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I will always try to find real applications for what we design and build.

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Advancements in computer and IT technologies, innovative advancement in fiber optic sensors, nanotechnologies, dynamic monitoring devices, new GPS system technologies, and wireless monitoring techniques will be used as a base for future survey and SHM programmes, and will become an integral part of the building design and Intelligent Building Management System (IBMS), says Dr. Ahmad Abdelrazaq, Senior Executive Vice President and the Head of the Highrise and Complex Building Division at Samsung C & T Corporation, Seoul, Korea. ICR has a one-to-one interaction with the man who was involved in the design, execution and performance monitoring of the world´s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa. Excerpts from the interview.

You have been with Samsung for some time now. What has your journey been like?

Since joining Samsung in 2004, I have overseen the division transition from a traditional construction-only provider into the successful design-build, pre-construction, value engineering, and fast track design/construction for high-rise and complex buildings. I have been involved with many projects at Samsung, most notably in all aspects of construction planning, pre-construction services, and structural design of the Burj Khalifa, the Jumeirah Gardens in Dubai, Samsung HQ, Seoul, the 151-story Inchon Tower, and the Yongsan Landmark Tower (a 620m- tall , 111-storey tower) in Seoul.

You possess a wealth of knowledge and experience. How do you share it with the industry?

In addition to presenting at several international professional conferences and workshops, I also serve as a lecturer at Seoul National University where I teach graduate classes the structural design of high-rise buildings and spatial structures. I have also served as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology´s School of Architecture, where my research interest included the development of innovative structural systems in concrete/steel/composite structures, and in aerodynamic shaping of super tall buildings to mitigate wind effects, to reduce the dynamic wind forces and resonant vibration. It is important to note that these mitigation measures were later incorporated in real projects including the Tower Palace III, the Burj Khalifa, and the Twisted Towers.

YWhy are you participating in this conference?

This conference is a celebration of the accomplishment of giants in the concrete industry; those who have contributed significantly to where we are today. The calibre of the people attending the conference will no doubt allow me to exchange significant information that is critical to what we do today and to what the future may hold. I had the opportunity to work with some of these giants and this conference will allow me to meet them again under a single roof.

YWhy have you chosen the topic you are speaking on?

I have chosen two topics to speak about at the conference which I believe are dear to every engineer, in terms of getting feedback on the work we do. Engineers design many buildings through their professional careers but most are not / never able to correlate their design to the actual response and behaviour of the building to forces imposed on them during their life, including but not limited to gravity and lateral loads.

This paper takes the reader into a journey of my involvement as the senior structural engineer of the project responsible for developing the structural and foundation design of the Burj Khalifa tower, to being involved in the construction as the chief technical director of the project and in developing the construction planning, logistics, execution strategy, evaluation of the building structure as we build for the entire project, ensuring that the project is delivered to the highest quality and standards, and being able to conceptualise and execute one of the most comprehensive real- time structural health monitoring programmes of its kind. All that gave me a complete feedback on the structural behaviour of the building in all aspects, starting from the foundation to the tip of the pinnacle at 828m above the ground. Therefore, I had the luxury to design, build, and still continuously test the tallest man- made structure in the world.

I hope that sharing my Burj Khalifa experience with engineers/building authorities/ owners/ developers. may give them the opportunity to set up such programmes for all essential and important facilities. This will give us feedback on the buildings we design and aid us in improving on them in the future. I am now testing the building in full scale and there is no better way to do it.

What are your expectations from this conference?

This conference will allow me to share knowledge, information, and to have a better understating of the future direction of the concrete industry and best practices from the giants in our industry. I will always try to find real applications for what we design and build.

Tell us a bit more about the content you will be sharing through your paper?

My paper is titled `Validating the Structural Behaviour and Response of Burj Khalifa: Full Scale Structural Health Monitoring Programmes.` A new generation of tall and complex buildings reflects the latest developments in materials, design, sustainability, construction, and IT technologies. While design complexity can be managed through advances in structural analysis tools and software, ultimately the design of these buildings still relies on minimum code requirements that are yet to be validated in full scale.

My involvement in the design and construction of the Burj Khalifa from inception until completion prompted me to develop an extensive survey and real-time structural health monitoring programme to validate the assumptions made during the development of the design and construction planning of the tower.

At 828m, Burj Khalifa is the world´s tallest man-made structure, composed of 162 floors above grade and three basement levels. The focus of my paper is to provide a brief description of the structural and foundation system of the tower and to discuss the development of the survey and real-time Structural Health Monitoring Programmes (SHMP). Correlation between the predicted and actual measured structural behaviour will also be discussed; however, because of confidentiality clauses, the actual measured data cannot be disclosed at this time.

The SHMP included:

  1. Monitoring the tower´s foundation system.
  2. Monitoring the foundation settlement.
  3. Measuring the column/wall strains and shortening during and after construction.
  4. Real-time measuring of the tower lateral displacement and dynamic characteristics during construction.
  5. Measuring the building lateral movement under lateral loads (wind, seismic) during construction.
  6. Measuring the building displacements, accelerations, dynamic characteristics, and structural behaviour during service life.
  7. Monitoring the pinnacle dynamic behaviour and fatigue characteristics.
  8. While the SHMP developed for the Burj Khalifa was a futuristic model at the time, this field is constantly evolving and a new generation of SHM systems will emerge that uses the latest technological advances in devices and IT technologies.

Can you share some industry developments related to the subject you intend to present?

Presently, in China, there are similar programmes being executed and that may follow the same programme presented in this paper. There are only a few buildings in the world that have been designed, constructed, and monitored by the same engineer. This provided a complete and rare loop of linking the design to the final behaviour from the point of view of the original designer´s perspective. The idea is to validate all the assumptions made in the design and to give assurances how to build better and push the limits to the next level while developing the next generation of tall building systems.

Do you have a message for ICR readers?

Traditionally, the design and construction of tall buildings relied solely on minimum building code requirements, fundamental mechanics, scaled models, research, and experience. While many research and monitoring programmes have been done on tall buildings, these programmes had a very limited research and scope and were yet to be systematically validated or holistically integrated. The development of the comprehensive SHM programmes at the Burj Khalifa provided immediate and direct feedback on the actual structural performance of the tower, from the beginning of construction and throughout its lifetime, and includes the following:

  • Testing all concrete grades to confirm the concrete mechanical properties and characteristic (strength, modulus of elasticity, shrinkage and creep characteristics, split cylinder, durability, heat of hydration, etc).
  • Survey monitoring programme s to measure the foundation settlement, column shortening, and tower lateral movement from the early construction stage until the completion of the structure.
  • Strain monitoring programme to measure the actual strains in the columns, walls, and near the outrigger levels to confirm the load transfer into the exterior mega columns.
  • Survey programme to measure the building tilt in real time, and the utilisation of GPS technology in the survey procedure.
  • Temporary real- time SHM programme to measure the building acceleration, displacement, and to provide real-time feedback on the tower dynamic characteristics and behaviour during construction.
  • Permanent real-time SHM programme to measure the building acceleration, movement, dynamic characteristics (frequencies, mode shapes), acceleration time history records, wind velocity and direction along the entire height, and fatigue behaviour of the spire/pinnacle.
  • The data collected from the above survey and SHM programmes were found to be well in agreement with Samsung- predicted structural behaviour.
  • The survey and SHM programmes developed for the Burj Khalifa have:
  • Validated the design assumptions and parameters used in the design, analysis, and construction techniques;
  • Provided real-time information on the structural system response and allowed for potential modification to the construction techniques, to ensure the expected performance during construction and through its lifetime;
  • Identified anomalies at early stages and allowed for means to address them; generated very large in-situ data for all concrete materials used for the tower.
  • Provided full feedback on the foundation and structural system behavior and characteristics since the start of construction.

The survey and SHM programmes developed for the Burj Khalifa will no doubt be pioneers in the use of survey and SHM programme concepts as part of the fundamental design concept of building structures and will be benchmarked as the model for future monitoring programmes for all critical and essential facilities.

Alongside this, advancements in computer and IT technologies, innovative advancement in fiber optic sensors, nanotechnologies, dynamic monitoring devices, new GPS system technologies, and wireless monitoring techniques will be used as a base for future survey and SHM programmes and it will become an integral part of the building design and Intelligent Building Management System.

Learning from the Expert

A galaxy of global experts will soon descend in Mumbai to promote cost-effective and green concrete technologies at the inaugural R. N. Raikar Memorial International Conference. To be held on 20 and 21 December 2013, the event will feature over 88 renowned international experts from the world of concrete.

One such stalwart is Dr. Ahmad Abdelrazaq, Senior Executive Vice President and the Head of the Highrise and Complex Building Division at Samsung C & T Corporation, Seoul, Korea. His paper, `Validating the Structural Behaviour and Response of Burj Khalifa: Full Scale Structural Health Monitoring Programmes` is already generating a lot of buzz within the engineering community and is tipped to be one of the star presentations at the event. Presently, Dr. Ahmad is directly involved in the design and construction of several mixed-use, high-rise and complex building projects in Asia and the Middle East, including the Worli development project, Mumbai.

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Economy & Market

Precision in Motion

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A deep dive into Power Build’s core gear series products – M, C, F, K

At the heart of every high-performance industrial system lies the need for robust, reliable and efficient power transmission. Power Build answers this need with its flagship geared motor series: M, C, F and K. Each series is meticulously engineered to serve specific operational demands while maintaining the universal promise of durability, efficiency
and performance.

Series M – Helical Inline Geared Motors
Compact and powerful, the Series M delivers exceptional drive solutions for a broad range of applications. With power handling up to 160kW and torque capacity reaching 20,000 Nm, it is the trusted solution for industries requiring quiet operation, high efficiency, and space-saving design. Series M is available with multiple mounting and motor options, making it a versatile choice for manufacturers and OEMs globally.

Series C – Right Angled Heli-Worm Geared Motors
Combining the benefits of helical and worm gearing, the Series C is designed for right-angled power transmission. With gear ratios of up to 16,000:1 and torque capacities of up to 10,000 Nm, this series is optimal for applications demanding precision in compact spaces. Industries looking for a smooth, low-noise operation with maximum torque efficiency rely on Series C for dependable performance.

Series F – Parallel Shaft Mounted Geared Motors
Built for endurance in the most demanding environments, Series F is widely adopted in steel plants, hoists, cranes and heavy-duty conveyors. Offering torque up to 10,000 Nm and high gear ratios up to 20,000:1, this product features an integral torque arm and diverse output configurations to meet industry-specific challenges head-on.

Series K – Right Angle Helical Bevel Geared Motors
For industries seeking high efficiency and torque-heavy performance, Series K is the answer. This right-angled geared motor series delivers torque up to 50,000 Nm, making it a preferred choice in core infrastructure sectors such as cement, power, mining, and material handling. Its flexibility in mounting and broad motor options offer engineers freedom in design and reliability in execution.
Together, these four series reflect Power Build’s commitment to excellence in mechanical power transmission. From compact inline designs to robust right-angle drives, each geared motor is a result of decades of engineering innovation, customer-focused design and field-tested reliability. Whether the requirement is speed control, torque multiplication, or space efficiency, Radicon’s Series M, C, F and K stand as trusted powerhouses for global industries.

https://www.powerbuild.in
Call: +919727719344

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Economy & Market

TSR Will Define Which Cement Companies Win India’s Net-Zero Race

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Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, Fornnax Technology

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.

According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.

Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The Regulatory Push Is Real

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.

Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian Waste Is a Different Engineering Problem

Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.

The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a Made-in-India Answer

At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.

Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.

Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The Investment Case Is Now

The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.

The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.

The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.

The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About The Author

Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.

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Concrete

Reimagining Logistics: Spatial AI and Digital Twins

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Digital twins and spatial AI are transforming cement logistics by enabling real-time visibility, predictive decision-making, and smarter multi-modal operations across the supply chain. Dijam Panigrahi highlights how immersive AR/VR training is bridging workforce skill gaps, helping companies build faster, more efficient, and future-ready logistics systems.

As India accelerates infrastructure investment under flagship programs such as PM GatiShakti and the National Infrastructure Pipeline, the pressure on cement manufacturers to deliver reliably, efficiently, and cost-effectively has never been greater. Yet for all the modernisation that has taken place on the production side, the end-to-end logistics chain, from clinker dispatch to the last-mile delivery of bagged cement to construction sites, remains a domain riddled with inefficiencies, opacity and manual decision-making.
The good news is that a new generation of spatial computing technologies is now mature enough to transform this reality. Digital twins, spatial artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) training platforms are converging to offer cement producers something they have long sought: real-time visibility, autonomous decision-making at the operational edge, and a scalable solution to the persistent skills gap that hampers workforce performance.

Advancing logistics with digital twins
The cement supply chain is uniquely complex. A single integrated plant may manage limestone quarrying, kiln operations, grinding, packing and despatch simultaneously, with finished product flowing through rail, road, and waterway networks to reach hundreds of regional depots and distribution points. Coordinating this network using spreadsheets, siloed ERP data, and phone calls is not merely inefficient; it is a structural liability in a competitive market where delivery reliability is a key differentiator.
Digital twin technology offers a way out. A cement logistics digital twin is a continuously updated, three-dimensional virtual replica of the entire supply chain, from the truck loading bays at the plant to the inventory levels at district depots. By ingesting data from IoT sensors on conveyor belts and packing machines, GPS trackers on road and rail fleets, weighbridge records, and weather feeds, the digital twin provides planners with a single, authoritative picture of where every ton of cement is, in real time.
The value, however, goes well beyond visibility. Because the digital twin mirrors the physical system in dynamic detail, it can run scenario simulations before decisions are executed. If a primary rail corridor is disrupted, logistics managers can model alternative routing options, shifting volumes to road or coastal shipping, and assess the cost and time implications within minutes rather than days. If a packing line at the plant is running below capacity, the twin can automatically recalculate dispatch schedules downstream and alert depot managers to adjust receiving resources accordingly.
For cement companies operating multi-plant networks across geographies as varied as Rajasthan and the North-East, this kind of end-to-end situational awareness is transformative. It collapses information latency from hours to seconds, enables proactive rather than reactive logistics management, and creates the data foundation upon which AI-driven decision-making can be built. Companies that have deployed logistics digital twins in comparable heavy-industry contexts have reported reductions in transit time variability of up to 20 per cent and meaningful decreases in demurrage and detention costs, savings that flow directly to the bottom line.

Smart logistics operations
A digital twin is only as powerful as the intelligence layer that sits on top of it. This is where Spatial AI becomes the critical differentiator for cement logistics.
Traditional logistics management systems are reactive. They record what has happened and flag exceptions after the fact. Spatial AI systems, by contrast, are proactive. They continuously analyse the state of the logistics network as represented in the digital twin, identify emerging bottlenecks before they crystallise into delays, and recommend corrective actions.
At the plant gate, AI-powered visual inspection systems using spatial depth-sensing cameras can assess truck conditions, verify load integrity and confirm seal tamper status in seconds, replacing the manual checks that currently slow throughput. At the depot level, Spatial AI can monitor stock drawdown rates in real time, cross-reference them against pending customer orders and inbound shipment ETAs, and automatically trigger replenishment orders when safety thresholds are approached. In transit, AI systems processing GPS and telematics data can detect anomalous vehicle behaviour, including extended stops, route deviations, speed irregularities and alert fleet managers instantly.
Perhaps most significantly for Indian cement logistics, Spatial AI can optimise the complex multi-modal routing decisions that are central to competitive cost management. Given the variability in road quality, seasonal accessibility, rail rake availability, and regional demand patterns across India’s vast geography, the combinatorial complexity of routing optimisation is beyond human planners working with conventional tools. AI systems can process this complexity continuously and adapt routing recommendations as conditions change, reducing empty running, improving vehicle utilisation and cutting fuel costs.
The agentic dimension of modern AI is particularly relevant here. Agentic AI systems do not merely analyse and recommend; they act. In a cement logistics context, this means an AI system that can, within pre-authorised boundaries, directly communicate revised dispatch instructions to plant teams, update booking confirmations with freight forwarders and reallocate available rail rakes across plant locations, all without waiting for a human to process a recommendation and make a call. For logistics executives, this represents a genuine shift from managing a workforce to setting the rules of engagement and reviewing outcomes. The operational tempo achievable with agentic AI simply cannot be matched by human-in-the-loop systems working at the pace of emails and phone calls.

Bridging the skills gap
Technology investments in digital twins and spatial AI will deliver diminishing returns if the human workforce cannot operate effectively within the new systems they create. This is a challenge that India’s cement industry cannot afford to underestimate. The sector relies on a large, geographically dispersed workforce, including truck drivers, depot managers, despatch supervisors, fleet maintenance technicians, many of whom have been trained on paper-based processes and manual workflows. Retraining this workforce for a digitised, AI-augmented environment is a substantial undertaking, and conventional classroom or on-the-job training methods are poorly suited to the scale and pace required.
Immersive AR and VR training platforms offer a fundamentally different approach. By creating photorealistic, interactive simulations of logistics environments, such as a plant dispatch bay, a depot yard, the interior of a cement truck cab, allow workers to practice complex procedures and decision-making scenarios in a safe, consequence-free virtual environment. A depot manager can work through a simulated rail rake delay scenario, making decisions about customer allocation and communication
without the pressure of real orders being affected. A truck driver can practice the correct procedure for securing a load of bagged cement without the risk of a road incident.
The learning science case for immersive training is compelling. Studies consistently show that experiential, simulation-based learning produces faster skill acquisition and higher retention rates than didactic instruction, with some research indicating retention rates three to four times higher for VR-based training compared to classroom methods. For complex operational procedures where muscle memory and situational awareness matter as much as conceptual knowledge, the advantage of immersive simulation is even more pronounced.
Today’s leading cloud-based spatial computing platforms enable high-fidelity AR and VR training experiences to be delivered on standard mobile devices, removing the hardware barrier that has historically made immersive training impractical for large, distributed workforces. This is particularly relevant for cement companies with depots and logistics operations in tier-two and tier-three locations, where access to specialised training hardware cannot be assumed.
The integration of AR into live operations also creates ongoing learning opportunities beyond formal training programs. As an example, maintenance technicians equipped with AR overlays can receive step-by-step guidance for equipment procedures directly in their field of view, reducing error rates and service times for critical plant and fleet assets.

New strategy, new horizons
India’s cement industry is entering a period of intensifying competition, rising logistics costs, and demanding customers with shrinking tolerance for delivery variability. The companies that will lead over the next decade will be those that treat logistics not as a cost centre to be minimised, but as a strategic capability to be built.
Digital twins, spatial AI and immersive AR/VR training are not distant future technologies, they are deployable today on infrastructure that Indian cement companies already operate. The question is not whether to adopt them, but how quickly to do so and where to begin.

About the author:
Dijam Panigrahi is Co-Founder and COO of GridRaster Inc., a provider of cloud-based spatial computing platforms that power high-quality digital twin and immersive AR/VR experiences on mobile devices for enterprises. GridRaster’s technology is deployed across manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure sectors globally.

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