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

Cement Demand Strong As Prices Remain Stable

Volumes rise amid steady trade pricing and higher fuel costs

Published

15 hours ago

September 11, 2026

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Channel checks show cement demand remained healthy with volume growth estimated at six to seven per cent in July and August 2026. Trade prices were broadly stable while non-trade prices were volatile in the East, and attempted hikes were rolled back amid higher competition. Average fuel costs rose in August by five to nine per cent, lifting spot petcoke and coal prices.

All-India trade price remained flat month on month in August as increased rake supplies and competition offset early increases. Monsoon related demand softness limited sustained hikes and dealers indicated further attempts would depend on demand trends. Combined July and August volumes were estimated at six to seven per cent, supported by infrastructure spending while retail housing remained weather sensitive.

In the South, a Rs20 a bag hike in August did not hold and prices stayed flat month on month, while dealers planned Rs25 to Rs30 a bag from fifth September 2026 but with uncertain sustainability. In the East, trade prices were unchanged and non-trade prices corrected by Rs15 to Rs20 a bag amid weak construction in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha.

The West remained most resilient on pricing and demand despite attempted hikes of Rs10 to Rs15 a bag, and Gujarat saw relatively better volumes in August. North and Central markets kept prices range bound as players focused on ramping up utilisation of new capacity, with schemes of up to Rs2 to Rs3 a bag used to meet month-end targets. Overall construction activity improved as the monsoon eased, aiding a pickup in several states.

Fuel cost pressures persisted, with South African coal at USD114 a t and petcoke around USD146 to USD147 a t in August, while spot imported petcoke and coal were higher. Imported coal consumption cost stood at Rs2.07 per Kcal and petcoke at USD2.11 per Kcal. Analysts estimate the all-India trade spread to decline by Rs90 to Rs100 a t quarter on quarter, weighing on near-term profitability and they prefer UltraTech Cement (UTCEM), JK Cement (JKCE) and Grasim Industries (GRASIM).

Concrete

Aditya Birla Group Launches Ultravolt Wires And Cables Business

UltraTech extends building solutions into electrical wiring

Published

3 days ago

September 9, 2026

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Aditya Birla Group has entered the wires and cables market through Ultravolt, extending UltraTech’s move from building materials into building solutions. The shift builds on UltraTech Building Solutions, a multi-category platform that already addresses customers across different stages of construction and extends beyond cement into ready-mix concrete, waterproofing, tile-fixing solutions and mortars.

The company intends to enter with scale, seeking presence across 100,000 retailers in more than 500 districts and availability through 5,000 plus UltraTech Building Solutions (UBS) outlets. The portfolio spans house wires, light-duty cables, communication cables, solar cables and low-tension and industrial cables to meet changing electrical requirements driven by solar installations, communications infrastructure and industrial automation.

An upstream advantage begins in the Group’s metals ecosystem, with conductor quality central to product performance. Ultravolt wires will use TruePure Copper, defined as 99.97 per cent pure electrolytic-grade annealed copper sourced from Hindalco, providing greater control over raw material quality and provenance and supporting electrical performance, safety and durability.

The business also targets the electrician community as a decisive influence on product choice and installation quality. The Wires and Cables Business has launched a Skill India Electrician Training Programme in partnership with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India that aims to train and certify more than 40,000 electricians across India over the next year, focusing on safe wiring practices, correct installation and advanced wire technologies and offering Skill India-aligned certification and identification credentials.

The move combines market opportunity, UltraTech’s construction ecosystem, manufacturing capability and Group-level resources. A large Gujarat facility, advanced machinery and in-house testing and research and development underpin the product strategy, which is designed for both traditional and emerging applications. The ambition is to build a scaled national brand and become one of the top two players within five years, making the Group an integral participant in modern building infrastructure.

Concrete

Ramco Cements Mine Restoration Gets Global Biodiversity Certification

Pandalgudi mine restoration receives Advanced Certification from TGBS

Published

3 days ago

September 9, 2026

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The ecological restoration of Ramco Cements’ limestone mine at Pandalgudi in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, has received international recognition with the site being awarded Advanced Certification by The Global Biodiversity Standard (TGBS). The recognition makes Pandalgudi the first site in Peninsular India to receive the certification and places it among globally recognised biodiversity restoration projects.

TGBS, recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), assesses biodiversity restoration projects based on scientific evaluation and their contribution to ecosystem recovery and local communities. The certification is supported by more than 250 scientists and academics worldwide.

Spread across over 500 acres of worked-out mine areas, the restoration project includes a certified 234-acre site. Initiated in 2018 with technical support from Auroville Botanical Gardens, the project began plantation activities in 2019 and is expected to be completed by 2027. More than 430,000 native trees and shrubs belonging to 150 ecologically significant species have been planted at the site.

The restored mine, which was once a barren landscape with limited biodiversity, has recorded over 72 bird species and 53 butterfly species. The project has also captured an estimated 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the past seven years, supporting broader sustainability and carbon reduction goals.

Opened officially in 2022, the site has attracted more than 13,000 visitors through educational programmes for schools, colleges and training institutions. The restoration initiative has also contributed to the development of the Rajapalayam Masterplan and supported Tamil Nadu’s carbon neutrality ambitions.

Commenting on the achievement, Mr P. R. Venketrama Raja, Chairman, Ramco Group, said the company aims for the Pandalgudi restoration project to serve as an inspiration and blueprint for the mining industry in India. Dr David Bartholomew, CEO, The Global Biodiversity Standard, highlighted the project’s long-term commitment to biodiversity recovery and independent assessment of ecological outcomes.

The certification reinforces Ramco Cements’ focus on sustainable mining practices and ecological restoration as part of its commitment towards a carbon-neutral future.