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Sustainable, Rapid, Affordable

Published

6 years ago

January 11, 2019

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Made of waste gypsum, glass fibre-reinforced gypsum (GFRG) facilitates rapid and affordable construction, adds to greenness, and offers better resistance to earthquake and flood-like situations.

Cost-effective and faster project deliveries are the key challenges in affordable mass housing. Through research works carried out for over a decade, IIT-Madras has developed a housing technology – glass fibre-reinforced gypsum (GFRG) – that is affordable, sustainable and environment-friendly, to address the need for rapid affordable mass housing in India. Over 1,200 houses in the country have already been constructed using this technology. Dr A Meher Prasad, Professor, Structural Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, shares more on the advantages of constructing with GFRG…

The history
GFRG panels (commercially known as "Rapidwall"), made of high-quality gypsum plaster reinforced with special glass rovings, were first introduced in Australia in 1990. These lightweight hollow panels were originally intended for rapid wall construction as load-bearing walls.

In India, unlike Australia, we need to deal with earthquake-resistant design, as over 50 per cent of our population lives in seismically-prone areas with moderate to severe earthquakes. Hence, the GFRG building system had to be designed to meet the requirements of the prevailing standards of seismic resistance in India. Extensive studies had been conducted by a team of researchers of the Civil Engineering Department of IIT-Madras on the use of GFRG wall panels, with different infill (reinforced concrete) configurations, as structural walls, including earthquake-resistant design, and a detailed design methodology developed. The research extended the application of this product for the entire building system – including floors, roofs and staircases -with reinforced concrete embedded in every third cavity of panel, along with a layer of 50 mm screed concrete on top. Use of GFRG panels were found to be significantly reducing the consumption of reinforced concrete in such construction. The use of GFRG panels for walls, floors and staircases, appropriately designed for composite action with reinforced concrete, and with tie beams at all the wall-floor junctions, provided for a complete GFRG building system. Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), under MoHUA, approved the use of GFRG for construction of buildings up to 10 floors in India, without the use of any beams and columns.

Manufacturing of GFRG panels
GFRG is a building construction technology that makes use of waste gypsum in India. While it can be manufactured out of any kind of gypsum, with the production process requiring relatively low energy, the panels are made from processed phosphogypsum in India.

Currently, GFRG panels are manufactured in India at Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore, Kochi, to fixed dimensions of 12 m length, 3 m height and 124 mm thickness, with hollow cavities inside.

Applications
The applications of GFRG panels include lightweight load-bearing walls capable of resisting gravity and wind loads; shear walls resisting earthquake load, floor or roof slabs, infill or partition walls for framed structures; compound walls; etc. While the proposal is primarily for mass housing, it can also be used for individual houses and other buildings (with spans in one direction not exceeding about 4.5 m). This is a load-bearing construction, ie, with the walls going all the way down to the foundations.

The foundation for GFRG buildings can be based on conventional methods, depending on local site conditions. For low-rise GFRG buildings, it is sufficient to provide simple masonry spread footings with a network of reinforced concrete plinth beams on top, above which, the GFRG wall panels can be placed (with "starter bars" embedded in the plinth beams). If the depth of the foundation is high, the plinth beams can be framed to reinforced concrete pedestals that are provided with small isolated footings, properly designed. In the case of taller GFRG buildings, it is desirable to provide reinforced concrete walls below the plinth beams, with a suitable spread footing or raft below. Panels can be quickly installed with the help of cranes.

Advantages over conventional buildings
High speed of construction: GFRG demo building in IIT-Madras with four flats in two storeys (total 1,981 sq ft) built within a month.
Less built-up area for the same carpet area: Wall panels are only 124 mm thick.
Less embodied energy and carbon footprint: Significant reduction in use of cement, sand, steel and water; recycling of industrial waste gypsum.
Lower cost of structure: Savings in materials; no plastering.
Lesser building weight (panels weigh only 44 kg per sq m), contributing to savings in foundation and reduction in design for earthquake forces, particularly in multi-storeyed construction.
Buildings up to 8-10 storeys can be designed using this load-bearing system, without the need for beams and columns
Excellent finishes of prefabricated GFRG panels – used for all the walls, floors and staircases, with minimal embedded concrete:
No need for additional plastering The use of GFRG panels not only facilitates fast construction but reduces labour requirements.
Better thermal performance in comparison to conventional building.

Thermal performance and water-resistant properties
The thermal performance of the GFRG demo building at IIT-Madras was analysed through field measurements. In-situ thermal measurements showed that the GFRG demo building was around 2oC cooler compared to an adjacent conventional building during the harsh summer. Further, tests have shown that GFRG panels absorb less water.

The water absorption of the panels is found to be less than 2 per cent even after 24 hours of immersion in water; the panels are therefore water-resistant. But as GFRG buildings system are prefabricated systems, all the construction joints (including the vertical and horizontal wall panel joints) should be treated with waterproofing compounds.

Green material
GFRG is environment-friendly, as it utilises industrial waste, and the construction minimises the usage of scarce and energy-intensive materials such as cement, sand, steel and water. Since gypsum is an inert material, GFRG building construction entails far less embodied energy (from manufacturing to completion of construction) compared to conventional construction using brick, reinforced concrete or precast concrete. Hence, GFRG has been confirmed as a green material by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC).

What next?
This technology has been well demonstrated and the design procedure is now being codified. With increased production of GFRG panels across the country, it can serve as a sustainable solution for the Centre’s Housing for All mission. A scheme for construction of 36, two-storeyed GFRG houses has been completed at Nellore by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council in 2016. Besides, five GFRG hostel buildings of four storeys each are currently under construction and nearing completion at the IIT-Tirupati transit campus with a built area of 1.4 lakh sq ft. Moreover, a structural design code has also been approved by the BIS, based on the extensive studies carried out on GFRG building systems. BIS has also published two draft standards for GFRG material specification and method of analysis and design of GFRG buildings.

Now, to take GFRG forward for mass housing in a big way in India, one needs easy availability of the panels in all regions, requiring manufacturing plants to be set up; builders taking up projects aimed exclusively for mass housing, using this technology; and training of skilled workers in erection and construction methods, as well as training for architects and structural designers. As of now, the panels are available only in Kochi.

SERAPHINA D’SOUZA

Tried and Tested
With the idea of demonstrating this building system using the technology developed, a two-storey GFRG demonstration building of 1,981 sq ft was constructed at the IIT-Madras campus in 2013. The entire superstructure was completed and rendered fit for occupation within 29 days after the laying of the foundation. There was a saving of over 50 per cent in embodied energy for GFRG construction.

The demo building was constructed using glass fibre-reinforced gypsum panels, originally designed for use as walls by Rapid Building Systems, Australia. The IIT-Madras research group extended the application of this product for the entire building system – including floors, roofs and staircases ? thus significantly reducing the consumption of reinforced cement concrete (RCC). The team also collaborated in the indigenous development of an excellent waterproofing material, which is essential for prolonged durability of GFRG panels, especially in the case of roofs and toilets.

Cost comparison
Currently, the cost of GFRG construction stands at Rs 1,600-1,700 per sq ft. The GFRG demo building inside the IIT-Madras campus, covering a total plinth area of about 1,981 sq ft, costed about Rs 23 lakh. A comparison of the cost of this building with a conventional building of the same plan showed that the demo building was 25 per cent cheaper compared to the latter.

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Price hikes, drop in input costs help cement industry to post positive margins: Care Ratings

Published

3 years ago

October 21, 2021

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Region-wise,the southern region comprises 35% of the total cement capacity, followed by thenorthern, eastern, western and central region comprising 20%, 18%, 14% and 13%of the capacity, respectively.

The cement industry is expected to post positive margins on decent price hikes over the months, falling raw material prices and marked drop in overall production costs, said an analysis of Care Ratings.

Wholesale and retail prices of cement have increased 11.9% and 12.4%, respectively, in the current financial year. As whole prices have remained elevated in most of the markets in the months of FY20, against the corresponding period of the previous year.

Similarly, electricity and fuel cost have declined 11.9% during 9M FY20 due to drop in crude oil prices. Logistics costs, the biggest cost for cement industry, has also dropped 7.7% (selling and distribution) as the Railways extended the benefit of exemption from busy season surcharge. Moreover, the cost of raw materials, too, declined 5.1% given the price of limestone had fallen 11.3% in the same aforementioned period, the analysis said.

According to Care Ratings, though the overall sales revenue has increased only 1.3%, against 16% growth in the year-ago period, the overall expenditure has declined 3.2% which has benefited the industry largely given the moderation in sales.

Even though FY20 has been subdued in terms of production and demand, the fall in cost of production has still supported the cement industry by clocking in positive margins, the rating agency said.

Cement demand is closely linked to the overall economic growth, particularly the housing and infrastructure sector. The cement sector will be seeing a sharp growth in volumes mainly due to increasing demand from affordable housing and other government infrastructure projects like roads, metros, airports, irrigation.

The government’s newly introduced National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), with its target of becoming a $5-trillion economy by 2025, is a detailed road map focused on economic revival through infrastructure development.

The NIP covers a gamut of sectors; rural and urban infrastructure and entails investments of Rs.102 lakh crore to be undertaken by the central government, state governments and the private sector. Of the total projects of the NIP, 42% are under implementation while 19% are under development, 31% are at the conceptual stage and 8% are yet to be classified.

The sectors that will be of focus will be roads, railways, power (renewable and conventional), irrigation and urban infrastructure. These sectors together account for 79% of the proposed investments in six years to 2025. Given the government’s thrust on infrastructure creation, it is likely to benefit the cement industry going forward.

Similarly, the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, aimed at providing affordable housing, will be a strong driver to lift cement demand. Prices have started correcting Q4 FY20 onwards due to revival in demand of the commodity, the agency said in its analysis.

Industry’s sales revenue has grown at a CAGR of 7.3% during FY15-19 but has grown only 1.3% in the current financial year. Tepid demand throughout the country in the first half of the year has led to the contraction of sales revenue. Fall in the total expenditure of cement firms had aided in improving the operating profit and net profit margins of the industry (OPM was 15.2 during 9M FY19 and NPM was 3.1 during 9M FY19). Interest coverage ratio, too, has improved on an overall basis (ICR was 3.3 during 9M FY19).

According to Cement Manufacturers Association, India accounts for over 8% of the overall global installed capacity. Region-wise, the southern region comprises 35% of the total cement capacity, followed by the northern, eastern, western and central region comprising 20%, 18%, 14% and 13% of the capacity, respectively.

Installed capacity of domestic cement makers has increased at a CAGR of 4.9% during FY16-20. Manufacturers have been able to maintain a capacity utilisation rate above 65% in the past quinquennium. In the current financial year due to the prolonged rains in many parts of the country, the capacity utilisation rate has fallen from 70% during FY19 to 66% currently (YTD).

Source:moneycontrol.com

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Wonder Cement shows journey of cement with new campaign

Published

3 years ago

October 21, 2021

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The campaign also marks Wonder Cement being the first ever cement brand to enter the world of IGTV…

ETBrandEquity

Cement manufacturing company Wonder Cement, has announced the launch of a digital campaign ‘Har Raah Mein Wonder Hai’. The campaign has been designed specifically to run on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

#HarRaahMeinWonderHai is a one-minute video, designed and conceptualised by its digital media partner Triature Digital Marketing and Technologies Pvt Ltd. The entire journey of the cement brand from leaving the factory, going through various weather conditions and witnessing the beauty of nature and wonders through the way until it reaches the destination i.e., to the consumer is very intriguing and the brand has tried to showcase the same with the film.

Sanjay Joshi, executive director, Wonder Cement, said, "Cement as a product poses a unique marketing challenge. Most consumers will build their homes once and therefore buy cement once in a lifetime. It is critical for a cement company to connect with their consumers emotionally. As a part of our communication strategy, it is our endeavor to reach out to a large audience of this country through digital. Wonder Cement always a pioneer in digital, with the launch of our IGTV campaign #HarRahMeinWonderHai, is the first brand in the cement category to venture into this space. Through this campaign, we have captured the emotional journey of a cement bag through its own perspective and depicted what it takes to lay the foundation of one’s dreams and turn them into reality."

The story begins with a family performing the bhoomi poojan of their new plot. It is the place where they are investing their life-long earnings; and planning to build a dream house for the family and children. The family believes in the tradition of having a ‘perfect shuruaat’ (perfect beginning) for their future dream house. The video later highlights the process of construction and in sequence it is emphasising the value of ‘Perfect Shuruaat’ through the eyes of a cement bag.

Tarun Singh Chauhan, management advisor and brand consultant, Wonder Cement, said, "Our objective with this campaign was to show that the cement produced at the Wonder Cement plant speaks for itself, its quality, trust and most of all perfection. The only way this was possible was to take the perspective of a cement bag and showing its journey of perfection from beginning till the end."

According to the company, the campaign also marks Wonder Cement being the first ever cement brand to enter the world of IGTV. No other brand in this category has created content specific to the platform.

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In spite of company’s optimism, demand weakness in cement is seen in the 4% y-o-y drop in sales volume. (Reuters)

Published

3 years ago

October 21, 2021

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Cost cuts and better realizations save? the ?day ?for ?UltraTech Cement, Updated: 27 Jan 2020, Vatsala Kamat from Live Mint

Lower cost of energy and logistics helped Ebitda per tonne rise by about 29% in Q3
Premiumization of acquired brands, synergistic?operations hold promise for future profit growth Topics

UltraTech Cement
India’s largest cement producer UltraTech Cement Ltd turned out a bittersweet show in the December quarter. A sharp drop in fuel costs and higher realizations helped drive profit growth. But the inherent demand weakness was evident in the sales volumes drop during the quarter.

Better realizations during the December quarter, in spite of the 4% year-on-year volume decline, minimized the pain. Net stand-alone revenue fell by 2.6% to ?9,981.8 crore.

But as pointed out earlier, lower costs on most fronts helped profitability. The chart alongside shows the sharp drop in energy costs led by lower petcoke prices, lower fuel consumption and higher use of green power. Logistics costs, too, fell due to lower railway freight charges and synergies from the acquired assets. These savings helped offset the increase in raw material costs.

The upshot: Q3 Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) of about ?990 per tonne was 29% higher from a year ago. The jump in profit on a per tonne basis was more or less along expected lines, given the increase in realizations. "Besides, the reduction in net debt by about ?2,000 crore is a key positive," said Binod Modi, analyst at Reliance Securities Ltd.

Graphic by Santosh Sharma/Mint
What also impressed analysts is the nimble-footed integration of the recently merged cement assets of Nathdwara and Century, which was a concern on the Street.

Kunal Shah, analyst (institutional equities) at Yes Securities (India) Ltd, said: "The company has proved its ability of asset integration. Century’s cement assets were ramped up to 79% capacity utilization in December, even as they operated Nathdwara generating an Ebitda of ?1,500 per tonne."

Looks like the demand weakness mirrored in weak sales during the quarter was masked by the deft integration and synergies derived from these acquired assets. This drove UltraTech’s stock up by 2.6% to ?4,643 after the Q3 results were declared on Friday.

Brand transition from Century to UltraTech, which is 55% complete, is likely to touch 80% by September 2020. A report by Jefferies India Pvt. Ltd highlights that the Ebitda per tonne for premium brands is about ?5-10 higher per bag than the average (A cement bag weighs 50kg). Of course, with competition increasing in the arena, it remains to be seen how brand premiumization in the cement industry will pan out. UltraTech Cement scores well among peers here.

However, there are road bumps ahead for the cement sector and for UltraTech. Falling gross domestic product growth, fiscal slippages and lower budgetary allocation to infrastructure sector are making industry houses jittery on growth. Although UltraTech’s management is confident that cement demand is looking up, sustainability and pricing power remains a worry for the near term.