even if the concrete cover is not damaged: chloride ions and carbonation. This makes the steel vulnerable to corrosion.

Steps For Concrete Repair And Maintenance
Before commencing any repair work, it is necessary to carry out thorough inspection and evaluation, identify the root cause of the deterioration and accordingly a repair methodology to be prepared and followed. An incomplete or incorrect evaluation may lead to decide on carrying out only surface repairs without addressing the root cause of deterioration. Eventually, the repair work will lead to failure and re-occurrence of the damages.

Accordingly, there are seven basic steps for concrete repair and maintenance:
⦁ Determine the cause(s) of damage
⦁ Evaluate the extent of damage
⦁ Evaluate the need to repair
⦁ Select the repair method and material
⦁ Prepare the existing concrete for repair
⦁ Apply the repair method
⦁ Cure the repair properly

In these steps, the choice of procedure, surface treatment and materials for concrete repair will depend on the existing degree of deterioration, the mechanism of deterioration, its causes and anticipated future service requirements.

Principles And Solutions For Sustainable Concrete Repair
The phases of repair projects follow a logical sequence, which is dominated by engineeringaspects. Depending upon the sequence of repair for a concrete structure, the above Table shows the Product Segments, Product Details, Product Description and Area of Application. The product details mentioned are to address theneed for protection and repair of concrete and to prevent damages due to reinforcement corrosion, respectively.

STP’s Restofix range of products for concrete rehabilitation includes ShaliFix polymer modified structural mortars and micro-concretes designed for replacing the strength of concrete lost due to degradation. The ShaliFix range incorporates active corrosion inhibitors to ensure the integrity of steel reinforcement for many years after repair. Restofix also includes coatings for corrosion protection of steel reinforcements, anti-carbonation coatings for concrete to allow completion protection of structure of the project.

STP’s Restofix range provides ShaliProtek coatings and protection systems and our ShaliWrap carbon and glass fibre and ShaliLam carbon laminates strengthening system.

STP Limited combines these materials to create engineering solutions that repair and extend a structure’s useful life by preventing further damage and to return the structure to original or upgraded service requirements.

Martin Herr Managing Director AGRU Plastic Technology Pvt. Ltd. www.agru.at

Protection Against Water Ingress Through Tunnel Liner

For more than 250 years the forces of the Niagara River have been harnessed. In the beginning of the 20^th century, Sir Adam Beck had the vision to make use of the maximum drop height and therefore a 20km long hydro canal was built. It abstracts water upstream of the falls and ends below the rapids of the Niagara River. The Sir Adam Beck Generating Station #1 with a drop height of 89 m was commissioned in 1922. It was further expanded in the 1950s. Two tunnels have been supplying water to the Sir Adam Beck Generating Station #2 since 1954.

Niagara Tunnel Facility Project 

Significant expansions have been implemented from 2006 till 2013 in form of the Niagara Tunnel Facility Project. The tunnel begins above the falls, passes beneath the city of Niagara and ends after 10.6km at the Sir Adam Beck Complex.

Geological conditions were challenging from the start. The tunnel boring machine had to drill through the Queenston Formation, which consists of different layers of sandstone and shales. The Queenston shale which expands when continuously soaked with water is especially critical. As a result, this could cause displacements of geological formations which could ultimately lift the ground above the tunnel and/or induce earthquakes. Consequently, an absolutely leak-tight sealing system for the tunnel was required.

Project: Niagara Tunnel Facility Project Products:
VLDPE tunnel liners 3.0 mm with signal layer

Tunnel Lining Systems

The application of polymeric geomembranes in tunnel sealing has been state of the art for many years. Especially critical is the vulnerability of the tunnel liner during the installation and construction process, where damages occur regularly. Such damages are very difficult to recognize and are therefore frequently only found when leaks occur after everything is finished. In this case repair is only possible using complex injection and backfilling procedures. These operations are expensive and sometimes not successful.

Ensuring Leak Tightness

Due to the stringent requirement that water from the tunnel must not come in contact with the Queenston Shale, a reliable system was required to detect any damages of the liner. As a result, a new multi-layer geomembrane, which consists of flexible polyolefin, was developed by AGRU in cooperation with STRABAG and ProGeo.

This new type of tunnel lining system features an inside layer of electro-conductive polyethylene. Moreover, it is laminated with an electro-conductive geotextile. In order to check the integrity of the geomembrane, both layers are connected with a special monitoring device. An automatic procedure continuously increases the voltage to 10.000 Volts, which is only possible if the main body of the tunnel liner is fully intact. In case that the liner is damaged, electricity will flow between the two electro-conductive layers and the voltage will discharge. The 10.000 Volts were chosen under consideration of the electric strength of polyethylene. As a result, this method will not only detect holes but also a significant reduction of the wall thickness.

While currently available electrical methods require a film of water to form an electro-conductive layer, this new and innovative system offers the possibility to inspect the full surface of the tunnel liner in dry conditions. Other methods can only detect damages when water has entered into the defective area.

In case the damages are detected in the tunnel liner there is the possibility to increase the voltage to 14.000 Volts. As a result, continuous sparks will connect the two electro conductive layers in the damaged area. This causes a local increase of the temperature. Afterwards, the exact position of the damage can be located by means of an infrared camera.

With this new development, it is possible to identify even the smallest damages (pinhole size) at an early stage during the installation process of a tunnel lining system. Therefore, repair work is possible before casting the inside concrete structure.

Thanks to the excellent cooperation with STRABAG and ProGeo this system is currently applied successfully in the hydro tunnel at the Niagara Falls. The application of this method is not limited to tunnel, it could also be used in various other applications such as water reservoirs, tanks, flat roofs, etc. for leak detection.

Mr. Paul Wallett Regional Director, Middle East and India Trimble Solutions  www.trimble.com

The Union Budget this year has presented a strategic roadmap towards the vision of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat,’ with a much-needed focus on the infrastructure and construction industry. The budget speech mentioned the expansion of India’s ₹111 Lakh Crore (or US$1.5 Trillion) National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), from 6,835 projects to 7,400 projects. Of this pipeline, around ₹44 Lakh Crore or 40% worth of projects are currently under implementation, while another 50% are either under conceptualization or development stage, as per government data.

The budget also announced a new Development Finance Institution (DFI) to be set up with a planned initial investment of INR 200 billion, which will debt finance the infrastructure construction industry. This strong backing from the union government has opened up an enormous opportunity for the construction sector to contribute to the continued economic growth and well-being of the country, by building new infrastructure or rebuilding and replacing old and aging infrastructure. However, in order to maximize this opportunity, the Indian construction industry will necessarily have to boost its capacities and capabilities, and also overcome its own inherent weaknesses.

Digitalization and embracing of cutting-edge construction technologies by Indian construction players is a critical part of strengthening their organizational capabilities. However, only a very tiny fraction of Indian companies has made significant progress in their journey towards digitalization. This resistance to change and accept modernization is unfortunately going to prevent the majority of Indian construction firms from rising to the occasion and the infrastructure opportunity.

Around the world, we see owners of mega infrastructure projects proving time and again that technology-based organizational transformation not only improves project delivery, but also reduces costs and wastage. Improvements in task-level productivity are today enabling predictable and on-time delivery of discrete tasks. At the same time, integration and seamless sharing of information between a project’s stakeholder groups throughout the project’s lifecycle is widely proven to help in on-time and on-budget delivery of the final project. Digital transformation of construction is the key agent that will drive the nation’s progress towards ‘Atma- Nirbhar’ India.

We believe that a concerted effort is needed across the construction industry to accelerate technology adoption and digital transformation. By harnessing the technologies available to us right now, we can make long-overdue productivity improvements, overcome the labor shortage, and most importantly, transition to the much larger role that our nation needs us to play in expanding or modernizing the most critical pillar of our economy.

Connected Construction: A Digital Future For Infrastructure

The infrastructure industry is akin to the skeletal system of our country; however, it also stands apart as one of the most inefficient industries around. Analysis of data shows that a whopping 90% of all projects run late, 40% projects go over budget, and in every project as much as 10% of raw materials are wasted.

To build a smart and sustainable skeletal system, all of its stakeholders must work more efficiently and collaboratively. They must also appreciate the role modern tech-enabled construction, or ‘Connected Construction’ can play in improving the five key pillars of their operations: productivity, quality, transparency, safety and sustainability.

Connected construction refers to the unification of the people, processes and phases involved in each project by taking advantage of cutting-edge hardware, software, and services. It is a whole new way of executing a construction project as it simultaneously connects the digital world of modeling, imagery, measurement and data with the physical world of contractors, work crews, equipment and the jobsite at each phase of construction.

Connected construction also helps manage a project end-to-end, starting with pre-construction planning and continuing through its final handover, operations and maintenance. A ‘connected’ jobsite makes it possible for construction companies to manage with full confidence the sheer volume and scale of moving parts involved in large infrastructure projects through technology. This confidence stems from the tighter integration of hardware, software and services, which in turn enables unprecedented levels of collaboration among all stakeholders and at each level of construction lifecycle.

By embracing connected construction, industry players can build the smart, connected infrastructure that India today needs to carry us into the future. Imagine new expressways or highways that double as WiFi hotspots to facilitate real-time truck and vehicular movements and thus improve business efficiencies; or are able to collect rainwater and divert runoff to retain and preserve groundwater in communities. Connected construction thus holds the key to turning our infrastructure visions into reality by creating collaborative workflows.

Rebuilding The Indian Infrastructure

While the after-effects of the pandemic linger on, India’s economy is now firmly in the middle of a V-shaped recovery and will bounce back to register 11% growth in GDP, as per the estimates of the Economic Survey for 2020-21. Still, the realization of our stated goal of becoming a Five Trillion Dollar economy by 2025 rests firmly on the timely completion of critical infrastructure under the NIP. 

What’s needed to upgrade our country’s infrastructure today and enable the innovations of the future is full-scale digital transformation and a transition to connected construction. This change is no longer a distant prospect—the foundations have been laid, proven technologies are available and best practices already exist among progressive construction companies around the world. All we need is a concerted and determined push from the leadership.

There are enormous opportunities presented in the construction industry in India. In recent years, the southern cities in India have become the focal point for future real estate developments because of its robust infrastructure, strong growth in IT and start-ups and retail sector. Aurobindo Realty & Infrastructure is one of the frontrunners.

Aurobindo Realty & Infrastructure, the daughter company of Aurobindo pharmaceutical corporation founded four years ago, has envisaged construction projects for the next 10 years and beyond. With the up-beating prospects in the market, the company is also faced with daunting challenges.

Technology Is The Solution For Big Volume Construction

Considering the volume of projects which Aurobindo Realty had to construct, traditional methods of construction is clearly not the way to go. New technology and solutions are needed. Among different options, offsite precast construction technology has clear advantages. It can enable faster project execution twice the speed of traditional construction, and over 50% reduction in labour requirements. Thus, to assure them speed and control over the project timeline and efficient use of labour.

In addition, precast concrete also offers many environmental benefits when compared with cast-in-situ construction method. It can help buildings to meet the increasingly important LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) criteria.

When evaluating potential precast technology suppliers, Aurobindo Realty management appreciated the fact that Elematic does not only offer reliable state-of-the-art plants with wide range of references across India, but also has a comprehensive support from feasibility study, to plant planning and design, to the final turnkey installation of the plant and after sales services. 

“I should say that on the techno-commercial grounds we shortlisted Elematic, and we went ahead with them,” says Kumar VJ.

Aurobindo Plant Hollow Core Production Overview

Aurobindo’s precast factory is situated on a land area of 21 acres, 40km from Hyderabad city in Sanga Reddy district, in Southern India.

In building this world-class precast factory, Aurobindo Realty opted for a turnkey installation of the plant, where Elematic’s project team started with factory layout plan, structural design engineering support, to the supervision of casting of the foundations, the machinery installation, to the final handover of all machinery and production training.

The Force Of Nature

When the project started, it was India’s monsoon season. The rain seemed endless and the factory site was situated in
far-flung area, which made even arranging small things during installation seemed to be herculean task. Extensive knowledge in building precast factory and rich local experience about the conditions in India, are the fundamentals for the project team to foresee possible future problem and know when to be patient and how to handle those situations successfully.   

India is known to be a country faced with high seismic activity, and the structural design in seismic areas is more complex and demanding than for ordinary buildings.

In building Aurobindo’s precast factory, the foundation was the most critical and time taking activity. One dedicated person from Elematic’s team was supervising the civil foundation, and an execution team for the fabrication and installation of the structure to ensure the success of the project completion.

“We know all the parameters in building the required precast factory, we know all the limits and conditions in India, what is the tolerance level, so we install all the structures accordingly, then we also supervise all the civil work. All these kinds of support were given to the client right from the start till the completion of the project,” explains Potdar. 

Aurobindo Plant Hollow Core Production Elematic Extruder

Newcomer Can Feel At Ease When Accompanied With An Expert

Building a precast factory is not an independent activity, a lot of things are going on simultaneously. Coordination with all the agencies and getting materials on the right time is very critical.

Aurobindo Realty might be new to the construction industry, but their management and staff team have good knowledge about the precast technology and are willing to learn and apply their learning in the field. When teamed up with experts, who have built dozens of precast factory from scratch in various locations in India, and know precast factory and technology inside out, a successful outcome of the project is not in question.

With a high priority project, the Galaxy office building, to deliver, Aurobindo wanted to partially start the plant to produce precast elements needed for it.

Clear communication ensured a good understanding of the requirements and what would be needed first. A start-up plan was then made accordingly to ensure all the activities go hand in hand.  

Galaxy Office Building Structure

“There were many meetings during and before the project’s finalization to ensure clear communication between us. Aurobindo’s project team has been taking care of the challenges very well and provided us with great support,” comments Potdar.

According to Aurobindo’s requirement, the beam and column line was made operational first to produce the precast elements needed for the Galaxy project while the rest of the plant is still under construction.

“The team was very supportive and able to make needed adjustments along the way. It’s not that easy!” comments Allwyn Ronald Fernandes, Head of Precast Plant, Aurobindo Realty & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.

Galaxy Office Building HollowCoreSlab Installation

In March 2019, the factory was in full operation with automation in place. All installation, material delivery was delivered according to schedule. By the middle of 2020, the 105m Galaxy building made history to be the tallest office building built with precast technology in India. This year, Aurobindo is set to complete another iconic landmark in Hyderabad, a 25-floor IT building by the name Orbit.

Aurobindo is extremely happy with cooperation with Elematic and the precast products produced in the factory. They even presented Elematic with a written letter of appreciation, stating “We are very happy to work with Elematic, and only with the support of Elematic we were able to complete this factory within our schedule time.”

What To Look For When Choosing A Prefabrication

“I would advise anyone entering the business to see the current and future plan, in which segment they are going to be strong and then accordingly select the machinery of that particular segment. Then, they should be able to see the return from the investment for they have made,” says Kumar VJ.

Establishing a precast factory is not about the cost: having a right partner is crucial in ensuring the project success. The impact of this decision will remain for many decades and it shows in cash flow that far surpasses the initial capital outlay that they paid for the equipment.

“We would suggest to the prospective newcomers to the precast industry to select their technology partner with much care and scrutiny. The team should understand the precast technology and understand the situation in India,” says Rao.

For further information,
visit: www.elematic.com

Vikash Anand Head-SBU, Road Surfacing STP Limited  www.stpltd.com

With the continuous focus of Government of India on improvement and upgradation of road infrastructure in the country. There will be continuous increasing demand for construction chemicals for the segment. There will be requirement for repair and maintenance products as well as for new constructions. A good transport system helps the country towards economic development and prosperity. India has been making significant progress towards development of road infrastructure across the country.

Bharat Mala project is a new umbrella program for the highways sector that focuses on optimizing efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions like development of economic corridors, inter corridors and feeder routes, national corridor efficiency improvement, border and international connectivity roads, coastal and port connectivity roads and green-field expressways

There is a scope of growth in development of both Bitumen roads and concrete roads. This will lead to a growth in both construction chemical segment and Bituminous product segment. STP Limited is pioneer in both these product lines and hence can offer complete product basket in this critical development. STP Limited understands the fundamentals and requisites of pavement quality concrete and as well as Bituminous Concrete. Our range of construction chemical products e.g., Admixtures, Curing Compound, Sealants and repair products are exclusively designed for use in concrete roads, flyovers, bridges and runways. There are two types of concrete in road construction structural and non-structural. The rheology of these two is different and they have different requirements as well. We have range of Admixtures with us which can fulfil requirement of both these types of concrete. This can address workability challenge as well early strength gain challenge to execute construction in fast pace. Similarly, our Bituminous products range such as Bitumen Emulsions, Bitumen Coatings, APP Modified Bituminous Membranes, Liquid Membranes, Pot Hole Repair Products are Exclusively designed of Bituminous roads and help our clients in faster execution as well as in repair and maintenance of Roads. Although STP Limited has complete range of Products for development of both rigid and flexible pavements, we will focus our discussion mainly on solution we offer for rigid pavements.

Admixture STP Limited has complete range of Admixtures under the brand name ShaliPlast for use in different requirements of concrete. ShaliPlast range can be designed for specific site requirements based on the mix design, cement contents, concrete flow parameters and workability retention. STP Limited has exclusively designed admixtures for PQC grade concrete. We have SNF based admixtures under the brand name ShaliPlast SP and PCE based next gen admixture under the brand name ShaliPlast PCE.

Curing Compound

Curing is an essential process after concrete pavement is laid. Curing is a process through which concrete retains sufficient amount of free water within it to allow cement particles to hydrate. Hydration and hardening of concrete during the initial days is critical. Properly cured concrete leads to increased strength and lower permeability and avoids cracking. STP Limited has complete range of Curing Compound under the brand name of ShaliCure.

SHALICURE PA is water based, wax emulsified curing compound and SHALICURE AL is a high efficiency polymer based film forming curing agent.

Joint Sealants

In rigid pavements, joints must be made to make provision for expansion and contraction of concrete. We need to seal these joints so that any dust or any solids do not go inside and restrict expansion or contraction. Hence a suitable sealant must be filled to accommodate movements without loss in integrity of the concrete. Joint sealants become especially important in runways and taxiways. STP Limited has complete range of Joint Sealants with the brand name SHALISEAL. We have range of Polysulphide Sealants and Polyurethane Sealants to fulfil variety of needs in construction 

Jitendra Pathak General Manager Sales, Marketing & Operations Dextra India

Mohammad Ahatsham Qureshi
Regional Manager Sales-West, Dextra India

The proposed Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) has been planned to facilitate decongestion of the island city by improving connectivity between the Island city and the mainland (Navi Mumbai) and the development of the Navi Mumbai Region. The link was envisaged about 35 years back. A project driven by MMRDA is estimated to cost `14,262 crore (US$2.0 billion). On completion of this project, the commuters travelling from Mumbai towards Navi Mumbai, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Panvel, Alibaug, Pune and Goa will not only be saving travel time but will also have in terms of fuel.

The First Step

There was a formal tender floated by MMRDA which was participated by almost all the leading and sonic pipe suppliers of the town. Further, being India’s longest bridge – the durability of the products was the main aspect that the client was looking at. However, Dextra Group an ISO 900:2015 certified Bureau Veritas was awarded the two packages considering Dextra’s technical expertise, long-lasting durability and ease of flexibility to customize the products as per the client’s and contractor’s requirements.

Products Supplied

• GI (galvanized) Sonitec pipes to all three packages.
• Fusion bonded epoxy coated couplers as per IS 13620 specifications.
  For L&T-IHI JV Pkg -I, couplers were supplied by Dextra India, and fusion bonded epoxy coating was in the scope of L&T, while as for Tata-Daewoo JV for Pkg – II, fusion bonded epoxy coated couplers were supplied by Dextra India.

Execution Of The Project

The major portion of the MTHL structure is on marine stretch and hence corrosion was one of the painstaking factors that was being evaluated. And the structure had been designed for more than 100 years, so the client and the consultant wanted to ensure its durability and execution. Hence, as per the specifications, galvanized coated Sonitec pipes 50mm and fusion-bonded epoxy couplers were to be used.

• It was for the first time in India that an innovative method of using galvanized coated sonic pipes for cross-hole sonic logging test was being implemented.
• There were more than 2000 piles including both land and marine piles. First time in India, couplers are being used for pile cages 1.5/2.2m dia and length varying from 18m to 54m. Cages in lengths of 12m were prepared and then lowered in the pile location and had to be joined with precision and accuracy.

• And these piles had to be completed within 24 to 30 months. So, there was immense pressure to match up the speed of the project and the supply of the pipes had to be uninterrupted to ensure that the project doesn’t suffer.
• A set of engineers was also deployed at the site to provide the training to the contractor’s engineers to help in the implementation part.
• Further, the couplers used were also fusion bonded epoxy couplers which were not a standard catalogue product for Dextra India. But we are committed to provide world-class services to our clients and also give the ease of flexibility by enabling the customization of the products. Hence, our technical team was engaged in looking for an agency that can coat our couplers with fusion bonded epoxy. Several agencies were shortlisted and various testing requirements were set. Finally, the one which met all the pre-requisites and technical specs was approved.

• A proper modus operandi was formed right from the production of the couplers –to be sent for epoxy coating – receipt of the couplers – quality checks and finally submitting a quality product to th­­e client. Each process was closely monitored and executed within the postulated timeline to avoid any delays in supplies.
• The maintenance and commissioning of the threading machines at the site was dealt professionally and timely support was endowed to the client.

Key Achievements

Contributing (even though in a little way) in the development of a country’s infrastructure is not only a matter of pride but also carries an emotional value for us. The insights and learnings on the innovative techniques that were used helped to add a new product line to our catalogues. It is indeed a great privilege to work with the best construction giants of India – L&T & Tata Projects.

For further information,
visit: www.dextragroup.com

Martin Herr
Managing Director
AGRU Plastic Technology Pvt. Ltd.
www.agru.at

The French company SIBA (Syndicat Intercommunal du Bassin d’Arcachon) is investing more than 15 million euros over two years (2018 and 2019) to build a reservoir of 30,000 m³, which will store wastewater in the Lagrua region of La Teste de Buch. If a problem occurs in the sanitary network, the wastewater can be temporarily stored in this underground reservoir. This leaves enough time for the repair and the continuity of the wastewater collection remains guaranteed.

For Walls and Ceilings, the Team Produces Precast Concrete Parts with Co-Extruded Sure Grip Liners The White Anchor Studs Reduce the Expansion of the Concrete Liners before Concreting

The two huge tanks with diameters of 60m and 40m and depths of 8.5m are built in in-situ concrete. Walls and ceilings are lined with 9000m² of co-extruded Sure Grip concrete protection liners in 3mm and 5mm thickness. This sealing is intended to protect the non-water-covered concrete surfaces against aggressive hydrogen sulfide gas. The construction team produces prefabricated elements with a height of 8.5m with concrete protection liners and overlap joints cast in on one side. The team uses co-extruded Sure Grip liners for millimetre precision production. The white anchoring top side reduces expansion of the concrete protection liners before concreting.

After curing, these lined precast concrete elements are attached to the pre-concreted circular wall and also cast with concrete. Due to the prefabricated parts with lap joints, the number of necessary weld beads is reduced to a minimum. In both tanks an additional 67 or 33 AGRULINE HDPE pipes in OD 500mm are delivered as “lost” column formwork with simultaneous concrete protection function. The pipes serve as a casting mould for the in-situ concrete, but remain permanently in the tank even after the concrete has hardened, thus protecting the concrete columns like a second skin against corrosion by the aggressive hydrogen sulfide gas.

Global construction technology leader Trimble released its 2020 Sustainability Report recently. According to the report’s findings, Trimble’s solutions contribute to fuel savings around the world that are equivalent to an estimated reduction of 7 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions. The report further noted that these savings are equivalent to taking over 1.6 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year; or meeting the electricity needs of over 1.2 million homes for one year.

Trimble’s construction technology solutions alone help reduce 553,964 metric tons greenhouse gas emissions on a yearly basis. These solutions contribute to up to 50% less rework, up to 30% cost savings, waste reduction and up to 30% machine productivity and fuel savings. For civil construction, machine control systems available from Trimble improve accuracy and efficiency of heavy earthmoving equipment, thereby enabling job completion in less time, and using less diesel fuel. As the adoption of these technologies increases world-wide for infrastructure build-out such reduction is expected to be much greater.

“At Trimble, we support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and believe in their potential to shape a better, more equitable, and more peaceful world. For more than forty years, sustainability has been at the heart of our company — from how we operate to the products and solutions we provide to our customers. We are purpose-driven and strive to deliver value that benefits all our stakeholders.”, says Rajan Aiyer, Vice President and Managing Director, Trimble, South Asia Region.

Trimble’s 2020 Sustainability Report summarizes the company’s initiatives and performance across Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics, highlighting the company’s sustainability approach, the sustainability of its end-user industry solutions, community philanthropy through its Foundation, employee engagement and development as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); and governance.

Trimble’s Agriculture solutions help with up to 30% increased yield, reduced carbon emissions, up to 20% higher water efficiency and up to 30% cost savings. Additionally, the company’s transportation and logistics solutions further lead to up to 20% fuel efficiency.

Trimble is part of Responsible Business Alliance (2021), the world’s largest industry coalition dedicated to corporate social responsibility in global supply chains in 2020. It is named among Investor’s Business’ Daily 50 Best ESG Companies. The company is also listed among Wall Street Journal’s Top 250 Managed Companies.

“Many of our innovations are used in industries where there is huge potential for reducing their environmental impact simply by adoption of cutting-edge technology. As these industries are transformed, we can minimize fuel and water consumption and cut down on harmful emissions,” says Mr. Aiyer. “By synergizing sustainability and innovation, Trimble is committed to developing technical solutions that seize opportunities to protect the planet and its ecosystems while addressing trends that allow society to be more productive, connected and resilient.”

For further information,
visit: www.trimble.com

Mr. Shridhar Rao Vice President – Sales & Marketing www.elematic.com

B.E. Billimoria Moving To Precast Concrete Technology

The company was established by Mr. Beji E. Billimoria and Mr. Laxmidas K. Kapadia in 1958. Mr. Jeet Kapadia, the Executive Director of Billimoria and the third generation of its founder, has recently started to follow his father’s footsteps to continue the family’s legacy in the construction business. “We cater to all sectors, and work with some of the biggest real estate developers, governmental organizations, and corporates. Our main model is to give the right quality, because today in India, the quality is the most important,” Jeet Kapadia says.  While many factors have contributed to Billimoria’s success since its foundation, the company has always been the innovator and the true pioneer in the construction industry in India, from deployment of sophisticated building systems to the adoption of new construction technology, and to bravely pioneer the precast building technology in India.

A Growing Demand For High Quality Affordable Housing

With the rapid economic growth and unprecedented pace of urbanization, there is a staggering demand for affordable housing in India. The government has already set an ambitious project to build 20 million affordable houses and 98 smart cities by 2022. Precast concrete building technology will be the key enabler for that mission, as it can not only ensure faster completion of a project but also brings down its overall cost. The traditional construction methods used in India require a high amount labor for extended periods of time. This results in high costs, long duration of the construction project and quality variance due to human factors. Precast concrete as a building method allows for more control over an entire building project. “As we increase the size of the projects, as we go to megaprojects, the amount of labor required is a big variable. We wanted to avoid that variable, and try to bring everything into a factory, so we can have quality control, cost control and timeline control. The only way to go for that was to go for precast,” Jeet Kapadia says.   

The Best Way To Move Forward

Even though there are some obstacles hindering the growth of precast concrete building technology in India, in Mr. Kapadia’s opinion, precast is one of the best ways to move forward. “Quality is the best benefit, because your slabs, beams, columns and walls are produced in a controlled environment. As a result, you are sure of the quality which you are getting. Speed is another big factor, because in the end, your financial depends on how soon you can complete your project,” Mr. Kapadia clarifies.

Billimoria Factory in Pune, Next to the Maharashtra Police Housing Project

Confidence Rooted In A World Class Partner

When evaluating suitable long-term partners among the many precast machinery companies, Elematic caught Billimoria’s attention. “We went through a lot of companies, who are doing precast, and felt with the increasing presence in India, Elematic will be able to support us the best in terms of after sales service, in terms of designing. We also felt that the machinery, which we got from Elematic will be for a longer period of time, and it will not give us a lot of trouble as compared to many of their competitors,” says Mr. Jeet Kapadia.

Billimoria’s precast factory is located within a 116-acre site in Pune. The 2-acre factory includes production and storage yard. It produces slabs, walls and staircases. The capacity is approximately 1.5 million sq.ft. of construction area in a year.  “We have three slab beds which are 120m long; for the walls, which are mainly load bearing walls, we have battery molds and mechanical tilting tables; and molds for staircase walls,” Jeet Kapadia tells. “I think the whole set up works well. The shuttle basically supplies the concrete bed, but the same shuttle can also go to the battery molds. The logistics of that has been worked out very well by Elematic, as well as our engineers in cooperation with each other.” Mr. Jeet Kapadia continues.

The buildings feature a load bearing wall frame as their structural system

“Also, the way cranes were setup with the help of Elematic, in order to ensure the finished product was taken from the factory to the storage yard, the gantry cranes, the wagons, all of that, the whole setup has been excellent, and I’m very happy with that.” “There were a few hiccups as there are in any this kind of projects which we deal with, but I think overall, Elematic and Billimoria did a great job coming together, getting the products on site and delivering appropriately.” With the service agreement, Elematic’s team has been on site to provide support for any quality issues or machine issues. For example, when the thickness of the wall elements needed to change from 170mm to 160mm, a swift solution was needed. Elematic’s experts helped to refabricate, ensuring the production continued with 160mm without much of a lag. “I think the slab quality, which we are getting right now is beautiful and definitely helps us gain more confidence in precast,” affirms Mr. Jeet Kapadia.

The Project Proceeds with a Floor Cycle of 12 Floors in 12 Buildings in
12 Days, Basically a Floor a Day

No Quality Compromised In The Maharashtra Police Project

The Maharashtra Police housing project is aimed to build affordable houses for retired police. The total land is 180 acres, of which Billimoria started to develop approximately 40 acres for 5200 apartments, all of which must be completed within four years. “All of the buildings are ground plus 14 stories. And our aim is to ensure after the ground floor, all the other floors are done with precast. The building design is pretty simple, there are only few differences depending on the flat contributions.” Mr. Jeet Kapadia says. “We are very proud of the whole project, because we are doing
it for the Maharashtra Police. We aim to give them affordable prices with good quality, the quality they deserve after serving the state. That is our intention and that’s what I’m proud of.”

The Smartest Way To Build India

Mr. Sandeep Bedi, Managing Director of IQB Private Ltd., says that he is particularly proud of the partnership which they have created with Elematic, with their team, clients, and the eventual users. Because of that partnership, he says, they’ve created a very high-quality product, which will eventually offer a lasting home cherished by families for a long time.

“The Maharashtra police housing project is about 5 million sq.ft. residential development, comprising of about 60 towers and 5248 homes in all. We are building this entire development using Elematic precast equipment and methodology,” says Mr. Sandeep Bedi, Managing Director of IQB Private Limited.

IQB (Ingenious Quality Buildings Private Limited) is an innovative construction solution provider, with a specific focus on precast construction technology. They are India’s only end-to-end precast construction services provider, specializing in PMC, planning, production, logistics and installation services, and the principal contractor for B.E. Billimoria providing end to end precast services for MPMC. With a highly experienced and motivated team of over 100 precast professionals, IQB in on a mission introduce manufacturing efficiencies and culture in Indian civil construction sector. In Sandeep Bedi’s opinion, precast is probably the smartest way to build buildings in India or building India itself as 90% of the building can be made in a controlled factory environment, free of weather dependencies and reduced labor dependencies.

Direct Savings From Speedup Construction

Onsite precast plant minimized the crane requirement. The Maharashtra police housing project uses 4 tower cranes, each of them handling three buildings at a time. “The ingenious part is that we are using one tower crane on three different buildings. The three buildings are at different points in the lifecycle:  if we are installing walls in one building, the other building is at the stage for steels, the second needs services for the structural toping, and on the third building, we are in the process of laying the screed,” Mr. Sandeep Bedi explains. With the optimized way of working, enabled Sandeep Bedi and his team to get a floor cycle of 12 floors in 12 buildings in 12 days, basically a floor a day. The speed of construction is the key, because it also ends up to the costs. The interest rates for real estate projects in many developing countries are very high. “The costs of money are staggering in India. In real estate, the interest cost is between 18-20% annually. So, If I can reduce the construction cycle by six months, that is a direct saving of almost 10%.” Mr. Bedi states.

Not Just An Equipment Vendor

“The journey thus far has been extremely interesting, huge amount of learnings. And being with Elematic has been delightful.They bring in a wealth of experience, which is global, but they also have pretty much the maximum amount of information on Indian precast as an industry.” “Elematic has held our hands and helped us beat every challenge. So, it’s been like Elematic is not a vendor from whom we’ve bought an equipment. They are actually a partner that holds our hand in every challenge that we are facing, be it a production challenge, an installation challenge and even if we talk about manpower training.” “I’m particularly proud of the partnership which we created with Elematic, with our team, clients, and the eventual users. Because of that partnership we’ve created a very high-quality product, which will eventually offer a lasting home cherished by families for a long time.” Mr. Sandeep Bedi concludes.

The Potential of Precast in India

Technavio, a global technology research and advisory firm, has released a report claiming that the global prefabricated construction market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6-7% until 2020.

However, in India the uptake of modular technologies continues to remain slow and so far, prefabricated buildings comprise only 1% of India’s $100 billion real estate market.

Elematic provided all structural design to the Maharashtra project as well The precast products used in the
project include load-bearing walls, solid prestressed slabs and staircases

“I think as the demand is increasing, as it is increasing every year, a lot more people are willing to take a chance on precast. As more and more people get educated, I think the field will gain traction, people will get into it, and I feel very positive about the outlook. Especially with the government now trying to get a lot of projects offering precast solutions. So, there is a bright future for precast in India for sure,” Mr. Jeet Kapadia reckons. 

According to Mr. Jeet Kapadia, Executive Director of B.E. Billimoria & Company, quality is the best benefit of precast. The slabs, beams, columns and walls are produced in a controlled environment, and as a result, you are sure of the quality which you are getting.

Buildings are designed for 50 years as per design requirement for RCC structure in IS codes. Precast products life can easily be assumed more than 50 years, as the production is done in controlled environment resulting in good quality.

Check out the project via this link: http://mpmcpune.com/index.html