Concrete

Advanced concretes are becoming inevitable in construction

Published

10 years ago

July 31, 2016

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Umesh Soni, Corporate Head, Customer Support Services, Ambuja Cement, speaks on the services offered by the ‘Concrete Futures Laboratory’ (CFL) that his company has developed for its customers.

Which is the most popular service for the construction fraternity offered through CFL? Please explain quoting some numbers.
Concrete mix design is the most preferred service among the construction fraternity. Through CFL, we provide concrete mix design as per the performance need of the customer. In the first six months of 2016, we have provided 89 concrete mix designs through CFL.

Tell us about a few services which may not be very popular, but are offered only by CFL.
The service of analysing the fine aggregate in terms of particle shape and clay content is a unique test offered only by CFL.

Tell us about the Holcim Cone test. In what way will it help the site engineer?
Holcim Cone is an application-based testing methodology developed to assess the rheological and mechanical performance of concrete. In a simplified approach, Holcim Cone testing helps to assess the workability and strength development of a concrete by testing its mortar. This test is also helpful in understanding the compatibility of cement and chemical admixtures. It is useful to a site engineer for analysing the fresh concrete properties quickly with less volume of concrete in the laboratory and to derive the concrete mix proportioning.

How has been the response of your customers to the services you offer for high performance concrete and self-compacting concrete? Will customers increasingly ask for more such services in the future?
There is very encouraging response from our customers since usage of high performance concrete and self-compacting concrete is increasing day by day in metros and megacities. Both these advanced concretes are becoming inevitable for high-rise constructions. Since both concretes are special concretes involving more number of concrete materials and there is great influence of material properties on the concrete performance, customers are seeking help for developing mix design and conducting the trials in the laboratory. CFL is the enabler for developing such advanced concretes. As it is becoming more popular, more customers will ask for such services.

Do you produce slag cement in any of your plants; is the user of slag cement expecting some different service?
At present, we do not produce slag cement in any of our plants. There will not be any difference in services in case of using slag cement. The user mainly requires the services of testing the fresh and hardened properties of concrete as well as concrete mix design, which is applicable for users of slag cement also.

Is the expectation of service different between a trade customer and a non-trade customer?
There is difference in the expectation of service from trade and non-trade customers, mainly in terms of grade of concrete as well as performance of concrete at different stages. We have developed services and solutions for both the segments separately. For example, for the trade segment, we have developed the scientific tool of concrete mix proportioning as well as modular curing solution. The non-trade customers are mainly looking for a customised concrete solution as per their performance requirements as well as for analysing the concrete materials.

An endeavour from Ambuja Cement, the ?Concrete Futures Laboratory (CFL)? is shaped to be one of the most innovative and exhaustive places for testing, learning and experiencing cement and concrete for architects, engineers and the construction community. Ambuja has a network of eight CFLs across India, set up in line with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2005. All these centres possess NABL accreditation.

Concrete

UltraTech to Deploy 600+ Electric Trucks by Dec 2026

Cement major expands green logistics to cut emissions across supply chain

Published

7 hours ago

September 3, 2026

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UltraTech Cement Limited, an Aditya Birla Group company, plans to expand its electric vehicle fleet in logistics operations to more than 600 EV trucks by December 2026, strengthening its green transport initiatives.

The company has signed service agreements with leading EV prime mover manufacturers, including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, IPLTech, Energy in Motion and Sany, along with their subsidiaries and logistics partners, for deploying electric trucks.

The expanded fleet will transport around five million MT of clinker and other key materials annually across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Once operational, the fleet is expected to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by over 1,17,000 tonnes and replace nearly 39 million litres of diesel consumption.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said the company is extending sustainability beyond its manufacturing plants by adopting greener logistics solutions and decarbonising its value chain.

UltraTech has been among the early adopters of sustainable transport in the cement sector, introducing CNG trucks in 2021 and electric trucks in 2024. The company currently operates more than 850 trucks under its green logistics programme, including CNG and electric vehicles.

With a grey cement capacity exceeding 200 MTPA in India, UltraTech is integrating electrification across its logistics network, covering mine-to-plant movement and inter-plant transportation of clinker and other materials.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement expands green logistics with 600+ electric truck fleet

Published

10 hours ago

September 3, 2026

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The e-truck fleet will be used to transport five million MT of clinker and other key materials with potential of over 1,17,000 tonnes of net annual CO₂ reduction, displacing the equivalent of 39 million litres of diesel per year.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited, an Aditya Birla Group company and the world’s largest cement company by sales volume and capacity outside China, has announced that it will scale up its electric vehicle fleet in its logistics operations to 600+ EV trucks by December 2026.

UltraTech has signed service contracts with leading EV prime mover manufacturers including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, IPLTech, Energy in Motion and Sany, along with their subsidiaries and other third-party logistics providers, to deploy EV trucks.

The total fleet of 600+ EV trucks will transport about five million MT of clinker and other key materials per annum across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Once fully operational, this fleet of over 600 EV trucks will enable a net annual CO₂ reduction of more than 1,17,000 tonnes, displacing the equivalent of 39 million litres of diesel per year.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “UltraTech is expanding sustainability beyond its plants by adopting greener logistics solutions. This large-scale transition to green logistics underscores our focus on decarbonising every link of our value chain and supports our commitment to achieving Net Zero.”

UltraTech has been a pioneer in advancing sustainable transport in the cement sector, being the first cement company to deploy heavy-duty electric trucks for long-haul transport of clinker and other materials at scale. The company was among the first in India to introduce green logistics, deploying CNG trucks in 2021 and electric trucks in 2024. UltraTech currently operates 850+ trucks as part of its green logistics operations, including CNG and electric trucks.

UltraTech, with a grey cement capacity of over 200 MTPA in India, operates one of the country’s most complex logistics networks. Its electrification strategy covers the entire supply chain—from mine-to-plant movement to inter-plant transport of clinker and other key materials.

The $ 10 billion UltraTech, the cement flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total Grey Cement capacity of 205.5 MTPA and White Cement/Putty capacity of 3.2 MTPA. It is a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the Net Zero Concrete roadmap announced by GCCA.

Concrete

CarbonStrong Raises Rs 125 Million To Scale Low Carbon Cement Tech

To build capacity of 100,000 tonnes a year

Published

6 days ago

August 28, 2026

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CarbonStrong has raised Rs 125 million (125 mn) to scale a low carbon cement technology and build commercial production capacity. The startup was founded in 2022 by Harsh Jain and Vikramaditya Singh and has moved from customer trials to plans for industrial supply. The company said its material replaces up to 50 per cent of cement in concrete while reducing costs and improving durability.

CarbonStrong states the product is around 30 per cent cheaper than cement and compatible with existing concrete plants, reducing the need for new equipment and operational disruption. Trials and paid pilots have been conducted in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai with demonstration projects involving ready-mix firms and precast manufacturers. Compatibility with current workflows forms a central part of the commercial strategy, aiming to ease adoption by builders and contractors.

The funding will support construction of a facility with capacity of up to 100,000 tonnes (100,000 t) a year over the next two years to supply early customers commercially. The firm is also developing materials from steel slag, copper slag and mine tailings to expand its feedstock base, while noting the technical challenge of homogenising different waste streams. Recognition by HCL ClimaForce in 2026 and by the Avaana-Startup India-NITI Aayog AIM Grand Challenge in 2025 has underscored progress.

Industry adoption remains the principal test and will require consistent material performance, supply reliability and competitive economics. CarbonStrong projects the Indian market for cement substitutes could reach Rs 250 billion (250 bn) by 2030 and has set an ambition to produce 10 million tonnes a year by 2035 (10 mn t), a target far above its near term capacity. Moving from pilots to production demands capital, manufacturing discipline and customers willing to specify the material beyond demonstrations. The recent Rs 125 million raise is intended to fund the next phase of scale and to demonstrate that industrial waste can become a dependable input for lower carbon construction.