Concrete

We use computerised batching plants to ensure proper blending of fly ash with concrete

Published

12 years ago

July 31, 2014

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Mayur Shah, Managing Director, Marathon Group

Availability of good quality fly ash is not an issue. And the methods for testing it are well established as well. Construction leaders have now realised the merits of blending fly ash, and some, like the Marathon Group, are using fly ash in all their projects. The challenge however, is to blend it perfectly, says Mayur Shah, in an interaction with ICR. Excerpts from the interview.

How often, and how much of fly ash do you blend in cement?
We have used fly ash blended concrete in all our projects. We have been replacing cement with 28 per cent of fly ash in our blends. We produce high performance concrete using fly ash, GGBS, etc. Apart from blended concrete, we are using fly ash bricks too for construction. These bricks have better density and strength as compared to the conventional ones.

What encourages you to use fly ash in such significant quantities?
We at Marathon believe that our buildings should last for 75 years without any deterioration despite adverse weathering conditions. We also aim to reduce the cost of building repairs. In order to gain maximum benefits, we use high quality materials for in the construction process. Fly ash is one such material used by us.

How does fly ash contribute to concrete strength?
Fly ash is rich in silica. After primary cement hydration reaction, free lime available in concrete reacts with silica of fly ash and forms calcium silicate hydrate gel, which further adds to the strength of concrete as well as reduces porosity. This is called secondary reaction and it continues for at least a year. It increases durability of the structure over time. As (part of) cement content in the mix is substituted by fly ash, the heat of hydration gets reduced, which in turn eliminates the cracks in concrete.

Can you name some of your noteworthy projects where fly ash was used in significant quantity?
We have successfully completed many projects in which fly ash has been used:

Residential tower Marathon Era – 36 storeys in South Mumbai
Commercial Tower Marathon Futurex – 25 storeys in South Mumbai
Residential Tower Monte Vista – 33 storeys in Mulund, Mumbai
Residential Complex Marathon Nagari at Badlapur – winner of Best Low Cost Housing Apartments, at the CREDAI Real Estate Awards in 2012.

How do you ensure quality of your fly ash-cement blend?
Manual blending of fly ash is prone to errors. It is not possible to get desired quality of concrete consistently unless there is strict supervision on the site. So we use computerised batching plants at our sites to ensure proper blending of fly ash with concrete. There is no need for human intervention in the production of concrete. This eliminates any possible blending errors and helps us make good quality concrete consistently.

How do you assess the quality of fly ash?
Fly ash is broadly classified as Grade I or Grade II. As per IS 3812-2003, when silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and Iron (Fe2O3) quantiles are more than 70 per cent it is classified as Grade I. We have been using the Grade I fly ash, which has at the most 5 per cent loss on ignition. Also, retention on 45 micron must be less than 34 per cent (by wet sieving method) as per IS: 3812 (Pt-I)-2013. We have also been using fly ash having 20 per cent retention on 45 micron sieve. We conduct sieve analysis test on site to ensure that the material retention on 45 micron sieve is in desired range.

What about the availability of good quality fly ash in the country?
Fly ash is generated as a by-product while burning coal at power plants. We are sourcing it from Dahanu and Nashik power plants. This raw fly ash is graded on the basis of its silica, alumina and iron content. We are not facing any issues in sourcing good quality fly ash.

Concrete

JSW Cement Commissions 1 MTPA Unit in Rajasthan

Rajasthan grinding capacity rises to 3.50 MTPA after commissioning

Published

1 day 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

2 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.