Concrete

Span of Success

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2021

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Hyderabad certainly has reason to celebrate! The newly constructed Durgam Cheruvu cable-stay bridge eases traffic and reduces commute time. What?? more, it has set a record for being the world?? longest precast segmental span of 233.85-m in concrete on a cable-stay bridge. Constructed under Telangana?? Strategic Road Development Programme, and recently inaugurated by KT Rama Rao, Minister of Municipal Administration & Urban Development Industries, IT&C, Telangana, the construction of the bridge was completed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and it was dedicated to the people of the city.

??ur association with this young state of Telangana has been rich and we are proud to have delivered yet another pearl to the City of Pearls,??says SN Subrahmanyan, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Larsen & Toubro. ??nfrastructure development should ultimately improve the life of citizens and this bridge will certainly improve connectivity within the city of Hyderabad manifold. We are also grateful to the Telangana Government for having reposed their faith in us once again to deliver world-class infrastructure once again. And we are happy to have delivered to their complete satisfaction.??/p>

Speaking on the USP of the bridge, SV Desai, Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive Vice-President (Civil Infrastructure), L&T, elaborates, ??t has the world?? longest precast segmental span of 233.85-m in concrete for a cable stay bridge. We have constructed it despite extremely challenging conditions and terrain using a total of 428 mt of high-tensile strand, 26,600 cu m of concrete, 4,800 mt of steel and 287 mt of stay cables. We are happy we delivered the project in time even during these unprecedent times of the pandemic.??/p>

While the entire bridge with its approaches at both ends is 764.38 m, the cable-stayed bridge portion is 435-m long and 25.8-m wide with a total of 52 stay cables. The 53 CC (cement concrete) segments of the bridge are supported by stay cables sourced from Germany. The approach viaduct and solid ramps are 309.8-m long with 1.8-m wide footpaths on both sides.

Hyderabad is another Indian metro notorious for its traffic and this bridge will ease traffic flow towards HITEC City. Studies have revealed that the average time taken to reach the ITC Junction from Jubilee Hills (Road No. 45) is anywhere between 25 minutes and 30 minutes. The Durgam Cheruvu bridge will reduce commute time from Jubilee Hills to Madhapur from 30 minutes to a mere 10 minutes and the distance from Mind Space to Jubilee Hills by 2 km.

Why an extradosed cable-stay bridge?

An extradosed bridge is a cross between a girder and a conventional cable-stayed bridge, wherein the deck is directly supported by the pylon and the tension of the cables acts more to support it vertically. The cable stay acts as a prestressing cable for the concrete deck. Hence, the deck is comparatively thinner and the span length more in an extradosed bridge. Precast engineering has significantly reduced execution time and costs.

The world?? longest precast segmental span

The bridge has the world?? longest precast segmental span of 233.85-m in concrete for a cable-stay bridge. Although extradosed bridges are commonly constructed using the balanced cantilever erection method, in this case, a back span was constructed with complete staging from the ground and then the main span was constructed by cantilever erection with precast segment using a derrick crane.

Speedy construction

The precast segments were made ready by the time the anchor spans were casted in-situ, which speeded up construction. Precast segments of 3.5-m length and weighing 155 tonne were cast or fabricated in a casting yard and transported to site for erection while the derrick crane was designed and fabricated by L&T.

Challenging conditions and terrain

The bridge has been constructed in extremely challenging conditions and terrain with a lot of the work happening at 20-m above ground or above water. Executed within contractual stipulations, the 4.7-m depth of the precast elements was a challenge as was the task of transporting the huge precast elements from the casting yard through the busy, round-the-clock traffic near the site and erecting them at site. A unique aspect of the project was the casting yard that was synchronised with a load-out jetty that substantially reduced cycle time.

The bridge is equipped with aesthetically pleasing, first-of-its-kind carriageway lighting and will be a major recreational and tourist attraction for citizens with its specially designed footpath. Apart from the cables and the lighting system, everything else has been sourced from India making this bridge a shining example of the ??ake in India??movement.

– SHRIYAL SETHUMADHAVAN

Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

10 hours ago

September 21, 2026

admin

Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

Published

10 hours ago

September 21, 2026

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The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.

The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.

Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.

The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.

“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.

Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”

Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.

The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.

The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.

Concrete

Cement Firms to Invest Rs. 130 bn in Green Energy by FY28

Cement companies plan to expand clean energy capacity to 6 GW by FY28

Published

4 days ago

September 17, 2026

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India’s major cement companies are set to raise their clean energy capacity to 6 GW by March 2028 from around 4 GW at the end of March 2026, according to ratings agency ICRA. The planned expansion is expected to involve investments of Rs. 130 bn over the next two years.

The additional capacity could generate annual savings of Rs. 62 bn to Rs. 67 bn, resulting in an estimated payback period of 1.8 to 2.2 years. Cement is an emission-intensive industry, and leading producers have established net-zero roadmaps covering the next 15 to 20 years.

The calcination process accounts for 57 to 60 per cent of the sector’s total emissions, while fuel combustion contributes 27 to 30 per cent and electricity consumption accounts for 10 to 13 per cent. ICRA said the figures highlighted the need for a broad decarbonisation strategy involving green power, blended cement, alternative fuels and improvements in clinker efficiency.

Green energy is considered one of the most commercially attractive decarbonisation options because it can reduce emissions while lowering operating costs. Every 5 per cent increase in green power replacement can reduce power and fuel costs by Rs. 15 to Rs. 16 per tonne. A 25 per cent replacement level could therefore save Rs. 75 to Rs. 80 per tonne and expand operating margins by 140 to 160 basis points.

Cement producers are also assessing carbon capture, utilisation and storage, although high implementation costs, energy requirements and limited transport and storage infrastructure are expected to slow commercial adoption. The government has proposed Rs. 200 bn over five years to support deployment across key sectors. Meanwhile, companies are targeting thermal substitution rates of 10 to 15 per cent over the next three to five years, compared with the current industry level of around 6 per cent.