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The age of concrete blocks can be up to a 100 years

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Nikita George, Director Operations, APCO Concrete Blocks and Allied Products, takes us through the manufacturing process of concrete blocks and its composition and also specifically discusses their patented product – cellular blocks.

Tell us about the type of concrete blocks that your organisation manufactures.
We manufacture mainly solid and cellular concrete blocks. The cellular block is our patented product, which has become increasingly popular due to its high utility value in the construction process. We are also gearing up to launch our new line of pavers and kerb stones by the end of August.

What is the composition of each type of block and what are their strengths?
Blocks constitute of mainly three items:
Cement,

  • Manufactured Sand and Stone Aggregates Our patented cellular blocks have a vast set of benefits:
  • Lightweight: The cellular block is between 8 to 9 kg lighter than the solid block. This not only increases the productivity of the labour but also helps in reducing the overall steel requirement for the project.
  • Thermal insulation properties: With the erratic weather conditions in India today, cellular blocks help in maintaining thermal insulation properties within the building. In a recent experiment conducted on a building, which used the cellular blocks, a marked reduction in temperature by three degrees was recorded.
  • Sound insulation properties: Due to the hollow nature of these concrete blocks, the product is able to cut the decibel levels by 14 per cent.
  • Compressive strength and water absorption properties: The cellular blocks exceed the ISO parameters for compressive strength and water absorption.

How do you ensure quality standards for the concrete blocks manufactured?
With our 50 years of experience in the concrete blocks manufacturing industry, we have continually evolved and tried our best to stay relevant with the international quality standards. Quality control begins with procurement of good quality raw material. Fortunately, we have our own crushers to cater to our production units. This helps us negate undesirable raw materials. State of the art machinery and a strong base of SOP help mitigate errors. Above all, of these we have a skilled set of managers who have over 25 years of experience in the concrete blocks field.

Tell us about the sustainability and environmental benefit while manufacturing and while using these blocks in construction?
The blocks that we manufacture follow the highest quality parameters that give a very long life span. When used in building, the age of concrete blocks can be up to 100 years. The blocks used in these buildings at the time of demolition can be re-crushed and used to manufacture the same product again. And since concrete blocks are one of the strongest products available in the market, the on site damages are virtually zero. Unlike native methods of concrete production, we use only M-sand. There is no usage of river sand hence, safeguarding our environment. Also, as mentioned before, concrete blocks can be reused even after the lifespan of a building. This cuts down on further usage of raw materials.

What are the key benefits that any builder can get from using your concrete blocks?
The concrete blocks industry to a large extent can still be categorised in the unorganised sector. Due to this, there is a lot of disparity in pricing and quality in the market. At APCO, with our 50 years of experience, we have won the trust of our customers by consistently proving the highest quality of our products and on-time delivery.
With our 5 production units strategically located around Bangalore city, we have the capability of producing up to one lakh blocks per day. This allows us to consistently supply large quantities to our customers. Our customers can also be assured that the quantity of blocks that leave our plants is the same quantity that will be unloaded at the site.
Apart from this as mentioned in the earlier answers, our cellular blocks host a wide range of benefits during and even after the construction of a building.

How do these concrete blocks contribute to the profitability of construction?
When APCO came into the market in the early ’70s, the construction industry was heavily reliant on the traditional clay bricks. It took us about 10 years before we got our first big break. And since then, the construction market has not looked back. There have been multiple competitors in the walling solutions market but in terms of pricing and quality no other product comes close. Most people build a house once. At APCO, we believe in making that house a home. We provide unrivalled quality and a fair price to all our customers!

What does the near future hold for APCO Concrete Blocks and allied products?
We will be launching our new product line of pavers and kerb stones by August and we are working towards APCO being present in a few more states around India.

Kanika Mathur

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Concrete

Star Cement launches ‘Star Smart Building Solutions’

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Star Cement has launched ‘Star Smart Building Solutions,’ a new initiative aimed at promoting sustainable construction practices, as per a recent news report. This venture introduces a range of eco-friendly products, including tile adhesives, tile cleaners and grouts, designed to enhance durability and reduce environmental impact. The company plans to expand this portfolio with additional value-added products in the near future. By focusing on sustainable materials and innovative building solutions, Star Cement aims to contribute to environmentally responsible construction and meet the evolving needs of modern infrastructure development.

Image source:https://www.starcement.co.in/

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Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas reports record quarterly EBITDA

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Nuvoco Vistas reported its highest-ever quarterly consolidated EBITDA of Rs.556 crore in Q4 FY25, with annual EBITDA at Rs.1,391 crore. Cement sales reached 19.4 MMT in FY25, with Q4 contributing 5.7 MMT. Revenue rose 4 per cent YoY to Rs.3,042 crore in Q4. Net debt reduced by Rs.390 crore to Rs.3,640 crore. The company received NCLT approval for acquiring Vadraj Cement, targeting 31 MMTPA capacity by FY27. Key marketing initiatives, expanding RMX and MBM businesses, and a focus on sustainability (457 kg CO2/tonne) drove performance. Nuvoco remains focused on premiumisation, operational efficiency, and market expansion.

Image source:nuvoco.com

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Concrete

UltraTech Cement increases capacity by 1.4Mt/yr

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UltraTech Cement has expanded its production capacity by 1.4 million tonnes per annum (Mt/yr) through a combination of debottlenecking efforts and operational efficiency upgrades across several of its plants. The enhancements include an addition of 0.6Mt/yr in grinding capacity at the Nagpur facility in Maharashtra and a combined 0.8Mt/yr at the Panipat and Jhajjar units in Haryana. With these upgrades, the company’s total domestic grey cement capacity has risen to 184.8Mt/yr, while its global capacity now stands at 190.2Mt/yr.

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