Concrete

Creating a concrete connect

Published

5 years ago

March 5, 2021

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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had awarded the work for the four-laning of the Meerut-Bulandshahr section of NH-235 from 8.800 km to 73.512 km (design chainage in the state of Uttar Pradesh under NHDP Phase IV on Hybrid Annuity Model), for a concession period of 17.5 years, including a construction period of 910 days, i.e. two-and-a-half years, and an operation and maintenance period of 15 years to Freedom Point Expressways as concessionaire. Apco Infratech, who was the lowest bidder, had incorporated a SPV, Freedom Point Expressways (FEPL), as the concessionaire for development of the project.

??EPL had entered into a concession agreement (CA) with NHAI on March 4, 2016, for construction, operation and maintenance of the project,??informs DK Srivastava, Executive Vice-President, APCO Infratech. The CA sets out the scope, rights and obligations of all the parties, overall framework for the development, and operation and maintenance of the project. While the project bid was floated by NHAI at end of 2015, the appointed date was declared as April 28, 2017. ??uring this course of time and the completion period as well, the project alignment features have been modified to cater to the topographic and demographic variations and inhabitant demands.??/p>

Scope of work

The site of the four-lane project highway comprises the section of NH-235 (New NH-334) commencing 8+800 km to 66+482 km and excluding 3.522 km of existing bypass of NH-24 (i.e., the Meerut- Bulandshahr section), having a total length of 64.712 km, including 3.522 km of the existing Hapur Bypass of NH-24 in Uttar Pradesh. The total design length of the project road is about 61.19 km. This section traverses through three districts of Uttar Pradesh: Meerut, Hapur and Bulandshahr.

As Srivastava shares, ??HAI had proposed to bypass nodal towns, i.e. Phaphunda Bypass (2.7 km), Kharkhauda Bypass (3.2 km), Hapur Bypass (11.2 km ??greenfield and 1.228 km ??improvement of existing Hapur Bypass on NH 24) and Gulaothi Bypass (7.6 km), and widen the two-lane existing alignment into four lanes with a paved shoulder and divided median on the basis of a detailed project (feasibility) report carried out in the year 2010.??/p>

The alignment traverses along and across various canals, drains and railway crossings. In order to cater to these structures, nine minor bridges, one major bridge, and one RoB has been provided. Additionally, a six-lane carriageway underpass (three vehicular underpass (VUP), five pedestrian underpass (PUP)) has also been provided to accommodate major crossroads without conflict.

Resource planning and execution

FEPL, the concessionaire, had to design the project considering the above project particulars as per codal provisions of IRC: SP: 84 – 2014 and determine the requisite resources, i.e. manpower, material and machinery, to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe. The contractor had identified its need and planned its resources to execute the work within a 910 day timeline. Srivastava shares the key resource deployment in the form of material, manpower and machinery, as tabulated here:

Execution challenges

Various challenges were involved in the execution of this project.
Various hindrances in the form of factories, boundary wall, trees, houses, and shops.
Delay in handing over encumbrance-free ROW to the concessionaire.
Non-disbursement of compensation or dispute by landowners regarding compensation awarder.
Hindrances owing to irrigation structures and DFCC.
Construction ban imposed by the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal.
Delay in finalisation of ??hange of scope??by the authority .
Delay in approval for tree felling by the Forest Department.
Lockdown due to outbreak of COVID-19.

??hese issues had resulted in project delays,??says Srivastava. ??he project timeline was stretched for 553 days in addition to 910 days. However, FEPL, with its prudent approach and accelerated efforts, reduced the time span to 295 days from the additional 553 days required for the project and achieved a provisional completion certificate on August 14, 2020.??/p>

Challnges during the Coronavirus outbreak

In March 2020, when the Government imposed the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the pandemic, the project was about to achieve the provisional certificate scheduled on April 25, 2020. Owing to the lockdown, the project lost movement, motivation and resources for executing project facility work (finishing work) and balance major work.

The concessionaire, upholding the professional ethics and values of its promoter APCO Infratech, retained manpower at its respective accommodation facilities and provided the best services to help them during a hard time. ??owever, a manpower exodus begun upon the start of special trains and buses to their respective home places,??says Srivastava. ??he government eased lockdown restriction for the infrastructure sector on April 20, 2020, but the district administration had not allowed commencement of work till May 4, 2020.??Workers were then facilitated with all type of Covid-19 precautions.

Safety first!

To avoid fatalities or accidents at work, FEPL ensured that the labour or manpower wore high-visibility clothing, which included a vest, hardhats, safety glasses, face shields, earplugs, fall arrest systems, safety-toed shoes, respirators and all types of PPE. The procedure was well-established??ome call it an internal traffic control plan??o separate workers from the path of vehicles and equipment.

Socioeconomic benefit

The Minister of Road Transport and Highways has cited that this project will shorten travel time from Meerut to Bulandshahr to one hour from the two hours earlier. Also, the highway will serve as a direct access route to Garh-Mukteshwar, where the state government is planning to develop a waterway and promote tourism. It will also serve as an access route to the upcoming Ganga Expressway in Meerut and Bulandshahr.

Achievement

The entire project has a rigid pavement and is among the few projects in Uttar Pradesh to have the entire length paved with pavement quality concrete. What?? more, the toll plaza has been established within 180 m RoW comprising a 14-lane road; it is one of the most advanced and equipped toll plazas.

– SHRIYAL SETHUMADHAVAN

PROJECT DETAILS

Cost: Rs 11.30 billion including COS granted for additions of elevated structures for safety of road users and access to villagers or farmers

Month of completion: August 14, 2020, (PCOD) and November 12, 2020 (COD)

Total length: 61.19 km

Developer: Freedom Point Expressways

Contractor: APCO Infratech

Consultant: SAI Consulting Engineering (SYSTRA)

Steel: SAIL, REAL Ishpath, JSPL

Other technology or material used: Fly ash or silica as cement

Concrete

30-Day Traffic Diversion In Place For CC Road Works In Madhapur

Diversions in place from May 16 for cement concrete road works

Published

2 days ago

May 22, 2026

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The Cyberabad Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory as road works begin for the laying of a cement concrete (CC) road from Jaya Shankar Statue to RRR Restaurant at Parvathnagar in Madhapur limits. The advisory indicated that traffic diversions will be in place for 30 days from May 16 to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles and to minimise congestion on the affected stretch. The measure aims to balance uninterrupted construction activity with the movement needs of commuters.

Traffic moving from Toddy Compound towards Parvathnagar village will be diverted at Parvathnagar junction towards Sunnam Cheruvu and the 100 feet road. Local motorists and public transport operators have been advised to follow the diversionary route as directed by traffic personnel on duty. Alternate routes and signage have been planned to mitigate delays and to manage peak hour congestion.

Police officials said the diversion had been planned to facilitate uninterrupted road works while maintaining traffic movement in the area. Commuters were urged to plan their travel accordingly and to cooperate with traffic staff managing the stretch. Authorities indicated that enforcement of diversions would be active and that violations could attract penalties.

The 30 day schedule is intended to allow contractors to complete the laying and curing phases with minimal interruption to vehicular flow. Residents and businesses in adjacent localities have been advised to factor the diversion into deliveries and travel plans. The traffic police promised continuous monitoring of the works and the operational diversions and emphasised that temporary inconvenience was necessary for longer term improvement of the road network. Traffic personnel will be stationed at key junctions and additional signage and temporary markings will be displayed to guide motorists and pedestrians through the revised alignments while public transport services will follow the diversion where feasible and operators have been asked to adjust timetables to minimise disruption.

Concrete

HeidelbergCement India Receives Consent For Khandwa Grinding Unit

Consent granted by Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board

Published

3 days ago

May 21, 2026

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HeidelbergCement India (HeidelbergCement India) has received regulatory consent to establish a cement blending and grinding unit at Village Dongaliya, Tehsil Punasa, District Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh. The consent was granted by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and is dated 17 May 2026. The company disclosed the development in a filing made under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

The project plan envisages procurement of long term availability of fly ash and the allotment of land on lease for setting up the unit. The proposed facility is described as a blending and grinding installation which will process cementitious materials sourced from nearby operations and suppliers. Company filings state the measures required to secure raw material logistics and statutory compliance before commencing construction.

The addition of a grinding unit in Khandwa is intended to strengthen regional supply and improve logistical efficiency by reducing haulage distances for finished product. The unit is expected to complement existing capacities in central India and to offer flexibility in product mix through blending operations. The reliance on fly ash as a supplementary cementitious material will necessitate long term supply agreements with thermal power producers and coordination with waste utilisation policies.

The disclosure to the regulator and to the stock exchanges follows standard corporate governance practice and aims to keep investors apprised of capital expenditure initiatives. The company indicated that subsequent permits and clearances would be sought in accordance with applicable environmental and land use rules. The project is presented as part of HeidelbergCement India’s broader strategy to optimise capacity distribution and to respond to regional demand dynamics.

Concrete

PROMECON introduces infrared-based tertiary air measurement system for cement kilns

Published

4 days ago

May 20, 2026

admin

The new solution promisescontinuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations.

PROMECON GmbH has launched the McON IR Compact, an infrared-based measuring system designed to deliver continuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations. The system addresses the longstanding process control challenge of accurate tertiary air monitoring under extreme kiln conditions. It uses patented infrared time-of-flight measurement technology that operates without calibration or maintenance intervention.

Precise tertiary air measurement is a critical requirement for stable rotary kiln operation. The McON IR Compact is engineered to function reliably at temperatures up to 1,200°C and in the presence of abrasive clinker dust. Its vector-based digital measurement architecture ensures that readings remain unaffected by swirl, dust deposits or drift. Due to these conditions conventional measurement systems in pyroprocess environments are often compromised.

The system is fully non-intrusive and requires no K-factors, recalibration or periodic readjustment, enabling years of uninterrupted operation. This design directly supports plant availability and reduces the maintenance overhead typically associated with process instrumentation in high-temperature zones.

PROMECON has deployed the McON IR Compact at multiple cement facilities, including Warta Cement in Poland. Plant operators report that the system has aided in identifying blockages, optimising purging cycles for gas burners, and supplying accurate flow data for AI-based process optimisation programmes. The practical outcomes include more stable kiln operation, improved process control, and earlier detection of process disturbances.

On the energy side, real-time tertiary air data enables reduction in induced draft fan load and helps flatten process oscillations across the pyroprocess. This translates to lower fuel and energy consumption, fewer unplanned shutdowns, and a measurable reduction in NOx peaks. This directly reflects on the downstream cost implications for plants operating SCR or SNCR systems for emissions compliance.