Concrete

Concrete Products: Shaping Cement’s Future

Published

7 years ago

July 31, 2018

admin

Concrete products have the potential to transform the way we use cement.
Although this may sound funny or even out rightly outrageous, cement in itself can not be called a building product per se, unlike steel, glass or aluminium. It can, at best, be called a building material intermediate, because when cement is used, along with other ingredients, to produce concrete, then and only then, a finished building material is created, that can compete on equal terms with peers like steel or wood. To strengthen this argument with an example, when it comes to compare the Carbon Dioxide intensity of competing construction materials, cement is not pitted against steel or wood or glass, but CO2 emitted per unit weight of concrete is compared with other alternatives. So, buildings require concrete, while concrete requires cement. That’s the linkage.
Whenever we think of concrete, we think of casting in position, which is technically called cast in-situ. All the concreting that we conventionally and regularly encounter around us, in most cases, are concrete poured and cast and cured in position. To the lay person like us, concrete means beams, columns, roof slabs, foundations, lintels, and alike. This situation is now a thing of the past. There are a lot a of concrete items which are cast previously and sold as castings for later use in position. In broad terms, these are called concrete Products, also loosely termed as ‘Pre-Cast Concrete’.
The global precast concrete market was valued at approximately $100 billion in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 5 per cent from 2016 to 2025, according to a new report titled, ‘Precast Concrete Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2016-2025”, published by Transparency Market Research. The report concludes that the application of precast concrete in construction reduces the lead time and provides better properties such as durability and sustainability to the construction as compared to the use of conventional in-position casting processes. The report says that such advantages will drive up the precast concrete market during the forecast period, viz. 2016 to 2025.
Asia Pacific and Europe are reportedly the leading markets for precast concrete. Interestingly, the precast concrete market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a CAGR of greater than 6% during the same period owing to rise in investments in residential and infrastructural projects in the region. Such projections regarding the prospects of Concrete Products for the Indian market are not readily available, but perhaps one could safely extrapolate from these reported global trends, that directionally, pre-cast concrete will do well in India as well.
In order to better understand and analyse any product-market configuration, there is a need to segment the market/products in an effective manner. The segmentation of Concrete Products can be done in various different ways, some of which are as follows :By structure system

Beam and column system
Floor and roof system
Bearing wall system
Fatade system
Others

By end-use
Building works
Residential
Non-residential
Civil works
Hydraulic works
Transportation works
Power plants and communication works
Specialised works

By geography
Asia Pacific
Americas
Europe
Africa, etc

However, the one way of categorisation of the concrete products that we like, is standard products and customised/tailormade products. Examples of standard concrete products are like paver blocks, concrete railway sleepers, concrete pipes, decorative balustrades or grills, etc.
On the other hand, customised products are designed and cast specifically for the needs of a customer or a given construction project. These are normally large concrete castings, requiring casting yards to be set up near the project sites, but these help speed up on site construction. Pre-cast beams, slabs, columns, lintels and aerated autoclaved concrete blocks.
All concrete products have the advantage of delivering better consistency and quality, because these have the benefit of controlled manufacturing conditions like in a factory, as against the harsh conditions prevalent at a construction site.
Previously, larger cement companies thought that having control over downstream cement consumer industries was very important, in order to have influence over the delivery channels. On the basis of this strategy, some global cement companies acquired or developed upstream as well as downstream businesses such as aggregate mines, ready-mixed concrete plants, and concrete products, both standard and custom-made. In time, they discovered that scale and technology are not competitive advantages in these industries, but proximity to the markets is. Today in India, most of these industries downstream of cement are mainly served by small and medium sized companies or larger construction companies.

Concrete

Organisations valuing gender diversity achieve higher profitability

Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises talks about company plans.

Published

1 day ago

February 22, 2025

admin

The building materials industry is projected to grow by 8-12 per cent over the next five years. How is Aparna Enterprises positioning itself to leverage this momentum and solidify its market presence?

The Indian construction and building materials industry is projected to witness significant expansion, with estimates suggesting an 8-12 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years. This growth is fuelled by rapid urbanisation, increased infrastructure investments and sustainability-focused policies. With India’s real-estate market expected to reach $ 1 trillion by 2030, the demand for high-quality building materials is at an all-time high.

The Government of India’s flagship programmes, such as PM Gati Shakti, the Smart Cities Mission and the Housing for All (PMAY-Urban) initiative, are key drivers of this surge. The infrastructure sector alone is expected to receive a budgetary push of over Rs 11 trillion in FY25, with enhanced capital expenditure allocation.

At Aparna Enterprises, we are proactively aligning with this momentum through capacity expansion, product diversification, and cutting-edge technological integration.

Our key strategic priorities include:

Expanding operations in high-growth regions across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, ensuring access to quality building materials nationwide
Investing in automation, AI-driven quality control systems and digital integration, enhancing efficiency and precision in manufacturing
Scaling up production capabilities in our RMC, tiles, uPVC and other divisions to meet the anticipated surge in demand.

To read the full article Click Here

Concrete

Global Start-Up Challenge Launched to Drive Net Zero Concrete Solutions

Innovandi Open Challenge aims to connect start-ups with GCCA members to develop innovations

Published

3 days ago

February 21, 2025

admin

Start-ups worldwide are invited to contribute to the global cement and concrete industry’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and combat climate change. The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and its members are calling for applicants for the Innovandi Open Challenge 2025.

Now in its fourth year, the Innovandi Open Challenge aims to connect start-ups with GCCA members to develop innovations that help decarbonise the cement and concrete industry.

The challenge is seeking start-ups working on next-generation materials for net-zero concrete, such as low-carbon admixtures, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), activators, or binders. Innovations in these areas could help reduce the carbon-intensive element of cement, clinker, and integrate cutting-edge materials to lower CO2 emissions.

Thomas Guillot, GCCA’s Chief Executive, stated, “Advanced production methods are already decarbonising cement and concrete worldwide. Through the Innovandi Open Challenge, we aim to accelerate our industry’s progress towards net-zero concrete.”

Concrete is the second most widely used material on Earth, and its decarbonisation is critical to achieving net-zero emissions across the global construction sector.

Concrete

StarBigBloc Acquires Land for AAC Blocks Greenfield Facility in Indore

The company introduced NXTGRIP Tile Adhesives alongside its trusted NXTFIX and NXTPLAST brands.

Published

4 days ago

February 19, 2025

admin

StarBigBloc Building Material, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BigBloc Construction, one of the largest manufacturers of Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC) Blocks, Bricks and ALC Panels in India has acquired land for setting up a green field facility for AAC Blocks in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Company has purchased approx. 57,500 sq. mts. land at Khasra No. 382, 387, 389/2, Gram Nimrani, Tehsil Kasrawad, District – Khargone, Madhya Pradesh for the purpose of AAC Blocks business expansion in central India. The total consideration for the land deal is Rs 60 million and Stamp duty.

StarBigBloc Building Material Ltd currently operates one plant at Kheda near Ahmedabad with an installed capacity of 250,000 cubic meters per annum, serving most part of Gujarat, upto Udaipur in Rajasthan, and till Indore in Madhya Pradesh. The capacity utilisation at Starbigbloc Building Material Ltd for the third quarter was 75 per cent. The planned expansion will enable the company to establish a stronger presence in Madhya Pradesh and surrounding regions. Reaffirming its commitment to the Green Initiative, it has also installed a 800 KW solar rooftop power project — a significant step toward sustainability and lowering its carbon footprint.

Narayan Saboo, Chairman, Bigbloc Construction said “The AAC block industry is set to play a pivotal role in India’s construction sector, and our company is ready for a significant leap forward. The proposed expansion in Indore, Madhya Pradesh aligns with our growth strategy, focusing on geographic expansion, R&D investments, product diversification, and strategic branding and marketing initiatives to enhance visibility, increase market share, and strengthen stakeholder trust.”

Bigbloc Construction has recently expanded into construction chemicals with Block Jointing Mortar, Ready Mix Plaster, and Tile Adhesives, tapping into high-demand segments. The company introduced NXTGRIP Tile Adhesives alongside its trusted NXTFIX and NXTPLAST brands, ensuring superior bonding, strength, and performance.

In May 2024, the board of directors approved fund-raising through SME IPO or Preferential issue to support expansion plans of Starbigboc Building Material subject to requisite approvals and market conditions, Starbigboc Building Material aims to expand its production capacity from current 250,000 cubic meters per annum to over 1.2 million cubic meters per annum in the next 4-5 years. Company is targeting revenues of Rs 4.28 billion by FY27-28, with an expected EBITDA of Rs 1.25 billion and net profit of Rs 800 million. In FY23-24, the company reported revenues of Rs 940.18 million, achieving a revenue CAGR of over 21 per cent in the last four years.

Incorporated in 2015, BigBloc Construction is one of the largest and only listed AAC block manufacturer in India, with a 1.3 million cbm annual capacity across plants in Gujarat (Kheda, Umargaon, Kapadvanj) and Maharashtra (Wada). The company, which markets its products under the ‘NXTBLOC’ brand, is one of the few in the AAC industry to generate carbon credits. With over 2,000 completed projects and 1,500+ in the pipeline, The company’s clients include Lodha, Adani Realty, IndiaBulls Real Estate, DB Realty, Prestige, Piramal, Oberoi Realty, Tata Projects, Shirke Group, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Raheja, PSP Projects, L&T, Sunteck, Dosti Group, Purvankara Ltd, DY Patil, Taj Hotels, Godrej Properties, Torrent Pharma, GAIL among others.