Connect with us

Concrete

Cement-based building materials

Published

6 years ago

on

Shares

Cement is an intermediate product and is always converted into some other form to have a useful end product. The authors-JD Bapat and Kalpana Karthikeyan-take stock of a few new-generation products that are making inroads in the construction industry.

Concrete is a cement-based building material used in construction industry on very large scale. However there are many other cement-based materials used in to improve the economy, conserve materials, energy and to reduce the carbon footprint of construction. This article focuses on the following four cement-based building materials: dry mixed mortar (DMM) plasters, cement-based fly ash bricks, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks, and micro-concrete for concrete repair work.

DMM plaster
The cement-based DMM plaster is different from job-site mortar plaster. It is manufactured in a factory with dedicated facilities for batching and blending of all the necessary ingredients in the controlled process. In this way, DMM plaster with well-defined properties and performance to meet specific requirements and applications can be produced.

DMM plaster provides excellent technical properties to meet the stringent performance requirements which are common in the current construction scenario, such as crack free surface, no leaching and aesthetic look. The use of DMM plaster is cost effective, reducing potential construction problems with the long-term integrity of structures with a simple materials approach. The advantages of DMM plaster are wuality controlled and factory blended to maintain consistently high quality, excellent adhesion, no cement and sand storage required at site, reduces wastage, better workability, suitable for wide range of masonry/concrete backgrounds, fibre reinforced for shrinkage crack resistance, aesthetic look due to better finish, and no leaching. Most DMM plasters require only the addition of potable water and mixed with a simple mixer to produce high-quality fresh mortar for wall application. Normal curing process is followed. Most of the high-performance plasters are usually based on extensive development process and tests in order to achieve the desired materials properties. The basic raw materials are: cement, filler and fine aggregate.

The gradation of aggregate and the choice of the filler are critical. Desirable properties of DMM plaster in fresh and hardened state are as follows.

Mixing time: Mixing time of DMM plaster is one of the important parameters to define its ease of application for the mason. Dry mortar powder should quickly mix with water to get the desired workability.

Workability retention (pot Life): Workability retention is the time taken by fresh mortar/concrete to lose its plasticity. Once the mortar is mixed with water it has to maintain its workability till application, for a reasonable period of time: minimum 60 m in peak summer noon and maximum 90 m in the morning/evening or winter season. Workability Retention can be measured from the time of adding water to dry mix till it loses its plasticity i.e. its nature to stick to wall, when mason applies. Loss of workability before application encourages meson to add water to obtain desired workability and such plaster develops cracks after hardening.

Drying time: Plaster should get surface-dried after application, within certain period of time, to start surface finishing and curing. During the process of curing, plaster attains its early strength and binds properly to the substrate (wall/roof top). Addition of polymers can delay surface drying. Polymer mixed DMM may also stick to trowel and the float used for surface finishing, making the whole process difficult and time-consuming

Coverage area: Good coverage area of a plaster offers cost saving to the customer. Coverage area can be measured by calculating the spread area for constant thickness. It depends on the bulk density of plaster. Higher is the density of plaster lower is the spread area. Density of DMM also affects porosity. Optimum bulk density should be obtained balancing the two factors. Typical coverage can be expressed for 10 mm thickness as: m2/kg

Rebound loss: Rebound loss of a plaster shows its capacity to stick to the wall. Lesser is the rebound loss, lesser the wastage of plaster during application. Rebound loss depends on many factors, irrespective of the nature of plaster.

Firstly, it varies from mason to mason. Sometimes the masons’ handling makes difference in the rebound loss.

Second factor is the water content of a plaster mortar. If water is higher than recommended, mortar applied on the wall slides and does not stick properly. If water is lesser than recommended, mortar gets brittle and falls down immediately. Third factor is "saturation of backing surface". Any readymade plaster product should be used only with recommended water content. Water content fixed by manufacturer is enough to prepare a workable mix. It is very important to make backing surface (substrate) wet till it gets saturated and surface dry. When the surface is not saturated, it absorbs water from the plaster and makes it brittle. Similarly, when the surface is over saturated, excess water makes plaster flowing down the wall. The surface of application should be saturated-surface-dry.

Binding property: The binding of DMM to the backing surface (wall with red clay bricks, fly ash bricks or AAC blocks and roof top) must be tested before application.

Compressive strength: No standards specifically mentions about the compressive strength of cement wall plaster. However, experience shows it should have strength of at least 7 MPa at three days.

Cement-based fly ash bricks
The IS 16720: 2018 gives the specification of fly ash-cement bricks. Pulverized fuel ash or fly ash (FA) is a byproduct from thermal power stations, which use pulverised coal as fuel. This national resource can be gainfully utilised for manufacture of FA-cement bricks as an alternative to common burnt clay bricks, leading to conservation of natural resources and improvement in environment quality. The FA-cement bricks are made from materials consisting of FA in major quantity, cement and aggregate. These bricks are manufactured by mixing of all ingredients, which are then moulded into bricks and are de-moulded when sufficiently hardened and then subjected to curing.

FA and cement together should be considered as binder. IS specifies, FA content should not be less than 35%. However, FA could be as high as 65 per cent depending upon quality of both cement and FA. It will be worthwhile to find the strength of FA+ cement mixture, before deciding proportions. Sand or bottom ash from boiler can be used as aggregate. Nominal maximum size of aggregate should be passing 6.3 mm sieve. The typical dimensions of FA-cement bricks are given in Table 1.

The mixing of ingredients should be done in suitable mechanical mixer. The uniformity of mixture should be tested in terms of color and consistency. The mixture thus prepared may be compacted in moulds by hydraulic or vibratory press or hydraulic-cum-vibratory press and finished to proper size without broken edges. After demoulding, the bricks should be protected till they develop sufficient strength, before curing. Curing can be done with water as per IS 456, mist or steam, so as to develop sufficient strength as required by the designated category. Table 2 gives classification of FA-cement bricks on the basis of 28-day wet compressive strength. The average drying shrinkage is limited to 0.05 per cent (max). The water absorption should be below 20 per cent (mass) for Class up to 10 and below 15 per cent (mass) for higher classes. Typical FA-Cement bricks and red clay bricks are shown in Plate 1.

Advantages of FA-cement bricks over conventional red clay bricks:

  • The strength of common red clay bricks lies in the range of 3.5 to 5 MPa; whereas that of FA-Cement bricks goes up to 15 MPa. Strength also increases over a period of time.
  • Lesser water absorption hence requires less water for curing.
  • Uniform dimensions and more dimensional stability.
  • Lesser transit waste.

AAC blocks
They are also known as cellular blocks. Specification is given in IS 2185 (Part 3). Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a versatile lightweight construction material and usually used as blocks. Compared to normal dense concrete, AAC has low density and excellent sound and heat insulation properties. The density of AAC is in the range of 450-1000 Kg/m3 as against 2300-2500 Kg/m3 for that of the dense concrete. Plate ? 2 shows typical AAC blocks. The common raw materials used while making AAC are given in the Table – 3

The above proportions may vary subject to different plant practices and requirement of AAC. Quartz-rich sand and gypsum is also be used in the raw mix. Aluminium is added as a pore forming agent. Instead, suitable foaming agent can also be added; however, that method is out of the scope of the present paper. The aluminium reacts with soluble alkalies from cement and calcium hydroxide to form hydrogen bubbles according to chemical reaction: Al + 2OH- + 2H2O ? Al(OH)4- + H2 Hydrogen bubbles formed in reaction are responsible for the pore formation in AAC blocks. The raw mix is poured in the moulds, after mixing. The mixture rises in the moulds after formation of bubbles. It is cured at ambient temperature for about 45 minutes and cut into block pieces of required unit size, with wires. The blocks are further cured in the autoclave with high pressure steam, which also improves their compressive strength. Typical conditions in the curing chamber are steam pressure of 4-16 MPa and curing duration of 8-16 hours.

AAC blocks contain more than 80 per cent air by volume and its mass is about one-fourth of the red clay bricks, making it the lightest building material. The comparison of AAC blocks and burnt (red) clay bricks is given in Table 4.

Micro-concrete for concrete repair work
Micro concrete is a proportionate mixture of Portland cement, graded aggregate of 10 mm down size or 6 mm down size. Micro-concrete also has a non-shrink additive in the mix to limit the plastic shrinkage up to 0.4 per cent.

It is generally used in sections which are inaccessible and where there is thick reinforcement. Generally, micro-concreting is done as a repair job in structures. The distressed concrete section or spalled concrete is removed and after application of suitable bonding agent over the existing surface, micro-concrete is poured or applied. Micro-concrete is dimensionally stable and compatible to the existing structural material and section. It is to be noted that shuttering to be done leak proof while micro-concreting and proper curing methods to be followed since the heat of hydration of micro-concrete is higher than normal concrete mixes. Micro-concrete is useful for the following areas of application:

Repair of damaged reinforced concrete elements, like slabs, beams, columns, wall, etc., where access is restricted and compaction is not possible.

To jacket RCC columns, to increase load-bearing capacity (Plate – 3)

The general features and advantages of micro-concrete are as follows.

  • Can be pumped or poured into restricted locations
  • Flowable mortar, hence does not require compaction
  • Develops high initial and ultimate final strength
  • Offers excellent resistance to moisture ingress
  • Makes repaired sections durable
  • Rapid strength gain to facilitate early reinstatement

Free-flowing micro-concrete has been found to be more effective in comparison with conventional OPC concrete. When conventional mix of high strength concrete is used for repair, small gaps may remain around the reinforcement steel either due to poor compaction or settlement, providing a potential site to initiate corrosion. Free-flowing micro-concrete eliminates that problem. The mix proportion of micro-concrete for a typical strength range of 30-50 MPa is given in Table 5.

Note: Fine, sharp washed sand from zone III to IV, as per IS 383 – 2016 May also contain a non-shrink additive to limit plastic shrinkage < 0.4%

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Dr J D Bapat is with the Development Professional for Cement and Concrete. Email Email: consult@drjdbapat.com | Web: www.drjdbapat.com
Kalpana Karthikeyan is R&D Manager, Sanghavi Industries

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Concrete

Dalmia Bharat launches Weather 365 in East India

New water-repellent cement targets weather-resilient housing demand

Published

3 hours ago

on

May 15, 2026

By

Shares
Dalmia Bharat Cement has launched Weather 365, a super-premium water-repellent cement brand for retail markets in West Bengal and Bihar. The product is designed to address rising demand for durable and weather-resistant construction materials in Eastern India.
Weather 365 offers protection against seepage, dampness and moisture damage, especially in regions exposed to heavy rainfall, humidity and changing weather cycles. The cement is suited for roofs, columns and foundations, and uses uniform water-repellent technology to reduce water penetration, steel corrosion, efflorescence and damp patches.
The company said the product will be available in water-resistant and tamper-proof BOPP packaging. It will also provide on-site technical support through engineering and technical services teams to guide customers on construction practices and long-term building performance.
Positioned in Dalmia Bharat Cement’s premium portfolio, Weather 365 targets homeowners, contractors and builders seeking stronger concrete, improved paint life and better structural durability. The launch supports the company’s strategy to expand premium construction solutions in key Eastern India markets.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Filtration Technology is Critical for Efficient Logistics

Published

6 hours ago

on

May 15, 2026

By

Shares

Niranjan Kirloskar, MD, Fleetguard Filters, makes the case that filtration technology, which has been long treated as a routine consumable, is in fact a strategic performance enabler across every stage of cement production and logistics.

India’s cement industry forms the core for infrastructure growth of the country. With an expected compound annual growth rate of six to eight per cent, India has secured its position as the second-largest cement producer globally. This growth is a result of the increasing demand across, resulting in capacity expansion. Consequently, cement manufacturers are now also focusing on running the factories as efficiently as possible to stay competitive and profitable.
While a large portion of focus still remains on production technologies and capacity utilisation, the hidden factor in profitability is the efficiency of cement logistics. The logistics alone account for nearly 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the total cost of cement, making efficiency in this segment a key lever for profitability and reliability.
In the midst of this complex and high-intensity ecosystem, filtration often remains one of the most underappreciated yet essential enablers of performance.

A demanding operational landscape
Cement production and logistics inherently operate in some of the harshest industrial environments. With processes such as quarrying, crushing, grinding, clinker production, and bulk material handling expose the machinery to constant high temperatures, heavy loads, and dust, often the silent destructive force for engines.
The ecosystem is abrasive, and often one with a high contamination index. These challenging conditions demand equipment such as the excavators, crushers, compressors, and transport vehicles to perform and perform efficiently. The continuous exposure to contamination across every aspect like air, fuel, lubrication, and even hydraulic systems causes long-term damage. Studies have also shown that 70 to 80 per cent of hydraulic system failures are directly linked to contamination, while primary cause of engine wear is inadequate air filtration.
For engines as heavy as these, even a minor contaminant has a cascading effect; reducing efficiency, performance and culminating to unplanned downtime. Particles as small as 5 to 10 microns, far smaller than a human hair (~70 microns), can cause significant damage to critical engine components. In an industry where margins are closely linked to operational efficiency, such disruptions can significantly affect both cost structures and delivery timelines.

Dust management: A persistent challenge
Dust is a natural by-product in cement operations. From drilling and blasting in the quarries to packing in plants, this fine particulate matter does occupy a large space in operations. Dust concentration levels in quarry and crushing zones often create extremely high particulate exposure for equipment. These fine particles, when enter the engines and critical systems, accelerates the wear and tear of the component, affecting directly the operational efficiency. Over time every block fall; engine performance declines, fuel consumption rises, and maintenance cycles shorten. In this case, effective air filtration is the natural first line of defence. Advanced filtration systems are designed to capture high volumes of particulate matter while maintaining consistent airflow, ensuring that engines and equipment operate under optimal conditions.
In high-dust applications, as in cement production, even the filtration systems are expected to sustain performance over extended periods without the need of frequent replacement. This becomes crucial in remote quarry locations where access to frequent maintenance may be limited.

Fluid cleanliness and system integrity
Beyond air filtration, fluid systems also play a crucial role for equipment reliability in cement operations. Fuel systems are required to remain free from contaminants for efficient working of combustion and injection protection. Additionally, lubrication systems also need to maintain the oil purity to reduce friction and prevent any premature wear of moving parts. The hydraulic systems, which are key to several heavy equipment operations, are especially sensitive to contamination.
If fine particles or water enters these systems, it can lead to reduced efficiency, erratic performance, and eventual failure of the system. Modern filtration systems are designed with high-efficiency media capable of removing extremely fine contaminants, with advanced fuel and oil filtration solutions filtering particles as small as two to five microns. Multi-stage filtration systems further ensure that fluid performance is maintained even under challenging operating conditions.
Another critical aspect of fuel systems is water separation. Removing moisture helps prevent corrosion, improves combustion efficiency and enhances overall engine reliability. Modern water separation technologies can achieve over 95 per cent efficiency in removing water from fuel systems.

Ensuring reliability across the value chain
Filtration plays a critical role across every stage of cement logistics:
• Quarry operations: Equipment operates in highly abrasive environments, requiring strong protection against dust ingress and hydraulic contamination.
• Processing units: Crushers, kilns, and grinding mills depend on clean lubrication and cooling systems to sustain continuous operations.
• Material handling systems: Pneumatic and mechanical systems rely on clean air and fluid systems for efficiency and reliability.
• Transportation networks: Bulk carriers and trucks must maintain engine health and fuel efficiency to ensure timely deliveries.
Across these operations, filtration plays a vital role; as it supports consistent equipment performance while reducing the risk of unexpected failures.
Effective filtration solutions can reduce unscheduled equipment failures by 30 to 50 per cent across heavy-duty operations.

Uptime as a strategic imperative
In cement manufacturing, uptime is currency. Downtime not only delays the production, but it also greatly impacts the supply commitments and logistics planning. With the right filtration systems, contaminants are kept at bay from entering the
critical systems, and they also significantly extend the service intervals.
Optimised filtration can extend service intervals by 20 to 40 per cent, reducing maintenance frequency while maintaining consistent performance across demanding operating conditions. Filtration systems designed for heavy-duty applications sustain efficiency throughout their lifecycle, ensuring reliable protection with minimal interruptions. This leads to improved equipment availability, lower maintenance costs, and more predictable operations, with well-maintained systems capable of achieving uptime levels of over 90 to 95 per cent in challenging cement environments.

Supporting emission and sustainability goals
With the rising environmental awareness, the cement industry too is aligning with the stricter norms and sustainability targets. In this scenario, the operational efficiency is directly linked to emission control.

Air and fuel systems that are clean enable
much more efficient combustion. They also reduce emissions from both the stationary equipment and transport fleets. Similarly, with a well-maintained fluid cleanliness, emission systems function better. Poor combustion due to contamination can increase emissions by 5 to 10 per cent, making clean systems critical for compliance.
Additionally, efficient and longer lasting filtration systems significantly reduce any waste generation and contribute to increased sustainable maintenance practices. Extended-life filtration solutions can reduce filter disposal and maintenance waste by 15 to 20 per cent. Smart and efficient filtration in this case plays an important role in meeting the both regulatory and environmental objectives within the industry.

Advancements in filtration technology
Over the years, there has been a significant evolution in the filtration technology to meet the modern industrial applications.
Key developments include:
• High-efficiency filtration media capable of capturing very fine particles without restricting flow
• Compact and integrated designs that combine multiple filtration functions
• Extended service life solutions that reduce replacement frequency and maintenance downtime
• Application-specific engineering tailored to different stages of cement operations
Modern multi-layer filtration media can improve dust-holding capacity by up to two to three times compared to conventional systems, while maintaining consistent performance. These advancements have transformed filtration from a basic maintenance component into a critical performance system.

Adapting to diverse operating conditions
The cement industry of India operates across diverse geographies. Spanning across regions with arid regions with higher dust levels, to the coastal areas with higher humidity, challenges of each region pose different threats to the engines. Modern filtration systems are thus tailored to address these unique challenges of each region.
Indian operating environments often range from 0°C to over 50°C, with some of the highest dust loads globally in mining zones.
Additionally, filtration technology can also be customised to variations which then align the system design with factors like dust load, temperature, and equipment usage patterns. Equipment utilisation levels in India are typically higher than global averages, making robust filtration even more critical. This approach ensures optimal performance and durability across different operational contexts.

Impact on total cost of ownership
Filtration has a direct and measurable impact on the total cost of ownership of equipment.
Effective filtration leads to:
• Lower wear and tear on critical components
• Reduced maintenance and repair costs
• Improved fuel efficiency
• Extended equipment life
• Higher operational uptime
Effective filtration can extend engine life by 20 to 30 per cent and reduce overall maintenance costs by 15 to 25 per cent over the equipment lifecycle. These benefits collectively enhance productivity and reduce lifecycle costs. Conversely, inadequate filtration can result in frequent breakdowns, increased maintenance expenditure, and reduced asset utilisation.

Building a more efficient cement ecosystem
With the rising demand across various sectors, the cement industry is expected to expand at an unprecedented rate. This growth is forcing the production to move towards a more efficient and resilient system of operations. This requires attention not only to production technologies but also to the supporting systems that enable consistent performance. Filtration must be viewed as a strategic investment rather than a routine consumable. By ensuring the cleanliness of air and fluids across systems, it supports reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

The road ahead
The future of cement logistics will be shaped by increasing mechanisation, digital monitoring, and stricter environmental standards. The industry is also witnessing a shift towards predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, where filtration performance is increasingly integrated with real-time equipment diagnostics.
In this evolving landscape, the role of filtration will become even more critical. As equipment becomes more advanced and operating conditions more demanding, the need for precise contamination control will continue to grow. From quarry to construction site, filtration technology underpins the performance of every critical system. It enables equipment to operate efficiently, reduces operational risks, and supports the industry’s broader goals of growth and sustainability. In many ways, it is the unseen force that keeps the cement ecosystem moving, quietly ensuring that every link in the value chain performs as expected.

About the author
Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters, is focused on driving innovation, operational excellence, and long-term business growth through strategic and people-centric leadership. With a strong foundation in ethics and forward-thinking decision-making, he champions a culture of collaboration, accountability, and technological advancement.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Cement’s Next Fuel Shift

Published

8 hours ago

on

May 15, 2026

By

Shares

Jignesh Kindaria highlights how Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) is emerging as a critical lever for cost savings, decarbonisation and competitive advantage in the cement industry.

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.
According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.
Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The regulatory push is real
The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.
Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian waste is a different engineering problem
Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.
The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a made-in-India answer
At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.
Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.
Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The investment case is now
The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.
The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.
The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.
The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About the author
Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.

Continue Reading

Video Thumbnail
â–¶

    SIGN-UP FOR OUR GENERAL NEWSLETTER


    Trending News

    Concrete

    Cement-based building materials

    Published

    6 years ago

    on

    Shares



    Cement is an intermediate product and is always converted into some other form to have a useful end product. The authors-JD Bapat and Kalpana Karthikeyan-take stock of a few new-generation products that are making inroads in the construction industry.

    Concrete is a cement-based building material used in construction industry on very large scale. However there are many other cement-based materials used in to improve the economy, conserve materials, energy and to reduce the carbon footprint of construction. This article focuses on the following four cement-based building materials: dry mixed mortar (DMM) plasters, cement-based fly ash bricks, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks, and micro-concrete for concrete repair work.

    DMM plaster
    The cement-based DMM plaster is different from job-site mortar plaster. It is manufactured in a factory with dedicated facilities for batching and blending of all the necessary ingredients in the controlled process. In this way, DMM plaster with well-defined properties and performance to meet specific requirements and applications can be produced.

    DMM plaster provides excellent technical properties to meet the stringent performance requirements which are common in the current construction scenario, such as crack free surface, no leaching and aesthetic look. The use of DMM plaster is cost effective, reducing potential construction problems with the long-term integrity of structures with a simple materials approach. The advantages of DMM plaster are wuality controlled and factory blended to maintain consistently high quality, excellent adhesion, no cement and sand storage required at site, reduces wastage, better workability, suitable for wide range of masonry/concrete backgrounds, fibre reinforced for shrinkage crack resistance, aesthetic look due to better finish, and no leaching. Most DMM plasters require only the addition of potable water and mixed with a simple mixer to produce high-quality fresh mortar for wall application. Normal curing process is followed. Most of the high-performance plasters are usually based on extensive development process and tests in order to achieve the desired materials properties. The basic raw materials are: cement, filler and fine aggregate.

    The gradation of aggregate and the choice of the filler are critical. Desirable properties of DMM plaster in fresh and hardened state are as follows.

    Mixing time: Mixing time of DMM plaster is one of the important parameters to define its ease of application for the mason. Dry mortar powder should quickly mix with water to get the desired workability.

    Workability retention (pot Life): Workability retention is the time taken by fresh mortar/concrete to lose its plasticity. Once the mortar is mixed with water it has to maintain its workability till application, for a reasonable period of time: minimum 60 m in peak summer noon and maximum 90 m in the morning/evening or winter season. Workability Retention can be measured from the time of adding water to dry mix till it loses its plasticity i.e. its nature to stick to wall, when mason applies. Loss of workability before application encourages meson to add water to obtain desired workability and such plaster develops cracks after hardening.

    Drying time: Plaster should get surface-dried after application, within certain period of time, to start surface finishing and curing. During the process of curing, plaster attains its early strength and binds properly to the substrate (wall/roof top). Addition of polymers can delay surface drying. Polymer mixed DMM may also stick to trowel and the float used for surface finishing, making the whole process difficult and time-consuming

    Coverage area: Good coverage area of a plaster offers cost saving to the customer. Coverage area can be measured by calculating the spread area for constant thickness. It depends on the bulk density of plaster. Higher is the density of plaster lower is the spread area. Density of DMM also affects porosity. Optimum bulk density should be obtained balancing the two factors. Typical coverage can be expressed for 10 mm thickness as: m2/kg

    Rebound loss: Rebound loss of a plaster shows its capacity to stick to the wall. Lesser is the rebound loss, lesser the wastage of plaster during application. Rebound loss depends on many factors, irrespective of the nature of plaster.

    Firstly, it varies from mason to mason. Sometimes the masons’ handling makes difference in the rebound loss.

    Second factor is the water content of a plaster mortar. If water is higher than recommended, mortar applied on the wall slides and does not stick properly. If water is lesser than recommended, mortar gets brittle and falls down immediately. Third factor is "saturation of backing surface". Any readymade plaster product should be used only with recommended water content. Water content fixed by manufacturer is enough to prepare a workable mix. It is very important to make backing surface (substrate) wet till it gets saturated and surface dry. When the surface is not saturated, it absorbs water from the plaster and makes it brittle. Similarly, when the surface is over saturated, excess water makes plaster flowing down the wall. The surface of application should be saturated-surface-dry.

    Binding property: The binding of DMM to the backing surface (wall with red clay bricks, fly ash bricks or AAC blocks and roof top) must be tested before application.

    Compressive strength: No standards specifically mentions about the compressive strength of cement wall plaster. However, experience shows it should have strength of at least 7 MPa at three days.

    Cement-based fly ash bricks
    The IS 16720: 2018 gives the specification of fly ash-cement bricks. Pulverized fuel ash or fly ash (FA) is a byproduct from thermal power stations, which use pulverised coal as fuel. This national resource can be gainfully utilised for manufacture of FA-cement bricks as an alternative to common burnt clay bricks, leading to conservation of natural resources and improvement in environment quality. The FA-cement bricks are made from materials consisting of FA in major quantity, cement and aggregate. These bricks are manufactured by mixing of all ingredients, which are then moulded into bricks and are de-moulded when sufficiently hardened and then subjected to curing.

    FA and cement together should be considered as binder. IS specifies, FA content should not be less than 35%. However, FA could be as high as 65 per cent depending upon quality of both cement and FA. It will be worthwhile to find the strength of FA+ cement mixture, before deciding proportions. Sand or bottom ash from boiler can be used as aggregate. Nominal maximum size of aggregate should be passing 6.3 mm sieve. The typical dimensions of FA-cement bricks are given in Table 1.

    The mixing of ingredients should be done in suitable mechanical mixer. The uniformity of mixture should be tested in terms of color and consistency. The mixture thus prepared may be compacted in moulds by hydraulic or vibratory press or hydraulic-cum-vibratory press and finished to proper size without broken edges. After demoulding, the bricks should be protected till they develop sufficient strength, before curing. Curing can be done with water as per IS 456, mist or steam, so as to develop sufficient strength as required by the designated category. Table 2 gives classification of FA-cement bricks on the basis of 28-day wet compressive strength. The average drying shrinkage is limited to 0.05 per cent (max). The water absorption should be below 20 per cent (mass) for Class up to 10 and below 15 per cent (mass) for higher classes. Typical FA-Cement bricks and red clay bricks are shown in Plate 1.

    Advantages of FA-cement bricks over conventional red clay bricks:

    • The strength of common red clay bricks lies in the range of 3.5 to 5 MPa; whereas that of FA-Cement bricks goes up to 15 MPa. Strength also increases over a period of time.
    • Lesser water absorption hence requires less water for curing.
    • Uniform dimensions and more dimensional stability.
    • Lesser transit waste.

    AAC blocks
    They are also known as cellular blocks. Specification is given in IS 2185 (Part 3). Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a versatile lightweight construction material and usually used as blocks. Compared to normal dense concrete, AAC has low density and excellent sound and heat insulation properties. The density of AAC is in the range of 450-1000 Kg/m3 as against 2300-2500 Kg/m3 for that of the dense concrete. Plate ? 2 shows typical AAC blocks. The common raw materials used while making AAC are given in the Table – 3

    The above proportions may vary subject to different plant practices and requirement of AAC. Quartz-rich sand and gypsum is also be used in the raw mix. Aluminium is added as a pore forming agent. Instead, suitable foaming agent can also be added; however, that method is out of the scope of the present paper. The aluminium reacts with soluble alkalies from cement and calcium hydroxide to form hydrogen bubbles according to chemical reaction: Al + 2OH- + 2H2O ? Al(OH)4- + H2 Hydrogen bubbles formed in reaction are responsible for the pore formation in AAC blocks. The raw mix is poured in the moulds, after mixing. The mixture rises in the moulds after formation of bubbles. It is cured at ambient temperature for about 45 minutes and cut into block pieces of required unit size, with wires. The blocks are further cured in the autoclave with high pressure steam, which also improves their compressive strength. Typical conditions in the curing chamber are steam pressure of 4-16 MPa and curing duration of 8-16 hours.

    AAC blocks contain more than 80 per cent air by volume and its mass is about one-fourth of the red clay bricks, making it the lightest building material. The comparison of AAC blocks and burnt (red) clay bricks is given in Table 4.

    Micro-concrete for concrete repair work
    Micro concrete is a proportionate mixture of Portland cement, graded aggregate of 10 mm down size or 6 mm down size. Micro-concrete also has a non-shrink additive in the mix to limit the plastic shrinkage up to 0.4 per cent.

    It is generally used in sections which are inaccessible and where there is thick reinforcement. Generally, micro-concreting is done as a repair job in structures. The distressed concrete section or spalled concrete is removed and after application of suitable bonding agent over the existing surface, micro-concrete is poured or applied. Micro-concrete is dimensionally stable and compatible to the existing structural material and section. It is to be noted that shuttering to be done leak proof while micro-concreting and proper curing methods to be followed since the heat of hydration of micro-concrete is higher than normal concrete mixes. Micro-concrete is useful for the following areas of application:

    Repair of damaged reinforced concrete elements, like slabs, beams, columns, wall, etc., where access is restricted and compaction is not possible.

    To jacket RCC columns, to increase load-bearing capacity (Plate – 3)

    The general features and advantages of micro-concrete are as follows.

    • Can be pumped or poured into restricted locations
    • Flowable mortar, hence does not require compaction
    • Develops high initial and ultimate final strength
    • Offers excellent resistance to moisture ingress
    • Makes repaired sections durable
    • Rapid strength gain to facilitate early reinstatement

    Free-flowing micro-concrete has been found to be more effective in comparison with conventional OPC concrete. When conventional mix of high strength concrete is used for repair, small gaps may remain around the reinforcement steel either due to poor compaction or settlement, providing a potential site to initiate corrosion. Free-flowing micro-concrete eliminates that problem. The mix proportion of micro-concrete for a typical strength range of 30-50 MPa is given in Table 5.

    Note: Fine, sharp washed sand from zone III to IV, as per IS 383 – 2016 May also contain a non-shrink additive to limit plastic shrinkage < 0.4%

    ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
    Dr J D Bapat is with the Development Professional for Cement and Concrete. Email Email: consult@drjdbapat.com | Web: www.drjdbapat.com
    Kalpana Karthikeyan is R&D Manager, Sanghavi Industries

    Related Topics:
    Continue Reading
    Click to comment

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Concrete

    Dalmia Bharat launches Weather 365 in East India

    New water-repellent cement targets weather-resilient housing demand

    Published

    3 hours ago

    on

    May 15, 2026

    By

    Shares



    Dalmia Bharat Cement has launched Weather 365, a super-premium water-repellent cement brand for retail markets in West Bengal and Bihar. The product is designed to address rising demand for durable and weather-resistant construction materials in Eastern India.
    Weather 365 offers protection against seepage, dampness and moisture damage, especially in regions exposed to heavy rainfall, humidity and changing weather cycles. The cement is suited for roofs, columns and foundations, and uses uniform water-repellent technology to reduce water penetration, steel corrosion, efflorescence and damp patches.
    The company said the product will be available in water-resistant and tamper-proof BOPP packaging. It will also provide on-site technical support through engineering and technical services teams to guide customers on construction practices and long-term building performance.
    Positioned in Dalmia Bharat Cement’s premium portfolio, Weather 365 targets homeowners, contractors and builders seeking stronger concrete, improved paint life and better structural durability. The launch supports the company’s strategy to expand premium construction solutions in key Eastern India markets.

    Continue Reading

    Concrete

    Filtration Technology is Critical for Efficient Logistics

    Published

    6 hours ago

    on

    May 15, 2026

    By

    Shares

    Niranjan Kirloskar, MD, Fleetguard Filters, makes the case that filtration technology, which has been long treated as a routine consumable, is in fact a strategic performance enabler across every stage of cement production and logistics.

    India’s cement industry forms the core for infrastructure growth of the country. With an expected compound annual growth rate of six to eight per cent, India has secured its position as the second-largest cement producer globally. This growth is a result of the increasing demand across, resulting in capacity expansion. Consequently, cement manufacturers are now also focusing on running the factories as efficiently as possible to stay competitive and profitable.
    While a large portion of focus still remains on production technologies and capacity utilisation, the hidden factor in profitability is the efficiency of cement logistics. The logistics alone account for nearly 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the total cost of cement, making efficiency in this segment a key lever for profitability and reliability.
    In the midst of this complex and high-intensity ecosystem, filtration often remains one of the most underappreciated yet essential enablers of performance.

    A demanding operational landscape
    Cement production and logistics inherently operate in some of the harshest industrial environments. With processes such as quarrying, crushing, grinding, clinker production, and bulk material handling expose the machinery to constant high temperatures, heavy loads, and dust, often the silent destructive force for engines.
    The ecosystem is abrasive, and often one with a high contamination index. These challenging conditions demand equipment such as the excavators, crushers, compressors, and transport vehicles to perform and perform efficiently. The continuous exposure to contamination across every aspect like air, fuel, lubrication, and even hydraulic systems causes long-term damage. Studies have also shown that 70 to 80 per cent of hydraulic system failures are directly linked to contamination, while primary cause of engine wear is inadequate air filtration.
    For engines as heavy as these, even a minor contaminant has a cascading effect; reducing efficiency, performance and culminating to unplanned downtime. Particles as small as 5 to 10 microns, far smaller than a human hair (~70 microns), can cause significant damage to critical engine components. In an industry where margins are closely linked to operational efficiency, such disruptions can significantly affect both cost structures and delivery timelines.

    Dust management: A persistent challenge
    Dust is a natural by-product in cement operations. From drilling and blasting in the quarries to packing in plants, this fine particulate matter does occupy a large space in operations. Dust concentration levels in quarry and crushing zones often create extremely high particulate exposure for equipment. These fine particles, when enter the engines and critical systems, accelerates the wear and tear of the component, affecting directly the operational efficiency. Over time every block fall; engine performance declines, fuel consumption rises, and maintenance cycles shorten. In this case, effective air filtration is the natural first line of defence. Advanced filtration systems are designed to capture high volumes of particulate matter while maintaining consistent airflow, ensuring that engines and equipment operate under optimal conditions.
    In high-dust applications, as in cement production, even the filtration systems are expected to sustain performance over extended periods without the need of frequent replacement. This becomes crucial in remote quarry locations where access to frequent maintenance may be limited.

    Fluid cleanliness and system integrity
    Beyond air filtration, fluid systems also play a crucial role for equipment reliability in cement operations. Fuel systems are required to remain free from contaminants for efficient working of combustion and injection protection. Additionally, lubrication systems also need to maintain the oil purity to reduce friction and prevent any premature wear of moving parts. The hydraulic systems, which are key to several heavy equipment operations, are especially sensitive to contamination.
    If fine particles or water enters these systems, it can lead to reduced efficiency, erratic performance, and eventual failure of the system. Modern filtration systems are designed with high-efficiency media capable of removing extremely fine contaminants, with advanced fuel and oil filtration solutions filtering particles as small as two to five microns. Multi-stage filtration systems further ensure that fluid performance is maintained even under challenging operating conditions.
    Another critical aspect of fuel systems is water separation. Removing moisture helps prevent corrosion, improves combustion efficiency and enhances overall engine reliability. Modern water separation technologies can achieve over 95 per cent efficiency in removing water from fuel systems.

    Ensuring reliability across the value chain
    Filtration plays a critical role across every stage of cement logistics:
    • Quarry operations: Equipment operates in highly abrasive environments, requiring strong protection against dust ingress and hydraulic contamination.
    • Processing units: Crushers, kilns, and grinding mills depend on clean lubrication and cooling systems to sustain continuous operations.
    • Material handling systems: Pneumatic and mechanical systems rely on clean air and fluid systems for efficiency and reliability.
    • Transportation networks: Bulk carriers and trucks must maintain engine health and fuel efficiency to ensure timely deliveries.
    Across these operations, filtration plays a vital role; as it supports consistent equipment performance while reducing the risk of unexpected failures.
    Effective filtration solutions can reduce unscheduled equipment failures by 30 to 50 per cent across heavy-duty operations.

    Uptime as a strategic imperative
    In cement manufacturing, uptime is currency. Downtime not only delays the production, but it also greatly impacts the supply commitments and logistics planning. With the right filtration systems, contaminants are kept at bay from entering the
    critical systems, and they also significantly extend the service intervals.
    Optimised filtration can extend service intervals by 20 to 40 per cent, reducing maintenance frequency while maintaining consistent performance across demanding operating conditions. Filtration systems designed for heavy-duty applications sustain efficiency throughout their lifecycle, ensuring reliable protection with minimal interruptions. This leads to improved equipment availability, lower maintenance costs, and more predictable operations, with well-maintained systems capable of achieving uptime levels of over 90 to 95 per cent in challenging cement environments.

    Supporting emission and sustainability goals
    With the rising environmental awareness, the cement industry too is aligning with the stricter norms and sustainability targets. In this scenario, the operational efficiency is directly linked to emission control.

    Air and fuel systems that are clean enable
    much more efficient combustion. They also reduce emissions from both the stationary equipment and transport fleets. Similarly, with a well-maintained fluid cleanliness, emission systems function better. Poor combustion due to contamination can increase emissions by 5 to 10 per cent, making clean systems critical for compliance.
    Additionally, efficient and longer lasting filtration systems significantly reduce any waste generation and contribute to increased sustainable maintenance practices. Extended-life filtration solutions can reduce filter disposal and maintenance waste by 15 to 20 per cent. Smart and efficient filtration in this case plays an important role in meeting the both regulatory and environmental objectives within the industry.

    Advancements in filtration technology
    Over the years, there has been a significant evolution in the filtration technology to meet the modern industrial applications.
    Key developments include:
    • High-efficiency filtration media capable of capturing very fine particles without restricting flow
    • Compact and integrated designs that combine multiple filtration functions
    • Extended service life solutions that reduce replacement frequency and maintenance downtime
    • Application-specific engineering tailored to different stages of cement operations
    Modern multi-layer filtration media can improve dust-holding capacity by up to two to three times compared to conventional systems, while maintaining consistent performance. These advancements have transformed filtration from a basic maintenance component into a critical performance system.

    Adapting to diverse operating conditions
    The cement industry of India operates across diverse geographies. Spanning across regions with arid regions with higher dust levels, to the coastal areas with higher humidity, challenges of each region pose different threats to the engines. Modern filtration systems are thus tailored to address these unique challenges of each region.
    Indian operating environments often range from 0°C to over 50°C, with some of the highest dust loads globally in mining zones.
    Additionally, filtration technology can also be customised to variations which then align the system design with factors like dust load, temperature, and equipment usage patterns. Equipment utilisation levels in India are typically higher than global averages, making robust filtration even more critical. This approach ensures optimal performance and durability across different operational contexts.

    Impact on total cost of ownership
    Filtration has a direct and measurable impact on the total cost of ownership of equipment.
    Effective filtration leads to:
    • Lower wear and tear on critical components
    • Reduced maintenance and repair costs
    • Improved fuel efficiency
    • Extended equipment life
    • Higher operational uptime
    Effective filtration can extend engine life by 20 to 30 per cent and reduce overall maintenance costs by 15 to 25 per cent over the equipment lifecycle. These benefits collectively enhance productivity and reduce lifecycle costs. Conversely, inadequate filtration can result in frequent breakdowns, increased maintenance expenditure, and reduced asset utilisation.

    Building a more efficient cement ecosystem
    With the rising demand across various sectors, the cement industry is expected to expand at an unprecedented rate. This growth is forcing the production to move towards a more efficient and resilient system of operations. This requires attention not only to production technologies but also to the supporting systems that enable consistent performance. Filtration must be viewed as a strategic investment rather than a routine consumable. By ensuring the cleanliness of air and fluids across systems, it supports reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

    The road ahead
    The future of cement logistics will be shaped by increasing mechanisation, digital monitoring, and stricter environmental standards. The industry is also witnessing a shift towards predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, where filtration performance is increasingly integrated with real-time equipment diagnostics.
    In this evolving landscape, the role of filtration will become even more critical. As equipment becomes more advanced and operating conditions more demanding, the need for precise contamination control will continue to grow. From quarry to construction site, filtration technology underpins the performance of every critical system. It enables equipment to operate efficiently, reduces operational risks, and supports the industry’s broader goals of growth and sustainability. In many ways, it is the unseen force that keeps the cement ecosystem moving, quietly ensuring that every link in the value chain performs as expected.

    About the author
    Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters, is focused on driving innovation, operational excellence, and long-term business growth through strategic and people-centric leadership. With a strong foundation in ethics and forward-thinking decision-making, he champions a culture of collaboration, accountability, and technological advancement.

    Continue Reading

    Concrete

    Cement’s Next Fuel Shift

    Published

    8 hours ago

    on

    May 15, 2026

    By

    Shares

    Jignesh Kindaria highlights how Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) is emerging as a critical lever for cost savings, decarbonisation and competitive advantage in the cement industry.

    India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.
    According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.
    Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

    The regulatory push is real
    The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.
    Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

    Why Indian waste is a different engineering problem
    Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.
    The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

    Engineering a made-in-India answer
    At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.
    Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.
    Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

    The investment case is now
    The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.
    The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.
    The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.
    The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

    About the author
    Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.

    Continue Reading

    Trending News

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

     

    Don't miss out on valuable insights and opportunities to connect with like minded professionals.

     

      This will close in 0 seconds