Concrete

Durable Concrete

Published

2 years ago

June 14, 2024

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Benefits of using ternary blend-cement, flyash and GGBFS.

Cement is the prime ingredient in concrete. One tonne of cement produces around 0.8 to 1 MT of carbon dioxide. It’s worth noting that efforts are being made to reduce the carbon footprint of cement production by using supplementary cementitious materials such as flyash and GGBS in concrete. In case of ternary blended concrete, supplementary cementitious materials flyash, GGBS are used in addition to cement, sand, aggregate, water and admixture.
To evaluate the percentage of replacement of cement with flyash and GGBS, one needs to understand the properties of concrete mixed with flyash, GGBS as ingredient, structure strength, stripping time, durability requirements.
Flyash: Pulverised coal is used in thermal power plants for electricity generation. A by-product of this combustion reaction is flyash. The electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) used inside chimneys of the power plants remove flyash before ejecting out the combustion gases into the atmosphere. Flyash is a very fine particle like residue, which has pozzolanic properties. Hence, it is often blended with cement and also used as partial replacement of cement.
Flyash consists of silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO) as its major components.

Due to the spherical shape of flyash, water demands in concrete are reduced and concrete becomes more cohesive.
Silica in flyash reacts with calcium hydroxide released from cement to form CSH Gel.
Formation of CSH Gel leads to increase in strength of concrete further and makes the concrete dense and durable.
35 per cent of cement can be replaced with flyash according to IS specification.
Early strength is observed to be less for flyash concrete. Due to slow development of strength of concrete, stripping time gets delayed.

Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS): Blast furnace slag is a by-product of iron ore during the iron extraction process. Amongst all mineral admixtures, blast furnace slag has the highest specific gravity (2.8 to 3.0). The slag fineness is slightly more than that of the cement.
There are various types of slag available like air cooled slag, expanded or foamed slag, granulated slag. GGBFS possesses both cementitious and pozzolanic properties. An activator is needed to hydrate the slag.

GGBFS increases the initial setting time of the concrete. But it does not alter the workability of the concrete much because its fineness is almost the same as that of the cement.
The early rate of strength gain in concrete is diminished by replacement of cement in the concrete with GGBFS.
The final strength is improved by slag cement and the durability of the concrete is increased.
Concrete uses in marine construction are highly prone to chemical attack and corrosion. GGBFS as a concrete ingredient increases resistance against sulphate and chloride attack.
Normally concrete tends to segregate with GGBS as an ingredient.

Ternary blend: Ternary blended concrete is observed to be more cohesive and workable due to presence of flyash in concrete. Early strength gain can be achieved by using both cement and GGBS in concrete. Concrete with ternary blend is a win-win situation in terms of good product quality, optimising the cost of concrete, durability and resistance against chemical attack. Additionally, the use of SCMs in concrete can contribute to sustainability efforts by minimising the cement content which is associated with significant carbon dioxide emission during its manufacturing process. The hydration process of ternary blended concrete is divided into primary reaction by OPC and GGBS, pozzolanic reaction of GGBS and flyash as the secondary process. Both materials react with Calcium hydroxide produced by cement hydration to form CSH gel which gives denser microstructure than conventional OPC concrete. The dense structure improves the durability properties of ternary blended concrete. Process yields to minimise penetration of aggressive chemicals such as sulphate, chloride as compared to conventional concrete mix.

– Nagesh Veeturi and Sumanta Sahu

(Communication by the management of the company)

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Concrete

JSW Cement Commissions 1 MTPA Unit in Rajasthan

Rajasthan grinding capacity rises to 3.50 MTPA after commissioning

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

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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

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

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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

3 days ago

October 8, 2026

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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.