Concrete

Span of Success

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2021

admin

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

JSW Cement Commissions 1 MTPA Unit in Rajasthan

Rajasthan grinding capacity rises to 3.50 MTPA after commissioning

Published

3 days ago

October 9, 2026

admin

JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 MTPA cement grinding unit in Nagaur, Rajasthan, taking the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.1 MTPA. The commissioning was announced on Tuesday, October 6.

The company said the new unit had increased the total cement grinding capacity at its Rajasthan plant to 3.50 MTPA. The expansion adds to JSW Cement’s production infrastructure as it continues to build capacity across its operating network.

The company’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including capacity at its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA. Clinker is an intermediate material used in cement production, and its availability supports the company’s grinding operations.

JSW Cement is also pursuing a proposed merger of its listed subsidiary Shiva Cement with the company. The scheme, approved by the boards of the respective companies, involves issuing five fully paid-up JSW Cement equity shares for every 41 shares held by Shiva Cement shareholders other than JSW Cement.

The arrangement remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. JSW Cement currently holds 66.23 per cent of Shiva Cement’s paid-up equity share capital, and the shares held by JSW Cement in the subsidiary will be cancelled under the proposal without any issue of JSW Cement shares against that holding.

The scheme has an appointed date of April 1, 2026, and the company has indicated that completion could take 12 to 14 months, depending on the receipt of approvals. These include clearances from stock exchanges, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the National Company Law Tribunal and other applicable authorities, along with approvals from shareholders and creditors where required. JSW Cement shares closed at Rs. 113.15 on the BSE, up Rs. 2.05, or 1.85 per cent.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

3 days ago

October 9, 2026

admin

Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit in Rajasthan

The Nagaur expansion takes JSW Cement’s total grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

Published

4 days ago

October 8, 2026

admin

JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) cement grinding unit at its Nagaur Integrated Plant in Rajasthan. The commissioning takes the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

JSW Cement’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, now stands at 9.74 MTPA.

The company began operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and a 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the latest expansion, the plant’s total grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA.

The additional capacity will cater to cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a combination of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2026, JSW Cement also commissioned an Alternate Fuel Handling System and a Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) at the Nagaur plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said the additional grinding capacity was a strategic priority for the company’s expansion in North India. He added that the Alternate Fuel Handling System and WHRS were expected to reduce production costs.