Concrete

Golden rule for project managers

Published

5 years ago

March 5, 2021

admin

Many a time, colleagues would ask me what is the sure shot recipe for success in managing projects. The answer would come to me very easily, and I would naturally respond by saying that there is no such magic bullet in project management. At the same time, I always hasten to add, that there is but one pre-condition for success. And that is, We must think of the project contractors as our partners, and not as opponents. This may sound quite easy to practice, but in actual practice I have seen that it is almost always observed in its violation. Contractor bashing is so common-place amongst us, that we have almost made it a religion in itself.

Before we delve into the strange behavioural aspects of this phenomenon, let me explain the contractual relationships that define a contractor. This is easier done with an example. Let us say that in Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation enters into a public-private partnership with a company named DAMEPL for setting up the Airport Metro Line. Let us assume that DAMEPL, in turn, engages Siemens, among many other parties, to carry out signalling installation. Now, Siemens again, employs M/s XYZ Pvt Ltd for the actual erection work, and this XYZ Pvt Ltd asks M/s ABC Co., as labour contractors. Thus, in this illustration, we have created a 5 tier contractual structure. We can see here that as we step down this so called ladder, a contractor in turn becomes a customer, and that there are many customer-contractor relationships existing in such a large project at different levels.

I am a little confused. I do not know precisely why we tend to treat our contractors in a condescending manner, suspecting them all the time, and persecuting them all the time. Is this attitude rooted in our colonial past, or is it arising from our public sector mentality? Or, is it that we are always afraid to befriend the contractors, lest we are seen to be unfairly favouring them? Is it a cultural approach of ours, to play safe like true-blue bureaucrats, or is it driven by some kind of innermost sadistic tendencies that we harbour? I am clueless on this, but I do know this for a fact that we mistreat our contractors, and I also know that this can be most damaging for a project. Also, isn?? this behaviour surprising and downright funny, considering that the two entities, customer and contractor, have, in the end, a common purpose, which is to complete the project successfully.

Take the foregoing example. Going by our absolutely normal behaviour patterns, the project would have failed, (delayed, etc.) primarily because everyone in the whole chain who is a customer/owner would have dealt with the contractor down the line in the most non-cooperative and unhelpful manner. Like we say, in an organisation culture flows top down, in our example also, the way a customer will behave with the contractor, will largely depend on the kind of treatment he has in turn received as a contractor, from HIS customer. If DMRC were to follow the golden rule and embrace DAMEPL as a partner, this helpful attitude would have spread downward to DAMEPL, Siemens, and others. But alas, this is not to be! Even in a so-called ??ublic-private partnership??contract, the public sector makes a mockery of the word partnership, and proceeds to deal with the hapless ??artner(s)??in the traditional and time-tested contractor treatment formula.

One small corollary to this golden rule. A potential contractor is not necessarily a friend. We must maintain proper arms length distance in our interactions with all potential contractors, before the contract is awarded. During competitive bidding, during negotiations and during the finalisation process, the owner/customer will be well-advised to be distant, formal, fair and transparent with all competing bidders. But once the contract is signed with the successful bidder(s), they immediately become partners to embrace and not contractors to persecute. So we have to discriminate between the pre-contract and post-contract phases, in defining and shaping our relationship with our contractors.

To sum up, a project manager must view all contractors as partners, and not as a subordinate, nor as a necessary evil in a project. S/he must behave like a friend of the contractor, not as a foe. The contractor is very much a part of the project team, united in a common goal, and has to be treated as such. Remember, this is just a pre-condition to success in projects, not a complete solution to project management.

– SUMIT BANERJEE

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

14 hours ago

May 22, 2026

admin

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

2 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

3 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.