Concrete

Green Concrete

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

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Rising property rates have made it imperative for builders and developers to look out for ways to use the available space effectively. Conventionally-in any housing structure-around 30-40 per cent of the space on which the structure is built is lost to walls and supporting pillars. It is a loss to both the developers and to the home buyers. Modern construction materials such as Flyocrete AAC blocks are here to rescue both. Yuvraj Patil demonstrates to ICR how these blocks can save space and do a lot more.

FlyocreteÂ´s autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks are manufactured from fly ash. The fly ash used is a waste from thermal power. Use of fly ash in making AAC blocks save a lot of soil. Bricks on other hand require fertile soil, which is an important resource. Brick manufacturing also leads production of carbon dioxide. From the process of manufacturing till the end use, Flyocrete AAC saves natural resources. Apart from being a green product it also has several other advantages, including:

Lightweight: Oven-dry Flyocrete AAC blocks have a density between 551 to 650 Kg/cum making them 1/3 in thickness than brick and 1/4 that of concrete. So more material can be packed in a truck

for a given structure. It helps in reduction of transport cost as well as the fuel consumed. It is lightweight and leads to reduction of the depth of foundations, sizes of the structural units, saving the cost of cement, steel, coarse aggregate, fine aggregates required for concrete structure. It is suitable for the structures that are erected on low bearing soil, marshy lands, and is useful for all types of residential, commercial, industrial and multi-storeyed projects. This opens avenues for using additional FSI/TDR on existing buildings/societies

Thermal insulation: Its low thermal conductivity leads to saving on energy consumption for heating as well as cooling, suitable as insulating material for steel works, boilers, furnaces, heat exchangers, and oven in different P2 industries, forges. It is also suitable and economical for hotels, malls, multiplexes and hospitals, and all types of commercial projects where air conditioners are used.

Fire resistant: Flyocrete AAC has an extremely high fire rating of at least four hours (200 mm) and more. Due to its high fire resistance, it is useful for the construction of fire wall of lift room/walls of hazardous chemical, paint storage rooms, etc. in textile industries and cotton mills where there is a danger of fire hazard.

High strength to weight ratio: Flyocrete AAC products have strength to weight ratio between 18 to 22 against 16 for the concrete of grade M150. This means thinner walls and thinner pillars can be constructed with Flyocrete. It also means more carpet area for developers to sell.

High dimension accuracy and uniform surface: Due to high dimensional accuracy, it is extremely easy to install. It requires less cement mortar for joining. The uniform and flat surface requires very less plastering material Water penetration: Flyocrete block structures are of closed cells hence there is very little capillary action. The high surface activity allows faster evaporation rates. So the problems of water seepage are minimal with the fly ash-based product. High workability: Flyocrete AAC can be easily cut sawed drilled, nailed, milled like wood, making it a comfortable workable product than bricks, concrete blocks and fly ash bricks.

Concrete

UltraTech’s Kukurdih unit runs fully on green energy

The Chhattisgarh plant has met 100 per cent of its electricity needs through green energy since April 2026.

Published

1 day ago

October 1, 2026

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UltraTech Cement’s Kukurdih Cement Works in Chhattisgarh has met 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through green energy every month since April 2026. Commissioned in 2024, the integrated cement manufacturing unit has an installed grey cement capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum.

The plant meets its electricity requirement through a combination of renewable power sourcing and Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS). UltraTech said the combination enables the unit to meet its power needs through green energy while maintaining operational reliability.

Since April 2026, nearly a third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirement. Five units, including Kukurdih, have exceeded 95 per cent green energy utilisation.

The company is also progressively deploying Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across its manufacturing network to support greater integration of renewable energy. UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity at its integrated units, including greenfield projects and brownfield expansions, for more than 10 years.

As of Q1FY27, UltraTech’s captive green energy capacity stood at 1,897 MW, comprising 1,463 MW of renewable capacity from solar, wind and hybrid sources, and 434 MW of WHRS capacity.

Under its RE100 commitment, the company aims to increase the share of green power in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050.

Concrete

Cement Prices Rise Rs. 7 per Bag in September; October Hikes Expected

Cement prices rose in September as companies weighed further increases.

Published

1 day ago

October 1, 2026

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Cement companies may seek to raise prices by Rs. 5 to Rs. 20 per bag across most markets in October, although the ability to sustain the increases will depend on demand recovery and dealer acceptance, according to a report by Centrum Broking. The outlook follows a pickup in pricing momentum during September after largely stable prices in July and August.

The all-India average trade price increased by Rs. 7 per bag month-on-month to Rs. 356 in September. Centrum Broking’s channel checks indicated gains across both trade and non-trade segments, with non-trade prices recording sharper increases in most markets. However, higher company billing rates were not fully passed on to customers in several regions because dealers continued selling at earlier prices to meet quarter-end volume targets.

The brokerage said demand weakness in Q2FY27 was less pronounced than the usual seasonal trend, with construction activity improving in several markets towards the end of the quarter. Demand remained range-bound across several markets in July and August, while September produced mixed regional trends. Higher rainfall affected activity in some areas, whereas lower rainfall supported construction work elsewhere.

South India recorded the largest price increase in September, at Rs. 11 per bag, followed by West India at Rs. 9. Central, East and North India each reported increases of Rs. 5 per bag. Despite the September recovery, the average all-India trade price for Q2FY27 stood at Rs. 351 per bag, down Rs. 1 sequentially, as weaker pricing in July and August offset the later gains.

Centrum Broking said the success of any October increases would depend on the pace of demand recovery and dealers’ willingness to accept higher prices. Fuel prices have also risen sharply in recent weeks, making the implementation and sustainability of price increases a key factor for the cement industry’s pricing outlook.

Concrete

Andhra Pradesh Clears Rs. 30 bn My Home Cement Plant

Project receives incentives of up to Rs. 11.29 bn from state

Published

2 days ago

September 30, 2026

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The Andhra Pradesh government has approved a greenfield cement project worth Rs. 30 bn by My Home Industries, along with incentives of up to Rs. 11.29 bn. The decision comes amid a political controversy in Telangana involving allegations about landholdings associated with My Home Group.

According to an Industries and Commerce Department order issued on September 25, 2026, the project is expected to create 2,000 jobs and begin commercial production by March 2029. The proposed facility will have capacity to produce 3.5 MTPA of clinker and 3.5 MTPA of cement.

The total investment includes fixed capital investment of Rs. 25.97 bn, pre-operative expenses of Rs. 2.23 bn, contingencies of Rs. 1.26 bn and working capital margin of Rs. 540 mn. The incentive package is capped at Rs. 11.29 bn, equivalent to up to 43.48 per cent of fixed capital investment, subject to completion of the committed investment by March 2029.

The package includes a capital subsidy of 39 per cent of eligible fixed capital investment, capped at Rs. 9.43 bn, payable over 10 years from the start of commercial production. It also provides reimbursement of Rs. 1 per unit on electricity purchased from distribution companies for 10 years, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 1.86 bn. A further incentive equivalent to 2 per cent of fixed capital investment is linked to the creation of the committed jobs and other policy conditions.

The state has approved the allotment of 27.19 acres through the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation at actual cost. The project also involves land linked to two temples and the realignment of a canal across approximately 9.93 acres, with conditions requiring alternative temple facilities and company-funded infrastructure work. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has separately raised allegations concerning land associated with My Home Group, including 2,463 acres near Shamshabad. The allegations remain subject to verification through official records and any investigations.