EDITOR'S COMMENT

Your feedbacks are welcome and

should be sent to: The Editor,
The Masterbuilder, 102/11
With hope come expectations (New No. 46/11), Tripti Apartments,
Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai, India.
and responsibilities Phone: +91 44 28555248
Telefax: +91 44 28586703

We have now completed a little over a month after the General Elections results
Editor-in-Chief
were declared, and the country still seems to be reeling from the scale of NDA's K.P. Pradeep
win. The results have been historic. The Indian voter has delivered an epochal ver- editor@masterbuilder.co.in
dict. It has given Prime Minister Narendra Modi an opportunity to change the for- Vice-Chairman
K G K Moorthy
tunes of the country without the pressures and pulls of coalition politics. It has moorthykgk@yahoo.co.in
vested high hopes on the new government. With hope come expectations and
Director Editorial, Construction Chemicals
responsibilities. Dr. Y P Kapoor
After the initial euphoria, it is now time for the new government to start gradually Editor-in-Charge
Ravi Damodaran
delivering on its promises.
Editor
It doesn't take to be an economist to know that one of the first things that the Indian Nigel Narayan
government needs to do is to revive the infrastructure development spree. The Associate Editors
Union Budget 2013-14 presentations is to round the corner. One of the first things M.J. Krishna, M.K. Prabhakar, Sonjoy Deb
that the government needs to do is to create an enabling environment for availabil- Head - Content Development CE,
Infrastructure & Environment
ity of infra debt funds. The Finance Minister also needs to spell out measures to Sadagopan Seshadri
clear the constraints of the commercial banking system. Additionally there is an
Contributors
urgent need for different ministries such as finance, power, coal and commerce to Bhavani Balakrishna, Priya,
work in close tandem. Chaitanya Raj Goyal
Vice President Marketing
The new government needs to seriously think of de-nationalization of the coal sec- H. Usha Devi
tor, corporatisation of the railways and creation of land bank corporations in order Head-New Media Initiative
to go ahead full stream with the infrastructure development process. It has already Pradeep Nair
spelt out its core focus areas such as the expansion of railways, the establishment Finance
of freight corridors with specialized agri-rail networks, development of a diamond R. Prema
quadrilateral network of high speed trains, time bound program for national high- Manager Digital Production
ways development, Sagar Mala project to connect sea ports with hinterland K. Sravanthi Kiran

through road and rail, modernization of existing ports, development of new ports Manager Digital Media
Lakshmi Rahul
and construction of low cost airports.
Creative Head
One of the promises made in BJP's agenda is the creation of 100 new smart cities in S. Nithiyanandam
the countries. By 2050 half of the country's population is expected to be living in Production Manager
urban areas. The megacities should be world-class with efficient waste manage- Caroline D'sylva
ment, water recycling, sanitation and drainage facilities. Creation of 100 new Digital Production Assistant
R. Anand, Sudhir Kumar Singh
world-class cities is a huge task, albeit not impossible. We have the example of
Subscription & Circulation Team
China before us, which has developed around 30 modern cities in a remarkably Sateesh Kuniyil, S. Sasi
short span of time.
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The next few months will be crucial for the new government. Every action of it will be Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008.
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Nothing can be achieved overnight. The government too knows it and some of the Ashok Natarajan
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 CONTENTS

Editor's Comment.............................10
Advertisers Index..............................16
Classification Index..........................18
106 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT
The Indian Precast Industry - Gaining Prominence
Bhavani Balakrishna
News & Events..................................20
E.scape...........................................229
Cover picture: Credit: www.nationalprecast.com

46 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

Brazil's World Cup Stadiums Scoring Goals
96 FOUNDATION: THERMAL INTEGRITY PROFILING
Thermal Integrity Profiling for Quality Monitoring of
Bhavani Balakrishna Pile Foundation
Sonjoy Deb, B.Tech, Civil, Associate Editor

56 INTERNATIONAL: MEGA PROJECT

Pearl River Delta (PRD) Megapolis 116 PRECAST BUILDING
Sadagopan Seshadri, Chief - Content Development, Analysis of Multi Storey Building with Precast Load Bearing Walls
CE - Infrastructure - Environment J.D. Chaitanya Kumar1, Lute Venkat2
1
PG Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering,
GVP College of Engineering (A), Visakhapatnam
2
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
GVP College of Engineering (A), Visakhapatnam
66 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
Chinese Hospitality Industry: Undergoing a Design Revolution
Bhavani Balakrishna

126 Influence of Steel Fibres, Used in Conjunction with

Unconfined Rebar Configurations, on the
Structural Performance of Precast Elements
74 IT: CLOUD BASED ERP
An Cloud Based ERP: The Next Step in
Gary P. Robinson*, Alessandro Palmeri1 and Simon A. Austin1
*
Centre for Innovative and Collaborative Engineering (CICE),
Construction Project Management Loughborough University, Sir Frank Gibb Building, Loughborough, UK
1
Ankita Adhikary Dep. Civil and Building Eng., Loughborough University,
Sir Frank Gibb Building, Loughborough, UK

80 EQUIPMENT: SOIL COMPACTORS

Soil Compactors: Indian Market Braces Up 134 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS
Practical and Economical Design Aspects of Precast Concrete
for a Period of Rapid Growth
M.K. Prabhakar, Associate Editor Large Panel Building Structures
Bob van Gils (Director), WBK Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd.
And Van Boxsel Engineering Pvt. Ltd.

86 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

152
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

An Experimental Study on Pile Spacing Effects PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS
under Lateral Loading in Sand Precast Concrete Codal Provisions – Comparison of Various Codes
Mahdy Khari, Khairul Anuar Kassim, & Azlan Adnan Prasad. C.A. M.Tech, M(ASCE), FIE, MSEI, CE(I)
Department of Geotechnics and Transportation, Managing Partner, PS Engineering Consultants Secretary,
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Pre Engineered Structures Society of India

66

46 74 80
12
 CONTENTS

166 PRECAST BUILDINGS: SITE REPORT

Snehal Joshi
174 World-class Machine for Production of Hollow Core Slabs

176 World-class Range of Products for the Construction Industry

185 CONCRETE: SFRC

178
SFRC: Practical Considerations and Commercial Feasibility
Christian Medical College (CMC, Vellore) Goes the Precast Way

194 FOCUS: CLEANING EQUIPMENT

Industrial Vacuum Cleaning Equipment: Rapid Industrialization 180 Ushering in a New Era in Precast Construction Technology
Triggers Demand for Specialized Cleaning Equipment
MB Bureau Report

181 KGS Group's first but not last Cast in Place

Concrete Project with Tekla

198 FOUNDATION: EQUIPMENT

Positive Market Sentiments Drive Growth Momentum
M.K. Prabhakar, Associate Editor
190 Green Roofing your Future

202 ACCESS CONTROL: EQUIPMENT

Security Doors: Access Control Goes Hi-tech
M.K. Prabhakar, Associate Editor 192 Tata BlueScope Launched Unique Heat Reflective Solution

206 STEEL BUILDINGS

Light Gauge Steel Frame Construction: 205 High Performance Dock Levelers
Indian Market Poised for Exponential Growth
MB Bureau Report

209 Setting New Standards in Light Gauge Steel Frame Solutions

211 CARBON FIBER WRAPPING

Carbon Wrap Technology Used Successfully in
Strengthening Project 212 Krystol Mortar Admixture (KMA): India's Only Crystalline
Waterproofing Admixture for Mortar

211 COATINGS: POLYURETHANE DISPERSIONS

SuperFlex PUD Coatings “Greater Coating Applications 214 Marini Re-defines Productivity Benchmarks Across Projects
than Your Imaginations”

COMMUNICATION FEATURE
216 MC-Special DM Dynamic SynCrystallization® based
High Performance Integral Waterproofing Additive

102 New Batching Plant Manufacturing Facility Inaugurated 218 Quality Issues Associated with Readymix Concrete
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

144 Hollowcore Manufacturing and Factory Design

Stephen Carr C Eng MI Mech E, Spiroll Precast Services Ltd.
222 Dock Shelters from Gandhi Automations
– Safe & Environmental Friendly

172 A One-Stop Precast Solution Provider 223 Reliable Road Sweeper for the Toughest Cleaning Requirements

96 198

106 166
14
 CONTENTS

Advertisers Index

A G Precast Equipments &

Consultancy Services 109
3 Koll Concrete Solutions 163 Gandhi Automations Pvt.Ltd 11
Precast India Infrastructures Pvt.Ltd 129
Action Construction Equipment Ltd 143 Geo Foundations & Structures Pvt.Ltd 175
Precision Precast Solutions Pvt.Ltd 169
Ajax Fiori Engineering (I) Pvt.Ltd 37 H
R
Alpha Hitech Polyurethanes 175 Halfen Moment India Pvt.Ltd 169
REDECON -2014 213
Ammann Apollo India Pvt.Ltd 9 Hess Concrete Machinery India Pvt.Ltd 63
Reliance Industries Ltd 155
Apollo Infratech Pvt.Ltd 35 / 171 Hindoostan Technical Fabrics 43
Relyon Facility Services 171
Asons Enterprise 73 I
Robert Thomas Metal -und
Atul Fasteners Ltd 159 Igloo Tiles 69 Elektrowerke GmbH & Co. KG 163
Avians Innovations Technology Pvt.Ltd 41 Int'l Conference on Sustainable Civil Roots Multiclean Ltd 27
Infrastructure -2014 (ASCE-IS) 197 S
B
Ironite Co. of India Ltd 141 Sastha Soil Testing & Foundation Engg.
BASF India Ltd 15
J & Pile Foundatation 175
BC India 2014 183
Sika India Pvt.Ltd 49
Bekaert Industries Pvt.Ltd 13 J K White Cement Ltd 19
Skyscrapers & Prefab India Summit 179
BIG 5 Construct India -2014 201 Japeva Engineering Pvt.Ltd 7
Sleek Boards (India) LLP 79
JB Associates 77
C Spartan Engineering Industries Pvt.Ltd 95
JCB India Ltd 83
Caterpillar India Pvt.Ltd 29 STA Concrete Flooring Solutions 71 / 147
K
Cera Chem India Pvt.Ltd 55 Surie Polex 89
Chembond Chemicals Ltd Back inner Cover KYB - Conmat Pvt.Ltd 39 T
ConMec Auto Consultants India Pvt.Ltd 151 L Techny Chemy 8
Construction Risk Strategies Leister Technologies India Pvt.Ltd 61 Teemage Precast IN 119
(Trueventus) 221 M Tekla India 133
D Malar Energy & Infrastructure Pvt.Ltd 103 Terex India Private Limited 33
Deep Foundation Technologies for The Masterbuilder Corporate Ad 226
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Marini (Fayat Group) 123

Infrastructure Development in The Masterbuilder Susbcription Form 189
India (DFI) 193 MC - Bauchemie India Pvt.Ltd 53
Metecno India Pvt.Ltd Front inner -2 Thermex Rebar Manufacturers’
E Association 17
ECMAS Construction Chemicals Pvt.Ltd 59 MultiChem Industries Pvt.Ltd 2nd Wrapper
U
Elematic India Pvt.Ltd 113 N
UBM's Project Management &
Nina Concrete Systems Pvt.Ltd 99 Real Estate Conference 217
Elemente 137
Nirmaan Civicare 165 Ultratech Cement Ltd Back Cover
Esquire Machines Pvt.Ltd 149
P Universal Construction Machinery
E-Surveying Softech 165 & Equipment Ltd 101
Everest Engineering Equipments Pvt.Ltd 230 Peikko Gatefold
W
F Pidilite Industries Ltd Front inner -1
Weckenmann Anlagentecknik GmbH
Forbes Pro Clean Technology Solutions PRD Rigs India Pvt.Ltd 93 & Co. KG 121
(Eureka Forbes) 21 Preca Solutions India Pvt.Ltd 115 Wirtgen India Pvt.Ltd 31
16
 CONTENTS

Advertisers Index / Classification

Carbon Fiber Wrap UBM's Project Management & Weckenmann Anlagentechnik GmbH
Real Estate Conference 217 & Co. KG 121
Hindoostan Technical Fabrics 43
Doors Automatic Rubber Doors
Cement
Avians Innovations Technology Pvt. Ltd. 41 Sleek Board (India) Ltd. 79
Ultratech Cement Ltd Back Cover
Gandhi Automations Pvt.Ltd 11 Repair & Rehabilation
Concrete Admixtures
Drilling Rigs BASF India Limited 15
Chembond Chemicals Limited Back inner
PRD RIGS India Pvt. Ltd. 93 Cera-Chem Pvt. Ltd. 55
Concrete Block Making Machinery
Facility Services Chembond Chemicals Limited Back Cover
Hess Concrete Machinery India Pvt Ltd 63
Relyon Facility Services Pvt Ltd. 171 MC - Bauchemie (I) Pvt Ltd. 53
Concrete Polishing Machine
Fibre Reinforced Concrete MultiChem Industries Pvt.Ltd 2nd Wrapper
Surie Polex 89
Bekaert Industries Pvt Ltd. 13 Nina Concrete Systems Pvt Ltd 99
Concrete Restoration
Nina Concrete Systems Pvt Ltd. 99 Pidilite Industries Ltd. Front inner -1
Alpha High-Tech Polyurethanes 175
Flooring Reliance Industries Ltd. 155
Construction Chemicals
Bekaert Industries Pvt Ltd. 13 Road Sweeping & Maintenance Equipment
BASF India Ltd 15
Ironite Co. of India Ltd 141 Roots Multiclean Ltd. 27
Cera-Chem Pvt. Ltd. 55
J B Associates 77 Eureka Forbes 21
ECMAS construction Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. 59
Nina Concrete Systems Pvt. Ltd. 99 Rolling Shutters
MC - Bauchemie (I) Pvt Ltd. 53
Reliance Industries Ltd. 155
MultiChem Industries Pvt.Ltd 2nd Wrapper Gandhi Automations Pvt.Ltd 11
STA Concrete Flooring Solutions 71 / 147
Nina Concrete Systems Pvt Ltd 99 Roofing
Floor Polishing Machines
Construction Machinery & Equipment Metecno India Pvt.Ltd Front inner -2
Surie Polex 89
Action Construction Equipment Ltd. 143 Roofing Fastners
Geo Membrane
Ajax Fiori Engg. (I) Pvt. Ltd. 37 Atul Fastners Ltd. 159
Leister Technologies India Pvt Ltd. 61
Ammann Apollo India Private Limited 9 Asons Enterprises 73
Apollo Carmix Equipments Pvt. Ltd. 35 Geotechnical Consultants
Sandwich Panels
Apollo Infratech Pvt. Ltd. 171 Geo Foundations & Structures Pvt. Ltd 175
Metecno India Pvt. Ltd. Front inner -2
Caterpillar India Pvt. Ltd. 29 Sastha Soil Testing & Foundation Engg.
& Pile Foundatation 175 Software
Conmech Auto Consultants India Pvt Ltd 151 Esurveying Softech India Pvt. Ltd. 165
Green Building Materials & Products
Esquire Machines Pvt. Ltd. 149 Tekla India Pvt Ltd. 133
Japeva Engineering Pvt. Ltd. 7
HESS Concrete Machinery India Pvt Ltd 63
Industrial Vaccum Cleaning Equipments Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete
JCB India Limited 83
Eureka Forbes 21 Bekaert Industries Pvt. Ltd. 13
KYB-Conmat Pvt Ltd 39
Roots Multiclean Ltd 27 Nina Concrete Systems Pvt. Ltd. 99
Marini India Pvt Ltd (Fayat India) 123
LGFS Tensile welding Machine
Spartan Engineering Industries Pvt. Ltd. 95 Elemente 137 Leister Technologies India Pvt Ltd. 61
Terex India Pvt Ltd 33 PEB Thermal Insulation Tiles
Universal Construction Machinery Metecno India Pvt.Ltd Front Inner -2 Igloo Tiles 69
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

& Equipment Ltd. 101

Precast Connections TMT-Technology Suppliers
Wirtgen India 31
HALFEN Moment India Pvt. Ltd. 169 Thermex Rebar Manufacturers’ Association 17
Cranes
Peikko India Pvt Ltd Gatefold
Everest Engineering Equipment Pvt. Ltd. 230 Wall Putty
Precast Construction & Solution Providers
Spartan Engineering Industries Pvt. Ltd. 95 JK Cement Ltd. 19
3Koll Concrete Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 163
Curing Compound Waterproofing
Elematic India Pvt. Ltd. 113
Rotho - Robert Thomas Metall-und Elektrowerke GmbH & BASF India Ltd 15
KG 163 Malar Energy & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. 103
Cera-Chem Pvt. Ltd. 55
Conferences & Exhibitions Preca Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. 115
Chembond Chemicals Limited Back inner
BC India 2014 183 Precast india Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. 129
MultiChem Industries Pvt.Ltd 2nd Wrapper
BIG 5 Construct India -2014 201 Precision Precast Solutions Pvt Ltd 169
Pidilite Industries Ltd. Front inner -1
Deep Foundation Technologies for Teemage Precast In 119
Reliance Industries Ltd. 155
Infrastructure Development in India (DFI) 193 Precast Element Manufactures
Sika India Pvt. Ltd. 49
Int'l Conference on Sustainable Civil Apollo Infratech Pvt. Ltd. (Spirol) 171
Infrastructure -2014 (ASCE-IS) 197 Technychemy 8
Precast Equipments & consultancy Services
REDECON -2014 213 (Nordimplanti System Srl& Bianchi Waterproofing Applicators
18

Skyscrapers & Prefab India Summit 179 Casseforme S.r.l.) 109 Nirmaan Civi Care 165
 News & Events

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

nected vehicle industry's top trade orga-

CECE Congress in Antwerp with focus on “agility “ nizations. Telogis was chosen because of
its leadership, innovation and its No. 1
The core topic of this year's CECE con- ranking in a survey of fleet managers.
gress which is going to held from Octo- Telogis, Inc., the platform for location
ber 16 to 17 in Antwerp in Belgium is intelligence, is dedicated to enhancing the
how to become more agile in a fast value of its customers' businesses
changing environment. Despite good through intelligent integration of location
signs for 2014, the situation for the con- technology, information and services.
struction equipment industry in Europe Telogis was established in 2001 and is
speakers, CEOs of companies like
remains challenging. Companies need headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif., with
Volvo, Caterpillar, Bosch Rexroth or
to be innovative in marketing, in pro- offices in Europe and Latin America as
JLG who will look at the issue of agility
duction processes and product design. well as development centers in Austin,
and changing patterns from different
Eric Lepine, President of CECE said angles. Major innovation is expected Texas; Toronto; and Christchurch, New
that this is the only way to win in Europe. from areas such as additive manufac- Zealand.
CECE has invited an excellent panel of turing etc.

Hyundai Construction
Volvo CE opens new test Equipment's R1200-9
and development facility in Excavator Debuts
South Korea

recognizing the good design of the prod-

uct and symbolizing product excellence in
terms of its functionality, quality, safety,
sustainability and innovation.

Volvo Construction Equipment officially India Design Mark is a design standard

opened its new test and development cen- identified by a symbol and granted by Hyundai Construction Equipment
ter in Hapcheon, Korea. The new facility, Indian Design Council an autonomous launched its largest excavator,
which doubles Volvo CE's excavator test- body of Government of India. Launch of R1200-9 to the North American mar-
ing capacity in Korea includes an all- PIXEF is a game changing initiative by TIL ket and is designed for the mining
weather test dome, reliability and noise in the 15 Ton mobile crane segment. This and quarrying sector. The R1200-9
test field, workshops, various complete versatile Pickn-Carry crane epitomizes has an operating weight of 260,140
machine performance test areas and a safety, productivity, superior technology lbs. (118,000 kg) and is powered by a
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

customer clinic. and performance. 740 hp (552 kW) Cummins QSK23-C

The move will help Volvo CE to expand it's Telogis Wins 2014 award engine. The engine is electronically
facilities to accommodate the testing for Best Telematics controlled for optimum fuel to air
requirements. The new test and develop- Service ratio and clean, efficient combus-
ment center in the Gyeongsang province tion. Auto engine overheat and anti-
of Korea is 92 kilometers from Volvo CE's restart features also are provided.
existing R&D facility in Changwon. The R1200-9 boasts a dig depth of
26 ft. 3 in. (8 m) a bucket digging
TIL'S Mobile Pick-N-Carry force of 125,540 lbs. (115,080 kg)
Crane PIXEF awarded and bucket capacity of 8.76 cu. yds.
India Design Mark On the heels of its distinction as Company (6.7 cu m). To achieve optimum pre-
of the Year by research firm Frost & cision, Hyundai redesigned the
Following the successful launch of PIXEF Sullivan, Telogis was honored this week R1200-9's hydraulic system to pro-
TIL's 15 ton mobile Carry Deck crane at with the 2014 award for Best Telematics vide the operator with super fine
Excon 2013, PIXEF has recently been Service or Solutions for Commercial Vehi- touch and controllability.
20

awarded 'The India Design Mark (I Mark)' cles by Telematics Update, one of the con-
 News & Events

INFRASTRUCTURE

POWER
Delhi eyes rooftop solar power
Gandhinagar's rent-a-roof concept
may help Delhi supplement the power
supply in the capital with solar energy. If
the model is replicated in Delhi, it has
the potential to deliver 50-100 MW.
Under the rent-a-roof project, resi- GMR Infrastructure, and iron ore miner
dents give their rooftops on hire to pri- Sesa Sterlite have offered to sell some of
vate solar energy companies who in their power plants to India's largest power
turn pay them ` 3 for every unit of producer NTPC. Lanco, which has coal-
power projects, including the ones at
energy produced. fired power plants with a capacity of about
Gandinagar secretariat, fly ash dyke
3,000 MW, had publicly stated its intention
A team, headed by Delhi's principal sec- and houses where solar power is being
to sell some assets.
retary (power), visited several solar generated on terraces.
NTPC is already eying to purchase
Govt​ to fast-track supply Haryana to set up two Jaypee's three power plants at Bina (500
of electricity to villages​ power plants MW), Nigri (1,320 MW) and Bara (1,980
MW), which are either operational or in
the final stages of commissioning with
adequate coal supply arrangements.
Bina is already operational while Nigri will
be commissioned in the next financial
quarter, and Bara will be ready by 2015.

Karnataka to add 1,000 MW

of solar power to grid
The union government will fast-track its within 15 months
plan to supply electricity to every village in The Haryana government plans to set up a
the country and use solar power genera- gas-based power plant in Faridabad and a
tion to light up remote hamlets. The min- coal-based supercritical unit in Yamuna
ister for power, coal and renewable Nagar district. The project is expected to
energy Piyush Goyal recently reviewed be commissioned during the 13th five year
the status of rural electrification and plan (2017 onwards) after allocation of the
directed officers of his ministry, Rural required quantity of gas. It has also been
Electrification Corporation (REC) and decided to set up a 660 MW unit, based on
Power Grid Corporation to identify and supercritical technology, at Panipat in place
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

eliminate bottlenecks to speed up the of existing four units of 110 MW each. According to Energy Minister D.K.
ongoing projects. He also sought views on The Haryana Power Generation Corpora- Shivakumar, the Karnataka State govern-
possibility of commissioning small and tion Ltd ( HPGCL) has purchased 91 acres ment has set a target of adding 1,000 MW
rooftop solar projects to connect the of land for setting up of the 2X750 MW gas- of solar power to the State grid within 15
remotest households, which were not cov- based plant in village Mothuka/Arwa in dis- months. Tenders will be called within a week
ered in past. trict Faridabad. The issue of providing coal for setting up solar plants with a total
linkage for setting up a 660 MW super- capacity of 450 MW.
The government wants to set up new
transmission lines and set up solar pow- critical unit at Yamuna Nagar is being Of the targeted 1,000-MW capacity, about
ered micro-grids to connect villages expedited. 300 MW would be earmarked for farmers
where regional power grids are unable to by encouraging them to set up small plants
reach. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Private players queue with a capacity of 1 to 3 MW on their farm-
Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Arunachal
up to sell power assets land. The revised solar energy policy of the
Pradesh and Meghalaya account for close
to NTPC state had set the stage ready for encour-
to 90 per cent of the villages that still do India's major power producers, including aging individuals and companies to set up
22

not have electricity. Jaypee Power Ventures, Lanco Infratech, grid-connected rooftop solar units.
 News & Events

INFRASTRUCTURE

Ashok Lavasa, Secretary, Civil Aviation ,

TEDA mulling hybrid power projects Shri Alok Sinha, Joint Secretary, MoCA &
Chairman, AAI and Shri Rajendra Nimje,
Tamil Nadu Energy Development MD, SECI for the establishment of solar
Agency (TEDA), as a part of generating power plants at AAI Airports. AAI's plan
more renewable energy has under- includes installation of 50 MW capacity
taken a feasibility study on solar-wind plants (cumulative capacity in Phase I)
hybrid power project, a first of its kind ini- which will be enhanced to 150 MW (cumu-
tiative in the country. TEDA will be putt- lative) over a period of time. In all about 30
ing up the projects and right now they Airports have been identified by AAI for
are doing a study on it. establishment of solar power plants.
The respective government orders
were issued for the concept and TEDA Alstom commissions
would undertake a detailed study on the national grid. Tamil Nadu holds the NHPC's Uri project in
the project that was expected to come top slot in renewable energy and the Jammu & Kashmir
up in Tirunelveli district.The energy gen- total installed capacity as on March 31,
erated from it would be connected to 2014 stood at 8,326.86MW.

Sasan UMPP's 4th unit in

MP starts generation

Power gear maker Alstom commis-

sioned NHPC's Uri II hydropower project
after availability of full water for running
Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay all the four units of the project in Jammu
in New Delhi and agreed that India would & Kashmir. The 240 MW hydropower pro-
build four new hydropower projects with a ject aims to use downstream water dis-
The power generation at the fourth unit of capacity to generate 2120 MW in Bhutan. charge of 480 MW Uri-I (already running)
the Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project hydro project for power generation.
(UMPP) in Singrauli district of Madhya
AAI to establish 50MW
It will also provide additional stability to
Pradesh has started. Madhya Pradesh capacity solar power
the northern transmission grid.
Power Management Company Limited's plants in 30 Airports
Managing Director Manu Shrivastava
said that Madhya Pradesh is getting 250 KPTCL to take up
MW as its share. works worth ` 5100 Cr
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

The total capacity of Sasan UMPP is 3,960

MW. A total of six units, of which four are
already commissioned, are being set up
in the plant.

India to build 4 new Airport Authority of India (AAI) have signed

hydropower projects MoU with Solar Energy Corporation of
in Bhutan India (SECI) as a part of the series of
efforts of AAI in tapping alternative
India has agreed to build four new joint sources of energy. AAI is going to estab-
venture hydropower projects in Bhutan as lish solar power plants at its airports to The Karnataka Power Transmission Cor-
the two governments agreed to closely meet not only its own requirements but poration Ltd plans to take up 244 new
coordinate on issues relating to their also to feed the surplus power generated works worth ` 5100 Crore this year to
national security and interests. to the local grid. improve the power situation in the state.
28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his The MoU signed in the presence of Shri These works would be completed during
 News & Events

INFRASTRUCTURE

the 12th Plan period. More emphasis had ested contractors to prepare the land for
been given to 110 kV and 66 kV categories construction of the airport. The site cur-
power lines as these take electricity to con- rently has small hills that need to be
sumers at every nook and corner of the cleared and a river that is to be diverted.
state and facilitates withdrawal of power Planned as an alternate to the clogging
from the grid. Mumbai airport, the ` 14,573 crore Navi
Mumbai airport project is likely to be com-
State power minister, Mr.Shivakumar pleted in four phases ultimately giving it
said the Raichur Power Corporation and an annual capacity to handle 60 million
Karnataka Power Corporation have pro- passengers.
posed to add 3,100 MW generation in the the second best airport in the world for its
next three years. Shivakumar also said service quality among the airports han-
dling 25-40 million passengers per
that the KPTCL plans to put up its 220-kV RAILWAYS
annum (MPPA). Mumbai's Chhatrapati
transmission lines at an estimated cost of
Shivaji International Airport was placed at
Rs. 100 Crore to facilitate drawl of power
the fifth position in this category by the Air-
from these receiving station.
port Council International (ACI). Railways plansto get
NAL promises power to ACI is a global body of airports which rep- projects worth ` 50,000 Cr
resents their interests with governments back on track
remote areas through and international organisations. It covers
wind-solar hybrid system 1,751 airports in 174 countries. The IGI air-
port received the ACI's Airport Service
Quality (ASQ) Award for its second posi-
tion at a ceremony in Seoul in South Korea
recently.

Cidco likely to extend

time for companies to
respond to RFQs
A solar-cum-wind energy system co-
developed by the National Aerospace Lab-
oratories promises to bring power to
remote and rural areas that cannot be The Union Government is focusing on get-
brought on to the electric grid. Northern ting stuck infrastructure projects cleared
Karnataka, villages in Malnad and the within the first 100 days of its formation,
north eastern States would benefit from the railway ministry has prepared a 100-
such self-supporting power source. day plan to get critical projects worth `
NAL tied up with Aparna Renewable 50,000 crore rolling. The railway Board
Energy Sources, Bangalore, to manufac- will also make the independent railway
ture and market the power systems, with Cidco, the nodal body overseeing the tariff authority, to advise it on passenger
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

both spending around ` 2 crore to develop planned Navi Mumbai airport, plans to and freight fares, operational within the
the system over four years. Five of such extend time to respond to the RFQ by given deadline.
500W + 500W systems are being devel- more than a month for the project. The
The projects like 534 km Sonnagar-
oped and an initial batch of 50 units would date has been extended to July 30 from
Dankuni section of the eastern railway
be produced through a private manufac- June 18, so the interested companies can
freight corridor, electric locomotive fac-
turing partner. submit their audited accounts for the last
tory at Madhepura and a diesel locomo-
financial year ended March 31. The pro-
tive factory at Marhowrah, Mumbai ele-
posal is one among several proposed by
AIRPORT vated railway corridor, port and coal con-
companies at the pre-bid meeting for the
nectivity projects and station redevelop-
airport project.
ment contracts would be bid out within
IGIA named world's In all 20 companies including GMR, the given time-frame. Railways also plans
second best airport for Mumbai International Airport, Tata Realty to run semi high-speed train (with an aver-
and Infrastructure Projects and Spanish age speed of 150 kmph) on pilot basis on
service quality company Ferrovial were part of the pre- one of the short routes (either Delhi-
For the third year in a row, Indira Gandhi bid meeting which happened on April 2. Chandigarh) or Delhi-Kanpur) within the
30

International Airport has been adjudged Cidco has also floated a tender for inter- first 100 days.
 News & Events

INFRASTRUCTURE

DB International appointed
Assocham submits mega plan to transform Railways as quality & safety
Industry body Assocham today submit-
consultant for Kochi Metro
ted a mega plan to transform Indian
Railways to Railways Minister D V
Sadananda Gowda to turn railways into
an “engine of growth” through capacity
addition, developing high-speed freight
network and offering services like e-
business and entertainment to pas-
sengers.
The proposed mega plan, to be initiated
now and completed by 2029-30, is part 50 per cent of the traffic offered by this Engineering and consultancy firm DB
of the vision of India becoming a seven level of the economy. The plan envis- International has won a key contract in
trillion dollar economy.It will enable cre- ages capacity enhancements entailing India. The company has been entrusted to
ation of freight capacity to handle about investments worth US$2.5 to 3 trillion. act as the quality and safety consultant for
Kochi Metro, an elevated railway more
than 26 kilometers in length with 21 ele-
Railways to launch Braille Government to give priority vated stations and one depot.
embedded coaches for to three critical rail links This step will bring Deutsche Bahn's
visually impaired people to carry coal experts into close proximity with the
important Indian market, clients and pro-
jects, giving them the opportunity to build
local expertise in railway construction.
Work on the project has already been
underway since February.

URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

Uttarakhand govt plans to

set up smart cities in
As per a coal ministry document, new gov- all 13 districts
ernment will accord high priority to
Indian Railways will launch a new train
implementation of three critical rail links,
with all its coaches equipped with Braille-
a move that will ensure transportation of
embedded signages
300 million tonne (MT) of additional coal
The state owned Indian Railways will amid shortages faced in the country.
launch a new train with all its coaches State-owned Coal India (CIL), which
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

equipped with Braille-embedded signages accounts for over 80 per cent of the
on berths, toilets, wash basins and doors domestic coal production, had earlier said
as part of the 100 day agenda being final- that it is unable to tap the potential for sup-
ised by the national transporter. Launch- plying 300 MT of additional coal due to the
ing of the 20-coach train with Braille absence of critical rail links for lifting the
signages, a first of its kind, for facilitating dry-fuel. With pressure mounting in cities like
visually-impaired passengers, will be Dehradun and Haridwar due to rising
If three critical rail links are fast-tracked,
part of the Railway's 100-day agenda to be urbanisation, the Uttarakhand govern-
the company will ensure 300 MT addi-
submitted to PMO shortly. ment is working on a plan to develop a
tional supply to consumers who are fac-
The visually-impaired-friendly coaches in ing fuel shortages. The three rail corridors smart city in all 13 districts of the hill state.
both AC and Sleeper classes were made are: Tori-Shivpuri-Kathotia in North A decision to this effect was taken by Chief
on the basis of inputs received from Karanpura, Jharkhand; Bhupdeopur- Minister Harish Rawat at a recent review
Research Designs and Standards Korichhaapar to Mand Raigadh mines in meeting of the urban development
Organisation (RDSO), Railways' research Chhattisgarh; and Barpali-Jharsuguda in department. The chief minister directed
arm, and in consultation with associa- IB Valley, Odisha, which are under differ- the departmental officials to identify areas
32

tions for the blind. ent phases of development. in each district for building smart cities.
 News & Events

INFRASTRUCTURE

Marg. This is phase-I of the corridor

GIFT City achieves financial closure for Phase I development plan from the Mehrauli-
Mahipalpur Road to Andheria Mor. The
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega- other project that UTTIPEC passed on
dream project, Gujarat International Wednesday was the underpass at the RTR
Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), announced Marg-Ring Road junction.
having achieved financial closure for its
Phase I infrastructure development. The Phase -1 of Bangalore metro
estimated cost of core infrastructure to be completed by Sept, 2015
development in Phase I is ` 1,818 crore.
A consortium of banks has agreed to
provide us a loan of ` 1,157 crore. The don Dockyards. It will also have a spe-
balance ` 661 crore would come through cialised university to offer world-class
equity and our internal accruals over education and training in financial ser-
the next three years. vices.
The project is developed as India's only The total infrastructure development
International Financial Services Centre cost of the project spread over 886 acres,
(IFSC) and has been conceptualised as including a 261-acre SEZ on the out-
a global financial and IT services hub, skirts of Gandhinagar, would be ` 9,000 The 42.3 km stretch of Phase-1 of
designed to be at or above par with glob- crore over the next 10 years. The project's Bangalore Metro Rail project, Namma
ally-bench marked financial centres like power requirements will be 750 mega- metro is all set to be completed by Sep-
those at Shinjuku (Tokyo), Lujiazui watt, of which 20 per cent will come from tember, 2015. The cost of the project, which
(Shanghai), La Defense (Paris) and Lon- a captive power plant. was estimated at ` 11,609 crore has also
been revised to ` 13,800 crore. The Reach-
3 of the project between Peenya and
Tourism projects worth UTTIPEC clears several Sampige road stations was recently com-
` 150 crore lined up in Odisha key infrastructure missioned for public use.
projects in Delhi The first reach between Baiyappanahalli
and M G Road stations was opened for pub-
lic use on October 20, 2011. The phase-1 of
the metro rail involves 8 kms of under-
ground section, which is under construc-
tion at Majestic area. The phase-2 includes
13.79 km of underground section with 12
stations. The 72.095 km long Phase-2 will
have 61 stations in total.
Key infrastructure projects in Delhi
received the approval of the Unified Traffic
Jaipur Metro to start
Post finalization of Odisha Tourism policy
last year, the task force on tourism has and Transportation Infrastructure (Plan- commercial operations
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

received about 68 proposals envisaging ning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), from August
combined investment of ` 100 to 150 crore. paving the way for work to begin on at
least two of the projects within the next Jaipur Metro most likely to start its com-
Most of the projects relate to construction
few months. mercial operations in the Pink City by the
of hotels including those in five star cate-
end of August this year. The trial run of
gory. There are also other proposals for The parallel flyover on the Outer Ring Jaipur Metro will most probably begin in
deployment of Hovercraft, that will run Road at Rao Tula Ram junction and an July on its first-phase route from
from Ramchandi to Puri and setting up of underpass at Benito Juarez Marg had Mansarovar to Chandpole, 10 kms, and
a hotel management institute. been awaiting clearance of its drawings the commercial operations for commu-
JK Mohanty, Chairman Hotel & Restau- by UTTIPEC which was finally awarded. ters by the end of August.
rant Association of Odisha (HRAO), pointed The detailed project report for the RTR is
in its final stages and after PWD receives a Railway's Research Design and Stan-
out that to compete with the neighbouring dards Organisation ( RDSO) has set a top
states, Odisha needs to construct about signed copy of drawings from UTTIPEC, it
will be tendered out. speed of 80 km per hour for the Pink City's
4000 hotel rooms in the star category with Metro train. In around eight months,
a total investment of ` 1200 crore and 1000 The other important project that will receive JMRC has completed the civil, mechani-
rooms of 5 star category with a combined a boost is the road expansion project cal and electrical works on 10 kms route
34

estimated investment of ` 1000 crore. between Andheria Mor and Aruna Asif Ali from Mansarovar to Chandpole.
 News & Events

INFRASTRUCTURE

Shell in talks to buy

PORTS stake in Kakinada
LNG project
Paradip Port Trust to invite investors for six captive berths
Paradip Port Trust (PPT) has initiated
process of inviting investors for six new
captive berths of more than 10 mtpa
capacity each. The port's proposed
expansion plan will increase the east-
ern port's existing capacity from 108.50
million tonne per annum (mtpa) to
270.50 mtpa by 2023. The eastern
Indian port reported a growth 34 per
cent in total revenues of ` 1,068 crore
growth in traffic throughput of 68mtpa GAIL chairman B.C Tripathi said Global
for 2013-14 from greater volumes of
during the FY14, an all time high for energy major Royal Dutch Shell is in talks
iron ore exports, coal shipments and
Paradip port. This was the second high- with the Andhra Pradesh state govern-
import of coking coal.
est cargo handled by a major port in ment for buying up to 24 per cent stake in
The port has registered a 20 per cent India during this period. the planned Kakinada liquefied natural
gas project on the east coast.
E&Y to submit DPR on Paradip Port receives GAIL Gas, a subsidiary of GAIL (India) is a
Chennai harbour project Golden Peacock National co-promoter of Andhra Pradesh Gas Dis-
Quality Award, 2014 tribution Company (APGDC) that will build
the project in the southern Indian state.

Inland shipping to get

boost from coastal
baseline relaxation

In a bid to revive the mega container ter-

minal project, the Chennai Port Trust
(ChPT) has asked its Transaction Advisor
Ernst & Young (EY) to submit a detailed Paradip Port has become the recipient of
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

project report, including cost implica- the prestigious Golden Peacock National
tions, revenue sharing, engineering Quality Award for 2014 institutes by the
aspects and the types of commodities that Institute of Directors, New Delhi. Sudhanshu
could be handled, to the board in the next Sekhara Mishra, Chairman, Paradip Port Government in a move to boost inland
few days. Trust received the Prestigious Award at shipping has relaxed the norms for inland
the 24th Congress on Total Quality and vessels to move deeper into the sea. DG
As a first step, the profile of the mega con-
Leadership held at Hotel Taj Vivanta, Shipping Gautam Chatterjee said that the
tainer terminal project has been changed
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala under the baseline has been relaxed by 12 km from
to outer harbour development project to
Chairmanship of Justice P.N.Bhagwati, coastline which is known as territorial
handle all types of cargoes instead of con-
former Chief Justice of India. waters.
tainers alone. While the project capacity
remains at four million twenty-foot equiv- The award had added yet another feather The move will help inland waterways
alent units (TEUs) annually, the cost of the in paradip port's coveted cap. Paradip Port transport as the inland vessels can ven-
project has escalated to over ` 5,000 Trust handled an all time record quantity ture into sea to offload cargo from large
crore from ` 3,686 crore initially due to of 68 million tonnes of cargo during 2013- vessels directly and this in turn will bring
36

delay in commissioning the project. 14,beingthehighestthroughputin52years. huge operational cost saving for the trade.
 News & Events

INFRASTRUCTURE

Rangarajan, chairman of the PM's Eco-

nomic Advisory Committee.
ROADS
About 15 projects have come up for pre-
mium restructuring so far and out of these,
NHAI to make public information on PPP projects about nine are eligible for relief this year.
The nine projects involve big infrastruc-
In a bid to ensure transparency, National ture companies such IRB, Reliance Infra-
Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will
structure and L&T, among others. The
put all information related to private
projects include six-laning of the
public partnership (PPP) projects taken
Ahmedabad-Vadodara stretch, where
up by them in the public domain. In this
the annual premium is about ` 310 crore,
regard, NHAI proposes to place all
and four-laning of the Beawar-Pali-
information relating to projects taken
Pindwara section, which involves an annual
up by them under PPP mode available
premiumofabout`250crore,amongothers.
on a link in their website,
www.nhai.org.in. Specific project details
all stages of the project development Manipur CM flags off ADB
can be obtained by typing the name of
like construction, operation and main- funded road construction
the particular stretch or project imple-
tenance. A complete database of the
mentation unit along with this link.
correspondence exchanged between
project
Most project specific websites have all of the above on all aspects of the pro-
already been launched and the remain- ject, along with details of court cases
ing will be launched by July 15 and the and arbitration awards will be uploaded
PPP project details will be given about on the website.

Target to award 8,500 km augment road network in the country.

highway projects set Another major thrust area would be to
for this year have a package to provide road connectiv-
ity to 50 minor ports, 24 airports and new
townships planned along the Delhi-
Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

NHAI board to provide

relief to nine road projects
Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi flagged off
a new project of constructing a highway
from Thoubal to Kasom Khullen. The high-
way would connect Tupul to Bishnupur,
Road transport and highways department
Thoubal and Kasom Khullen. 90 per cent
has set the target to award 8,500 km of
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

of the project is being funded by Asian

highways and complete construction of
Development Bank (ADB) and 10 per cent
3,900 km during this financial year. The
by the Government of India. This project
plan would be placed before Prime Minis-
was conceptualised in 2005.The project
ter Narendra Modi when he meets key
would be executed by Australian com-
infrastructure secretaries in a few days.
In a bid to revive the stagnating highways pany SMC International and the company
Of the 8500 km of highway projects, nearly
sector and bail out stressed projects, the prepared the detailed project although
3,500 km is likely to be executed through
National Highways Authority of India PWD is the work agency. According to the
public-private-partnership ( PPP) mode.
(NHAI) is planning to allow multiple pro- DPR, the project would cost ` 324.47
Highways wing has also submitted a list of
jects. The NHAI board, is expected to crore at the rate of 2008. With 90 per cent
nearly a dozen road projects, which can
approve nine projects that it has judged as of the project funded by ADB and the
start soon.
eligible for relief. The policy allowing remaining 10 per cent by Government of
These include two expressway projects developers to defer their premium pay- India, the project is 100 per cent grant to
Delhi-Meerut and Eastern Peripheral ments was finalised earlier this year the Government of Manipur. The project is
besides a host of major highway stretches. under the committee appointed by the targeted for completion by December
38

These projects can be awarded quickly to Prime Minister and headed by C 2016.
 News & Events

CORPORATE

In 2013-14, it augmented clinker capacity

Greenko Starts Wind Farm in Karnataka by 3.3 LT to 46.20 LT and commissioned
its second grinding unit of 6.57 LT in
Greenko Group Plc an Indian clean- Haryana. Besides, the company has aug-
energy developer has started a US$61 mented capacity of the grinding unit at the
million wind farm in Karnataka. The mother plant at Sirohi.
facility, the second phase of its
Basvanbagewadi wind farm, has total Tata Power commissions
installed capacity of about 50 mega- 25MW solar farm in
watts, taking the output potential of the Maharashtra
site to 131.2 megawatts.
The power will be sold directly to 'lead- year agreement. Greenko now has 611
ing global technology companies and megawatts of operational clean-energy
commercial customers' under a 10- projects.

Tata Housing plans to

buy land across
major cities

Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd, a sub-

sidiary of Tata Power, has successfully
commissioned a 25MW solar farm in
Maharashtra's Satara district. The 130-
acre plant, located at Palaswadi village in
Maan taluka, uses crystalline silicon photo-
voltaic technology.
Rajasthan. Besides supplying 48 units of
S97-120 m wind turbine generators, Suzlon It is one of the largest solar plants set up
Group would also oversee operations, by a private power utility in Maharashtra.
maintenance and service of the wind site The power produced by it will be evacu-
Tata Housing, the Tata Group's real estate
over the contracted period for the project. ated through the state transmission net-
company, plans to invest ` 3,000 crore to
work.
acquire more land, including joint devel-
opment agreements, across major cities
JK Lakshmi Cement's Durg
in India in the current financial year.
facility to start production L&T Construction bags
by Oct-Dec Quarter orders worth ` 2,458 Cr
The company will focus on four metros in May'14
Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi NCR, and
Mumbai for its land purchases and new Infrastructure major Larsen and Toubro
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

projects, both in the premium and afford- (L&T) has won orders worth ` 2,458 crore
able category. Around 65% of the planned in May'2014 across various business seg-
launches will be in the premium segment, ments. Of the major orders is a interna-
while the rest will be in the affordable cate- tional EPC order from Qatar General Elec-
gory. tricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA)
of value ` 1,470 crore. The contract includes
Suzlon Energy bags design and construction of civil buildings
` 750 crore order JK Lakshmi Cement's ` 1,500 crore manu- with a complete set of utilities such as air-
facturing facility at Durg in Chhattisgarh conditioning, fire protection and lighting
Wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy has systems.
will start production by the October-
bagged an order worth about ` 750 crore
December quarter taking the overall The project is scheduled for completion in
for a project in Rajasthan. The order for
capacity to around 10 million tonnes per phases starting from 16 to 44 months.
100.8 MW wind farms has been awarded
annum. The capacity of this new plant is Other order has been received for the con-
by ReNew Wind Power.
2.7 mtpa. The Durg facility, a greenfield struction of a mall in Chennai and design
The project is scheduled for execution at unit, is being built on around 600 acres at build and turnkey construction of a 4 lane
40

the Bhesada wind site, Dist Jaisalmer, Ahiwara village. elevated corridor project in Kolkata.
 News & Events

INTERNATIONAL

Saudi Railways Organization to establish

new railway network
The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO)
is reportedly preparing US$97bn stra-
tegic plan to establish a robust railway
network in the country. As part of the
project, the construction of a 9,900km-
long integrated railway network with 19
railway lines by the end of 2040 is being cent larger, requiring a rapid develop-
considered. ment of transportation infrastructure,
SRO president Muhammad Al- work on the Haramain high-speed rail- including new roads and metro stations.
Suwaiket said that the organisation is way and a north-south line is currently The deal was reached during Sobyanin's
working to rectify the performance of underway. Works on the line connect- working visit to China. The agreement
lines spanning between Dammam and ing Jeddah to Riyadh and a link between was signed by Deputy Mayor for Urban
Al-Ahsa through Abqaiq, by redevelop- Gulf countries are slated to begin in the Development and Construction Marat
ing internal departments. Construction near future. Khusnullin, who earlier said that the new
metro line in New Moscow is planned to
Tata Power to commence open in 2018.
production in
South African wind ICAO to assist development
projects by 2017 of airports in Ethiopia

route in Newcastle, which will include the

rail corridor and Hunter Street. The pro-
posed light rail will run east from the new
India's leading power utility Tata Power Wickham transport interchange along the
expects commissioning of its two South existing rail corridor, before moving south
African wind projects, having total capac- to connect with Hunter Street and Scott The International Civil Aviation Organiza-
tion (ICAO) announced that it would pro-
ity of nearly 229 MW, by fiscal year 2017. Street and terminating at Pacific Park.
vide technical assistance to airport devel-
Tata Power, which has an installed gen-
The route strikes the best balance in pro- opment projects in Ethiopia. Secretary
eration capacity of 8,560 MW, is develop- General of ICAO, Raymond Benjamin,
viding a quality transport outcome for
ing the two projects through an equal joint who came to Addis Ababa for a two day
Newcastle and also allowing the city and
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

venture with Exxaro Resources. visit upon an invitation from the Ethiopian
its waterfront to be reconnected and revi-
government, assured President Mulatu
These projects are 134.4 MW Amakhala talised. The order consists of 65 new air-
Teshome (Ph.D.) that the ICAO would pro-
Emoyeni and 94.8 MW Tsitsikamma plants. conditioned trains, which will include
vide technical assistance to the Addis
Both projects are being developed by the approximately 520 brand new carriages. Ababa Bole International Airport expan-
joint venture entity Cennergi (Pty) Ltd, power sion project and the gigantic international
purchase agreements have been inked China to invest in airport that the Ethiopian Airports Enter-
with Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd for a period Moscow Metro expansion prise is planning to build outside of Addis
of 20 years from the date of starting their project Ababa.
commercial operations. The Ethiopian Airport Enterprise is under
Moscow's Mosinzhproekt has signed a
preparation to expand the Addis Ababa
NSW Government to deal in Beijing with China Railway Con-
Bole International Airport's passenger ter-
construct Newcastle struction and China International Fund to minal at a cost of US$ 250m. The enter-
light rail route cooperate on a planned expansion of the prise is also planning to build a mega hub
Moscow Metro. The Moscow mayor noted airport outside the capital. Three loca-
Australia's New South Wales (NSW) Gov- that one of the new metro lines covers the tions have been identified for the mega
42

ernment is investing in a hybrid, light rail territory of New Moscow, which is 150 per- hub project-Modjo, Dukem and Teji towns.
 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

BRAZIL'S
WORLD CUP STADIUMS
SCORING GOALS
Bhavani Balakrishna

W
ith the FIFA World Cup 2014 getting underway in Brazil,
football fever is expected to dwarf the various challenges
that the host country was plagued with in the run up to one
of the world's biggest sporting events. In the last few months, Brazil
became the focal point of the entire world due to the people's dissat-
isfaction with government spending and delays and safety concerns
related to the construction of World Cup infrastructure.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
46
 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

The World Cup is being held in 12 foot-

ball stadiums in 12 Brazilian cities for a
month. However, Brazil's efforts to con-
struct new stadiums ahead of the World
Cup have been plagued by problems since
they began. Repeated delays and the deaths
of several construction workers at the site
of 68,000-seat Arena Corinthians in São
Paulo had caused critics to question FIFA's
decision to hold the event in Brazil. Worse
yet, the construction on one of its largest
stadiums, Arena de Sao Paulo, is nowhere
near complete. The country has spent a
record $3.6 billion to build or remodel 12
stadiums, most of which were behind
schedule and over budget.
Despite the above, from an architec-
tural and construction standpoint,this
shall be the first ever World Cup to have all
the football arenas with the green certifi-
cation either by reusing water or energy
efficiency as well as recycled materials. Two
out of 12 arenas (Salvador and Fortaleza)
are already certified, other six one are
undergoing the certification process with
the expectation of obtaining the LEED seal
before the event starts next week. And the
rest of the arenas located in Porto Alegre,
Natal, Cuiabá and São Paulo shall get it by ture based on long trusses will include vesting, reducing and recycling the waste
the end of the year due to delays in the re- four layers made of steel, Polyisocyanurate, generated, energy sustainability, natural
forms. As a condition to receive financing plasterboard and Firestone UltraPly TPO. ventilation, and lighting are implemented
for the arenas, the country's state-owned Around 80% of the structural compo- in the project. The 6,500-tonne, 32,000
development bank (BNDES) established nents including columns, beams, slabs square meters roof contains solar panels
a requirement that all stadiums had to and stairs are of precast elements. and is supported by 48 trusses that are 75
attain the LEED certificate (Leadership in The stadium is being constructed in meters in length.
Energy & Environmental Design) granted compliance with the sustainable design
by the US Green Building Council. Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte
standards set by FIFA. Environmentally
Masterbuilder takes a look at all the sta- friendly solutions and technologies such It took three years and 695 million Bra-
dium venues of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. as water conservation, rainwater har- zilian reais (£185m) to give the historic
Arena De Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
The stadium has a capacity of around
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

65000 seats out of which 20,000 are tem-

porary seats.The architectural design of
the Arena Corinthians was framed by
Coutinho, Diegues, Lamb Architects. The
project is being built in a 198,000 square
meters site, and will have a built-up area
of 189,000 square meters. The structure
is based on a deep foundation integrating
precast and root piles. The rectangular-
shaped stadium is composed of two buil-
dings, one on the west and another on the
east side.
The west building is covered with glass
façade, while the east building will have a
large LED screen. The external walls are Arena De Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
47

covered with ceramic tiles. The roof struc-

 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte

Estadio Mineirao a comprehensive face- for spectators, while redesigned seating world to be fully powered by solar energy,
lift. The stadium is a listed national monu- tiers at the lower levels increase the and uses rainwater harvesting to reduce its
ment, so the facade and roof had to be pre- capacity to over 62,000 seats. water consumption. About 90% of the de-
served, but the pitch was lowered by 3.4m Structural analysis revealed that the molition spoils were triturated and
to allow the removal of a running track structure had subsided by around 30 reused as aggregate in the new concrete,
and construction of new seating nearer to centimetres. This was corrected using and old lawn and chairs were donated to
the pitch. hydraulic jacks and steel cables, before other stadiums.
BCMF Arquitetos was commissioned the architects added a cantilevered roof to
Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza
for a complete overhaul of the 1960s foot- shelter spectators. In order to provide shel-
ball stadium, located on the edge of the ter from the rain and screening against In preparation for the 2014 tourna-
Pampulha Lagoon. Originally designed by solar radiation, the design includes an addi- ment, Estadio Castelao has undergone
architects Eduardo Mendes Guimarães tion to the existing fair-faced concrete roof several key architectural upgrades. The
Júnior and Gaspar Garreto, the building with a light-weight roof over the stands. capacity has been increased, and the sta-
features an oval-shaped structure with a While it was originally intended as an ultra- dium now has seating for 67,000 specta-
rhythmic facade made up of 88 projecting light ring cable construction suspended tors. The roof has been expanded to cover
ribs. The team stripped the building back under the existing roof, the extended roof all tiers, including pitch-side seating, and
to its shell, before adding a new roof, low- selected during the detailed design stage a “glass skin”, designed to reduce the heat
ering the pitch, upgrading all services and now consists of a simplified cantilever con- of the sun and stimulate air circulation,
infrastructure, and adding new shops and struction with a membrane cover. now covers the roof as well as other parts
a dedicated football museum. The lower- Sustainable technologies were also of the stadium.
ing of the pitch helps to improve sight lines prioritized. The stadium is the first in the This renovated stadium, with new, cable
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

supported membrane roof, is designed by

Brazilian architects - Vigliecca Arquitectos,
Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza
led by Ivan da Silva Britto, and structural
engineering by Hugo Alcântara Mota. The
old roof only provided partial cover whilst
the new will cover all 64546 spectators.
With slender supporting pylons the rebuilt
stadium will present a completely differ-
ent spectator image.
The stadium in Fortaleza for the Con-
federations Cup and the World Cup is
coated by a stainless steel fairing and a
“glass skin”.The façade surrounds the
whole arena so that the concrete, at the
back of the stand, is not seen. The stain-
less steel fairing is fixed between 68 forty-
48
 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

public area was added to the five-storey

stadium. The renovated stadium uses solar
energy for power supply. The roof top of
the stadium is fitted with 1,500 photovoltaic
solar modules to produce solar energy.
Estadio Nacional, Brasilia
The construction of the new stadium
took more than two years to complete,
using around 15,000 workers. The 72,800-
seater stadium is an eight-storey struc-
ture divided into four sections. It is 46m
tall and has a built-up area of 218,800m².
Estadio Do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro The circular-shaped stadium has
been built combining the 'spoked wheel'
and 'stressed ribbon' structural principles.
two metre tall pillars. The “glass skin” is tling of lower tier of seating and part of the The suspended roof of the stadium is de-
made up of around 760 parts, each 1.51m by upper one as well. As Maracana is per- signed as double-shell structure with an
2.42m. Together, they make up an area of ceived as one of Brazil's national trea- outer compression ring. The roof structure
approximate 2,800 square metres. More- sures, authorities wanted to leave as much comprised of metal cables and trusses is
over, it will reflect the sun rays, thus, reduc- of the old structure as possible with only covered by a fibreglass membrane coated
ing the heat.The structure that covers the remodeling stands to be closer to the with Teflon. The roof membrane of the sta-
ground will be coated in translucent ther- pitch and widening the roof. dium is 40,000m² in size. Apart from re-
mal-acoustic material, aimed at reducing The Maracana was originally built using flecting ultraviolet rays and allowing natu-
the heat for fans. The material does not reinforced concrete. It has an oval shape and ral ventilation, the roof membrane is self-
absorb heat and allows for the circulation consists of two tiers divided by medium- cleaning and fire resistant.
of air in the stadium. Furthermore, the roof- sized open boxes. A cantilevered roof The stadium's facade draws inspira-
top cover has acoustic sound proofing, which spanning 30m covers 34 rows at the rear tion from the Brazilian architect Oscar
will improve the experience for support- of the stadium. Niemeyer who designed most of the na-
ers and the broadcasting of the matches. The renovation focused on visibility, tional monuments in Brasilia. The facade
accessibility, safety and hospitality. While comprises of 228 pillars surrounding the
Estadio Do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro
most of the stadium was reformed, the stadium. The pillars, 1.2m in diameter and
It is one of four football venues for the original blue facade and the rear space of 48m in height, sustain the concrete com-
2016 Olympics and will also host the open- the stadium were preserved. As per the pression ring supporting the roof struc-
ing and closing ceremonies. Works on the recommendations of FIFA, the stadium's ture of the stadium. The compressor ring
redevelopment of this famous football capacity was reduced from the current with a diameter of 308m is 22m wide and
temple started back in 2010 with disman- 87,000 to 73,500. A roof to cover the entire 1km in circumference. It was formed by

Estadio Nacional, Brasilia

The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
50
 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

From the outside, the stadium re-

sembles an artificial crater with slopes
covered in ETFE cushions that make it
seem lightweight. The combination of
transparent and opaque films, as well as
the application of various types of screen
printing on the surface confers a constant
dialogue between internal and external
areas, allowing a diverse light control in-
side the stadium, according to the differ-
ent uses under the membrane, such as
mitigating the effects of heat gain by the
surface of the lateral closure. The mem-
brane is 100% recyclable, with low coeffi-
cient of friction and non-stick properties,
preventing dirt particles and dust from
being deposited on the surface.
Arena Pernambuco, Recife
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador
The Arena Fonte Nova, having a
two slabs and 5m high walls. The roof cables Arena Pernambuco, Recife
capacity of 50000 spectators, rose from
were fitted in the compressing ring through This brand new stadium that has a ca- the rubble of its predecessor, with 92% of
48 base plates. A total of 48 permanent pacity of over 42,000 spectators, was built the debris from demolition used to con-
supporting cables, each with a diameter of in an economically deprived area on the struct the brand new venue. The stadium,
10cm, were lifted with the use of hydraulic outskirts of Recife. which took 32 months to construct, was
jacks placed in the ring. The cables were External cladding makes it one of the the third World Cup venue to be com-
then attached to the base plates. most interesting venues of the 2014 World pleted and cost 592million reais.
The Mane Garrincha Stadium con- Cup, though subject to design changes over The new design maintains the tradi-
struction involved 22,200t of steel, 170t of time. Initially, in 2010, the exterior was to have tional horseshoe configuration of Brazil-
sand and 15,000m³ of timber. The new sta- geometrical holes to allow sunlight and ian stadiums, as opposed to the four-
dium reused the materials removed from ventilation for the facilities inside. In the sided quadrangle common in England.
the old stadium either directly or through end cushions like those at Allianz Arena This maximizes airflow within the sta-
recycling. The other sustainable features of were used. What makes this stadium stand dium bowl and allows views directly onto
the stadium include a rainwater harvest- out most are four large ramps forming its the pitch from outside.
ing and reuse system, a 2.5MW solar pho- edges. They add dynamism, and create an The roof is composed of translucent
tovoltaic (PV) system with the solar panels interesting contrast between the soft cu- membrane held in tension by a spoked-
fitted on the perimeter of the stadium's shions and sharp concrete arising from wheel frame, which also supports vertical
roof, and the use of LED lighting system. underneath the cladding. masts. With a weight of just 45kg/m², the
roof is one of the lightest stadium roof
structures in the world. Its spoked wheel
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador system uses a membrane that is pierced
by connecting vertical struts, reducing the
amount of overall material required. The
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

design also uses precise geometry to

ensure the roof is able to withstand wind
loads, provide sight lines, solar protec-
tion, and water drainage another key
sustainability feature.
Much of the stadium was built with
recycled concrete taken from the old Sal-
vador da Bahia stadium, to ensure as little
new material as possible was needed in
the construction. The architect's sustain-
able design for the new stadium Arena
Fonte Nova in Salvador received the LEED
Certification in Silver in February 2014.
Estadio Pantanal, Cuiaba
51

Built over an area of 300 thousand

 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

Estadio Da Baixada, Curitiba

Estadio Pantanal, Cuiaba

square meters, which includes a lake and tion, the use of water ponds and also the Estadio Amazonia, Manaus
woodland, the Pantanal Arena has a 90 location of the building and of the football
This was arguably the most compli-
thousand square meters promenade sur- pitch, protected from strong sunlight due
cated construction project undertaken for
rounding it, which makes the moving to an envelope made of metal louvers the World Cup, in part due to the climate
around of fans easier. The ground was associated with a membrane of cast- but also because of the location. An urban
designed to host several types of events glazed PVC aim at the best use of natural island in the heart of the rainforest, Ma-
and will turn into a new leisure venue for lighting and cross ventilation, thus signifi- naus is very hard to reach by vehicle, so
locals, with restaurants, bars, walkway, cantly reducing energy use. most materials arrived by plane or ship.
gardens and a staircase, which may serve The Arena da Amazônia replaced the
Estadio Da Baixada, Curitiba
as the stage for concerts. old Vivaldão stadium, which used to be the
With a total built-up area of 107 thousand In preparation for the 2014 tournament, main stadium of the city.Demolition of
square meters, the ground will have a seat- the capacity of the Arena da Baixada has Vivaldão started in March 2010 and in
ing capacity for 44000 fans. The project was been increased from 30,000 to 43,900 early 2011 construction began of the new
designedwithdemountablemetal structures spectators. Rows of extra seats are now stadium. The Arena da Amazônia was ini-
for the north and south sector stands (be- parallel with the pitch. A retractable roof tially planned to be completed early 2013,
hind the goalposts) which cater for 13,200 has also been added to the stadium. but various delays pushed the opening
people. When removed they enable the Arena da Baixada contains a business cen- back to early 2014.
stadium to be used for other purposes. ter, commercial center, and a food court. Designed by German architecture
Arena Pantanal is a sustainable sta- The ground's façade is almost see- firm gmp Architekten, the shape of the sta-
dium and the builders were eco-conscious through, which means that people out- dium is meant to resemble a traditional
during construction. The architects of the side of the Baixada Arena may be able to indigenous basket and takes into account
stadium, GCP Arquitetos, have focused look inside. The promenade at the front the area's challenging climatic conditions.
strongly on sustainability and one of the spans over 6000 square meters and facil- The roof's steel structure is designed to
stadium's noticeable features are the itates urban integration, as well as rein- serve as a large gutter that drains the trop-
plants and trees that will fill the four cor- forcing the ground's multi-purpose goal, ical rain water, the roof's coating reflects
ner areas. as it has been designed to play host to sev- heat radiation and thus has a cooling effect,
Creating microclimates with vegeta- eral events, in addition to football matches. openings in the roof and facade stimulate
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Estadio Amazonia, Manaus

52
 SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE: FIFA WORLD CUP 2014

shield the spectators from the at times

intense sunlight.
The petal-shaped structures of the
roof are made of steel trusses, covered on
the outside with aluminum tiles, with ther-
mal and acoustic insulation. Internally,
they are coated with a PVC prestressed
membrane. The parts are joined by trans-
lucent polycarbonate, which allows light
to come through.
The Dunas Arena's roof was also de-
signed to capture rainwater. Gutters col-
lect the water and take it to nine tanks be-
low the lower stands. As a result, up to 3,000
Estadio Das Dunas, Natal
cubic meters may be captured and reused
in the lavatories and for irrigating the pitch.
ventilation, and there are ample areas of The Arena da Amazônia is one of the Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre
shade where spectators can shelter from world's first stadiums to be certified
the sun. under the LEED scheme administered by Originally built in 1969, and known as
The roof structure is composed of the US Green Building Council. the Estadio Jose Pinheiro Borda, the sta-
mutually bracing cantilever elements in dium has been extensively revamped for
Estadio Das Dunas, Natal the World Cup, with stands moved closer
the form of hollow steel box girders which
also serve as large gutters for the dis- The Arena das Dunas football sta- to the pitch and covered by a roof to shield
charge of the enormous quantities of dium, designed by architectural firm Pop- fans from the elements.
water expected during tropical rain ulous has a capacity to accommodate Hype Studio Architecture which was
events. In view of the hot and humid cli- 42,000 spectators, along with 10,600 re- invited for designing a new roof for the sta-
mate at the Amazon, the roof extends into movable seats.The stadium, which fea- dium, called for a full Stadium Renovation
a facade which provides shade to the spec- tures 22,000m² outdoor plaza, was con- Project. The project called for the demoli-
tator balconies and vertical access structed on the site of the old Estadio tion and rebuilding of the lower tier (with
routes. The roof and facade panels con- Machadao. bigger steps and closer to the playing field),
sist of translucent glass fiber fabric. The The design of the stadium by architec- stores and commercial centres on the in-
self-supporting roof is anchored to the sta- ture firm Populous is inspired by Natal's side, a new museum, restaurants, an entire
dium structures via tie bars and made famous sand dunes. Its most characteris- level of corporate suites, new VIP areas and
from over 200 pieces of steel weighing tic features are the upper tier and roof in new lounge areas, among other items that
over 14,704,834 pounds all together with the shape of petals. The space between would make Beira-Rio completely new
the largest components 72 feet long and the petals allows the on-shore sea breeze for the 21st century renewed, modern,
weighing 66,138 pounds. to flow into the stadium while the roof comfortable and safe, turned into a 51,000
all seater Stadium.
The new roof was designed as a modu-
Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre lar structure, made of 65 steel trusses that
overhang 42 meters above the stadium
bowl. The girders were pre-assembled
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

outside the stadium. The roof is covered

with a PTFE membrane. The PTFE mem-
brane, with transparent sections between
the main structural supports, allows day-
light to filter through to the stands and cre-
ates an unbroken surface that reduces
heat absorption and results in a uniform
temperature inside the stadium. The roof
is also self-cleaning and channels rain-
water to tanks from which it can be used
for flushing toilets, helping to reduce the
stadium's water consumption. In addition
to the roof, the architects removed and
replaced the concrete lower tiers,
installed new VIP facilities, and upgraded
plumbing and electrics. w
54
 INTERNATIONAL: MEGAPROJECT

Pearl River Delta (PRD) Megapolis

Sadagopan Seshadri
Chief - Content Development,
CE - Infrastructure - Environment
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

T
he cluster of cities around (and in- and Definitely lacking organic blend of different constitutions and political priori-
cluding) Hong Kong forming the oneness. ties although the Delta region physically
Pearl River Delta from Shenzhen Make a journey to get a feel of what I am becomes ever more one single city.
and Guangzhou in the north to Macao and saying. In a single day, you can cross from
Hong Kong, 'an open society with aggres- What is a City? - The changing notions!
Zhuhai to the west are truly an archipel-
ago of inter-locking hubs that curiously fol- sively free media', to more state-directed Let me start with the often repeated
low differing policies related to visiting, but still 'very global Shenzhen or less-glitzy sentence that nowadays, one starts a com-
immigration, business and political free- Dongguan', to the 'freewheeling and some- mentary on 'today's evolving cities' :
dom. What should we call this - 'one mega- what sleazy gambling haven of Macau', or the 'Though just two centuries back, only
city, many systems?.' 'tax-freemaster-plannedZhuhai/Hengqin'. three percent of the world's population
Being unified is unconvincing, though An important experience in this jour- lived in cities, today, more than half the
the Pearl River Delta region is the foremost ney through this mega city is, you will go people on the planet are city dwellers'.
model of the future multi-tiered pan-ur- through checkpoints ranging from full- It therefore is only logical and true too,
banism, a mega-cluster of diversified reg- fledged border crossings requiring visas to accept that today we live in the 'century
ulatory districts: physically linked but act- to light security checks! of cities'.
ing almost like individual micro-states It is a revelation as you come across But then there is much more to it. Cities
56
 INTERNATIONAL: MEGAPROJECT

The country's existing mega cities, five by

count, are cities with metropolitan areas
having more than 10 million residents, the
criteria that qualifies them as "mega-cities".
Hoe Chinese!
CHONGQING
Straddling the Yangtze river in the south
west, Chongqing became the world's larg-
est municipality on 14 March 1997, when
Chinese planners merged together 19 dis-
tricts, 17 counties and four autonomous
counties to create a population of 31.4 mil-
lion.
SHANGHAI
Shanghai's larger urban area is home to at least 20 million people Photo: CORBIS This no doubt is China's largest true
city, since Chongqing incorporates a huge
like Beijing, which already created wherever they choose. If the Chinese peo- swathe of countryside into its municipal-
Chongqing with 33 million inhabitants, ple had the right of barrier free movement ity, further Shanghai's larger urban area is
are changing the notion of what is a “city.” from place to place, they could make and home to at least 20 million people, around
In short, Chinese planners are ignoring remake urban centers without the prob- half of whom are migrants from other
municipal boundaries and looking to lems inevitably caused by rigid central areas in China.
regionalization to create solutions. Ever planning lacking flexibility of area specific
heard of management consultants say customized planning. BEIJING
that, if you want to solve a problem, make The issue is further compounded by The capital of China has a greater
it bigger. And in China's case, the Chinese Beijing's desire for orderliness and pre- urban population of 18 million people, and
government seems to prefer 'big solu- dictability, as that will take away indige- is rapidly spreading towards the coast as
tions' as well! The Chinese seem not in nous vitality Chinese cities are known for. more and more Chinese are drawn to the
favor of simple solutions to urban prob- The 'to fall in order' path, restraints the Chi- centre of the country's political and eco-
lems like just redrawn city borders to cre- nese government against blanket removal nomic decision-making.
ate gigantic units. of restrictions and compels it to relax
TIANJIN
norms on a case by case basis.
Giving 'hukou' the go by? Yes & No! The last of China's five key "National
China's mega city version:
In case of Beijing, Chinese could well Central" cities, Tianjin lies on the north east
remove the so-called hukou restrictions In fact, China has over 160 cities with coast and has become a major hi-tech
in order to permit people to live and work more than a million residents. In addition, centre and the site of China's first Airbus

3,000,000 20,000,000 2,000,000 10,000,000

The rise of the PRD
Huizhou Shenzhen zhuhai Dongguan
Since the Open Door Policy 2,500,000 8,000,000
was implemented in 1978, 15,000,000 1,500,000
the centres of the Pearl River 2,000,000
Delta have seen astonishing 6,000,000
rises in population, from
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

1,500,000 10,000,000 1,000,000

mere rural villages to 4,000,000
sprawling, urban centres. 1,000,000
Here's how dramatic the 5,000,000 500,000
upswing has been... 2,000,000
500,000

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

10,000,000 5,000,000 2,000,000 10,000,000 20,000,000

Foshan Zhongshan Jiangmen Hong Kong Guangzhou

Un Department of Economic and Social Affairs

8,000,000 4,000,000 8,000,000

1,500,000 15,000,000

6,000,000 3,000,000 6,000,000

1,000,000 10,000,000
4,000,000 2,000,000 400,000

500,000 5,000,000
2,000,000 1,000,000 200,000
57

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
 INTERNATIONAL: MEGAPROJECT

The Pearl River Delta is slowly growing into a single colossal megapolis. And ing only 0.45 percent of the area of China
as controversy reigns over the continued urban development into the
HKSAR's northeastern territories, we dissect the future of the extravagant to sprawling, urban centres the Pearl
sprawling metropolis and see how its emergence will affect - and perhaps even-
tually kill - Hong Kong. By Samuel Lai
River Delta has witnessed unprecedented
boom in population seen with one of the
most rapid urban expansion in human his-
tory, ever since the Open Door Policy
came into force in 1978.
In 2008, the Chinese government
unleashed a plan to merge the Pearl River
Delta's nine cities consisting of Shenzhen,
Dongguan and Huizhou in the east, Zhuhai,
Zhongshan and Jiangmen in the west,
and Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhaoqing in
the centre into a single megalopolis.
Essentially, the blueprint proposes a
spending of near to RMB2 trillion on more
than 150 major infrastructure improve-
ments to forge a colossal network of trans-
All Projected figures provided by the Economic Intelligence Units China Forecasting Service
portation, water, energy supply and tele-
Pearl River Delta GDP (RMB): 135,000 million Life expectancy: 80 years communication. And, indeed, the plan pro-
Huizhou Shenzhen Foshan Hong Kong Zhouqing Guangzhou Dongguan Zhuhai Zhongshan Jiangmen jects some quite mind-blowing statistics
GDP (RMB) 105,948m 221,883m 146,918m 269,279m 78,851m 230,276m 98,794m 179,698m 152,291m 76,057m
Birth Rate 0.61% 0.42% 0.32% 1.1% 1.71% 0.62% 0.20% 0.84% 0.38% 0.65%
for the Pearl River Delta by 2030: one
Industry Petrochemical Hi-tech, Machinery, Finance Manufacturing Services, Manufacturing Transport Healthcare, Advanced megacity, 66 million people, 54,733sq km,
manufacturing equipment finance hub fine chemicals Manufacturing
a GDP of RMB 15 trillion, a per capita GDP
factory. Its municipal population is thought daries', seamless interconnected urban exceeding RMB 220,000 and an urbanisa-
to be higher than 12 million. built up zone chains which are hailed as tion level in excess of 90 percent.
'Megacities'. In a little more than 30 years, PRD is
And then the star of all, almost becoming the heart of the thriving
It is however totally dependent on the
GUANGZHOU Chinese economy, embodying for better
urban planners' acumen, as to whether
or worse the Mainland's emergence as a
A short distance from Hong Kong, such interconnection by design has actu-
ally been able to deliver to the citizens & global power the factories, the incredible
China's southern capital with an official
all stakeholders a well blended inte- pace and scale of development, the sheer
population of 10,334,000, according to the
grated composite urban habitat rather number of people and accounting for
local government at the end of 2009. How-
than a incompatible sum of intercon- nearly one-tenth of the entire country's
ever, the sprawl of factories extending
nected stand alone cities. economy. During this evolution period, its
from the city in all directions has only lent
Yet, the ball has been set rolling and It urbanization rate increased dramatically
it multiply exponentially since then. Its
is now a phenomenon of our time and one, from 28 percent to 83 percent, making it
true population would now be far higher.
perhaps, which is most incredibly exhib- one of the most densely urbanized regions
Thus as developing metropolises ex-
ited in the Pearl River Delta. in China. And in coming years, these al-
pand tremendously both in area and popu-
ready extravagant figures are poised to
lation terms, they give rise blurring boun- From the mere rural villages occupy-
further rise sharply.
The dramatic Rise of PRD means a lot
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

to China Economically and geo politically

besides having other wide ramifications,
lessons, cautions and precautions that
merit serious strategic considerations.

Mooting an 'one-hour-living zone'!

Considering that the entire PRD region
has a geographical size larger than Den-
mark or Switzerland and a wide, muddy
river to traverse in the middle, it is no
small feat to intend creating a 'one-hour-
living zone' encompassing all the nine cit-
ies in the Pearl River Delta,” says Zuo Zheng,
an economics professor at the Jinan Uni-
versity in Guangzhou. With labyrinths of
roads, tunnels, bridges across the delta,
58

The PRD in end seventies - A humble rural place before becoming SEZ in 1980
 INTERNATIONAL: MEGAPROJECT

Hong Kong's growing 2047 Dilemma

Officially, the Chinese plan involves only
the nine cities of the Pearl River Delta.
What's the motivation for the regional con-
solidation whatever form it takes? The
immediate perception of an observer, is
that the administrators want to equip the
PRD to better compete with Beijing and
Shanghai thus giving a boost to the coun-
try's economy. But is there more to it than just
this ? By reading between the lines, does this
grandiose plan extend to a few more urban
centres and is Hong Kong one of them?
The plan could possibly also serve their
Macau University, courtesy of Macau University
interests by marginalizing Hong Kong just
close-by. Eventually Beijing could be plan-
as well as intra- and inter-city railways bridge-tunnel, scheduled for completion ning for the erstwhile British colony to be
totalling more than 4,000km, the residents in 2016, which will cut the driving time part of an integrated PRD. It is interesting
of the Pearl River Delta will be able to eas- from Hong Kong to Macau or Zhuhai to note that the city was included in a na-
ily speed from any one of the nine cities to down to about 30 minutes. tional five-year plan recentlybut as of now
another in an hour or less. The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge left out of the nine-cities scheme.
The Chinese Government plans to abo- - World's Longest Bridge/Tunnel Sea For those who are not aware of the Hong
lish all barricades in the Pearl River Delta, Crossing. Kong colonial background, I think of add-
enables a so-called 'barrier-free circula- The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge ing a brief that when the British handed
tion' of public services. Inhabitants of the scheduled for completion in 2016, the over control in 1997, both sides agreed that
megalopolis will be able to attend school Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge will pro- Hong Kong would be autonomous until
or stay at hospitals with a government sub- vide a direct link between Hong Kong and 2047.
sidy at any of the nine cities. the western bank of Pearl River Delta
“Such inter-connectedness among the (PRD), reducing travel time between Well, actually it says this:
nine cities is beyond the conventional urban Zhuhai and Hong Kong by about 80%. According to the Land Leases all leased
agglomeration,” says Zuo. “Instead of consi- The bridge tunnel will cross the mouth lands, granted by the British Hong Kong
dering them to be nine individual, separate of the PRD much like the Chesapeake Bay Government, which extend beyond 30
cities, it makes more sense to see them as Bridge Tunnel crosses the mouth of the June 1997 and all rights in relation to such
a unified, organic whole with a continuous Chesapeake Bay on the east coast of USA. leases shall continue to be recognised
urbanarea.It's fittingtocallitamegalopolis.” The design allows the world's largest con- and protected under the law of the
“This integration and development of tainer vessels unimpeded access to Hong HKSAR for a period expiring not longer
Pearl River Delta is of a national strategic Kong and western Shenzhen terminals than 30 June 2047.
level,” says Ma Xiangming, chief planner such as Da Chan Bay.
at the Guangdong Urban and Rural Plan- Once completed, the bridge will be- In accordance with the "One country,
ning and Design Institute. “The vision is to come the longest bridge-tunnel in the world two systems" principle agreed between
enhance overall regional competitiveness with a total length of 42 km (26 miles) with the UK and the PRC, the socialist sys-
with this new approach to strengthen col- 35.6 km (22 miles) over sea. The unique tem of PRC would not be practiced in
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

laboration, upgrade industrial structure design of the bridge will begin at both Macau the Hong Kong Special Administrative
and make use of each city's competitive and Zhuhai at the western side of the Region (HKSAR), and Hong Kong's pre-
advantages.” Pearl River Delta and at Hong Kong on the vious capitalist system and its way of life
There are several significant pieces of eastern side, with portions of the struc- would remain unchanged for a period of
infrastructure being built in Hong Kong as ture being supported by artificial islands. 50 years until 2047.
well, further increasing the connectivity of This major cross-boundary infrastruc-
The Joint Declaration provides that
the city to the North and West, bringing us ture project is said to be the result of the
these basic policies should be stipu-
into the Pearl River Delta's 'one-hour liv- close cooperation of the governments of
lated in the Hong Kong Basic Law and
ing zone'. Most notably, the controversial Guang-dong, Hong Kong Special Admin-
that the socialist system and socialist
140km-long Express Rail Link, with its ter- istrative Region (HKSAR) and Macao Spe-
policies shall not be practiced in HKSAR
minus in West Kowloon, will reduce the cial Ad-ministrative Region (Macao SAR).
travel time between Hong Kong and The project falls under “The Outline of the So this basically grants Hong Kong
Guangzhou to a mere 48 minutes when it Plan for the Reform and Development of the status it currently enjoys only till 2047.
is operational in 2015. And then there's the the Pearl River Delta (2008 to 2020)” re- Two years later in 2049 the same would
35.6km-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao leased by the National Development and apply to Macau, which agreement expires
Reform Commission in December 2008. on 2049.
60

Bridge, the world's longest sea-crossing

 INTERNATIONAL: MEGAPROJECT

What's Big ? A final word to wrap up

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong
province, is already considered the world's
second largest metropolis with 24.9 mil-
lion residents. The other eight cities in the
Pearl River Delta plan will mean that the
new unit will have a total of 42 million
inhabitants.
Eventually if one adds up, the neigh-
boring Special Administrative Regions of
Hong Kong and Macau, which as we have
seen some Chinese planners would like
to do, and you have a megacity of 50 mil-
lion people.
Think that's big? No, but 260 million
sure is!
As Guangzhou academic Li Zhigang
Hong-Kong in the face of china says, “The central government wants to
see a coordinated development of PRD cit-
Hong Kong : The Politics of it all! for universal suffrage. The Democrats' tar- ies under its guidance.”
get date for universal suffrage had been Under its guidance, central planners
Since the handover in 1997, political
2012, but Beijing has now pushed it back have all sorts of ambitious schemes. They
thinkers in Hong Kong have settled into
again to 2017. are, for instance, planning to create across
two opposing camps: The Democrats and
Beijing was thus surprised to find that the country “small cities” of up to 25 million
the Pro-Beijing camp.
Hong Kong was not as apolitical as they people and city clusters with up to 100 mil-
Hong Kong has a unicameral legisla-
had hoped and the rise of the democratic lion.
ture called the Legislative Council, where
movement in Hong Kong has been accel- The grandest of proposals contem-
the Democrats hold 58.99 per cent of the
erating since the 1997 handover. The issue plates a Bohai Economic Rim of up to 260
30 directly elected seats. Although they
is fast becoming one, the citizens of Hong million people centered on the adjoining
reflect the majority, the Democrats are
Kong realise, has implications for their cities of Beijing and Tianjin. Technocrats
derogatively referred to as an “opposition
freedoms. “The Communist Party is not and diplomats are also implementing
camp” (fan duì pài) by the pro-Beijing camp,
trustworthy,” said Suen, a 78-year-old man regional plans to essentially merge the
while activists get accused of committing
who led a march in 2008. Whether or not it North Korean port of Rason into portions
“high treason” (hàn jifn) since their con-
was in response to the protest, Beijing had of China's northeastern provinces. w
cerns go against the Communist Party's
then placed a temporary freeze on exports
political stand.
of wheat flour to Hong Kong, where thou-
A new anti-subversion law in Hong
sands of noodle shops and bakeries were Author's Bio
Kong's Basic Law, the city's de facto con-
adversely affected.
stitution viz Article 23, enacted in 2003 The author leads our Delhi bureau. An
Hong Kong is slowly learning that the
would allow the CPC to ban from Hong Engineer and qualified ADR profes-
“one country, two systems” principle was
Kong any organisation it deems subver- sional (NALSAR alumnus), Sadagopan
never intended to be a permanent solu- Seshadri has been a senior Contract
sive, without investigation. It also makes
tion. Nor was it designed for the purpose Mana-gement Professional in large
opposing the government party the equiv-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

of granting Hong Kong full universal suf- national & International Companies.
alent of opposing the country, which takes
frage so that it may be politically inde- His domain experience is in Building
away any right to criticise the party in pendent from Beijing. Realistically, the pe- Products, Cement plants and Mega
power. Offences under Article 23 can lead riod from 1997-2047 was only meant to be Power project execution. He has been
to life imprisonment. a transitional phase whereby Hong Kong anexpertvisitingfaculty and univ. exam-
On 1 July 2003, half a million showed up is being prepared to join China as one iner for Contract Management at the
in the sweltering summer heat to protest country, one system. SSAA, IP University, New Delhi.
against Article 23, and since then, the first Being passionate about Environment
of July has been transformed from a pa- Elephant in the Room
he has now turned to Landscape
triotic day into one of hostility between the Having said all of this, still the China Projects design teamed with like-
two political camps. Since Beijing has been megalopolis is a reality that has been set mindedarchitects & engineers for sus-
slowly excluding the Democrats from in motion and Hong Kong 2047 issue, or tainable landscapes development He
political influence in the past decade, the for that matter 'Macau 2049' too, truly for is vocal with his views on these areas
Democrats have been using mass action the moment, atleast in my opinion rightly throughhis writings.
to make themselves heard. On 1 July 2009, seems to be ' Elephant in the room' situa- He can be reached at:
Hong Kong citizens marched for the sev- tion' that none would want to 'touch with a design2xcel@gmail.com
62

enth consecutive year to once again call ten foot pole'.

 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

Chinese Hospitality Industry:

Undergoing a Design Revolution
Bhavani Balakrishna

N
ew hotels and resorts are no longer just about
a place to stay. According to architects and
designers who are creating some of the most
acclaimed properties worldwide, hotels today are
about unique, fully-integrated experiences that are
based on well-identified guest tastes and preferences.
Cutting-edge hotel architecture and design today
really deal with the guest experience and enhance that
experience on multiple levels by holis-tically address-
ing architecture, interior design and the design of the
hospitality experience.
China is one country that is taking this seriously
and has several innovative hospitality projects in the
pipeline that combine cutting-edge design with ele-
ments of China's own architectural heritage.
Masterbuilder takes a look at some of them.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
66
 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

W Guangzhou
W Guangzhou boasts a striking ex-
terior by architect Rocco Yim of Rocco
Design Architects Limited, who has dev-
eloped some of China's most recogniz-
able and iconic projects, including Hong
Kong's International Finance Centre and
Hong Kong Station as well as the Gua-
ngdong Museum in Guangzhou.
Architect Rocco Yim, who did Hong
Kong's International Finance Centre, has
come up with a 42-floor exterior that fea-
tures sleek black glass, highlighted by a
three-floor high cantilevered wall that is
in fact part of FeiUltralounge nightclub.
The building is an actual amalgam-
ation of two components: a 317-room bou-
tique hotel and a 160-unit serviced apart-
ment under one single management. The
building's exterior has an asymmetrical
shape with a sleek sheath of black glass
punctuated by architectural cut-outs and Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort
bright glass highlights. Layer upon layer
Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort design and eventually, a “reinforced con-
of color, light and texture weave a vibrant,
crete core-tube” featuring high capacity,
modern palate that is exciting, stylish and Designed by much-hyped Beijing-ba-
light weight and excellent earthquake
provocative. sed architect Ma Yansong of MAD archi-
Dominating the entrance of the prop- resistance was implemented while
tects, the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Springs
erty is the three-story tall “Luminous simultaneously reducing environmental
Resort is made up of "layers" of floors to
WaterWall”, illuminated by over 5000 LED pollution during construction.
create a ring that rises from the south bank
lights in hundreds of thousands of colors. of Huzhou'sTaihu Lake.Located on the Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou
The water and light feature is choreo- shores of Lake Tai in China, the Sheraton
graphed to create morphing, abstract vi- Huzhhou Hot Spring Hotelis 100 meters high Rising 103 storeys above the Pearl
suals in a kinetic collage of colors and pat- and 116 meters wide, covering an area of River, the Four Seasons Guangzhou occu-
terns, which change throughout the day 75 acres. The 321 rooms include 40 suites, pies the top third of the new Guangzhou
and alter the mood of the space: invigorat- 37 villas, and presidential suites, each IFC. Arranged around a breathtaking full-
ing in the morning and sensuous in the with a view of the fabled Lake Tai, China's height atrium, itself taller than St Paul's
evening. third largest freshwater body Cathedral in London or the Statue of Lib-
Other design highlights in the hotel While the hotel, which is designed by erty in New York, the 344 luxurious guest
include a spectacular suspended nest in- Beijing-born architect Ma Yanson, appears rooms and suites are among the most
stallation in the Woobar lounge by Yabu in the shape of a horseshoe the bottom modern and spacious in the city, with unri-
Pushelberg, an orchid-inspired Yan Yu ends are in fact connected by two base- valled views of the Pearl River.
Chinese restaurant designed by Design ment levels.The ostentatious lobby is lit by The building utilizes the world's tall-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Wilkes, and A.N.D.'s dramatically-lit glass 20,000 Swarovski and European natural est constructed diagrid structure (diago-
loft bar FeiUltralounge, which spans three crystal lamps arranged in a wave-like for- nal support columns creating a lattice-
stories and is suspended from the side of mation across its ceiling, while the flor is work of triangular forms also found in the
the hotel.The enormous, cold glass cur- paved with Afghan White Jade and Tiger's Gherkin and New York's Hearst Tower)
tain wall has been covered in a film of warm Eye Stone from Brazil. which is clearly expressed through the
light. The colour and flicker rate of the film, The hotel façade is covered with lay- building's façade and gives the building
made up of countless glass fibres, can be ers of fine-textured white aluminum rings considerable character. The diagrid mem-
sensitively manipulated to envelop guests and glass, bringing about illusion and drama bers are formed from concrete filled steel
in changing light. The film also creates a of the building scale. A LED light system tubes which provide both good stiffness
facade that sparkles and beckons pass- on the exterior skin displays animated tex- and fire protection to the structure. The
ers-by down the street.The designers say tures and patterns, all of it reflected on the tubular diagrid structure “nodes-out”
that they have used a “carefully devised water's surface. every 12 storeys to form 54m high giant
technique” to reflect and amplify the light. The shape of the building provides steel diamonds. At the base of the tower,
And in the day, the film becomes a trans- shade for all of the balconies and promotes the structural members are 1800mm in
lucent screen that helps to soften the sun- natural ventilation. The clear ring-shape diameter and reduce in size up the build-
67

light pouring into the space. posed a great challenge to the structural ing to 900mm at the top of the building.
 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou

The structural core takes much of the filled spaces and create extraordinary pan- architect used an unusual structure of
gravity load of the building's floors and is oramic views for the hotel's stylish res- angled, raking columns. Even guest
linked back to the diagrid perimeter taurants, bars and guest rooms. The rooms and suites have angling, tapering
structure via floor beams to create a stiff atrium balconies have been sculpted by columns in the corners, making all 344 of
“tube-within-tube” structural system. Wilkinson Eyre so that when viewed from them different as the building narrows
The inherent stiffness in the structure min- the atrium they recall the building's dia- while rising. That meant flexible guest
imizes steel tonnage whilst providing mond shaped steel “diagrid” structure. room plans. The only constants are the
resistance to acceleration and sway, This is accented at night by futuristic light- bathroom and bed positions, so guests
thereby maintaining high comfort levels ing design which artistically illuminates wake up and look straight out of the floor
for the buildings occupants. This stiffness the handrails throughout the atrium. to ceiling glass windows.
and resistance to acceleration means Guests access the hotel's ground floor The Cloud Bar on Level 99 is home to
that no damping of the structure is lobby and enter dedicated express eleva- an eight meter long rare piece of gem-
required. The shape of the building has tors to the 70th Floor sky lobby which bene- stone, cantilevered and floating against a
been designed to reduce the effects of fits from amazing views out over the Pearl seamless backdrop. The gemstone is
wind, thereby reducing the necessary size River and a towering atrium. This space is rare natural Agate, characteristically blu-
and weight of the structure. flooded with daylight from a dramatic roof ish purple and very hard to come by. The
Interior designer Hirsch Bedner Asso- light floating 120 metres above hotel bar sits in front of a seamless window, giv-
ciates (HBA) worked with the full potential guests' heads. ing arriving guests the impression there is
of Wilkinson Eyre's design. The building's The building breaks conventions, cou- a giant gemstone floating in the clouds.
floor to ceiling windows make for light- pling luxury with avant-garde design. The Adding to this effect are the crystal clear
Lucite bar chairs which do not distract, yet
enhance the pristine and luxuriously mini-
malist environment.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Fifth Hotel Tower, City of Dreams, Macau

ZahaHadid Architects has designed a
40-story luxury hotel for Macau's premier
leisure and entertainment destination
known as “City of Dreams.” Perceived as a
single “sculptural element” united by an
exposed exoskeleton mesh structure, the
“simple volume” was extruded from its
rectangular site as two towers connected
at the podium and roof levels, with two
organically-shaped bridges punctuating
the tower's center external void. This cen-
tral void is then celebrated by a 40-meter
tall, “grandiose atrium” that greets visi-
tors as they enter the hotel. The tower's
68

Fifth Hotel Tower, City of Dreams, Macau exposed exoskeleton reinforces the dyna-
 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

used. Due to geographical limitations, de-

signers of the structure, in PLaT Archi-
tects Agency, invented new technological
system to employ the steel panels without
any usage of concrete of water to fix in
fluid sands.

Yanqi Lake Kempinski Hotel, Beijing

The Kempinski Yanqi Lake Complex,
the new luxurious development set on 14-
square-kilometre grounds in the heart of
scenic Yanqi Lake, Beijing, expected to
open in mid-2014, includes 595 guest rooms
and suites. Conceived by architects and
interior designers include DiLeonardo,
Wilson Associates, Rockwell Group and
Desert Lotus Hotel
Hirsch Bedner Associates, the Yanqi Lake
mism of the design. Expressive and pow- lia, about 350 miles west of Beijing, is the Kempinski Hotel, Beijing, embodies the
erful, this external structure optimizes Desert Lotus Hotel. This one of a kind resort shape of the rising sun that in Chinese
the interior layouts and envelops the is not just famous for its concrete less buil- lore symbolizes harmony, unity and infin-
building, further defining its formal com- ding but also has a unique design that works ity. In keeping with the natural beauty of
position and establishing relationships as a floating ship in the deserts of China. the area, sustainability and ecological val-
with the new Cotai strip,” described ZHA The structure of the Desert Lotus Hotel ues are reflected in the materials and con-
in a press release. comprises of several triangular white tent struction techniques: electricity is sup-
Conceived as a monolithic block with tops which are rotated 45 degrees to make plied from green hydroelectric power,
a series of voids carved through its centre, a circular formation resembling like a lotus. lighting consists of LED systems. The 12
the hotel will be encased behind a latticed Desert Lotus doesn't have a traditional Boutique Hotels blend contemporary and
structure.It will contain 150,000 square foundation, and no cement or water was traditional décor with thematic design,
metres of floor space, and will also con- used during construction. Rather, it rests such as the Chinese Imperial Gardens of
tain meeting and event facilities, restau- on a flat metal base filled with sand, which Beijing and 'Siheyuan' combined with
rants, a spa and an elevated swimming keeps it stable like ballast in a boat. Inside futuristic elements.
pool.Development of the new hotel at City its prefab frame, walls and ceilings are Langham Place, Guangzhou
of Dreams commenced in 2013. The pro- lined with a composite made from dune
ject is expected to open in early 2017. sand. Sail-like shading devices cut down Designed by global award-winning
on energy costs. architects Aedas, Langham Place,
Desert Lotus Hotel
Energy saving and environmental Guangzhou is an urban architectural icon
Designed by the Beijing based archi- friendly, anti-seismic, weather resistant, - the exterior of the 22-storey hotel con-
tects PLaT in the Xiangshawan Desert, a insulated, moisture-proof and sound proof jures the vivid imagery of the unfolding of
remote stretch of dunes in Inner Mongo- sheet steel ribs and light steel have been wings, evoking a sense of freedom and
space. The hotel was designed by a global
team of award-winning architects from
Aedas, with Andrew Bromberg, director
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

of Aedas, as lead designer.

Viewing the building from different
angles will leave the guests with different
impressions. For example, the hotel
appears to be a sailboat frozen in time and
space from one angle, and from another
angle the building turns into a spaceship
with unfolding wings.
Langham Place, Guangzhou is affiliated
with The Place, a complex located 160 metres
away. In order to create an integrated effect
and to clearly demonstrate the connection
between the two buildings, the designers
incorporated vertical designs into the 40-
metre podium base of the building, with
70

Yanqi Lake Kempinski Hotel, Beijing the rest of the structure following a more
 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

Crowne Plaza Resort, Xishuangbanna

Nestled amidst the stunning tropical
landscape of southern Yunnan Province
in China, the Dai Palace-inspired Crowne
Plaza Resort Xishuangbanna is an en-
chanting design of local culture and
abounding biodiversity. The Resort is the
first 5-star internationally branded hotel
to open in Jinghong city, Xishuangbanna,
a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve home
to rainforests, nature reserves and ele-
phant parks. The design, architecture and
spectacular landscaping of Crowne Plaza
Resort Xishuangbanna fully embraces this
uniquenessfromthemomentguestsarrive.
On entry, the hotel entrance combines
local and neighboring Thai-inspired ele-
ments with materials such as local red and
black volcanic rock and natural wood from
Yunnan to create the walls. A 10-meter high
Dawang Mountain Resort near Changsha, China waterfall greets guests inside the Thai open
and high ceiling lobby implanting guests
lateral pattern. Though the two "moving" door swimming pool, set to form a 60- directly into their own tropical rainforest.
designs are not identical, they are de- metre waterfall into the pit of the quarry, The resort's 520 rooms feature over-
signed to complement each other and the while an upside-down glass cone will sized balconies with views of the resort's
surrounding environment of the building, bring light through the centre of the struc- extensive tropical gardens and are indi-
appearing to be pulled together by some ture. vidually designed using a number of South-
magnetic force that creates an inte- A separate sculptural tower 100m high east Asian elements. The street lights
grated, dynamic exterior presentation. on the South end of the site hosts a 5 star throughout the resort are shaped like pea-
hotel and is connected to the Ice World via cock feathers lighting up the walkways in
Dawang Mountain Resort near Changsha,
the Grand Garden Plaza. The façade of the the evening while an angular tower pagoda
China
tower is a specially designed, highly eco- sits among winding streams throughout
Austrian firm Coop Himmelb(l)au has nomical system providing state-of-the- the resort.
designed the winning entry for the Dawang art sun shading, natural ventilation and a Award-winning international archi-
Mountain Resort Changsha, in China win- unitized, quick construction. The elemen- tect firm, Peridian, has created a peaceful
ter sports resort and water park across an tal façade system offers maximum flexi- blend of natural features of the area with
abandoned cement-mining quarry and lake. bility for the interior room layout and cre- an overarching Southeast Asian Palace
Highlights will include a cantilevered out- ates a homogeneous exterior façade. look and feel to the gardens, streams and
landscape. The tropical greenery across
the resort covers a massive 30,000 square
meters with an ecological garden that forms
areas at different heights adding to the
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

mountainous feel. Located on two sides of

the resort are the Frangipani gardens, which
in full bloom offer a myriad of bright colors
and shape that light up the hotel. Over 1,000
different varieties of tropically indigenous
plants native to Yunnan can be found in the
grounds, plus an especially sub-tropical
palm and ginger section. Some of the plants
in the resort's herb garden not only have
medicinalvalue,buthelptowardoffinsects.
Surrounding the central fully func-
tioning Temple, care has been made to
include five types of trees and six types of
flowers, including the ubiquitous Golden
Lotus flower that in Buddhist scriptures
72

Crowne Plaza Resort, Xishuangbanna offer a feeling of holiness and serenity. w

 IT: CLOUD BASED ERP

An Cloud Based ERP: The Next Step

in Construction Project Management
Ankita Adhikary
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

T
hree rapidly moving developments are shaking busi- making saving through higher efficiencies, by lowering IT
nesses across the world: cloud technology, mobile staff requirements and circumventing capital investments in
adoption and data proliferation. Core construction In- IT. It’s time Enterprise resource planning (ERP) to migrate to
dustry have been dramatically impacted by the three. Con- cloud to make itself more user friendly and efficient tool.
struction projects, always a little tradition bound, is suddenly Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are the
witnessing brisk change. The enhanced availability of rich backbone of many organizations, helping them manage their
data and mobile adoption is ensuring that the data reaches accounting, procurement processes, projects, and more
end users quickly and can be acted upon instantly. Enabling throughout the enterprise. For large Construction Projects,
this is scalable and standardized infrastructure on cloud. ERP systems have often meant large, costly, and time-con-
Cloud is reshaping the way technology is used. It has made suming deployments that might require significant hardware
computing power, storage, back up, development platforms, or infrastructure investments. The advent of cloud comput-
testing environments and the ability to run a variety of ap- ing and software-as-a-service (SaaS) deployments are at the
plications available with cost savings and increased options forefront of a change in the way businesses think about ERP.
for users. Moving ERP to the cloud allows businesses to simplify their
Everything from Business Support Systems to Opera- technology requirements and more quickly see a return on
tions Support Systems is migrating to cloud. Businesses are their investment. According to a 2013 survey by McGladrey,
74
 IT: CLOUD BASED ERP

in their attempt to mitigate. A typical project launches at the

departmental level. Thus, the solutions to plan and execute
the project are typically decided on and deployed at that lev-
el. Project management and monitoring is often undertaken
separately, in different parts of the organization. This results
in disparate solutions that often take the form of a myriad of
ERP and custom solutions and it often brings with it a lack of
integration among the projects collectively and individually
within the enterprise as a whole.

54 percent of respondents say changing or upgrading their

existing applications is their most time-consuming ERP task.
With cloud-based ERP deployments, however, businesses
see lower support costs and no maintenance or upgrades
for the IT staff to perform. Cloud-based ERP suites are ma-
ture offerings that now have many of the same features and
functionality as their on-premise counterparts. In addition,
the cloud deployment model easily enables the integration
of other key technologies like mobility, decision support sys-
tems, and collaboration and social systems.
While senior management and project leads may lament
this lack of integration, those in the trenches typically remain
loyal to the applications with which they are familiar. Often this
means Microsoft Excel on a user basis and Microsoft Proj-
ects on a departmental basis, with both sometimes finding
themselves rolled up into an enterprise-wide ERP system.

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) through Cloud based

ERP

To truly understand the advantages of Project Portfolio

Management (PPM) Cloud brings to project management
it’s important to understand the foundation of PPM. PPM
enables corporate and business users to organize a series
of projects into portfolios and provide reports based on the
In fact, adopting a cloud-based ERP suite today means various project objectives, costs, resources, risks, and other
neither IT nor the business needs to settle for applications or pertinent associations. PPM software enables users, usually
infrastructure that are deficient or lacking in features. Mod- management or executives within an enterprise, to review
ern ERP cloud-based applications have a consumer-like the portfolio that will assist in making key financial and busi-
user experience, embedded collaborative capabilities, and ness decisions for projects.
in-context analytics to support real-time decision making, a
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

critical activity in today’s fast-paced business environment. A PPM has six core components, each of which is found in
modern cloud platform is agile, reliable, and secure, so that any project undertaken:
organizations can confidently pursue growth opportunities.
A modern ERP cloud solution simplifies, standardizes, - Project costing
and automates business processes helping organizations - Project contracts and billing
take full advantage of growth opportunities. A modern ERP - Performance reporting
cloud also enables a workforce to collaborate, analyze, and - Resource management
work on the move, accelerating performance and attracting - Project management
great talent. Finally, a modern ERP cloud reduces costs and - Collaborative planning
makes smarter use of scarce IT resources in a construction All of these components flow into the two other com-
company. ponents of ERP, procurement and financial management,
Powering Project-Driven Businesses putting PPM in an interesting position in the ERP landscape.
Projects, by their very nature, are rarely stand-alone. While
Project management has historically been a complicat- a good PPM software package will centralize resource and
ed and convoluted process. The ad hoc, often one-off nature project tracking, there is no getting away from financial ac-
of projects and proposed solutions create numerous pain countability or resource optimization, both of which are im-
points that organizations within enterprises often exacerbate portant to managing the project and helping the enterprise
75
 IT: CLOUD BASED ERP

achieve its goals. PPM solutions play a dual role, directly and Project Management: Provides easy to use collaborative
immediately benefitting the project at hand and benefitting planning and essential scheduling capabilities for the project
the whole enterprise indirectly and in the long term. manager and team members.
There are different ways to serve project management, Resource Management: Optimizes the allocation and
which has processes that sit within CRM, HCM, project utilization of resources to ensure best-fit candidates from a
management itself, and accounting/financials software, and global repository are assigned for every project.
then applying business intelligence across the entire pro- Task Management: Offers real-time, in-context collabo-
cess. Some ERP apps have extensions to cater to the needs ration to enable team members to work socially and move
of businesses that are oriented around projects; other ERP the project along easily.
apps take a project-based focus; and other solutions may be Tap for PPM: Delivers a complete view of projects on any
a mix of best-of-breed capabilities from CRM, HCM, project iOS device so users can understand the health of the project
management, and accounting. and performance while on the road or even at the client’s
site.
The Example of Oracle based PPM Module is mentioned as Running through all of these solutions are the central
below: tenets of Simplify, Accelerate, Collaborate, and Control. The
PPM Cloud is designed to meet, with ease, the many result is cloud services that are more sophisticated around
challenges that senior executives, project organizations, the financial planning and control of the project and that free
and project leaders face. PPM Cloud offers an integrated yet up resources to be better utilized in other ways.
modular project management suite designed to automate, From the modern user experience through power user
streamline, and control project management processes settings, becoming confident and proficient with the cloud
end-to-end without expensive hardware and system man- service is a straightforward process. This is also achieved
agement overhead costs. Nine solutions focusing on project through Oracle PPM Cloud’s integration with popular desk-
financial management and project execution make up the top tools, including Microsoft Project, which enables users to
PPM Cloud solution. Because PPM Cloud is so modular in work in a comfortable environment. And, this support helps
nature, enterprises can choose the products to deploy and the transition from reliance on fragmented project tools to a
add more products when they are ready. Billing and con- complete project portfolio management cloud solution.
tracts is also popular for customers that bill for project- Oracle PPM Cloud also delivers greater insight and
based work. makes analysis simpler. Analytics drive key decisions in
many enterprises. While analytics have the potential to lead
The following solutions make up Oracle PPM Cloud: to better decision making, they are unable to do so unless the
1. Project Performance Reporting right people have the right data. The Project Performance
2. Project Costing Reporting Cloud delivers insights via graphs and embedded
3. Project Control analytics with over 150 pre-seeded data points in a rich set of
4. Project Contracts subject areas. It is also able to work across multiple projects
5. Project Billing and historic indicators to determine what is going on. Rather
6. Project Management than looking at custom reports, project managers and oth-
7. Resource Management ers can look at a standard set of key performance indicators
8. Task Management (KPIs). Having this critical information at one’s fingertips is
9. TAP for PPM vital to the project’s success.
Project Performance Reporting: Uses a multidimen- Tight integration and customized analytics mean less
sional reporting model to give project stakeholders answers time and resources are spent tweaking and searching for
to critical business questions to enable them to take action data. More time can be spent analyzing the data and taking
in real time. action. This insight into what might have gone wrong, “gives
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Project Costing: Provides a highly automated and critical information to project managers for historical data,”
streamlined project costing process, allowing project-cen- making it easier to get the information needed to make deci-
tric organizations to capture and account for project costs sions.
and commitments across other Fusion applications and Since projects are inherently social, Oracle facilitated
third-party integrations for standardized cost collection pro- the meshing of project information among team members,
cesses. making it easier for them to collaborate internally or exter-
Project Control: Manages the planning, budgeting, pro- nally. The Team Connect feature offers an integrated, easily
gressing, and forecasting aspects of a project from a user configured project space for all project members where any
perspective using an intuitive interface to provide simplified team member can upload documents or files for everyone
viewing and control to better oversee critical activity. working on a project to see and contribute. Users find func-
Project Contracts: Delivers a common contract frame- tionality such as activity streams, forums, blogs, presence,
work that allows users to manage the customer contract document management, calendaring, and polling in Team
terms and conditions for products and services, independent Connect that make it comprehensive enough to meet all of
of how the project is executed. their collaboration needs. For users who want the ability to
Project Billing: Works with Project Contracts to ensure work any time, Oracle offers “Oracle Tap for Oracle PPM
compliance with the customer contract when billing and Cloud,” a Fusion application that can be accessed from any
recognizing revenue for a customer project. iOS device.
76
 IT: CLOUD BASED ERP

Integration, analytics, and collaboration are valuable, but

they have great potential for the wrong information to end
up in the wrong hands or for users to overstep their roles.
Hence, controls are critical. Oracle PPM Cloud offers nu-
merous built-in controls. Role-based usage and access are
built into the services. This enables internal and external us-
ers to have direct access to exactly what they need. In addi-
tion, for critical areas across the PPM suite, such as con-
tracts, role-based analytics are also available. Project team
members are given access to the financial information on an
as-needed basis. Controls also prevent missteps, particu-
larly where expenses come into play. The standardized cost
policies, for example, enforce validation at the point of entry.
If costs are not validated upfront, the transaction will not go
through. This way, “if it isn’t right, it doesn’t come in”.
PPM is a critical component of any enterprise involved
with projects. PPM is hardly a stand-alone service though.
Many of the components in PPM such as project costs, capi-
tal assets, budgets, billing, and revenue flow into financial businesses that want applications with modern functionality,
management. Oracle PPM Cloud brings these complex and but without the overhead of IT infrastructure, maintenance,
critical integrations together seamlessly and transparently and upgrades. In fact, 84 percent of CFOs surveyed in the
for the organization and the user. The benefits of this cohe- 2013 Gartner Financial Executives International CFO Tech-
sive offering are truly felt when the big picture is examined. nology Study believe that half of their transactions will be
delivered through SaaS over the next four years (up from 53
Advantages of ERP on Cloud
percent in 2012).
As they consider how their technology strategy supports
business objectives, forward-thinking businesses are now
exploring and adopting cloud-based ERP applications. In
addition to saving costs on infrastructure and maintenance,
these businesses are reaping the benefits of modern, ma-
ture ERP applications with the ability to easily integrate with
new or existing business processes. ERP on Cloud delivers
best-in-class functionality with integrated analytics, mobile
accessibility, and collaboration built into its services to cre-
ate a powerful, integrated suite of modern business applica-
tions. The applications in the Cloud based ERP are designed
with users in mind. Dashboards put the information users
need at their fingertips when they need it; there’s no search-
ing for action items. Users can work with their existing tools
and applications; there’s no need to learn an entirely new
process to get work done. The role-based design of ERP on
Cloud means users focus only on the tasks and information
- Enhanced flexibility (modular implementation) they need to get their work done.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

- Enhanced customization (new ERP solutions are highly “ERP in cloud is poised to play a major role in Construc-
configurable) tion Industry. As organizations attempt to increase flexibility,
- Lowered cost of ERP implementation (due to lowered enhance customization, lower costs and drive the integra-
infrastructure requirements) tion of emerging technologies, cloud will become central to
- Lower cost of ownership (pay-as-you-go model) success.”
- Better integration with emerging technologies (mobile,
Reference
data, analytics)
- Lowered cost of IT talent (no on-premise installations to - https://www.oracle.com/webfolder/s/delivery_production/docs/
manage) FY14h1/doc3/Quinstreet-OracleERPCloud-eBook.pdf
- http://www.wipro.com/documents/ERP-on-Cloud-the-winds-of-
The developments indicate that ERP on cloud is not a change.pdf
- http://www.iaeng.org/publication/WCE2011/WCE2011_pp681-684.
matter of when manufacturing will become part of the trend, pdf
but what it will choose to deliver via cloud first before it em- - http://www.fronde.com/assets/PDF/wp-abrdn-saas-and-cloud-
braces ERP on cloud completely. erp-observations-060713.pdf
- http://www.emkor.com/upload/whitepaper1.pdf
Conclusion - http://resources.idgenterprise.com/original/AST-0111292_ERP_
US_EN_WP_IDCERPInTheCloud.pdf
Cloud-services are growing in popularity among leading - http://airccse.org/journal/ijccsa/papers/3313ijccsa01.pdf w
78
 EQUIPMENT: SOIL COMPACTORS

Soil Compactors:
Indian Market Braces Up for a Period of Rapid Growth
M.K. Prabhakar, Associate Editor
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

B
y the time our readers will be going projects, these are the two types of equip- be the expected surge in road projects.
through this issue, a stable gov- ment that will be in demand. While earth- While the large scale highway and ex-
ernment would have taken oath moving equipment will be obviously in de- pressway projects will be driving demand,
in New Delhi, amidst great expectations, mand, soil compactors too are expected with the new government reportedly keen
from the general population and particu- to be in demand. For whether it is building on further intensifying focus on rural roads
larly from the construction equipment foundations, highways, walkways or any under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak
manufacturers. With revival of infrastruc- earth retaining structure for that matter, Yojana (PMGSY), it sure is good times for
ture projects topping the list of the new soil compactors play a key role. soil compaction suppliers in India.
government's agenda, there are two key A slew of power, water supply and Around 3500 units of compactors are
market segments that are watching the highway projects are expected to keep soil being sold in the country annually in re-
proceedings with keen interest. The earth- compactor manufacturers busy. With soil cent times, half of which are estimated to be
moving and compaction equipment sup- compactors playing a key role in building soil compactors. With the revival in the eco-
pliers are keeping a watch on when actu- embankments in the case of earthen dams nomy the growth rate is expected to be ra-
ally the massive unfurling of delayed pro- and canals banks, the demand is expec- pid in the next few years. It won't come as a
jects takes place. For with the announce- ted to grow exponentially by the end of this surprise were these figures to double by the
end of the XII Five Year Plan (2012-2017), if
80

ment of new, as well as revival of delayed calendar year. Aiding the growth rate will
 EQUIPMENT: SOIL COMPACTORS

all goes well with the economy. The com-

petition is already intense. Manufacturers
are catering to a rapidly evolving customer,
for who is no longer only lured by the price,
but is more interested in aspects such as
the technology behind the machines, return
on investment and aftermarket services.
Just as in the case of the other types of con-
struction equipment, contractors have
realized that the initial higher capital
investment is bound to pay off in the long
run, given the cost savings achieved due
to the lesser number of passes. Fuel effi-
ciency of machines is another aspect that
manufacturers are focusing on given the
stricter emission norms these days. All
this along with the expected easing of the
liquidity crunch spells good times for con-
tractors.
Wide Variety on Offer
Along with road projects, the focus on dam, canal and irrigation projects spells good news for
Given the huge infrastructure deficit
soil compactor suppliers
facing India, one need not be an expert in
economy analysis to see that soil compac- sure excellent stability. The soil compac- Cummins engine is at the heart of these
tor suppliers are sitting on a gold mine. It tor model also features a sloping bonnet mean machines. The model also feature
therefore comes as no surprise that almost which provides for unmatched rear and a 3-point pendulum articulated joint, which
every major player, both in the field of as- all round visibility to the operator, apart enables superior steering characteristics
phalt, as well as soil compactors has made from a robust, solid and functional dash- and directional stability.
a beeline for the country. The focus is on board for superior control. The bonnet de- One more top global player which has
catering to the needs of a rapidly evolving sign also allows for easy service access too. made rapid inroads into the Indian market
customer, who is no longer willing to make Another top brand that offers soil com- is Case India. The company had recently
his purchase decision purely on the basis pactors in India is Wirtgen India. The com- introduced the 1107 DX vibratory soil com-
of price. While price is still an important pany manufacturers the Series 311 model pactor. The 1107 DX-D and 1107 DX-PD
consideration, there are other factors, such from the Hamm range in its plant, located are the other models in the vibratory soil
as aftermarket services, technical back up near Pune. The models feature a 3 point compactor range. All the models feature
support, training of operators, and easy swivel joint for optimum driving comfort and a powerful and fuel efficient engines,
availability of spares that have emerged as hydrostatic steering. It is also designed for designed to take on tough working condi-
key factors. It has become therefore im- ease of maintenance. A powerful, 4 cylinder, tions. The models are also designed for
perative for global players to have an
established, wide geographical dealer
cum service network, enabling them to be
closer to the customer. This apart, the
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

stricter emission control norms too are

dictating market trends. Manufacturers
are focusing a lot on coming out with
machines that are environment-friendly,
while also being fuel efficient. All this has
come as good news for the Indian cus-
tomer, who now can choose from a wide
array of product offerings.
A good example for a top global name
that has made rapid strides in the Indian
soil compactor market is JCB India. The
company offers the VM115 model featur-
ing the four cylinders, water cooled, turbo
charged JCB ecoMAX engine, ideally suited
for Indian working conditions. The robust
With models like Hamm 311 and Hamm HD90 Wirtgen India has made rapid inroads into the
chassis and heavy duty centre joint en-
81

Indian compactor market

 EQUIPMENT: SOIL COMPACTORS

The JCB VM115 is ideally suited for Indian working conditions The Volvo SD110 in action

providing excellent operator comfort, globally well known brand that offers soil All Set to Roll
which in turn translates into increased compactors. The company's soil compac-
With the economic gloom looking all
productivity. tors are designed for varied applications
but gone, the next couple of years could be
Of course, no mention of construction such as in highways, utilities, water reten-
boom time for soil compactor suppliers.
or road construction equipment could be tion structures and large residential, com-
Apart from the large scale infrastructure
over without the mention of top Chinese mercial and industrial site pre-paration.
projects, there is also expected demand
brands. LiuGong India offers the CLG611H Models on offer from the company
being generated by projects such as inte-
vibratory soil compactor model. The BSIII include the SD70, SD110, SD160 and
grated residential townships and com-
compliant machine has been designed SD200, with capacity ranging from 5 Tons
keeping in view the working conditions of mercial realty projects. Soil compaction
to 15 plus Tons.
India. The model features a cab that offers With the Indian market being a lucra- has emerged as a highly specialized area
excellent all round visibility and ergono- tive one, competition is increasing by the in construction, especially with respect to
mically placed controls for the operator. day. Some other top name players that construction of infrastructure projects in
Caterpillar is one more globally repu- are in fray include Escorts Construction recent times. The emphasis on improving
ted equipment manufacturer that offers Equipment (ECEL) and ACE. ECEL offers quality standards is only bound to increase
soil compactors. The company's models, the EC5250 and 2420 models, while ACE in the future. This being the case, there is
the 815F Series 2 and the 825H offer high offers the ASD110, ASD125 and ASD156 no doubting the rapid growth in the mar-
compaction performance, speed and models. With speedy revival of infrastruc- ket for soil compactors.
gradeability. The machines feature net ture development projects predicted, it The period of growth is expected to test
power of 173 kW and 264 kW respectively, won't come as a surprise if a slew of new every leading brand to the fullest. With
while the operating weight of models of soil compactors were to competition getting more intense, one of
the models are 20755kg be released in the the key challenges in the vast Indian mar-
and 32734 kg respectively. Indian market in the ket is reach out to the maximum number
Volvo CE is yet another next couple of years. of customers as possible, as also be avail-
able at their beck and call for service sup-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

port. A robust distribution and service net-

work , apart from a strong focus on after-
market services is what is set to be the dif-
ferentiating factor among the top players.
Another challenge facing suppliers in the
Indian market is the fact that while it is
easy to launch new technology here, it is
quite another thing to educate customers
about it. A lot of coordinated effort among
the entire supply chain is required for the
right message to reach the end-user in the
Indian context. All the top names in fray are
the ones that have geared themselves up
for these unique challenges of the Indian
market. Some of the most fruitful years
82

The Case 1107DX has been designed for providing superior operator comfort beckon soil compactor suppliers. w
 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

An Experimental Study on Pile Spacing

Effects under Lateral Loading in Sand
Mahdy Khari, Khairul Anuar Kassim, & Azlan Adnan
Department of Geotechnics and Transportation,
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

S
uperstructures are supported by pile foundations so interaction between the surrounding soil and the pile [7].
that it had its origin in prehistoric time. These founda- In 1962, Prakash carried out the pile group behavior un-
tions may be subjected to significant horizontal loads der the lateral loading using aluminum pipes (od = 12.7 mm;
such as dynamic and static loadings. Two criteria shall be =pile diameter) inthemediumsand.Basedon these tests, it
controlled to satisfy of functioning such structures: (1) their was stated that the sum of pile capacities was more than
deflection which must be within the permissible limit and that within the group when the spacing center-to-center of
(2) safety of pile against ultimate failure. The behavior of piles was less than3 and 8 in the direction perpendicu-
the pile group and the single pile is usually different ow- lar and the direction to load, respectively. Meyerhof et al.
ing to the impacts of the pile-to-pile interaction (so called [8] conducted tests in homogeneous sand on pile groups
shadowing effects). In addition, soil-pile coupling behavior and rigid single pile under central inclined loads. The bored
is important when the load transfer occurs [1]. Evaluation piles were tested by Franke [9] in the experimental tests.
of the pile group behavior and the soil-pile interaction has The results showed that the displacement of a group was
developed by several investigators in experimental and ana- more than a single pile in the same loading when the piles
lytical modeling [2–4]. spacing was less than 6 . Patra and Pise [10] studied the
Existing methods of the analytical modeling can be ultimate lateral resistance on six types of configurations
classified into numerical approaches, Beam on Nonlinear of pile group with different embedment length-to-diameter
Winkler Foundation method (BNWF), and simplified formu- ratios equal to 12 and 38. Their results were compared with
lations [5]. Although most of these approaches are attended the results of analytical methods. Based on their report, it
on evaluation of the stiffness of the soil-pile system, they can be stated that the isolation spacing is six times of pile
are less focused on the bending moment and the lateral re- diameter for l/ = 12.
sistance of the group. Kim and his workers [11] investigated lateral load tests on
It is worth noting that the estimations of ultimate lateral aluminum single pile (driven and drilled) in dry sand. In ad-
resistance and lateral subgrade modulus within a pile group dition, they considered the head conditions of the piles.
are known as they are the key parameters in the soil-pile The lateral loads of the preinstalled were less than
interaction phenomenon. Several theoretical methods have those of the driven piles. Zhang et al. [12] proposed the ulti-
been developed to determine these parameters in cohesion- mate lateral resistance in cohesionless soils. They collected
less soils. However, the predictions of these approaches are the experimental data done by other researchers on rigid
often different. On the other hand, the laterally loaded pile piles and a simple method was developed by them to pre-
group behavior has received a little attention. Moreover, the dict the ultimate lateral resistance (involving of side shear
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

experimental data on the determination of active pile length resistance and frontal soil resistance) to piles considering the
and bending moment are inadequate. Therefore, it is neces- shape factor. Another method was developed by Prakash
sary to increase the experimental data for the response of and Kumar [13]. In this method, loaddisplacement relation-
the pile group under lateral loads. ship was predicted by means of considering soil nonlinearity
This paper presents the results of a series of experimen- using subgrade reaction. Erdal and Laman [14] purposed
tal investigations carried out on single and grouped piles sub- the behavior of short pile subjected to lateral loads in a
jected to the monotonic lateral loads in Johor Bahru sand in two-layer sand deposit.The pilemodeled had an embedded
the southern portion of Malaysia. Emphasis was focused on length-to-diameter ratio of 4 and fabricated from steel for
group efficiency and load-deflection behavior owing to the all the tests. Based on their results, it can be stated that the
influence of relative density, size group, and pile spacing. lateral load capacity of short rigid piles in the dense sand
was 5 times that in loose sand.
Brief Review
Experimental Setup
As mentioned in the foregoing section, the shadowing
phenomenon affects the pile behavior within the group un- The schematic diagram of the test setup is shown in
der the lateral loading [6]. Although many researchers have Figure 1. The model tests were performed in a rectangular
studied the ultimate lateral resistance and deflection of the soil tank with dimensions of 900mm in length, 700mm in
pile group to a lateral loading, they are complex due to the width, and 65mm in height. To consider the boundary condi-
86
 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

tions, the size of the soil tank was extended up to 8–12 ( in this research to reconstruct the dry sandy soil samples
=pile diameter) and 3-4 in the direction and perpendicu- using the dry pluviation method. The newlyMobile Pluvia-
lar to the lateral loading, respectively [15]. In additional, to tor developed was consisting mainly of a soil bin (hopper),
minimize the influence of box boundaries, the soil thickness the diffuser system (the three sieves), sand collector, and
was kept below the pile tip at least 6 . a fixing device to set up these components so as the whole
of the system was carried by a moveable steel frame. The
interchangeable circular wood plates (shutter plates) were
installed in the bottom of the sand hopper. The four patterns
of the shutter plates were formed in a manner of the distri-
bution differently of the holes for the sake of control of the
rate of the soil discharge. While the apparatus was movable,
the different factors were examined to obtain a wide range of
the relative density. The falling height and the rate of pouring
had the opposite effects on the relativedensity. Based on the
results obtained, the two patterns selected consisted of 11
holes (diameter = 18 mm) and 16 holes (diameter = 10 mm)
distributed evenly in the shutter to achieve the dense and the
loose sand samples with relative density of 75% and 30%,
respectively. The falling height was kept constant a 700mm
from the surface of the model ground which was more than
Figure 1: Side view of experimental setup.
the critical height so that to obtain terminal velocity. The
raining was stopped when the sand rained in the soil tank
The model piles with an open end and hollow circular was 30mm thicker than required and then the extra soils
section were fabricated from aluminum alloy tubes ( = were removed.
69.8 GPa) of 15.88mm out diameter, 1mm wall thickness
and an embedded depth of 500 mm. It is worth noting that,
for the pile properties and the selected soil, pile behaves as
flexible pile.
Three plates made of steel were used as pile cap for
different spacing. To satisfy fixed head conditions, the piles
were passed through exiting holes in the cap and then
screwed to angle profiles (length = 50 mm) welded on these
holes. Lateral loads were applied to the model piles using
a 650N capacity electric motor through a pulley supported
by a loading platform with flexible wire attached to the cap.
The horizontal deflection of the pile group was measured Figure 2: Gradation curve of the Johor Bahru sand.
by means of two Linear Variable Differential Transducers
(LVDT) to the angle profiles of the two corner piles. The ro- Test Procedure
tation of cap was determined from axial displacement mea-
sured by other two LVDTs fixed on front and behind of the Different configurations of pile groups in different spac-
cap in load direction. A load cell was placed between the ing are shown in Figure 3. The center-to-center spacings of
flexible wire and electric motor to monitor the total loads ap- the piles were 6 and 3 , and embedment ratio of 32 was
plied to the pile cap. tested. Spacing ratio (SR = S2 /S1 where S2 and S1 are the
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

piles spacing in perpendicular and direction of lateral load

Soil Properties and Sample Preparation applied, resp.) was equal to 0.5,1 and 2. In addition, several
The tests were conducted in dried sand (in the labora- tests were conducted on single pile. The piles (fixed with the
tory temperature) from Johor Bahru sand. The sampled cap) were first located in the center of soil tank and then
sand was classified as SP, according to the Unified Soil Clas- were kept in a vertical statue using a supporting frame. After
sification System (USCS).The medium diameter (D50) and placing the model pile, the Mobile Pluviator apparatus was
uniformity coefficient (Cu) of sand were 0.532 and 0.17mm, installed over soil box. To monitor uniformity and the relative
respectively, and particle sizes in a range of 0.075–0.97mm density during the samples preparation, three small boxes
with the gradation are shown in Figure 2. Based on a stan- cylinder shaped of 455 cm3 were placed on the surface of
dard density test, minimum and maximum unit weights of sample prior to sand spreading. The surface of the model
sand were 13.74 kN/m3 and 16.38 kN/m3. ground was leveled when the required height was achieved.
To reconstruct the sand samples, several methods have At least 24 hours elapsed before applying any test on the pile
been developed by investigators such as vibration, tamping, group. The data measured from LVDTs and load cell were
and pluviation [16]. The prepared samples using the pluvia- stored on a computer data acquisition system.
tion and tamping technique often result in a specimen of ho- Experimental Results and Discussion
mogenous and nonuniform density, respectively. Based on
this defect, the newly designed Mobile Pluviator was utilized A series of 45 tests were performed on piles to investigate
87
 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

the influences of soil density and different pile configurations tion and group behavior for the 3 x 3 pile group with a square
on the ultimate lateral resistance and pile group efficiency. arrangement are shown in Figures 5 and 6. For a particu-
The pile groups were loaded in an incremental manner. The lar value of lateral movement, the magnitude of lateral load
nonlinear load versus lateral displacement and vertical set- decreased when the piles’ spacing decreased in dense and
tlement of the pile cap could be adequately defined. loose sand. At the deflection of 0.1 , the lateral load of the
pile group was about 2.90 times higher than that of the single
pile in the case of 6-diameter, 1.85 times higher for s/ = 3.
Figure 7 illustrates the influences of piles number in
group on the value of the deflection against the lateral load.
Compared to Figure 5, it is observed that when the piles’
spacing was the same, the magnitude of lateral load how-
ever was higher for larger groups. comparing between Fig-
ures 6 and 7, the load-deflection curves were almost similar.
This may be due to the area of ground pressure in front of
the pile group. This indicates that, although the number of
piles contributes to the value of lateral resistance, the piles’
spacing is the most significant factor.

Figure 4: Lateral load versus deflection diagram for single pile(H = horizontal;
V= vertical).

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the behavior of the load deflec-

tion of pile group in both series and parallel arrangements
were investigated for a three-piles group in the spacing of the
center-to-center piles of 3 and 6 . From these Figures, it
can be seen that the piles’ deflection in parallel arrangement
was less than that in series arrangement under a given lat-
Figure 3: Pile group configurations and pile spacing ratio (| is thelateral load-
eral load. The higher lateral load capacities in parallel ar-
ing direction). rangement was governed by the increased passive pressure
zone existed in front of the pile group. A similar comparison
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

The soil density effects on single pile against the average was made for different relative densities of soil, which shows
pile deflection are presented in Figure 4. From the figure it that a similar phenomenon occurred.
is seen that the load-deflection curves were nonlinear and a
similar trend was observed in loose and dense conditions.
Vertical displacements were negligible compared to horizon-
tal deflections and it is in agreement with previous studies
which stated that soil-pile interaction could be determined
separately under lateral and vertical loads. The differences
of the lateral deflection increased when the relative density
increased from 30% to 75% under the same moment of load.
Therefore, a higher relative density will provide a stiffer re-
sistance for pile subjected to lateral loading. This is owing
to the increasing of shear strength of sand as it becomes
denser. In other words, pile behavior subjected to lateral
loads depends on the interaction between the surrounding
soil and pile material.
The influence of the piles’ spacing on the lateral deflec-
88

Figure 5: Lateral load versus lateral deflection (3 x 3 pile group; s/d = 6).
 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

It should be noted as shown in Figures 8 and 9 that the

effect of the stressed zone around piles for series arrayed
piles was less than that for parallel arrangement. However,
both stress zones may be dependent on the dimensions
and the elastic modulus of the piles. Since the piles were
assumed flexible, the failure of the surrounding soil will be
earlier as compared to the piles.

Figure 7: Lateral load versus lateral deflection (2 x 2 pile group; s/d = 6).

the relative density affects ultimate resistance because of

passive pressure zone existed in front of the pile group. The
piles’ spacing in the perpendicular direction to load applied
may affect the ultimate resistance load due to the stressed
zone in front of the pile group. The ultimate lateral resis-
tance of single piles was 84.013 and 44.5 (N) for loose and
Figure 6: Lateral load versus lateral deflection (3 x 3 pile group; s/d = 3). dense sand, respectively. With note to the ultimate load in
group and single pile, the effects of the shadowing phenom-
Ultimate Lateral Resistance enon can be observed so as the increasing of the pile spac-
ing causes the same in group and individual. The ultimate
The ultimate lateral resistance in the different arrange-
lateral load in single pile was about 25% of the ultimate load
ments of pile groups was estimated by the load-deflection
for 3 x 3 pile group (T3433) while this percentage for T3032/3
curves. The soil resistance to piles under lateral load may
was about 47%. In fact, with increasing of the pile spacing from
be involving of the side friction and the frontal normal reac-
3 to 6 , the value of ultimate lateral load about 0.53% is
tion [17]. However, these two reactions are dependent on
increased.
shape factor taking in account nonuniform distribution of
earth pressure in front of pile and lateral shear drag. There Group Efficiency
are several methods to estimate the ultimate lateral resis-
tance such as double tangent and log-log method. In this Variation of the pile group resistance at a given deflection is
study, the ultimate lateral resistance was taken as the load expressed by group efficiency ( ) and is calculated as follows:
corresponding to the reference deflection of 0.2 on the
load-deflection curves [18]. The results obtained exhibit that
the increasing rate of deflection was reached at about 0.2–
0.35 . Figure 10 shows the influence of the piles’ spacing (1)
versus ultimate lateral resistance. The ultimate lateral load where LG and LS are ultimate lateral capacity of pile
was constant with an increase from 3 to 6 in parallel ar- group and single pile, respectively. n1 is number of rows in a
rangement of piles for group 1 x 3 in dense sand. However, pile group; n2 is number of columns in a pile group.
the increasing can be observed more than that in series ar- Wakai et al. [19] performed the laboratory tests on a 3 x
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

rangement of piles. From the figure, It is worth noting that 3 pile group with free and fixed head conditions (s = 2.5 ).
90

Figure 8: Lateral load versus lateral deflection for three-pile group in series layout; (a) Dr =75%and (b) Dr = 30%.
 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

Figure 9: Lateral load versus lateral deflection for three-pile group in Parallel layout; (a) Dr =75%and (b) Dr = 30%.

Figure 10: Ultimate lateral load versus pile spacing; (a) Dr =75%and (b) Dr = 30%.

The group efficiency was estimated 0.45–0.70 at the

deflection of 0.1 . However, the group efficiency obtained
based on the ultimate lateral loading can be higher than
that at a given deflection. Kim and Yoon [20] carried out the
static loading tests on the different pile arrangements. They
calculated the group efficiency when the deflection was
reached 0.1 . In 3 x 3 pile group, the coefficient was 0.4–0.7
and 0.5–1.04 for the medium dense and the medium sand,
respectively.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Gandhi and Selvam [21] stated that, at the 10mm dis-

placement, pile behavior is crossed through elastic to plastic
range. They considered this deflection to estimate the group
efficiency. Based on their results, the efficiency increases
with an increase in the s/ ratio and this raising can be due
to the increasing of the overlapping zones.
Patra and Pise [10] and Oteo [22] carried out a series of
tests on different configurations of pile groups under the lat-
eral loading. Oteo reported model tests on 3 x 3 piles group
in medium send. Patra and Pise reported the groups’ effi-
ciencies for 2 x 1, 3 x 1, 2 x 2, and 3 x 2 for pile spacing from
3 to 6 . As Figure 11 shows, the experimental results in
this study for 3 x 1 pile group at 3 and 6 were about 50%
less than those the reported by Patra and Pise. However,
the measured group efficiencies were in good agreement
with those of Oteo.
The variation group efficiency against of spacing ratio
(SR = S2 /S1, where S2 and S1 are the piles spacing in perpen-
91

Figure 11: Comparison of group efficiencies.

 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

about 0.68–0.84% for S = 6 and 0.35–0.68% for S = 3 .

Pise and Patra [10] carried out a series of the tests for 3 x 3,
3 x 1, 2 x 2, and 2 x 1 piles groups. The efficiencies obtained
were 0.752–1.0 and 0.9–1.2 for the 3 x 2 and the 3 x 3- piles
group, respectively. These efficiencies were higher (about
42%–78%) than those obtained in this study for s/ = 3 and 6.

Conclusions

The behavior of single pile and grouped is believed to be

understood, especially for soils where the subgrade modu-
lus is independent of time. Based on this demand, a series
Figure 12: Group efficiency versus spacing ratio of piles; (a)Dr =75% and of tests were carried out on pile group under lateral static
(b) Dr = 30%. loading in sandy soils. A new method of the reconstruction
of sand samples was developed for large area of samples.
Based on the results of present experiment, the following
conclusions are drawn.

(1) Load-deflection curves were estimated with scaling

factors to determine the ultimate lateral resistance of
group. The qualitative and quantitative effects of the
relative density of the sand have been carried out. The
ultimate lateral load was increased 53% in increasing of
s/ from 3 to 6.
(2) The subgrade modulus decreased with increasing deflec-
tion. Width and pile stiffness were two important factors
effective on this decreasing.
(3) Vertical deflection of pile group can be neglected with
comparison to horizontal deflection under the lateral loading.
(4) The increase of the number of piles in-group decreased
group efficiency owing to the increased overlapping
zones and active wedges.
(5) A ratio of s/ more than 6 was large enough to elimi-
nate the pile-to-pile interaction and the group effects. It
may be more in the loose sand.
(6) Flexible piles of series arrayed were more resistant than
those parallel arrayed to lateral loadings.

Acknowledgments

The research was undertaken with support from re-

search university Grant (no. Q.J130000.2513.03H63) under
the University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The first author
would like to thank the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Research Management Center for the financial supports

during this study.
Figure 13: Group efficiency VS number of piles; (a) Dr =75% and
(b) Dr = 30%.
References
dicular and direction of lateral load applied, resp.) is pre-
[1] M. Khari, A. K. Kassim, and A. Adnan, “Kinematic bending moment
sented in Figure 12 for 3 x 3 piles group in the different rela- of piles under seismic motions,” Asian Journal of Earth Sciences. In
tive densities. It can be stated that the group efficiency was press.
decreased about 0.35 and 0.25 in the loose and the dense [2] M.H. ElNaggar, M. A. Shayanfar, M. Kimiaei, and A. A.Aghakouchak,
sand where S1 = S2. However, this value was increased for “Simplified BNWF model for nonlinear seismic response analysis of
. The group efficiencies were the same for the S2 offshore piles with nonlinear input ground motion analysis,” Cana-
dian Geotechnical Journal, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 365–380, 2005.
/S1 ratio almost equal to 0.5 and 2. The group efficiency was
higher in relative density by 30%. For a 3 x 3 piles group, the [3] M. Khari, A. K. Kassim, and A. Adnan, “Dynamic soil-pile interac-
tion under earthquake events,” in Proceedings of the AICCE/GIZ’12,
observed efficiency was about 0.23–0.28% and 0.32–.41% Park Royal Penang Resort, Penang, Malaysia, 2012.
for Dr=75% and Dr=30%, respectively. As Figure 13 shows, [4] M. Khari, A. K. Kassim, and A. Adnan, “Effects of soil model on site
the group efficiency was decreased with an increase in the response analyses,” Asian Journal of Scientific Research. In press.
number of piles arrayed in group. This decreasing with an [5] M. Khari, A. K. Kassim, and A. Adnan, “Development of p-y curves of
increase of the number of piles in pile spacing of 6 and 3 laterally loaded piles in cohesionless soil,” Scientific World Journal.
was almost the same. However, the group efficiency was In press.
92
 GROUND ENGINEERING: PILE SPACING

[6] D. Brown, C. Morrison, and L. Reese, “Lateral load behavior of a pile [14] U. Erdal and M. Laman, “Lateral resistance of a short rigid pile in a
group in sand,” Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, vol. 114, two-layer cohesionless soil,” Acta Geotechnica Slovenia, vol. 2, pp.
pp. 1261–1276, 1988. 19–43, 2011.
[7] M. Khari, A. K. Kassim, and A. Adnan, “The effects of soil-pile inter- [15] S. Narasimha Rao, V. G. S. T. Ramakrishna, and M. Babu Rao, “In-
action on seismic parameters of superstructure,” in Proceedings fluence of rigidity on laterally loaded pile groups in marine clay,”
of the 2nd International Conference on Geotechnique, Construction Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, vol.
Materials and Environment (GEOMAT ’12), pp. 479–484, Kuala Lum- 124, no. 6, pp. 542–549, 1998.
pur, Malaysia, November 2012.
[16] M. Khari, A. K. Kassim, and A. Adnan, “Snad sample preparation
[8] G. G. Meyerhof, A. S. Yalcin, and S. K. Mathur, “Ultimate pile capac-
using mobilepluviator,” The Arabian Journal for Science and Engi-
ity for eccentric inclined load,” Journal of Geotechnical Engineer-
neering. In press.
ing, vol. 109, no. 3, pp. 408–423, 1983.
[9] E. Franke, “Group action between vertical piles under horizontal [17] T. D. Smith, “Pile horizontal soil modulus values,” Journal of Geo-
loads,” in Deep Foundations on Bored and Auger Piles, W. F. V. technical Engineering, vol. 113, no. 9, pp. 1040–1044, 1987.
Impe, Ed., Balkema, Rotterdam,The Netherlands, 1988. [18] B. Broms, “Lateral resistance of piles in cohesive soils,” Soil Me-
[10] N. R. Patra and P. J. Pise, “Ultimate lateral resistance of pile groups chanics and Foundations Division, vol. 90, pp. 27–63, 1964.
in sand,” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineer- [19] A.Wakai, S.Gose, and K.Ugai, “3-D elasto-plastic finite element analy-
ing, vol. 127, no. 6, pp. 481–487, 2001. ses of pile foundations subjected to lateral loading,” Soils and Founda-
[11] B. T. Kim, N.-K. Kim, W. J. Lee, and Y. S. Kim, “Experimental load- tions, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 97–111, 1999.
transfer curves of laterally loaded piles in Nak-Dong River sand,”
[20] B. T. Kim and G. L. Yoon, “Laboratory modeling of laterally loaded pile
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, vol.
groups in sand,” Civil Engineering, vol. 15, pp. 65– 75, 2011.
130, no. 4, pp. 416–425, 2004.
[12] J. Zhang, R. D. Andrus, and C. H. Juang, “Normalized shear modu- [21] S. R. Gandhi and S. Selvam, “Group effect on driven piles under lateral
lus and material damping ratio relationships,” Journal of Geotech- load,” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, vol.
nical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, vol. 131, no. 4, pp. 453–464, 2005. 123, no. 8, pp. 702–709, 1997.
[13] S. Prakash and S. Kumar, “Nonlinear lateral pile deflection pre- [22] C. S. Oteo, “Displacements of vertical pile group subjected to lateral
diction in sands,” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental loads,” in Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Soil Mechanics
Engineering, vol. 122, no. 2, pp. 130–138, 1996. and Foundation Engineering, pp. 397–405, Madrid, Spain, 1972. w
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
94
 FOUNDATION: THERMAL INTEGRITY PROFILING

Thermal Integrity Profiling for Quality

Monitoring of Pile Foundation
Sonjoy Deb, B.Tech, Civil
Associate Editor
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

T
he Thermal Integrity Profiler (TIP) uses the tempera- (or absence) of intact concrete both inside and outside the
ture generated by curing cement (hydration energy) to reinforcing cage, thus providing a 100% scan of the pile. The
assess the quality of cast in place concrete foundations method was developed in the mid 1990s at the University
(i.e. drilled shafts or piles). Whereas other methods of integ- of South Florida, Tampa, and has been used commercially
rity testing have limits in assessing the full cross-section since 2007. The test measures the internal temperature of
or length, TIP measurements evaluate the concrete quality the pile, which is elevated by the cementitious materials
from all portions of the cross-section along the entire length. present, and which react exothermically during hydration.
The durability of drilled piles relies heavily on the thickness The temperature rise from hydration energy has historically
and quality of the concrete cover around the steel reinforcing been considered an undesirable side effect that has been
cage. Until recently, this concrete cover went largely untest- well studied in an effort to combat thermal-induced crack-
ed as non-destructive test methods could not test this region ing. As high strength concrete has been used more often,
or were severely limited in the detection capability. Further, the associated higher cement content has caused higher
the concrete cover contributes significantly to the moment internal temperature. As an example of this effect, Figure 1
of inertia resisting bending moments (at least on the side shows the modeled core temperature versus time relation-
in compression) and is imperative to proper rebar bond/de- ship for three, 1.8 m diameter piles constructed with 18.6
velopment length. TIP is capable of detecting the presence MPa, 31.0 MPa and 62.0 MPa concrete with cement contents
96
 FOUNDATION: THERMAL INTEGRITY PROFILING

of 255, 356 and 510 kg per m3 (430, 600 and 860 lbs per cubic of the reinforcing cage. The individual temperature readings
yard - PCY)of concrete, respectively. No flyash or slag was will indicate any cage eccentricity, but the average tempera-
used in these example mixes. ture will still allow for the determination of necks and bulges
within the pile. Note that the gradient for the various pile siz-
es is similar at the location of the cage. This is dependent on
the time of testing and mix design, but is affected very little
by pile diameter. In this way, the local radius of the pile is
indicated by increases or decreases in temperature whereby
the radius (or cover) is equally and oppositely higher or lower
than that on the opposite side of the pile when the cage is
eccentric. As the gradient is independent of pile size, bulges
or necks in the pile are similarly detected as Increases or
decreases in the average temperature, respectively. The
magnitude of a bulge (or neck) is computed using the same
gradient that identifies cage offset. Remember, when the av-
erage temperature stays constant, the pile diameter stays
constant; changes in the average temperature are the easi-
Figure 1: The effect of cement content on core temperature of a 6 ft (1.8 m)
dia. shaft est way to identify section changes.

Field Testing
The presence of flyash or slag in the mix design can
drastically change the time to peak temperature (Refer Fig- Two approaches can be used to perform TIP:
ure 1) up to 50 or 60 hours. Retarders further delay the time 1 use of a single thermal probe that is lowered into stan-
to peak temperature. Thermal Integrity Profiling is intended dard 38 mm ID steel or plastic access tubes affixed to the
to be performed near the peak temperature (after hydration reinforcing cage, like CSL, or
has completed), but can be conducted several days afterward 2 by installing into the cage multiple, a full length Thermal
depending on pile size and mix design. When considering the Wire either in lieu of or in conjunction with each access
31.0 MPa pile mix (Refer Figure 1), 600 PCY or 356 kg/m3 tube. The plurality of access tubes or Thermal Wires has
), elevated pile temperatures above 52ºC persist for 5 or 6 most often been the same as CSL testing where one
days. As a rule of thumb, TIP can be performed up to D days tube or Thermal Wire is used for every 305 mm of pile
after concreting (where D is the pile diameter in feet) and as diameter. For larger piles, fewer tubes or Thermal Wires
early as 8 to 12 hours after concreting (depending upon pile have been shown to be similarly effective.
diameter and concrete mix), thus expediting the continuation Probe Option: When using access tubes, TIP is performed
of construction. The internal temperature distribution within by lowering a thermal probe equipped with radially oriented
the pile is bell shaped as shown in Figure 2. Larger diameter infrared sensors that record the internal wall temperature of
piles develop the highest core temperatures but vary little as the tubes in four orthogonal directions. The measured tem-
the pile size exceeds 1.8 m. peratures and depth of the probe are monitored and record-
ed with a miniature computerized data acquisition system
that plots the real-time progress for the operator to observe
(Figure 3a,3b). One thermal profile is required from each
tube, but often a second profile is obtained for data verifica-
tion. The rate of descent is generally maintained at or below
0.15 m/sec making the test duration around 7 minutes per
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Figure 2: Knowledge of the normal temperature distribution is used to identify

both cage alignment and local shaft radius (and cover)

Thermal Integrity Profiling measures the temperature at

the radial location of the reinforcing cage where the gradient
is highest. As a result, the measured temperature is highly
sensitive to the cage alignment and subtle offsets are easily
detected; in this case, a change of 1.9ºC equates to 25 mm
of cage offset. Therefore, when the cage is off center, mea-
suring temperature at opposite sides of the cage are equally
affected; one is hotter and the other is cooler. The average
of both represents the temperature at the average location
97
 FOUNDATION: THERMAL INTEGRITY PROFILING

Figure 4 : Thermal wire system (Digital thermal sensor on cable)

Data Analysis

In general, two levels of analysis can be employed with-

out using advanced numerical modeling.

- The first level makes observations of the raw thermal

profiles, which with site experience, may provide enough
insight into pile acceptance.
- The second level of analysis superimposes construction
logs and concrete placement information to both con-
firm first level observations and to convert temperature
measurement into pile shape (radius, cage alignment and
concrete cover).

Field measurements alone highlight glaring irregulari-

Figure 3: Thermal probe system used to perform thermal integrity profiles ties since the average temperature profile shows the gen-
eral shaft shape. This level of review reveals cage alignment
30.5 m of tube length (2 scans per tube). TIP testing does not irregularities, casing location, locations of over-pour bulges
require water in the access tubes as testing is performed or necking, and can easily alert the user or an owner of areas
relatively quickly after concrete placement and the method of concern. Superposition of construction and concreting
is insensitive to debonding, allowing for the use of less costly logs can calibrate the average diameter with average tem-
PVC tubes; a cost savings to the project. If water has been perature, particularly when multiple concrete trucks per pile
introduced during construction for other integrity tests, it is are used. The highest level of analysis uses thermal model-
removed, stored and returned after testing. Use of the same ing to simulate the shaft, the surrounding soil, the climatic
warm water prevents thermal shock to the tubes. history and energy generated from the concrete mix design.
Results from simulations can define the best testing time for
Thermal Wire Option
probe data acquisition (data for embedded wires is evaluated
TIP can also be performed using an unmanned option at time of peak temperature), or match the field measure-
where Thermal Wires are tied into the cage with discrete ments to a probable concrete shape. These models define
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

temperature sensors along its length. Each wire is connect- the slope of the temperature to radius relationship near the
ed to a dedicated data collection box secured somewhere edge of shaft where the cage is located. Finally, the mea-
near the top of the pile. In this approach, data is continuously sured temperatures when converted to radius can be used
collected at user defined intervals (e.g., every 15 minutes) to provide a 3- D rendering of the as-built shaft as well as
until the boxes are retrieved (Figure 4). This is convenient 2-D slices of the shaft cross section at any depths of interest
for scheduling testing personnel; no knowledge of the time and vertical slices through any radial orientation.
to peak temperature is required. Rather, multiple tests are Various TIP analyzing software’s are available in the
performed automatically and the optimal time of testing is market. A standard result produced by a software is shown
selected from the library of recorded profiles. When used in in Figure 5.
conjunction with the probe option, preselected piles can be
Conclusion
periodically instrumented with Thermal Wires that both per-
form TIP tests and verify predictions of the temperature/time Unlike above-ground concrete structures, drilled piles
relationship. Piles not pre-selected can be spot checked rely on effective post construction evaluation via nonde-
with the thermal probe when unforeseen mishaps occur. An structive testing methods. Thermal Integrity Profiling utilizes
additional Thermal Wire can be installed in the pile with a the heat generated by curing cement (hydration energy) to
known offset, typically 51 mm, from the reinforcing cage and evaluate the integrity of cast in place concrete foundations
the thermal gradient can be measured directly. such as drilled shafts, bored piles, augered cast-in-place,
98
 FOUNDATION: THERMAL INTEGRITY PROFILING

Other current methods of integrity testing have limitations.

Cross Hole Sonic Logging (CSL) can only evaluate the con-
crete inside the cage, leaving the concrete cover unexplored.
Gamma-Gamma testing assesses only a limited zone near
the access tubes. Pulse Echo testing has restriction on
length and cannot evaluate the shaft below the first major
cross section change. TIP scans the entire shaft for concrete
anomalies, both length-wise without maximum length limi-
tations and through the entire cross-section including the
concrete cover outside the reinforcing cage. It also shows if
the foundation reinforcement is properly aligned, something
Figure 5 : TIP Reporting Software other test methods cannot do. Lastly, current test methods
continuous flight auger piles and drilled displacement piles. can only be performed after the concrete of the foundation
The technology may also be used to evaluate the shape of jet has cured, a process that takes several days. This some-
grouting columns and diaphragm or slurry walls, or other times results in construction delays since construction can-
concrete structures. The expected concrete temperature not proceed until foundations are approved. TIP, on the other
at any point within the foundation is dependent on the shaft hand, can yield results as early as 12 to 24 hours (depending
diameter, concrete mix design, time of measurement and on shaft diameter).
distance to the center of the shaft. Regions that are colder Reference
than expected are indicative of necks or inclusions - a cross-
sectional area smaller than intended for the shaft. Regions - http://www.pile.com/pdi/products/tip/tipwhitepaper.pdf
that are warmer than usual indicate bulges - an excess of - http://www.palanalys.se/brochures/tip.pdf
concrete in a particular location. Temperature measure- - http://www.cif.org/awards/2013/04_-_Thermal_Integrity_Profiler.
ments may therefore be used, along with concreting logs, pdf
to estimate the actual shape of the shaft. It is also possible - http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center/Completed_Proj/Sum-
mary_SMO/FDOT_BD544_20_rpt.pdf
to identify misalignments of the shaft reinforcing cage and
- http://www.loadtest.co.uk/services/TIP%20datasheet.pdf
estimate the concrete cover along the entire length of the
- http://louisianacivilengineeringconference.org/yahoo_site_ad-
shaft. TIP has the potential to challenge or replace the pre- min/assets/docs/Non_Destructive_Thermal_Integrity_Test-
vailing methods of assessing quality of cast in place concrete ing.272132311.pdf
foundations such as drilled shafts because TIP evaluates - http://www.pile.com/reference/DeepFoundationsMagazine/DFI_
the entire foundation element and provides earlier results. MAY_JUN2012_pg51-54.pdf w
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
100
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

New Batching Plant Manufacturing

Facility Inaugurated

L
innhoff India, one of the leading batching plants. The concept not only re-
manufacturers of asphalt and con- duced plant maintenance but fuel con-
crete batching plants has announ- sumption as well, thereby reducing over-
ced the inauguration of its new manufac- all costs of operations. In 1988, Klaus
turing facility at Khed, Maharashtra. Linnhoff Thesenfitz (Linnhoff's grandson) founded
India is a joint venture of S-T Group with Lintec, producing the first asphalt plant in
the Linnhoff Group, consisting of Linnhoff 100% sea containers followed by con-
Technologies Pte Ltd, Linnhoff & tainerized concrete batching plants in the
HenneGmbH & Co. KG, Lintec GmbH & late 1990s.
Co. KG and IPS-EurotecAsia Pte Ltd. Linnhoff Technologies, based out of the company employs a group of Strategic
Strategically located near Pune, the Singapore caters to the whole of South Partners, who are in close proximity to its
company serves a wide base of customers East Asia and Africa regions. It produces a customers, continuously striving to meet
across India. The world renowned Linnhoff whole range of asphalt plants and ancil- their needs and stringent demands at pro-
Group, specializing in the research, design, lary equipments, including, mobile asphalt ject sites.
development, manufacturing and mar- plants, modular asphalt plants, compact Linnhoff's new technology plants can
keting of asphalt and concrete mixing mix asphalt plants, hot recycling plants, be adapted for recycling and reuse of old
plants and accessories since 1919 brings tower asphalt plant and base stabilization pavements, thereby helping to save pre-
with it the perfect mix of German tradition, plant, along with Lintec's containerized cious natural resources and generate less
technology and expertise to India. asphalt plants. In 2003, IPS- Eurotec was waste, contributing to the green move-
From as early as 4000 BC when roads established in Singapore for producing ment. Currently, a dozen of these units
were paved manually with only stone in standard concrete batching plants. are operational in India for 30% recycling
the ancient city of Ur ( located in the mod- Linnhoff India manufactures and sup- and one unit for hot recycling of up to70%
ern day Iraq) to the current smooth sur- plies high quality, efficient and innovative RAP usage.
faces of modern asphalt pavements, me- products with a vision to be the market The plants can be remotely operated
chanization through asphalt mixing plants leader for asphalt and concrete batching and controlled. They feature the latest
plays an important role in consistently pro- plants in the Indian subcontinent. SCADA systems, a standard feature in the
ducing high quality hot mix asphalt batch The company also strives to add value plants offered by the company, which
after batch. to the customers business by additionally enables the road development authorities
It was from 1919 that Eduard Linnhoff supplying related products and accesso- to constantly monitor asphalt production
started manufacturing asphalt mixing ries. It provides high quality value added process and its consistency. These para-
plants in Berlin with the development of the services such as full service O & M con- meters are crucial for quality of road work.
patented 'screen drum' technology. This tracts, buy back contracts and rental of The range of plants offered by the com-
unique technology eliminated the use of equipment. pany can manufacture Mastic asphalt,
hot elevator and vibrating screen that is With commitment to not only satisfy
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Coloured asphalt and Warm mix asphalt

commonly found in conventional asphalt but enrich customers located all over India, mixes.Today,4MasticinstallationsofLinnhoff
India are successfully operational with
full set up of Mastic Cookers and Pavers.
The company also supplies plant that
can be operated using natural gas and
coal. A few plants featuring this technol-
ogy are already successfully operational
in the country.w

For further details:

Linnhoff India Pvt Ltd
Hirji Baug, Opp Sunder Tower,
Off T J Road, Sewri, Mumbai - 400015
Email: abhijit@linnhoff.co.in
Web: www.linnhoff.co.in
102
 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT

THE INDIAN
PRECAST INDUSTRY
- GAINING PROMINENCE
Bhavani Balakrishna

W
hile a majority of Indian structures
both residential, commercial and
infrastructure are being built the
cast in place or in-situ mode, there is a grow-
ing popularity for precast technology within
the Indian construction community. Pre-
cast construction technology is not new in
India. It has been adopted in India from past
many years, but was mostly limited to civil
structures such as tunnels, bridges&
flyovers and underpasses. However, until a
decade back adoption of modern and inno-
vative construction technology and prac-
tices by the Indian realty sector was slow
and therefore precast , though widely used
across the globe for its inherent advantages,
did not catch the fancy of the industry.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
106
 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT

"With current scenario, there is in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, "India is facing acute shortage in
huge demand in hospitality as well Indonesia, Phillipines and countries in skilled labour category over the
affordable housing apart from Africa which are also facing similar past years as per the statistics in
industrial growth. On top of these issues. This is due to the fact that the pre- the current five year plan. To
huge development requirement, cast structural systems possess several address the issue, mechanization in
advantages compared to conventional
timelines are ever tight to complete construction is necessary. Precast
cast-in-situ concrete systems, such as
the project". technology uses mechanization to
quality control, speedy construction, and
suitable application to regularly modular
deliver the projects as per the
systems.The best part of the technology is planned schedule of work. It is
that it not only speeds up construction being used in many developed coun-
work but also enhances the quality of the tries of Europe and Asia from
final output. It has also passed rigorous decades and has been proved in
safety standard around the world for seis- India as well."
mic and structural testing as well as fire
safety, and is environmentally sound. The
use of this technology can bring down the
Prakash Shah
Head, Technical Support, Elematic India Pvt.Ltd
construction cost by 10-15 % and it could be
the answer to India's affordable housing.
The government bodies also seem to
Today, with critical housing shortages,
be realizing this as last year, in the Vibrant
rising labour and input costs and an in-
Gujarat Summit 2013,global players like
creased emphasis on quality and timely
Elematic of Finland and Spiroll Precast
delivery, more and more developers are K. Senou Krishmoorthy
Services Ltd of the US signed MoUs for
opting for innovative construction prac- Head-Precast Initiatives Building & Factories IC,
` 15,000 crore and ` 5,000 crore, respec- L&T Construction Ltd.
tices like precast.
tively in order to provide pre-cast technol-
Rising Popularity of Precast ogy in cost-effective and efficient housing More and more private real estate
According to industry experts, apart construction within the State. Spirollis developers are also favoring precast be-
from certain countries in Asia-Pacific, the working with Indian partners Apollo cause of its advantages compared to
rest of the world is increasingly using pre- Infratech to help enable investors to meet other building techniques. The schedules
cast as their mode of construction in a the expected boom in demand for mass are always tight in the construction busi-
majority of projects. The construction affordable housing, not just in Gujarat but ness and precast makes it easier to stick
industry in India is around USD 500 million across India. to project timelines and eliminate unex-
and precast has only 2% share vis-à-vis
the traditional method of construction.
However, a gradual shift is occurring and
precast building technology is rapidly gain-
ing a foothold in the Indian market and pri-
mary among them is the need for afford-
able housing.
The speed of urbanization poses an
unprecedented challenge for the con-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

struction industry. The 12th Plan Working

Group on Financing Urban Infrastructure
estimated the urban housing shortage in
the country at about 29 million units. The
demand for affordable housing is likely to
rise from 25 million households to more
than 38 million units by 2030, by when the
urban population is likely to surge to 600
million. Poverty, the sheer scale of popu-
lation growth and the huge rates of ur-
banisation as people move from the coun-
tryside into the cities will add to the hous-
ing shortages.
The application of precast concrete
structural systems have been attaining
107

vast progress worldwide and is being used L&T's Pragati in Bhoiwada, Parel, Mumbai
 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT

ingly, the situation is that precasters are

able to accommodate greater variety and
complexity, effectively designing their ele-
ments to meet design requirements. Con-
tinuous investment and innovations have
transformed the precast industry so that
complex plan layouts and external treat-
ments can now be accommodated. Curved
precast panels with a variety of highly
attractive and durable finishes can be
manufactured to meet the most chal-
lenging design requirements. Precast
construction is virtually unlimited in its
application and is suitable for single and
multi-storey construction.

“The market for precast industry in

India was always present, the only
World Trade Center Pune, An ongoing project of Precast India Infrastructures grievance being that there was
nobody willing to risk to understand,
pected interruptions in work. Precast panies have studied the potential for design, production, supply and
structures also do not require finishing, panelized or volumetric precast in their
installation of precast elements
like plastering or wall putty. Though more designs for houses, the most popular use
instead of conventional casted in
expensive than the conventional method, for precast concrete, however, is in com-
precast helps put buildings together ponents. This includes walls, beams, floors,
place concrete. It is no secret that
more quickly. India is also facing a short- columns, panels, & stairs. The potential many countries are using precast
age of skilled labor in the building indus- to widen the market for precast into these concrete for the last four decades.
try. Labour and material have increased areas is significant. The fact that huge cities were rebuilt
by 20 per cent since 2010. And since pre- There are some perceptions that pre- very fast, for example, after the
cast is less labour-intensive, several con- cast construction is inflexible with respect World War II etc., were the need fac-
tractors and developers have been to changes and upkeep of the work. Pre- tors are drivers of the requirement.”
embracing this technology. cast concrete buildings previously had an
In general, there are three broad cate- identifiable appearance. However, with
gories of use for precast concrete, namely advances in technology and technique,
components, panels & volumetric. How- precast buildings are now indistinguish-
ever, currently the residential building able from those constructed using non-
market in the India is taking advantage of precast methods. Designers no longer
just the first of these options. Whilst com- work within tight constraints. Increas-

Ajit Bhate
Managing Director,
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Precast India Infrastructures Pvt. Ltd.

The most common error is to take an

'all precast or no precast approach' to de-
sign. In fact, a key issue for designers is to
identify which construction method, or
mix of construction methods and materi-
als is most appropriate for the specific re-
quirements of the building. The most eco-
nomical solution might well consist of a mix
of cast in situ and factory assembled units.
One of the reasons cited for the low
popularity of precast is that India's road
network is still not highly developed and
trucking precast components over very
108

Petra Hollow-Core Slab Hangers from Peikko Group long distances is impractical. In such sce-
 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT

“Precast construction is slowly gain-

ing acceptance in the market due to
better quality, durabilityand speed
of construction compared to con-
ventional construction. But the hur-
dles which prevent the breaking
through of the precast industry into
main stream construction are mar-
ginally higher cost of construction
(contributed by excise duty imposed
on precast products, high transpor-
tation & equipment hiring charges)
and the project duration & payment
schedule being shortened to one
third of the time compared to con-
ventional construction.”
Malar Infra is actively involved in large scale affordable housing projects as seen in this image

narios, site casting or tilit-up form of pre- round comfort and reductions in energy
cast construction can be used. use. When insulation is combined into a
Although precast being costlier, most precast concrete sandwich panel, the best
tend to overlook the tangible benefits it of both worlds is achieved. The combina-
offers in terms of time saved and high con- tion of high thermal mass and insulation
sistent quality delivered with the finished results in significant energy-saving bene-
product. Also while the initial capital cost fits in all climates. In the case of residen- Gopaljee
of opting for precast method for construc- tial buildings, homebuyers will get a larger Chairman, Malar Energy & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.
tion may be high as against conventional carpet area, since precast walls are thinner, Founder & Director
way of constructing a building, in large compared with conventional brick walls. this segment is witnessing increased activ-
commercial buildings, this method can Some in the community believe that ity and entry by various players. Several
save up to 40 per cent of the energy costs. precast construction technology demands players are entering the market and estab-
The high density of precast concrete can highly skilled labour with more machin- lish themselves early on as it is expected
act as a thermal sink to provide year- ery skills and installation of precast ele- that precast will become an inevitable part
ments is a very difficult task which de- of the Indian construction in the future.
“Yes, precast does requires more mands enhanced skills and know how. Precast manufacturers have a critical
investment than in-situ construc- Lack of structural engineers and qualified role to play in the proper planning and exe-
tion in the beginning but the long contractors in precast is cited as another cution of precast buildings. Involving the
term benefits are many. I would reason for the low number of precast pro- precaster at the early design stage is the
jects across country. best way to achieve the most economical
liken the current precast industry to
There are also concerns on perfor- building solution. Early involvement also
the then early stages of Indian
mance of precast concrete construction allows the manufacturer to schedule pro-
Ready Mix Concrete industry. RMC
in highly seismic areas. Indian standards
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

in India was perceived as costly but

of construction on precast concrete pro- "Halfen-Moment provides a range
due to its perceived benefits, one vide recommendations for most of the pre- of Lifting Systems for precast ele-
can now see several RMC plants liminary issues to be considered while ments based on their size, shape,
across the country. Precast also designing a precast structure. But there weight and handling method
holds immense potential and will are some issues in seismic design of pre- required as per site conditions"
make inroads in the future. “ cast concrete structures that still need
immediate attention. But with the infra-
structure growing like never before and
the demand for faster, innovative and
safer construction options, it is high time
that Indian standards look into the seis-
mic design provisions of precast concrete
systems in detail.
Market Players
Laxman Wadhwani PugalNathan
110

Area Sales Manager, (Country Operations) Despite being a nascent industry in India, Managing Director, Halfen Moment India Pvt. Ltd.
Peikko India Pvt. Ltd.
 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT

duction so as to maximize cost savings

brought about by the use of standardized
components and early completion. Manu-
facturers and critical solution providers
who have established their presence in
precast include Peikko, Preca Solutions,
Teemage, Elematic, Halfen Moment India,
Weckenmann, Spiroll Precast Services,
Malar Infra, Nordimpianti to name a few.
Established players in this sector are now
looking to increase their capacity at their
existing set-ups and then move to estab-
lish other plants.
In order to strengthen the position of
precast, companies are also employing
different strategies to address the con-
cerns related to precast. For instance,
Peikko, a well-established precast manu-
The main structural difference between cast-in-place buildings and precast buildings lies in their
facturer, is carrying out its seismic inves-
structural continuity - Commercial project in Karur by Teemage Precast
tigations on joints and connections of pre-
cast members in a highly seismic zone in to connect the members with adequate sft of RCC prefabricated structural cold
India. The structural behaviour of a pre- strength and ductility for the earthquake shells in the last two years. It is currently
cast concrete system is greatly different loading. The behaviour of the structure working on projects such the Cummins
from that of a comparable monolithic mostly depends on the behaviour of con- India Tech Centre (` 180 crore project with
cast-in-place system. The main structural nections. Peikko plans to release a booklet different precast elements), World Trade
difference between cast-in-place build- soon on the subject of behavior of precast Centre (around 2.5 million square feet),
ings and precast buildings lies in their in highly seismic zones for the benefit of Ritz Carlton Hotel (around 1.5 lakh
structural continuity. The structural con- its clients. squarefeet; it is part precast) and
tinuity of conventional cast-in-place buil- Malar Infra can provide its clients with Cummins India Corporate office (0.7 mil-
dings is inherent while in the precast sys- a complete mobile precast factory setup. lion square feet). The company's clientele
tems, members should be assembled By setting the production plant at the pro- also include Schmersal India, Raymond
and connected to produce a structural sys- ject site, it can eliminate the overheads and Panchshil Realty.
tem capable of resisting gravity loads as related to excise duty and transport, thus Teemage has completed about 30 pro-
well as the lateral forces due to wind or reducing overall costs for its clients. jects worth around 10 lakh square feet in
earthquake. Connections are the most Precast India Infrastructures, Malar the past 2 years and has around 5-6 pro-
crucial part in precast structures. The Infra, Tata Realty and Teemage Precast to jects worth about 4 lakh square feet in the
challenge in designing precast systems is name a few are actively involved in large pipeline. Most of the projects are com-
to find an economical and practical method scale affordable housing projects in dif- mercial while a very few are residential.
ferent regions of the country. Malar Infra Since it has been receiving enquiries from
“Based on our market (South Indian a Precast Turnkey Solution provider has places where it is too far to transport pre-
states, Tamil nadu, Karnataka, identified 15 locations all over South India cast, the company is contemplating putt-
Kerala, Andra Pradesh) we see a lot for developing townships using precast
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

of positive inquiries for our prod- technology. As quality and speed of construction
ucts. I think in about 5-10 years, this Managing Director of Precast India are becoming more important for
will be the specified method for Infrastructures, Ajit Bhate believes in get-
builders the precast large panel
ting internally a strong foothold on basic
commercial construction, and system could prove to be a viable
constraints of precast technology such as
about 50% of the projects in metro solution.
structural design and analysis, produc-
cities will be done using Precast.” tion methodology, quality controls, good
planning and monitoring of products / ele-
ments, technically correcting matters re-
garding testing of elements. In lifting insert
positions, safe installation, developing of
internal resources like automatic pro-
duction machinery for various items,
mechanisations, handling equip-ments
Bob Van Gils
Dinesh Kumar like tower cranes etc,. The company has Director, WBK Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd. &
111

Technical Manager, Teemage Precast In completed and delivered around 3 million Van Boxsel Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT

engineering design, drafting & consulting

specific to precast concrete such as Pre-
cision Precast, TRC and Van Boxsel. Halfen
provides support systems for precast
components.
Developers like Amrapali and Super-
tech have established their own precast
factories at Greater Noida. Amrapali's fac-
tory will manufacture custom designed
precast concrete components like roof
slabs, beams, columns, wall panels which
offer flexibility in shape and size with a vari-
ety of surface finishes and colors.
In Delhi NCR - Ghaziabad, BCC Infra-
structures is developing a huge township
where precast concrete elements of wall
panels, lattice girder half slabs, stair-
cases and balconies will be produced at

Connections are the most crucial part in precast structures - Construction of Industrial Building for
“Cost, lack of expertise, clients' gen-
A Raymond Fasteners India Pvt. Ltd. at Chakan, Pune by Precast India Infrastructures eral reluctance to accept precast
products, lack of technology trans-
ing up a site precasting yard in those MNCs like Elematic, Weckenmann and fer, high investment cost for setting
places. The company regularly conducts Spiroll have been supplying Indian com- up the plant and logistical issues are
technical sessions about precast in order panies with technology for production of some of the factors hindering the
to educate architects and engineers. It precast concrete components through state growth of precast industry in India.
hires unskilled labour and provides them of art machines and systems enabling
with rigorous training specific to precast. them to set up their factories. However, the
Construction conglomerates L&T industry still has some divided views on the
and Shapporji Pallonji have dedicated divi- necessity of such extensive setups in plants
sions for precast. Developers Amrapali, when there is not sufficient scale for effi-
Supertech and Brigade have also estab- cient operation of the same.
lished their own precast plants for their There are also companies in India
projects. which provide technical services such as

Prakash
CTO, TRC Engineering (I) Pvt. Ltd.

site factory to erect high rise residential

towers. Phase 1 of the project was built
using classic construction methods with
in-situ cast concrete floors and interior
and exterior walls of brick. Due to increas-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

ing pressure on timeframes and sched-

ules, the company adopted the precast
method as against the traditional con-
struction methods to carry out the entire
Bharat City real estate major project.
L&T's Pragati in Bhoiwada, Parel,
Mumbai is a G+23 storeys fully precast res-
idential building project consisting of 6
towers to rehabilitate slum dwellers.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) took the chal-
lenge of using Precast Technology for the
24 storeyed residential towers using pre-
cast large wall panel system in seismic
zone -3 in Mumbai. Substructure was pile
foundation and ground floors of all towers
112

Multi Level Vehicular Parking Garage (MLVP) developed for Infosys at Chennai by TRC Engineering were cast by conventional construction.
 PRECAST BUILDING: INDUSTRY REPORT

"The percentage of using precast in rated in commercial properties as well at "Precast is suitable for all situa-
residential arena has been a later stage. The technology will initially tions. Our customer 'Teemage Pre-
increased in the last 2-3 years" be implemented in the 130 acre Brigade cast In' has successfully completed
Orchards mixed-use development in several difficult projects including
Devanahalli, near Bangalore airport. Bri- factory building, residential, com-
gade Group's precast plant at Brigade
mercial and industrial buildings.
Orchids in Devanahalli has been setup
They have transported precast ele-
with equipment imported from Italy, Ger-
many and Singapore and is manned by a
ments upto 1500 kms"
team of experts who have extensive expe-
rience and have worked in the precast
K. Mohan Kumar
Managing Director,
industry in India and Middle East. With the
Ra-Ni Precast Consulting Services Pvt. Ltd. present capacity being up to a total vol-
ume of 70-100cubic meter per day, Bri-
Super structure consisted of precast large gade Group plans to erect the shell for two
wall panel system. All elements were cast apartments on a daily basis.
in yard and transported to site by trailers Purvankara's project Provident Sun-
and installed at site by the use of tower worth has also been built with precast Ans Hariharasudhan
cranes. After placing the elements in posi- technology. Business Development Consultant
Weckenmann Anlagentechnik GmbH & Co.KG
tion, they were grouted with non shrink, Need for Standardization and R&D
non metallic grout with necessary rebars
in the precast members. At present, there is no regulatory body tional resources should increase the
Down south, Brigade and Purvankara but the Precast Concrete Engineers Soci- adoption of precast concrete in the coun-
have also introduced precast technology ety (PSEI) is mulling over the establish- try. Also, because of the relatively low mag-
in their projects. BCV Developers Pvt. Ltd., ment of a Self-Regulatory Organization. A nitude of such construction being used in
a Joint Venture between Brigade Enter- regulatory organization dedicated to India, there has been an absence of up-
prises Ltd. and Classic Group and expanding the use of quality precast con- dates on standards of precast concrete.
Valmark Group, has introduced pre-cast crete and providing members with the Establishing industry-wide standards of
concrete technology for residential apart- technical support, educational opportuni- design and production of precast con-
ments. This technology will be incorpo- ties, certification programs and informa- crete will increase confidence among the
end-users and contractors.
Universities and educational institu-
tions should also dedicate a part of their
curriculum towards precast concrete.
One such initiative is MoU agreement with
Manipal University signed by the Faizal
and Shabana Foundation, part of KEF
Holdings to invest ` 5 Crores towards a
research and development facility for pre-
cast concrete technology at Manipal Insti-
tute of Technology (MIT), India. The agree-
ment will also introduce a precast design
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

and engineering course to the Univer-

sity's curriculum. The Foundation aims to
further precast technology by introducing
it to students to advance the field and cre-
ate employment opportunities for
them.KEF Holdings recently entered a
partnership with Finland-based Elematic,
a leading provider for precast technology
and machinery to set up manufacturing
plants in India-and later UAE- involving
investments totaling ` 300 crores.
There is no doubt that the future of the
construction industry lies in the precast
segment. There would be no looking back
for the industry once standardization,
114

Weckenmann surface smoothing trowels in action acceptance and awareness are in place.w
 PRECAST BUILDING

Analysis of Multi Storey Building

with Precast Load Bearing Walls
J.D. Chaitanya Kumar1, Lute Venkat2
1
PG Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering,
GVP College of Engineering (A), Visakhapatnam
2
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
GVP College of Engineering (A), Visakhapatnam

Abstract: Pre-cast construction is gaining significance in gen- collect loading from the upper shear walls and then distribute
eral and urban areas in particular. It is gaining more popularity them to the widely spaced columns that support the transfer
with the rapid urban infrastructure growth. In this context G+11 girders.
storey residential building with precast reinforced concrete Wdowicki and Wdowicki (1993) have stressed calculating
load bearing walls has been attempted for analysis. The struc- stress and displacements in three-dimensional shear wall
tural system consists of load bearing walls and one-way slabs structure with uniform properties throughout the height. The
for gravity and lateral loads have been taken for analysis using analysis is carried out on the basis of the continuous connec-
ETABS. Various wall forces, displacements and moments have tion method. The system allows for considering lateral and
been worked out for different load combinations. Data base is gravity loads, arbitrary located in the plan and arbitrary distrib-
presented for the worst load combination. This work is limited uted along the height.
to the analysis of structural elements only not the connection Benjamin (1968) worked on variability analysis of shear
details. wall structure where both rigidity and the strength of shear
Now a day, there is an increase in housing requirement walls are highly variable. Bozdogan et, al. (2010) carried out
with increased population and urbanization. Building sector vibration analysis of asymmetric shear wall structures using
has gained increasing prominence. However, the fact that the the transfer matrix method. He concluded that the governing
suitable lands for building construction. Precast load bearing differential equations of equivalent bending-warping torsion
walls provide an economical solution when compared to the beam are formulated using the continuum approach. Xiaolei
conventional column beam in fill wall system for the advantage et, al. (2008) worked on numerical analysis of cyclic loading
of speed of construction and elimination of wet trades. In multi- test of shear walls based on openSEES. Carpinteri et, al. (2012)
storey buildings, lateral loads that arise as a result of winds carried out lateral load effects on tall shear wall structures of
and earthquakes are often resisted by a system of shear walls different heights. The accuracy of the results is investigated by
acting as vertical cantilevers. Such walls are usually perforated a comparison with finite elements solutions, in which the brac-
by vertical bands of openings which are required for doors and ings are modeled as three-dimensional structures by means of
windows to form a system of shear walls. shell elements. Biswas et, al. (1977) carried out three dimen-
Mazen (2013) has stressed that the small openings in the sional analysis of shear wall multi storey building. He studied
shear wall will yield minor effect on the load capacity of shear the importance of torsion in multi storey building having asym-
walls, cracking pattern and maximum drift. In case of small metric layout of shear walls. Greeshma et. al., (2011) carried
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

openings, the shear walls behave as coupled shear walls. out the analysis of flanged shear walls using ANSYS concrete
Thakkar (2012) has concluded that the design of shear wall model. He has studied the possibilities of modeling reinforce-
is a complex procedure, especially if the cross section of the ment detailing of reinforced concrete models in practical use.
shear wall is not regular in shape. The design of shear walls Fahjan et, al. (2010) studied nonlinear analysis method for re-
takes horizontal forces into account by shear and bending. The inforced concrete buildings with shear walls. The different ap-
design of shear in the walls can be managed by computing the proaches for linear and non linear modeling of shear walls in
shear stress distribution over the cross section and reinforcing structural analyses of buildings are studied and applied to RCC
appropriately. Potty (2008) has concluded that the difference in buildings with shear walls.
the deflection of shear wall modeled by beam element and the In this present study, G+11 storey precast load bearing
shell element is only 1.6 mm for the ten storey building. wall structure is taken for analysis. The modeling and analy-
Habibullah (2007) has worked on physical object based sis has been done in using ETABS. The parametric study has
analysis and design modeling of shear wall system using been done to observe the effect of axial compression load, out
ETABS. It has been concluded that grouping of the area objects of plane moments, tensile force, shear force, storey drift, lat-
into piers is a very powerful mechanism to automatically obtain eral load and storey shear on shear walls. Finally data base
design moments and shear across a wall section from a finite is prepared for various storey levels. Although the connection
element analysis. Dar (2007) had stressed that the large open- details in the precast construction plays vital role but presently
116

ings are generally achieved by use of large transfer beams to the details of connections not included in the present paper.
 PRECAST BUILDING

Hence the emphasis on the analysis of load bearing wall struc-

ture.

Modeling of Shear Wall Structure

In this present study Ground +11 storey shear wall build-

ing is considered for one acre of site with 350 units. Around
400sqft of carpet area per unit is taken with 300 units per floor.
The constriction Technology is total precast solution with load
bearing RCC shear walls and slabs. The modeling is done in
ETABS as follows.
1. The structure is divided into distinct shell element. The
shell element combines membrane and plate bending be-
havior, as shown in fig.1. It has six degrees of freedoms in
each corner point. It is a simple quadrilateral shell element
which has size of 24 x 24 stiffness matrix.

Fig.2 A Typical Floor plan of structure under consider

ments, shear forces and normal forces across a wall section.

Appropriate meshing and labeling is the key to proper model-
ing and design. Loads are only transferred to the wall at the
corner points of the area objects that make up the wall. Gener-
ally the membrane or shell type element should be used to
model walls. Here the shell type is used for modeling the wall
Figure 1: Shell element element. There are three types of deformation that a single
shell element can experience axial deformation, shear defor-
2. Grid lines are made for the x, y and z coordinates and the mation and bending deformation as shown in Fig.3
wall is drawn from scratch.
3. Boundary conditions are assigned to the nodes wherever
it is required. Boundary conditions are assigned at the bot-
tom of the wall i.e., at ground level where restraints should
be against all movements to imitate the behavior of shear
wall.
4. The material properties are defined such as mass, weight, a) Axial Deformation b) Shear Deformation c) Bending Deformation
modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s ratio, strength character- Fig.3 Deformation of a shell element
istics etc. The material properties used in the models are
shown in Table.1 Wall pier forces are output at the top and bottom of wall
pier elements and wall spandrel forces are output at the left
Material name Concrete and right ends of wall spandrel element, see Fig.4
Type of material Isotropic
Mass Per Unit 2.5 kN/m3
Volume The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Modulus of elasticity 32 kN/mm2

Poisson’s ratio 0.2
Concrete strength 30 MPa
Section name Wall
Wall thickness 150 mm
Table 1: Material and element property for wall element

5. The geometric properties of the elements are dimensions

for the wall section.
6. Elements are assigned to element type, as shown in Table.2
7. Loads are assigned to the joints as they will be applied in Fig.4 Pier and Spandrel forces in ETABS
the real structure.
8. The model should be ready to be analyzed forces, stresses At the upper level of this model, pier P1 is defined to ex-
and displacements. tend all the way across the wall above the openings. Pier P2
In ETABS single walls are modeled as a pier/spandrel sys- makes up the wall pier to the left of the top window. P3 occurs
tem, that is, the wall is divided into vertical piers and horizontal between the windows. Spandrel labels are assigned to vertical
117

spandrels. This is a powerful mechanism to obtain design mo- area objects (walls) in similar fashion to pier labels. The pier
 PRECAST BUILDING

and spandrel labels must be assigned to wall element before Seismic coefficients Wind Coefficients
performing analysis. AS PER IS: 1893-2000 AS PER IS: 875-1987
The lateral load analysis that is seismic and wind analysis
Seismic Zone
requires certain parameters to be assigned in ETABS. These 0.1 Wind speed (Vb) 50m/s
Factor
parameters are listed in table.2
Soil Type III Terrain Category I
Results and Discussion Importance
1 Structure Class B
Factor (I)
Shear wall structure having G+11 storey is analysed for
garvity and latral loads. The effect of axial force, out of plane Response Risk Coefficient k1
3 1
Reduction (R) factor
moments, lateral loads, shear force, storey drift, storey shear
and tensile force are observed for different stories. The analy- Topography k3
1
sis is carried out using ETABS and data base is prepared for factor
different storey levels as follows: Windward
0.8
coefficient
1. Effect of axial force on shear wall:
Leeward coefficient 0.5
The load bearing wall structure mostly caries axial com- Table: 2 Seismic and Wind parameters

STOREY WALL LOCATION AXIAL COMPRASSION LOAD (KN) OUT OF PLANE MOMENTS (KN-M)
Top 15.358 20.010
12
Bottom 57.277 21.573
Top 91.473 -37.385
11
Bottom 131.874 34.478
Top 170.653 -42.314
10
Bottom 209.962 45.532
Top 253.931 -46.156
09
Bottom 291.969 57.054
Top 340.620 -47.442
08
Bottom 377.376 68.345
Top 430.030 -46.705
07
Bottom 465.494 79.316
Top 521.423 -46.841
06
Bottom 555.598 89.867
Top 614.088 -55.166
05
Bottom 646.985 100.005
Top 707.363 -63.545
04
Bottom 739.008 109.844
Top 800.846 -71.943
03
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Bottom 831.300 120.038

Top 894.543 -80.360
02
Bottom 924.026 132.461
Top 994.804 -89.367
01
Bottom 1026.764 142.603
Table: 3 Axial force and out of plane moments for different storey levels

MAXIMUM TEN- MAXIMUM SHEAR STOREY DRIFT Lateral load STOREY SHEAR
STOREY
SILE FORCE (kN) FORCE (kN) (mm) In (kN) (kN)
12 -16156.865 -907.77 0.199 736.67 -608.25
11 -35756.738 -2012.3 0.199 734.36 -598.27
10 -51933.454 -2925.14 0.201 730.37 -1337.36
09 -65018.616 -3664.54 0.2 604.65 -1946.62
08 -75343.36 -4248.75 0.197 494.90 -2436.02
07 -83237.752 -4696.04 0.189 387.14 -2855.50
118
 PRECAST BUILDING

06 -89030.468 -5024.66 0.177 293.35 -3125.17

05 -93048.654 -5252.87 0.16 217.52 -3334.92
04 -95617.871 -5398.93 0.138 151.66 -3504.71
03 -97062.088 -5481.08 0.11 97.78 -3604.59
02 -97703.854 -5517.6 0.077 55.88 -3634.55
01 -97864.264 -5526.73 0.036 25.94 -3674.50
Table: 4 Shear force and displacements for different storey levels

pression force and transfer on to the foundation. The entire 3. Effect of storey lateral load on shear wall :
vertical load of all the stories is carried by ground floor load
bearing wall. In order to design that wall it is quite essential to Most lateral loads are live loads whose main component is
understand the variation of axial force in the walls. This force horizontal force acting on the structure. The intensity of these
in the shear wall is from worst load combination of gravity and loads depends upon the building’s geographic location, height
lateral loads. For the worst load combination, the axial force in and shape. For the worst load combination lateral load in the
the wall is plotted on y-axis against at each storey level. From wall is plotted against each storey level. From Fig.8, it is ob-
Fig.5, it is observed that maximum axial force in storey one is served that maximum lateral load in storey 12 is 736.67 kN.
1026.764 kN. The difference in maximum axial force between The difference in maximum lateral loads between storey 11
storey 11 and 12 is 7.26%. It indicates that the variation in maxi- and 12 is 0.54%. It is observed form fig.7 that this is non-linear
mum axial force with storey level is linear for worst load com- variation of lateral load.
bination.

Fig.7 Lateral loads on shear walls

Fig.5 Axial force on shear wall
4. Effect of shear force on shear wall:
2. Effect of out-of-plane moments on shear walls
Shearing forces are unaligned forces pushing one part of
Load bearing RCC walls are slender compression ele- a body in one direction, and another part the body in the op-
ments subjected to in and out-of-plane bending. For the worst posite direction. For the worst load combination shear force in
load combination, out-of- plane moments in the wall is plotted the wall is plotted against at each storey level. From the Fig.8, it
on y-axis against at each storey level. it is concluded from Fig.6 is observed that maximum lateral load in storey one is 5526.73
that the maximum out-of- plane moments in walls of storey kN. The difference in maximum lateral loads between storey
one is 142.603kN-m. The difference in maximum out of plane 11 and 12 is 19.98%. It indicates that the variation in maximum
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moment between storey 11 and 12 is 9.04% .It indicates that shear force with storey level is non-linear for worst load com-
the variation in maximum out of plane moment with storey bination.
level is linear for worst load combination.
120

Fig.6 Out of plane moments on shear walls Fig.8 Shear force on shear walls
 PRECAST BUILDING

5. Effect of storey drift on shear wall:

One of the major shortcomings high-rise structures is its

increasing lateral displacements arising from lateral forces.
For the worst load combination storey drift in the wall is plotted
on y-axis against at each storey level. From the Fig.9, it is ob-
served that maximum storey drift in between storey 12 is 0.199
mm. It indicates that the variation in maximum storey drift with
storey level is non linear for worst load combination.

Fig.11 Tensile forces on shear walls

ence in maximum axial force between storey 11 and 12 is 7.26 %.

2. The variation of out-of-plane moment with stories is linear.
The difference in maximum out-of-plane moment storey
11 and 12 is 9.04 %.
3. The variation of lateral loads with stories is non-linear. The
difference in maximum lateral loads between storey 11
and 12 is 0.54 %
Fig.9 Storey drifts on shear walls
4. The variation shear force with stories is non-linear. The dif-
ference in maximum shear force between storey 11 and 12
6. Effect of Storey shear on shear wall : is 19.98 %.
5. Variation of storey drift with storey is non-linear. The maxi-
For the worst load combination storey shear in the wall is
mum storey drift in storey 12 is 0.199 mm.
plotted on y-axis against at each storey level. From the Fig.10,
it is observed that maximum storey shear in storey one is 6. Variation of storey shear with storey is non-linear. The
608.25kN. It indicates that the variation in maximum storey maximum storey shear in storey one is 608.25kN.
shear with storey level is non linear for worst load combination. 7. The variation of tensile force with stories is non-linear and
the difference in maximum tensile force between storey 11
and 12 is 20.02 %

References
1. Wdowicki, J. and Wdowicka, E. (1993) “System of programs for analysis
of three-dimensional shear wall structures” The structural design of tall
buildings, Vol.2, pp 295-305.
2. Benjamin, J.R. (1968) “variability analysis of shear wall structures” Earth-
quake Engineering Research vol2, pp B3-45.
3. Musmar, M.A. (2013) “Analysis of shear wall openings using solid65 ele-
ment” Jordan journal of civil engineering, vol 7, no.2.
4. Thakkar, B.K. (2012) “Analysis of shear walls under compression and bend-
ing” Current trends in technology and science vol: 1, Issue: 2.
Fig. 10 Storey shear on shear walls 5. Hauksdottir, B. (2007) “Analysis of a reinforced shear wall” M.Sc Thesis, DTU
7. Effect of tensile force on shear wall : 6. Bozdogan, K.B. and Ozturk, D. (2010) “Vibration analysis of asymmetric
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

shear wall structures using the transfer matrix method” Iranian journal of
science & technology, transaction, Vol.34, No.B1, PP1-14.
The tensile force is the maximum stress that a structure
7. Xiaolei, H., Xuewei, C., Cheang, J., Guiniu,M. and Peifeng, W. (2008) “Nu-
can withstand while being stretched or pulled before failing merical analysis of cyclic loading test of shear wall based on openSEES”
or breaking. Tensile strength is the opposite of compressive World conference on earthquake engineering.
strength and the values can be quite different. For the worst 8. Carpinteri ,A., Corrado ,M., Lacidogna, G. and Cammarano, S. “Lateral load
load combination tensile force in the wall is plotted against at effect on tall shear wall structure of different height” Structural engineering
and mechanics, vol. 41, No.3 PP 313-337.
each storey level. From the Fig.11, it is observed that maximum 9. Biswas, J.K. (1974), “Three dimensional analysis of shear wall multi storey
tensile force in storey one is 97864.264 kN. The difference in building” Opendissertations and theses.
maximum tensile force between storey 11 and 12 is 20.02% .It 10. Greeshma, S., Jaya, K.P and SheejaA, L. (2011) “Analysis of flanged shear
indicates that the variation in maximum tensile force with sto- wall using ANSYS concrete model” International journal of civil and struc-
tural engineering vol.2, No.2.
rey level is non-linear for worst load combination
11. Fahjan, Y.M., Kubin, J. and Tan, M.T., (2010) “Nonlinear analysis method for
reinforced concrete buildings with shear walls” ECEE 14.
Summary and Conclusion
12. Habibullah, A., S.E (2007) “Physical object based analysis and design model-
ing of shear wall system using ETABS” computers & structures
In this present work ETABS is used to analysis the shear
13. Dar, O.J. (2007) “Analysis and design of shear wall-transfer beam structure”
wall structure of G+11 considering the gravity and lateral loads. boring pengeshan status thesis.
The following conclusion is drawn from present work. 14. Potty, N.S., Thanoon,W.A., Hamzah, H.H. and Hamadelnil, A.M.M. (2008)
“Practical modeling aspects for analysis of shear wall using finite element
122

1. The variation of axial force with stories is linear. The differ- method” International conference on construction and exhibition w.
 PRECAST BUILDING

Influence of Steel Fibres,

Used in Conjunction With Unconfined
Rebar Configurations, on the Structural
Performance of Precast Elements
Gary P. Robinson*, Alessandro Palmeri1 and Simon A. Austin1
*
Centre for Innovative and Collaborative Engineering (CICE),
Loughborough University, Sir Frank Gibb Building, Loughborough, UK
1
Dep. Civil and Building Eng., Loughborough University,
Sir Frank Gibb Building, Loughborough, UK

A
joint experimental and computational research program acting within both the tension and compression stress block as
has been carried out to demonstrate the potential ben- part of the design of the element. Further, this flexural cracking
efits of using Steel Fibre Reinforcement (SFR) within response has been shown to control the response and capac-
the design and manufacture of two key structural elements, ity of centrally reinforced panel elements adopting unconfined
namely slender walls and thin lintels with dapped ends, often rebar configurations, up to a steel ratio of =As/ lt 3%[5].
adopted within the pre-cast concrete industry. The investiga- Thus the controlling failure mechanism of the identified RC
tions specifically focus on the advantages of utilising SFR in wall elements will, in part, be influenced by the formation and
conjunction with traditional bar reinforcement in an unconfined subsequent progression of flexural cracks in the concrete at
layout. This configuration allows cost savings in regards to pre- the panel’s critical section. It follows therefore that if, as argued,
cast manufacture and enjoys good performance in terms of du- the initiation and behaviour of such cracks in the concrete sec-
rability and fire resistance, though its use is currently limited by tion can be considered to be significant when determining the
the brittle mode of failure. The paper sets out to prove that the structural response of such panels, the incorporation of steel
inclusion of SFR within the concrete matrix is capable of induc- fibre reinforcement should therefore be seen to substantially
ing a more ductile response in the structural members under influence the resulting behaviour and ultimate capacity of the
consideration, therefore potentially making it possible to justify panel elements under consideration. This is because the use of
the adoption of such unconfined layouts in the design practice. SFR concrete mixes has been shown to bring about a number
Historical testing and research studies [1],[2] [3] have dem- of improvements in the mechanical performance of concrete,
onstrated that the adoption of single, centrally placed or mini- relating to aspects such as: a delay in micro-crack propagation
mum reinforcement configurations in RC wall elements, which to a macroscopic scale, the hindrance of macroscopic crack
are subjected to an eccentric axial load, results in a sudden and development and an improved structural ductility [6]. Aimed at
brittle failure mechanism. In addition, research undertaken to demonstrating, as well as better understanding and designing
date [1] has also shown the ‘flexural cracking’ response of the for this predicted influence, the paper summarises the results
slender RC wall elements to be critical in determining the re- of experimental and computational analyses for the relevant
sulting buckling behaviour and ultimate failure load of the panel. panel types and SFR concrete mixes.
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This is opposed to the more conventional assumption that the From the literature reviewed as part of this investigation,
element’s capacity and response can be found by consideration few resources or research studies appear to currently exist,
of the component’s ultimate flexural capacity. This method which aid in the design of slender panel elements, using a com-
however, has been shown to only be suitable for sections using bination of both SFR and the traditional longitudinal reinforce-
a double layer of confined longitudinal reinforcement, where ment configurations proposed. Aimed at improving this current
the longitudinal reinforcement ratio of this section ( = As lt ) situation, the paper proposes and evaluates the possible use of
is greater than 1% [3], where s A l is the cross-sectional area of a computational procedure, in which ‘lumped plasticity’ is used
reinforcement per unit length of the panel and t is the thickness to predict the behaviour and buckling capacity of the resulting
of the panel. The term flexural cracking is used here to describe structural members. The method has previously been shown to
the situation where the concrete section at the critical location provide a good correlation for slender precast panel elements,
cracks in flexure (and the resulting concentrated loss of stiff- albeit for test samples adopting only a traditional unconfined
ness, combined with the lack of influential tension steel) con- reinforcement configuration and a standard (C40/50 grade)
trols the resulting structural behaviour and ultimate stability of concrete mix design [3]. It is believed however, that if this design
the panel much more than would occur with doubly reinforced method is suitably modified to account for the SFRC material
panels, where =As/ lt 1% [4]. Hence, the axial capacity of the behaviour, the proposed technique could also be used to derive
RC wall element becomes dependent on the element’s flexural a design capacity for the panel elements adopting the hybrid of
stiffness up to and post cracking. Consequently, appropriate ac- reinforcement types considered. The method utilises a non-lin-
126

count now needs to be taken of the contribution of the concrete ear fibre hinge at the known critical cross section of the panel, in
 PRECAST BUILDING

order to simulate the buckling response of the slender walls. appear suitable for the design of panels reinforced through a
The second aspect of the paper considers pre-cast lintels, combination of minimum, centrally placed and unconfined lon-
supported on end projections that have been reduced in height. gitudinal re-bar, with secondary reinforcement also provided by
Such ‘dapped end’ or ‘halving joint’ details are common in pre- using a quantity of SFR.
cast construction because they beneficially lead to a reduction
in the construction depth required. The experimental investiga- 2.2 Strut and Tie Design for D-Regions
tion undertaken therefore aims to increase the understanding The strut-and-tie analytical model is an extension of the
of the shear behaviour and capacity of these resulting discon- Ritter-Mörsch truss analogy, with particular application to the
tinuity shear or ‘D-regions’, for situations in which: a centrally shear design of discontinuity regions (D-Regions) in cracked
placed, unconfined and welded reinforcement mesh is to be reinforced elements [10]. The model assumes that structural
used in conjunction with varying percentages of additional steel loads are carried through a set of compressive stress fields
fibre content. Additionally, the structural testing undertaken and interconnected tensile ties. Previous studies ([11],[12]) have
will also aid in the development and verification of an analytical demonstrated that the use of steel fibre reinforcement, in con-
Strut-and-Tie Model (STM), capable of accounting for the use of junction with traditional longitudinal reinforcement, significant-
such a non-traditional reinforcement strategy. ly improves the capacity of the D-regions considered within the
2 Current Limitations of Existing Design Methods in Relation precast structural elements. However, the past investigations
to Unconfined and Steel Fibre Reinforcing Strategies do not consider the validity of adopting an STM in their design.
Hence, of particular interest as part of this study is; how a tradi-
2.1 Design of Eccentrically Loaded Precast RC Panels tional STM analytical model should be modified or augmented
to suitably account for the behaviour and failures observed,
Both the major national codes of structural design practice when adopting the hybrid reinforcement proposed, within the
reviewed (ACI-318 [7], EC2 [8]) currently devote specific sec- critical structural regions?
tions to the design and detailing of simply supported RC wall Another important consideration in adopting the STM
panels, subjected to an eccentric axial load. Each of the speci- methodology, as part of the development of an acceptable de-
fied design standards allows for the design of such elements sign for the proposed precast lintel elements, is that due to the
through the adoption of one of two possible design methods. lower-bound nature of the method, a number of potential (or
The first of these alternatives involves the use of simplified de- compliant) models are possible. However, a poorly selected
sign equations that have been empirically (or semiempirically) and detailed strut-and-tie model may potentially result in se-
derived from a limited amount of experimental data [9]. These vere damage and cracking to the element, even under service
expressions however, allow no account to be taken in regards loading [13]. Because of this, the experimental investigation and
to either the quantity or the distribution of longitudinal rein- validation of any potential STM analytical model is therefore
forcement. Also, the simple design equations do not currently considered as an essential component in the development of a
allow for or enable the modification of the concrete material design procedure for the precast dapped end beams.
model, required in this instance to account for, and potentially
take advantage of, the modified concrete behaviour due to the 3 Experimental Investigation
presence of the steel fibres within the concrete mix. In addition,
the existing empirical design equations do not currently allow 3.1 Test Samples and Experimental Arrangements
for design situations in which the eccentric load application is
required to fall beyond the ‘kern point’ of the section. That is, Eight 450mm wide, 100mm thick and 3000mm tall panel el-
the largest off-set at which a load can be applied to a section ements were cast adopting C40/50grade concrete mix (500kg/
without it developing tensile stresses. One such load case is m3 CEMI, 840kg/m3 Gravel<20mm, 900kg/m3 Sand<4mm,
however, investigated as part of this study in order to assess 0.8% Superplasticizer, w/c=0.36, Flow=650-700mm). Four of the
the ability of, and therefore the potential for using the proposed samples were reinforced solely using a single, centrally placed
hybrid reinforcement configurations to resist a larger, non- layer of mesh reinforcement to form the unconfined reinforce-
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standard value of load eccentricity. ment configuration illustrated in Figure 1(d). The four additional
One potential alternative design method however, currently panels tested adopted an identical reinforcement configuration
available within each of the regulatory guides considered [7-8],
is the consideration of the wall component as a column of an
‘equivalent’ structural width. This method, prima facie, appears
to potentially offer a suitable design method, for the hybrid
panels under consideration. This is because, it would enable
the engineer to account for the necessary modification to the
concrete material model, as well as being able to include for
the longitudinal reinforcement quantity and its distribution. By
using this method, one could also allow for a load applied at the
larger eccentricity. However, the use of this method requires
the buckling failure load of the panel element to be dependent
upon, and thus determined through consideration of, the flex-
ural capacity of the component’s cross section [3]. As defined
within section 1, this is not true for the minimally and centrally
reinforced panels that are the focus of this study. Therefore, Figure 1: Experimental arrangement (a); Test Rig Elevation (b); Test Rig Sec-
127

neither of the existing design procedures currently available, tion (c); Pin Joint Loading (d); Reinforcement Cross Section
 PRECAST BUILDING

to that illustrated although, in these cases, an additional steel The testing of the beam samples in shear was undertaken
fibre content (1% by volume) was also incorporated within the using the experimental setup detailed within Figure 3, with a
specified mix design. In this way, the potential for any improved loading rate of 1 kN s adopted. Bearing plates with sizes of
performance through the use of such a hybrid reinforcing strat- 100x100x12.5mm were used at both the support and loading
egy will be quantified, relative to the conventionally reinforced positions in order to suitably spread the applied load and thus
panels. The double hooked end type fibres used were: 50mm ensure the appropriate strut propagation within the sample.
long, 0.75mm in diameter, had an aspect ratio of 67mm and a Digital strain gauges were used to collect data in regards to the
tensile strength greater than 1100N/mm2. strains at the surface of the sample continuously during test-
The eight panel elements were then axially tested, using ing. The positioning of the gauges was designed so as to collect
the experimental setup illustrated within Figures 1(a) and (b). results both for the tensile region at the re-entrant corner and
The testing rig used for the experiments was capable of apply- over the primary compression strut that will form the dap. The
ing a load of 4000kN, with the loading beam designed in order to rosette pattern adopted allowed the angle of principal stress
ensure the transmission of a uniformly distributed load across in the half-joint detail to be calculated and recorded through-
the top of each panel at eccentricities of 17mm(t /6) and 33mm(t out the loading of the specimen. Consequentially this will allow
/3) . The smaller of the adopted eccentricities was chosen to re- the collected data, through the application of Mohr’s circle, to
flect the maximum load off-set allowed for within the major in- be used to validate the geometry of the adopted Strut-and-Tie
ternational design regulations (t/ 6) investigated [7-8]. This limit model (STM). The digital strain gauges used were 60mm in
on load eccentricity is commonly referred to as the ‘kern point’ length, with Figure 3 identifying the end locations of this instru-
and has been widely adopted as part of a number of experimen- mentation.
tal studies into the axial capacity of one-way spanning panel
elements [2-5]. Additionally, a load case involving a larger ec-
centricity (t /3) has also been incorporated as part of this study,
in order to investigate whether the use of SFRC in conjunction
with un-confined longitudinal reinforcing steel could potentially
offer an engineer the opportunity to justify the use of such panel
elements for resisting such a demanding loading condition
The top and bottom hinged support conditions were each
simulated by placing a 25mm high strength steel rod on a
50mm thick bearing plate (Figure 1(c)). Displacement trans-
ducers were utilised at the locations illustrated within Figure Figure 3: Lintel Testing Schematic and Demec Rosette Detail (box)
1(b) in order to record out-of-plane displacements at the centre
and top of the panel, as well as providing a means of determin- 3.2 Experimental Findings
ing the rotation at the top of the wall. Strain readings were also
Table 1 summarises the experimental failure loads ob-
taken utilising a digital portal gauge at the known critical sec-
served for each of the panel elements tested. In addition Figure
tion (i.e. the mid-span of the RC wall element). This allowed the
4(d) details the measured relationship between the applied load
strains induced at this section to be recorded as the axial load
and the deflection of the panel at its critical section, up until
was incrementally increased.
buckling failure occurred. It should be noted that the loads have
As part of the secondary focus of the experimental study,
been normalised (in order to allow an effective comparison of
four precast lintel elements were additionally cast and tested
panel performance), according to the expression:
to failure. The geometry of the specimens tested and the weld
mesh reinforcement layout adopted are illustrated within Fig-
ure 2. Because the objective of the experimental program is to (1)
study the behaviour of the D-Region of the precast lintel com-
ponent, a member length of 1415mm was adopted so as to Where N is the axial load applied to the panel at the set ec-
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ensure that the region controlling the element’s capacity was centricity (kN ), c f is the average measured concrete cylinder
that under investigation. All reinforcing bars used in the manu- strength for the samples (N mm2 ), with L and t the width and
facture of the samples were 16mm in diameter, with a cover thickness of the concrete wall elements respectively (mm).
of 25mm maintained throughout. The bars were MIG welded, As can be seen, the inclusion of the 1% volume fraction of
with all anchorage forces and requirements appropriate to the steel fibre reinforcement in addition to the unconfined rein-
resulting welds calculated in line with the relevant EC2 provi- forcement mesh traditionally adopted, leads to an increase in
sions [8]. both axial load and deformation capacity of the panel. Both ef-
fects appear to be more significant within the panels, to which
the load was applied at an increased eccentricity. An average
increase of 12% in normalised buckling capacity was seen for
panels loaded at an eccentricity of 33mm (t/3), with the lat-
eral deflection prior to failure increasing from a minimum of
10.5mm in the traditionally reinforced panel to a maximum of
20.55mm for a panel adopting the hybrid reinforcement op-
tion considered. This increased lateral deflection could also be
clearly observed for the SFRC panel elements, with a distinct
bowing evident prior to the failure of the wall (Figure 4(c)). For
128

Figure 2: Welded Mesh Reinforcement Configuration panels loaded at an eccentricity of 17mm (t /6), a lesser average
 PRECAST BUILDING

increase in normalised buckling capacity was recorded (9.8%).

Lateral deflections of 17.51mm and 19.61mm were measured
for panels SFR1 and SFR2 respectively compared to the mini-
mum value of 11.02mm observed for Panel RC1.
The most significant difference in the behaviour of the two
panel types investigated however, was perhaps associated with
the buckling failure typologies observed for the hybrid and tra-
ditionally reinforced elements. In the instances where a cen-
trally placed, unconfined reinforcement layout was solely ad-
opted the observed failure was of a sudden, brittle and explosive
nature Figure 4(a). In contrast for the cases when a 1% volume
fraction of the double hooked end steel fibres was incorporated, Figure 5: Brittle failure of traditional RC lintel (a); SFRC Lintel Failure (b); Ex-
a much more acceptable (from a structural design perspective) perimental load-deflection curves for traditional and hybrid lintel samples (c)
ductile failure resulted.
flexural cracking away from the daps appeared to significantly
Similarly, Table 2 details the failure capacities recorded
multiply as the fibre content in the samples was increased.
for each of the six dapped-end lintel samples fabricated. For
Figure 5(c) illustrates the load deflection behaviour re-
the control samples (RCL1 and RCL2) first cracking was seen
corded for each of the beam elements tested. Normalisation
to occur at the re-entrant corner, quickly followed by flexural
of loading values was undertaken in order to enable a compari-
cracking at the mid-span. As the loading was increased how-
son between each of the samples in relation to how efficiently
ever, the mid-span flexural cracking was seen to propagate at
the steel weight incorporated is being used within each of the
a rate greater than that which was observed at the re-entrant
designs considered, as well as to allow for the variations in con-
corners. It was then observed that both the samples exhibited
crete strength seen for the samples cast. The values were cor-
a significant propagation of tensile cracking along the diago-
rected according to the expression:
nal compressive strut. This cracking next propagated upwards
towards and subsequently along the beam’s top face. The pro-
gression of this cracking was then observed to cause the brittle (2)
shear failure captured within Figure 5(a), with the concrete ma-
terial forming the dap of the lintel, spalling away post failure As would be expected, the plots of load displacement rela-
to expose the welded mesh reinforcement. Interestingly, it was tionship for the beam elements tested (Figure 5(c)) show that
also observed that plastic hinges had formed within the longi- all samples had a similar elastic range. However, both samples
tudinal steel of the mesh, adjacent to the welded vertical bars. incorporating the 1% volume of steel fibre content exhibited a
This perhaps indicates the potential failure mechanism for the much greater ductility, with the maximum deflection at the point
sample. of failure almost double that of the non-fibre samples. Such a
Similar cracking patterns and propagation sequences were response is indicative of the successful application of steel fi-
also then observed for the samples cast using a combination bre reinforcement causing a more plastic/ductile response
of a welded mesh and an additional content of steel fibre rein- under loading and controlling the cracking, which would have
forcement (samples SFRL 1-2). The first crack again occurred otherwise resulted in failure. An average increase of 32.1% in
at the sample’s re-entrant corner and this was again followed
by more extensive flexural cracking at the mid-span. However, Element f2 (N/ Nu(kN)
e(mm)
a noticeably slower and less extensive crack propagation was Ref mm2) Test Comp
observed for all samples adopting a percentage content of steel RCW1 37.28 17 597 531
fibres relative those using the more traditional mix. This pro-
vides evidence therefore that the content of steel fibres within RCW2 37.28 17 572 531
the mix were acting as expected to provide a means of crack RCW3 38.48 33 336 302
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control. In addition to slowing crack formation the fibres also

RCW4 38.48 33 322 302
significantly reduced the level of the resulting spalling observed
at failure (Figure 5(b)). Also worthy of note was that the extent of SFRW1 40.21 17 713 623
SFRW2 40.21 17 689 623
SFRW3 41.11 33 407 345
SFRW4 41.11 33 394 345
Table 1: Panel buckling capacities

Nu(kN)
Element Ref f2 (N/ mm2)
Test Comp
RCL1 61.28 190 194
RCL2 32.96 100 124
Figure 4: Eccentrically loaded panels (a): Brittle failure of traditional RC pan- SFRL1 42.16 175 158
els (b); SFRC panel section failure (c); Increased lateral deflection of SFRC
SFRL2 32.96 140 124
panel prior to failure (d); Experimental load-deflection curves for panels with
130

varying eccentric load and use of SFR Table 2: Lintel shear capacities
 PRECAST BUILDING

normalised shear capacity was also measured for the SFRC

(3)
halving joints.
where Ls=H/2 is the shear span of the member, db=t/2 (for
4 Proposed Design Methods for Precast Elements Adopting the panels considered as part of this study) is the effective depth
Hybrid Steel Fibre and Unconfined Reinforcement Configu- of the reinforcement and fy is the yield strength of that reinforce-
rations ment. As can be seen from Table 2, the resulting computational
4.1 Lumped Plasticity predictions for both the traditionally reinforced panels and
those adopting the hybrid reinforcing strategy show a good cor-
Lumped plasticity idealisation is a widely adopted compu- relation with the actual experimental capacities seen. This re-
tational model, particularly utilised in earthquake engineering lationship is also illustrated within Figure 6(d) which shows the
and robustness assessment, in order to determine the ultimate least-squares best fit to slope 1 = 0.833 and 2 = 0.846, for the
performance of a structural system by increasing step by step RC and SFRC hybrid panel types respectively, to be acceptably
the load multiplier until failure (push-over or pushdown analy- close to the = /4 ideal. The poorer correlation seen within the
sis). It has been demonstrated within previous studies [1] [3] panels where the secondary fibre reinforcement was incorpo-
that it is possible to consider, as part of a computational as- rated is likely due to the fact that a degree of calibration in rela-
sessment, the entire inelasticity of an RC panel element to tion to the length of fibre hinge is required. However, a greater
be concentrated at the critical section for the span, with this number of data points would be required in order to inform how
‘lumped plasticity’ modelled through the use of a non-linear Eq 3 should be modified to account for the use of SFRC.
hinge (Figure 6(a)).
Such a computational model is effective for the cases con- 4.2 Design Using Strut and Tie
sidered as part of this study, because the location of the maxi- To aid in the development of the proposed analytical strut-
mum moment (and thus the critical section) is known for the and-tie model for the beam elements considered, an elastic
simply supported elements. In this representation the compo- analysis was first undertaken in order to analyse the stress
nent’s cross section is subdivided into a number of elements flows occurring, a method strongly advocated within existing
or fibres, to which the appropriate material properties are then literature [10]. A 2D finite element (FE) analysis was carried out,
assigned (Figure 6(b)). In this way, the non-linear moment-cur- using shell elements due to the size of the section (100mm) in
vature relationships and limits of the fibre hinge can then be relation to the size of the shells considered. These stress flows
determined for a range of axial loads (assuming plane cross were then used in the development of a relevant STM. Addition-
sections). As such, the arrangement illustrated can therefore ally the outputs of the FE model were used to verify the angle of
be used in order to provide an effective representation of sys-
the stresses against those obtained by experimental measure-
tem non-linearity, and consequentially, of buckling capacity.
ment, with the angle used for the analytical STM (59o) found to
Importantly, because the proposed computational method
lie between the maximum measured angle of principal stress
allows the designer to modify for the relevant concrete mate-
(52o) and that predicted through linear computational analysis
rial model, it can therefore facilitate the incorporation within the
(66o). The lower bound model developed is illustrated within
analysis of other concrete types, such as the fibre reinforced mix
Figure 7 (a) and compares well to those proposed within lit-
adopted as part of this study. Therefore the Mander [14] model
erature [9] for concrete elements with a similar geometry and
adopted for the unconfined concrete material within the tradi-
reinforcement provision. The precedent cited however, consid-
tional RC panels was replaced by the material model suggested
ered the response of confined concrete without a steel fibre
by Al-Taan and Ezzadeen [15] (Figure 6(c)) for fibre reinforced
content.
concretes adopting a 1% fibre volume fraction. Additionally
A key assumption made when arriving at the most ap-
however, in order to correctly quantify the rotational capacity of
propriate analytical STM, was regarding the width of the criti-
a concrete member, the length of the resulting plastic hinge (Lp)
cal compressive strut formed. Although the bearing plate was
that will be formed during loading and subsequent failure must
sized to spread loads across the full width of the beam it was
also be accounted for. Accordingly, the hinge lengths were
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

assumed that the effective width was that confined by the

computed for both panel types from the expression proposed
welded mesh configuration (Figure 2). Therefore the width of
by Panagiotakos and Fardis [16] for unconfined RC panels and
concrete considered was that within the centreline of the rein-
column elements subjected to monotonic loading:
forcement bars, as this was felt to best represent the ‘pinching’
or confining point. The design model was then used to calcu-
late the capacity of the section, with the theoretical predictions
summarised as part of Table 2. Because the experimental work
conducted identified that crushing of the primary compressive
strut, positioned at the support bearing plate, resulted in ele-
ment failure it could therefore be considered to be critical. It
follows then that the size of this strut and thus the capacity of
the section is then dictated by both the angle of the strut formed
and the width of the bearing plate used. The remaining struts
were still subsequently assessed for adequacy however, along
with checks also required to ensure the tensile capacity of the
reinforcement provided would not be exceeded within any of the
Figure 6: Lumped plasticity computational panel representation (a); Fibre
hinge at critical panel section (b); Unconfined [14] and SFRC [15] material associated ties.
Interestingly, and as can be seen from Table 2, the proposed
131

models (c); Comparison of theoretical and experimental panel capacities (d)

 PRECAST BUILDING

STM overestimates the strength of the two samples adopting alternatives. However, the computational method was found to
the welded mesh reinforcement without any additional steel be less effective in presence of steel fibres as secondary rein-
fibre content by (2-24%). This is perhaps to be expected given forcement, suggesting that further testing is required in order
the brittle nature of unconfined concrete and the sudden and to calibrate the length of the fibre hinge.
explosive failure observed in the testing of the element. This As far as the lintels with dapped ends are concerned, it has
finding perhaps indicates that unconfined concrete elements been similarly shown that the introduction of SFR leads to in-
should not be designed using STM models without a further creased capacity and ductility. This is believed to be because
safety factor being applied to the current strut capacity equa- the fibres act to control cracking at the re-entrant corner, in-
tion given within EC2 [8]: ducing a greater degree of flexural action prior to failure. The
investigations conducted have also developed and validated a
(4) suitable Strut-and-Tie Model (STM) for the design of halving
joint details where an unconfined steel reinforcement layout is
where RD,max is the allowable axial stress within the com-
adopted, which however tends to overestimates the actual ca-
pressive strut, fc is the concrete cylinder strength th and
pacity. The findings also suggest that a modification (or safety)
=1-(fc/250) is a reduction factor applied for cracked compres-
factor should be applied to the strut element to account for the
sion zones within the Eurocodes. In contrast however, the STM
brittle nature of the unconfined concrete without SFR. In con-
model for samples where a 1% content of SFR, by volume was
trast however, when a 1% volume of double-end hook SFR were
incorporated, tends to underestimate the capacity of the ele-
introduced in the mix, the use of the STM design method could
ment by an average of 12%. This suggests that the use of stan-
be justified, with the experimental values also indicating that a
dard STM design is valid for situations in which un-confined
beneficial modification factor could be warranted. Also in this
reinforcement configurations are adopted and perhaps even
case, further testing would be required in order to adequately
indicates that a beneficial factor of safety could be applied to the
demonstrate and quantify what the value of such a beneficial
strut capacity expression (Eq 4) for such design cases. How-
factor should be.
ever, a much larger degree of testing would be required before
any such conclusions or design recommendations could be References
provided. A potential need for such further investigation and the
[1] G.P. Robinson, A. Palmeri and S.A. Austin, Tension Softening Effects
establishment of more appropriate correction factors is well
on the Buckling Behaviour of Slender Concrete Wall Panels, Proc. of
illustrated by the comparison of actual lintel capacities to the ISEC-6 Modern Methods and Advances in Structural Engineering and
ideal least squares correlation illustrated in Figure 7(b). Construction, Zurich (2011)
[2] J.H. Doh, S. Fragomeni, Evaluation of Experimental Work on Concrete
5 Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Work Walls in One-Way and Two-Way Action, Aus. J. Struct. Eng, 6(1), 103-
115 (2005)
The paper demonstrates that the incorporation of Steel Fi-
[3] G.P.Robinson, A.Palmeri, S.A.Austin Design Methodologies for One
bre Reinforcement (SFR) has significant effects on the structur- Way Spanning Eccentrically Loaded Minimally or Centrally Reinforced
al performance of both eccentrically loaded panels and shear Pre-Cast RC Panels, J. of Engineering Structures, Currently Under
discontinuity regions for precast elements adopting unconfined Review (2011)
configurations for the traditional bar reinforcement. The paper [4] K.M. Kripanarayanan, Interesting Aspects of the Empirical Wall Design
also shows the effectiveness of design methods that could en- Equation, ACI Stuct. J, 204-207 (1977)
able an engineer to justify the use of such hybrid reinforcing [5] S.U. Pillai, C.V. Parthasarathy, Ultimate Strength and Design of Con-
crete Walls, J. of Bld. and Env, Vol 12, 25-29 (1977)
strategies in practice.
[6] H.H. Abrishami, D. Mitchell, Influence of Steel Fibers on Tension Stiff-
As far as the slender wall elements are concerned, the in- ening, ACI Struct J, 769- 776 (1997)
troduction of SFR was seen to increase both axial capacity and [7] American Concrete Institute, ACI 318-05 Building Code Requirements
structural ductility for load eccentricities of e=t/6 and e=t/3, with for Structural Concrete, Farmington Hills (2005)
a more significant improvement in the latter case. Moreover, [8] Comité Européen de Normalisation, EN 1992-1-1 Eurocode 2 Design
an improved (and more acceptable) failure mechanism was of Concrete Structures Part 1-1 General Rules for Building, Brussels
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

observed, when compared to the sudden, brittle failure seen in (2004)

the control samples. Lumped plasticity idealisation and fibre- [9] J.K. Wight, J.G. MacGregor, Reinforced Concrete Mechanics and De-
hinge elements were shown to provide a good correlation with sign, 5th Edition, Pearson Education International, San Jose (2009)
the experimental data relating to the singly and centrally rein- [10] J. Schlaich, K. Schafer, M. Jennewith, Towards a Consistent Design of
Structural Concrete, PCI Journal, 32(2), 74-150 (1987)
forced panels adopting both traditional and SFR concrete mix
[11] D.R. Sahoo, S.H. Chao, Use of Steel Fiber Reinforced Cocncrete for En-
hanced Performance of Deep Beams with Large Openings, Proc. of
ASCE 2010 Structures Congress, 1981-1989, Orlando (2010)
[12] Z. Fu, Use of Fibres and Headed Bars in Dapped End Beams, Masters
Thesis, McGill University, Montreal (2004)
[13] D. Kuchma, S. Yindeesuk, T. Nagle, J. Hart Experimental Validation of
Strut-and-Tie Method for Complex Regions, ACI Structural J., 105(5),
578-589 (2008)
[14] J.B.Mander, M.J.N Prestly, Park R Theoretical Stress-Strain Model of
Confined Concrete, J. of Structural Engineering, 114(8), 1804-1826 (1988)
[15] S.A. Al-Taan, N.A. Ezzadeen Flexural Analysis of Reinforced Fibrous
Concrete Members Using the Finite Element Method, J. of Computers
and Structures, 56(6), 1065-1072 (1995)
Figure 7: Proposed STM for the design of lintel members (a); Comparison of [16] T.B.Panagiotakos, M.N. Fardis, Deformations of Reinforced Concrete
132

theoretical and experimental lintel capacities (b) Members at Yielding and Ultimate, ACI Struct. J., 98(2), 135-148 (2001) w
 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS

Practical and Economical

Design Aspects of Precast Concrete
Large Panel Building Structures

Bob van Gils (Director)

WBK Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd. and Van Boxsel Engineering Pvt. Ltd.

Abstract: Precast concrete shear walled structures, also called

large panel systems, are a good solution for multistoried resi-
dential and commercial buildings. This paper describes the
practical and economical aspects of designing and construct-
ing these kinds of structures.
The large panel systems are made of large precast walls
and slabs that are connected to each other in vertical and hori-
zontal direction. The precast wall panels should be load bear-
ing members and shall be capable of carrying the vertical and
lateral loads. The wall panels can be connected to each other
in various ways and together with the floor diaphragm they will
form box type structures (figures 1 to 4). The external precast
wall panels shall be a finished product and no cement plaster
shall be required.
The precast concrete structures with load bearing wall
Figure 2. Large precast panel construction
panels have several advantages compared to RCC frame
structures. - Saves time and manpower
- The thin precast wall structure increases the carpet area
- No brickwork infill walls are required - Better health and safety standards for laborers during
- Superior quality and durability of the high grade concrete construction
panels As quality and speed of construction are becoming more
- No plastering required on the precast panels important for builders the precast large panel system could
prove to be a viable solution. But in every building project the
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

following aspects are important.

- Architecture
- Structure
- MEP Services
- Manufacturing
- Erection
The importance of these aspects shall be briefly explained
in this paper.

Architectural design aspects

Full advantage of precast concrete construction can be

achieved when the buildings shall been designed for high con-
struction speed and maximum repetition. The architect should
be considering the following points in his design:

- Integration of architecture, services and structure has to

be achieved.
134

Figure 1. Large precast panel construction

 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS

where they do not complicate the layout of the load bearing

walls and precast floor slabs.

Architectural features and finishes

The exterior of the large panel buildings will be formed by

the load bearing precast wall panels. The concrete surface of
the panels will be exposed and can have factory made finish-
ing like sandblasting, polishing, exposed aggregate finish and
Figure 3. Large precast exterior Figure 4. Large precast interior wall form line finishing. Various color finishes of the precast panels
wall panels panels
are possible by changing the type of cement, type of aggre-
- Prepare design with simple and symmetrical layouts and gates and by using pigments in the concrete mixture (figure
elevations 7). Precast wall panels can also be provided with false joints to
- Avoid many offsets and re entrant corners in the building achieve a better architectural design patterns (see figure 8).
plans
- Achieve standardization and repetition in the precast ele-
ments
- Use modular grids with multiple spacing of 1200mm for
standard slabs
- In case of standard precast slab sizes the modular design
can have a big impact on the costing
- Minimize joints and plan location of joints
- In façade minimize horizontal or low sloped elements that Figure 7. Exposed aggregate finish Figure 8. False joints in precast panel
can collect dirt
Cantilevered balconies can be made by providing canti-
- Keep precast elements as large as possible
levered brackets on the precast cross walls and resting the
- Design should not be a conversion of cast in-situ structure
balconies on these brackets. The precast balconies can also
- Not everything has to be made in precast
be made cantilevered with protruding top reinforcement con-
- Explore the unique capabilities that can be achieved with
necting to the rcc topping of the floor slab. Cantilevered sun-
precast concrete
shades are a common feature in Indian building projects. The
- When using prestressed floor slabs prepare building lay-
precast walls are generally made on flat steel moulds and it is
outs with larger floor spans
not possible to make the sunshade as one part with the wall.
- Avoid last minute design changes when precast produc-
Sunshades can be prefabricated and connected in a later stage
tion has started
to the precast walls.
Modular design
Flexibility in layouts
Modular design is important when the proposed precast
Flexibility in the layout of precast concrete building projects
system is utilizing standardized precast production methods
can be achieved by creating larger floor spans with larger open
with less flexibility. For example when using standard slab
spaces. Especially in office buildings this concept will provide
sizes the modular design is guided by the standard size of the
a lot of advantages to the end user (see figures 9 and 10). The
precast slabs. Positioning and alignment of other precast ele-
non load bearing partition walls can be made as light weight
ments like walls, columns and beams has to be planned as per
blocks, dry walls or other suitable light weight systems.
the modular system. It may prove cost effective to avoid offsets
and align the load bearing structural elements. Modular de-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

sign principles can be strictly followed but give less freedom

to the architect. In case other production methods are used
with more custom components the architect shall have more
freedom in his design.
In any kind of precast building the position of lifts, stair-
cases and shafts are critical and have to be properly planned
Figure 9. Flexibility with large open Figure 10. Flexibility with large open
spaces spaces

Structural design aspects

India being an earthquake prone country the seismic re-

sistant requirements are the most important criteria of the
structural design. Looking at the requirements we can draw
the conclusion that the basic earthquake resistant design
rules are suitable for precast concrete buildings. Generally the
following design rules should be followed:
Figure 5. Modular design pos- Figure 6. Mass production of standard
135

sibilities slabs - Simple and symmetrical building layout

 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS

- Uniform distribution of mass and structural stiffness over phragm action and prevention of progressive for multisto-
the height of the building. ried buildings.
- Avoid torsion - In case of rcc topping the top surface of the hollow core has
- Achieve ductile behavior of the structure to be roughened.
- Avoid progressive collapse of the structure - It is difficult to place MEP services within the hollow core
Simple, symmetrical and uniform buildings are normally slabs, services have to be placed either below or above the
easy to optimize and very much suitable for precast concrete slab.
construction. - Connection of the hollow core slabs to the shear walls has
to be properly designed and detailed for transfer of vertical
Precast floor slab systems and lateral loadings.
Basically three different floor slab systems can be consid- - Pay attention to fixation of hollow core units in between
ered for multistoried precast buildings. load bearing walls. Provide extra top reinforcement at this
location.
1. Prestressed precast hollow core slabs
2. Precast half slabs with lattice girder reinforcement
3. Precast solid slabs

Prestressed precast hollow core slabs

These are prestressed floor slabs with longitudinal voids

(figure 11). The presence of the voids results in material sav- Weight Joint
ings and weight savings. With hollow core slabs large one way Profile h (mm) b (mm) (joints filled filling
kN/m2 l/m2(*)
spans can be achieved and no temporary propping is required.
Hollow core slabs only have longitudinal prestressing rein- HC-200 200 1196 2,60 7,0
forcement and no other reinforcement. Due to manufacturing HC-265 265 1196 3,80 10,0
methods it is not possible to make slabs with anchored tie bars, HC-320 320 1196 4,10 12,0
protruding stirrups or embedded welded plates. Diaphragm
action is achieved through special joint design. Especially in HC-400 400 1196 4,65 17,0
high seismic zones an rcc topping has to be added to join the Figure 13. Example of different hollow core slab sizes
slabs and achieve proper diaphragm action (figure 12).

Figure 14. Example of 2400mm wide hollow core slab

Figure 11. Hollow core slabs Figure 12. Hollow core with RCC top-
ping Figure 15 Figure 16

Structural design aspects for using hollow core floor slabs Precast half slabs with lattice girder reinforcement
in multistoried residential buildings are as follows:
These are composite slabs made of precast concrete
- Standard width of the slabs is 1200mm.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

planks of 50mm thick with an rcc topping. The bottom rein-

- Some hollow core suppliers are also providing slabs of forcement is placed within the precast planks and the top
2400mm. reinforcement is placed within the rcc topping. Basically the
- For large scale projects with many repetitions it could be composite slab behaves the same as an rcc one way slab or
useful to have a combination of 1200mm and 2400mm two way slabs. The precast planks serve as the shuttering and
slabs. have to be supported during casting and curing of the concrete.
- Floor slab layout has to be designed on a multiple grid of It is a very flexible system where size of planks can be easily
1200mm and 2400mm. adjusted and MEP services can be placed in the rcc topping.
- Slabs can be cut in longitudinal direction if required to
achieve different size of slab. However longitudinal cutting
should be avoided as much as possible.
- Minimum slab thickness can be 100mm but most manu-
facturers offer minimum thickness of 120mm or 150mm.
- No propping required to support the hollow core slabs
during the construction phase.
- Camber and deflection should be checked in design and
detailing. Figure 17. Precast half slab with Figure 18. Precast half slab with
136

- Minimum 60mm rcc topping is recommended for dia- lattice girders lattice girders
 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS

Structural design aspects of precast planks with lattice

girders:

- Standard width is generally 2,4m or 3,0m, but can also be

customized to room sizes.
- Flexible system, any type of slab size can be made.
- Bottom reinforcement is placed in the precast plank.
- Top reinforcement is placed inside the rcc topping.
- Minimum thickness is generally 50mm precast plank with Figure 24. Solid slab with welded Figure 25. Erection of solid slab with
100mm rcc topping. plates welded plates
- Propping of the slabs during casting and curing of concrete
is required.
- MEP services can be placed inside the rcc topping.

Figure 26. Solid slab with protruding Figure 27. Solid slab with stitching
reinforcement reinforcement

- All reinforcement is placed inside the slab.

- Connection to the precast shear walls can be by protruding
Figure 19. Example of lattice girder reinforcement
reinforcement like u-bars, reinforcement couplers or site
welded steel plate connections.
- In case of proper detailing then rcc topping can be avoid-
ed.
- All provisions for MEP can be placed inside the slabs.

Lateral load resisting system

Figure 20. Complicated slab layout Figure 21. Top reinforcement The structural behavior of precast concrete large panel
buildings with shear walls is different than rcc frame struc-
tures. The shear walls are to be considered as cantilevering
from the foundation (see figures 28 and 29).
The precast floor units have to be properly joined together
to act as a floor diaphragm that transfers the lateral loads to
the shear walls. The connections between the floor diaphragm
and the shear walls have to be properly detailed. The shear
walls will transfer the lateral loads to the foundation by acting
Figure 22. Various precast slab Figure 23. Casting of concrete topping
shapes
as cantilevered walls.

Precast solid slabs

Precast solid slabs without topping (Figures 24 to 27) can

The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

come in different systems. The slabs are made as tradition-

ally reinforced solid slabs that are generally supported by load
bearing walls at all sides. If the connections with the walls are
properly detailed and executed then rcc topping can be avoid- Figure 28. Forces acting on shear wall Figure 29. Forces acting within shear
ed. wall
The connections between the solid slabs and the walls can Connections
be made by protruding reinforcement like u-bars or by site
welded steel plates. The wall panel connections can be classified into horizontal
The solid slabs can be made on stationary steel tables joints and vertical joints. The horizontal joints have to transfer
and during erection can be supported by props or by erection vertical loads as well as lateral loads. The vertical joints can be
angles. All the services can be embedded inside the solid slabs open and not transferring any loads or they can be connected
during the production process. to transfer shear loads.
In many countries the horizontal joints between precast
Design aspects of solid precast slabs: wall panels are made with grouted corrugated ducts. The pre-
- Size of the slabs can be customized. cast wall panels are lowered into position over the vertical rein-
- Flexible system but weight of the slabs has to be checked forcement bars which are protruding from the below element
(see figure 30). The ducts and the horizontal joint are fully filled
138

as they are heavier than hollow core or precast planks.

 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS

with non shrink high strength grout with at least 10MPa higher
strength as the precast concrete. In the plastic hinge regions
the ducts can be provided over the full height of the precast
wall and the reinforcement bars can be lapped inside the duct.
Another option is to use the splice sleeve type 2 connection
according to ACI 318 (see figure 31). It can also be decided to
design the bottom stories, where yielding will occur, in cast in-
situ concrete.
Figure 32. Placing wall in mortar Figure 33. Pumping grout in horizontal
bed joint

be replaced by coupler bars (see figures 34 and 35). It is advised

to use these connections only for internal shear walls as the
vertical joint has to be finished with plastering at both sides and
this requires a lot of extra work.

Figure 34. Vertical connection detail Figure 35. Vertical connections between
Figure 30. Connection through grouted corrugated ducts internal walls

MEP Services

In precast concrete building projects it is important that

the MEP services consultants and the MEP vendors are part of
the design team. Services like air-conditioning, electrical and
plumbing have to be an integrated part of the precast design.
For example wall panels can be provided with electricity con-
duits, electricity boxes and openings for ducts (see figures 36
and 37).

Figure 31. Splice sleeve connections

Filling of joints

Filling of horizontal joints with non shrink high strength ce-

ment based mortar or grout can be done in several ways: The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

1. Placing the precast wall in thixotropic mortar bed (see fig-

ure 32)
2. Fill the joint with mortar by hand placement
3. Pump thixotropic grout in the joint (see figure 33)
4. Fill the joint with flowable grout
5. Injection of flowable grout
Because of high temperatures in India and because clean
filling has to be achieved it is advised to follow the third method
and fill the joints by pumping thixotropic grout in the joints. Fill- Figure 36. Electricity in precast wall panel
ing of the corrugated ducts is generally done by pouring flow-
able grout from the top or by injection/pumping from the bot- Hollow core slabs can be provided with electricity boxes
tom of the duct. and block outs. Placing MEP services within the hollow core
Vertical joints can either be structural joints which have to slabs is not possible. Services have to be place above or below
transfer shear forces or non-structural joints which don’t have the floor, special hangers can be used (see figure 38). Precast
to transfer any forces. In case fully monolithic behavior has to planks with rcc topping can be provided with electricity boxes
be achieved the best option is to use a protruding reinforce- and block outs. Furthermore small conduits, ducts and plumb-
ment connection in combination with drop-in stirrups. To ease ing pipes can be embedded in the rcc topping (see figures 39
139

the manufacturing process the protruding reinforcement can and 40)

 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS

Figure 41. Industrialized building system components

tems. The prestressing steel has to be anchored in abutments

which are heavy concrete foundations.
Some possibilities for precast factory equipment are:

Figure 37. Several openings in precast wall panel - Stationary flat bed moulds
- Tilting tables
- Battery moulds
- Central shifter system with pallets
- Side shifter system with pallets
- Carrousel system with pallets
- Hollow core plant
- Other customized solutions

Industrialized precast building systems are consisting

Figure 38. Typical load hangers for hollow core slabs of standard prefab elements made in standard moulds with
minimum customization and suitable for mass production (see
figure 41).
Customized prefabrication systems are methods where
the precast elements are made according to a standard con-
cept but with flexibility to customize according to the require-
ments of the project. These customized systems require more
flexibility in the shuttering and moulding.
The design and project team has to understand the capa-
bilities and limitations of the precast manufacturing unit and
following aspects have to be considered while designing.

- Type of factory? Conventional, semi automated or fully au-

Figure 39. MEP services in topping of plank floor
tomated precast plant?
- Ordinary reinforced precast concrete elements and/or
prestressed concrete elements?
- Horizontal tables or vertical battery moulds (see figures 42
and 43)
- Wooden side shuttering or steel side shuttering?
- Custom made wooden or steel moulds for special ele-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

ments (see figure 44)

- Minimum and maximum size and weight of the precast el-

Figure 40. Plumbing pipes in topping of plank floor

Precast manufacturing aspects

Basically there are two different types of precast plants

which are the temporarily site based precast plant (casting
yard) and the permanent precast plant. Furthermore we can
differentiate between precast plants with ordinary reinforced
precast concrete elements and plants where prestressed
concrete elements are manufactured. In case prestressed
concrete elements have to be produced the system usually
requires long line beds on which the concrete elements will
be formed either with casting machines or with shuttering sys-
140

Figure 42. Circulating pallet system (flat moulds)

 PRECAST BUILDING: DESIGN ASPECTS

Figure 46. Space for crawler crane

Figure 43. Battery mould (vertical moulds)

Figure 47. Casting rcc topping on precast slabs

Figure 44. Custom made wooden mould
Execution / erection aspects
Erection of the precast structure will be done by building
cranes which can be placed at a fixed location like tower cranes
or by mobile cranes which can move around the building (see
figure 46). In case of mobile cranes or crawler cranes there
should be enough space to maneuver comfortably around the
building. The speed of the crane often determines the speed
of erection, especially in case of high rise structures where it
takes more time to lift the elements. Another important aspect
of the erection sequence is the casting of the rcc topping on
hollow core or plank floors and should be well planned.

Design aspects:
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

- Transportation and temporary storage of the precast ele-

Figure 45. Standard reinforcement couplers ments
- Crane position and lifting capacities
ements - Lifting speed and speed of erection
- Production tolerances
- Lifting systems and safety aspects
- Standard embedded parts like anchors, lifting eyes, rein-
- Space for movement of mobile cranes or crawler cranes
forcement etc.
(see figure 29)
- Minimum variation in embedded parts (see figure 45)
- Easy access to connections
- Avoiding penetrations through the mould
- Clean construction process
- Stripping methods of the precast elements en conse-
- Tolerances
quences for design
- Easy and fast erection
- Shape of block outs and rebates
- Chamfer the edges of wall panels to reduce edge damage - Erection sequence
and to mask differences in alignment between panels at - Grouting methods for joints
the joints. - Casting of rcc topping (see figure 47)
- Detailing of the reinforcement cages - Position of props and supporting structures
142

- Curing and finishing methods - Sealing methods for joints w

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Hollowcore Manufacturing
and Factory Design

Stephen Carr C Eng MI Mech E

Spiroll Precast Services Ltd.

Abstract:This document is designed to provide guidance and production can grow to meet market demand without dis-
outline the main considerations in the initial planning of a Hol- rupting the ongoing production.
lowcore plant. The information presented is based on 40 years - A low cost start-up can also be considered with minimal
of Spiroll experience. To summarise the key points: - plant. This can be achieved with mobile plant, initially han-
dling of the concrete and the product can be with a five
- The Plant should be planned with both the short term
tonne forklift. This system can be replaced by a gantry
and long term capacity targets for hollowcore manufac-
cranes, overhead cranes or travel lifts in the future.
ture based on beds numbers and length. The normal bed
length can vary from 60 to 150 metres - 120 metres is the - This system using extruder casting machines with mobile
most common as it provides good flexibility and fits well in plant can be extended to a mobile hollowcore production
to the daily production cycle. plant. In this way the plant is sited at the construction proj-
ect site and moved when the project is complete.
- The aim of any plant is to achieve maximum efficiency by
filling every bed every day. To achieve this, adequate time Hollowcore Slabs
must be allowed for curing the concrete, cutting the slabs
to length, lifting the slabs and cleaning and preparing the In terms of selling hollowcore slabs into your local mar-
beds for casting again. Of particular importance is the cur- ket, the slab is a versatile precast element that can be utilised
ing time as the strength of the concrete must be adequate in a wide range of applications and thus expand the available
to hold the bond when the wires are cut. Before releas- markets.
ing the tension in the free strand to transfer the strain Few building materials available today offer the economy,
energy into the concrete, the concrete must have enough flexibility and reliability of precast prestressed concrete. The
strength. advantages of hollowcore slabs are significant for the following
- The factory layout must also take account of finished prod- reasons: -
uct handling and storage, concrete batching and distribu- Durability: Hollowcore slabs provide long-term perfor-
tion, and maintenance and service requirements. mance in extremely harsh conditions that could destroy lesser
materials. It is extremely resilient to deterioration from the
- An economic approach to the investment is to have staged
weather and the dense concrete and high cover to the steel
investment. The factory layout should then include provi-
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allows design for high fire ratings.

sion for immediate and future production levels so that the
Speed: Factory production of hollowcore allows the pro-
144
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

ducer to have full control over all the variables, which affect Slabs, Report K68-05 Stockholm, Sweden, August 1968.
the durability, strength and appearance of the slab. The high - Report on Test to Demonstrate the Adequacy of Floor or
quality and excellent finishes of the slabs reduce site work to Roof Assemblies using Spiroll Panels (By: S.B. Barnes and
an absolute minimum. Associates).
Flexibility: Hollowcore slabs used for floors have good sof- - In addition to the published design codes mentioned above
fits which allow for direct application of ceiling finishes. They some more recent publications included.
can also be used for wall panels. Speed and economy make
them a good solution to which can add decorative finishes by The Extrusion Process
using a thin layer of different aggregates and colours on the
The most common casting system for casting hollowcore
soffits and tops of the slabs.
is the extruder. It was the World’s first machine for producing
Economical: Hollowcore slabs themselves are up to 30%
hollowcore slabs that did not require a separate driving force to
lighter than the equivalent in-situ floor. With the prestress
move the machine along the production bed. The same effort
and the low self weight, longer spans can be achieved for the
that feeds the concrete mix through the machine and forms it
same loads or greater loads for the same depths. The build-
into the final precast slab also provides the motivation to drive
ing foundations can be lighter as they are required to support
the extruder along the bed. This natural process propels the
less weight. Alternatively the number of supporting columns
extruder along the production bed and allows the compacted
and beams can be significantly reduced. Hollowcore therefore
concrete to reach the required density.
gives the opportunity for longer spans, greater loads and less
With high frequency (HF) vibration in the Spiroll machines,
foundation costs.
the intense vibration and pressure within the machines, means
Features of High Freq. Vibration the concrete mix is effectively ‘plasticised’ during the short time
that it is passed through the extruder. This results in dense
- Fire resistance (2-4 hours fire rating) depending on design concrete with little air retention and moulds the concrete to
- High density product form the required section.
- No strand slippage The formed slab then reverts to its ‘dry’ state and reaches a
- Low cement content density high enough to stand on the slab immediately after the
- Greater span/depth characteristics extrusion process. After a period of natural or accelerated cur-
- Consistent camber ing, the slabs are then cut to length, stripped from the casting
- Greater span load characteristic bed and transported to the storage area. Concrete strength of
- Eliminates costly propping during installation a minimum of 35N/mm2 is required to hold the bond between
- All weather construction the concrete and the strands.
The casting beds are prepared by cleaning and the applica-
- Immediate working surface
tion of a release agent. The high tensile steel strands are pulled
- Custom made to length and detail
down the length of the bed and stressed. The extruder hopper
- Excellent sound barrier (due to hollows) is filled with concrete and the machine moves along the bed,
- Carpet direct top surface pushed by the pressure generated by the compacted concrete.
- Speedy erection, reducing interim financing The casting takes one and half to two hours depending on the
- Maintenance free length of the bed. The daily routine is established depending on
- Economical long line Production the number of beds to be cast and the shift operated.
- Unlimited design possibilities, compatible with almost all Extruders are by far the simplest hollowcore machine on
building materials the market in terms of their design and ease of use. Once the
- Flexibility in design and application machine has been commissioned and set-up to suit the local
material, it simply requires the required mix to be put in the
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In summary there are a variety of uses for hollowcore with hopper and the machine to be started. Some adjustment of the
applications for floors, roofs and wall panels being the most mix may be necessary to achieve the desired quality and curing
common. Also some of the more innovative producers have times and once set, one man is required to operate the ma-
found use for hollowcore in such projects as parking decks, chine. Maintenance is extremely easy. Wear components are
bridge deck (permanent forms), basement walls, retaining designed for extended life. The simplicity, reliability, low main-
walls, pedestrian bridges and parapet walls (air displace- tenance, low labour costs and high strength of the finished
ment). product make the machine extremely popular and have stood
Tests and Approvals the test of time with many reputable customers.
Extruders are capable of producing hollow core slabs from
Hollowcore slabs have world-wide recognition and ac- depths of 150mm-470mm with widths from 600mm-1800mm.
ceptance as a building element. Many tests have been done
for different purposes and in different countries. The design of Factory Design
hollowcore is covered in the British Standards, the EC by Euro Scope of Plant Layout
Codes and in the USA by the Precast Concrete Institute (PCI).
Many tests on hollowcore have been carried out initiated by The layout of a new plant should be considered with a view
some of the early tests, for example to the future requirement for increased numbers of beds. This
leads to reviewing the product handling and the distribution of
145

- Report on Structural Test on Spiroll Extruded Hollow Core the concrete. Consideration is required of the maintenance fa-
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

cility, the drainage, access, wiring of the beds, stressing of the

beds and storage of the finished product.
For a low cost start up, the plant would be designed with
a production facility with two (2) 120 meters long Production
Beds and 1.2 metres wide. This will provide an approximate
output of 65,000m² of slabs per annum based on an average of
two hundred fifty (250) working days per year.
Provision would be made for future expansion by the addi-
tion of two (2) to four (4) identical beds in the future. The basic
system would include one (1) extruder; one (1) saw, stressing
equipment and lifting equipment.
By locating the mixer in the middle of the factory the dis-
tribution of the concrete and the lifting and handling of the
finished product can be completed with two overhead cranes.
This minimizes the travel time for the concrete and allows the
second crane to continue with other activities. If concrete is to
be distributed to more than one bay then a batching plant at the
end of the factory is usually necessary. Concrete distribution Abutments
can then be aided by using an overhead travelling bucket and
transfer crane. The capacity of the abutment design should take account
With both systems, overhead cranes are used to strip the of future requirements for deeper hollowcore slabs as a small
product. Also the opportunity exists to extend the crane longi- additional cost at the installation stage will save significant
tudinal travel beyond the production buildings. This enables it costs later (The stressing load for a 500mm deep unit could
to be used for transfer of product to the yard and some for yard be as high as 400 tonnes). When preparing the ground works
functions in the future. for the abutments provision should be made for future beds to
The batching plant should have the provision for handling minimise costs.
of two (2) or three (3) aggregates and silo storage of cement. Fixed Steel Posts
Batch size should match the machine usage of concrete to en-
sure continuous operation during casting. The simplest and cheapest method is to have fixed steel
Transport of the concrete delivery skip/buckets to the ex- posts at both ends of the production bed. With this method the
truder is accomplished by forklift truck(s), overhead cranes or strands are tensioned individually using a hydraulic pump unit
other suitable methods. and stressing jack.
Stressing Abutments and Production Bed foundations are These posts can be in line with the stressing load or a de-
to be designed as per details provided by your consultant and flected strand system can be used with the post below the bed
Soil Investigation Report provided by the customers. level. This later system allows strand patterns to be readily
changed, facilitates drainage and is a safer system.
Civil Work If ‘shock-detensioning’is employed there is a potential for
- Foundations for Batch Plant, electrical and mechanical
distribution centre and cement silos.
- Roofed, insulated structure to cover production area( Al-
though this depends on local climate).
- Fully enclosed areas for parts storage and maintenance.
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Production Beds

The bed length is dictated by a number of factors. These

factors are plant capacity, available space, concrete distribu-
tion time, batch size, bed production time, flexibility of product
depth and strand patterns, bed utilisation and bed end wastage.
Shorter Production Beds give quicker production cycle
time. They are more flexible for scheduling of multiple ma-
chine sizes, but are not so productive. We would normally rec-
ommend a bed length of 120 metres if space is available. In
practise bed lengths vary between 60m to 150m.
Bed construction techniques vary, but generally heavier
construction gives more dimensional stability and longer life.
To reduce heat loss insulation should be installed under
the beds. Hot water pipe for heating is installed above the insu-
lation. The bed can be filled with concrete, before turning onto
insulation to improve bed stability and reduce transmission of
146

vibration.
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

cracking and damaging to the slabs. Extra care needs to be Concrete Mix Design
taken when cutting the strand. Preferable is the slow release
of tension using a hydraulic detensioning system. The Spiroll system uses an extremely dry concrete mix,
typically a water/cement ratio of approximately of 0.30 The mix
Hydraulic Detensioning System design will depend on the availability of local cement and ag-
gregates and can be easily fined tuned to suit local conditions.
To avoid the problems associated with shock detension-
To reduce curing times and to allow ‘double casting’ within a
ing, Spiroll has developed a simple and cost effective hydraulic
24-hour period the cement proportions can be increased. A
detensioning system.
survey of customers suggests that the proportion of course
The design of the abutment is based on two posts, which
to fine aggregates does vary to suit local conditions. Admix is
are cast on site into the concrete at an angle; this allows the
normally not required but can be added to improve flow and
highest point of the assembly to be below the level of the beds.
workability with angular aggregates or assist to reduce curing
The Stress is transferred to the posts by a yoke, which fits over
times.
the posts and is locked off, to allow the hydraulic detensioning
assembly to be fitted and removed. Material Recommendations
Multi-stressing System Course Aggregates: 10mm/14mm Aggregates (Max. Size
16mm for mechanical clearance). Irregular shape is recom-
The most effective system for stressing and release of
mended. Extremes of very rounded or extremely angular re-
tension is hydraulic multi-stressing. This method allows all
spective are prone to sagging and lower speeds or are difficult
the strands to be both stressed and detensioning at the same
to compact.
time. Multi-stressing significantly reduces the time it takes to
Sand: Clean Zone 2 or equivalent.
stress and eliminates the possibility of bond slip or damage to
Cement: Cement can be normal Portland cement or high
the slabs caused by shock detensioning. However this is the
early strength cement as they contribute to workability and
more expensive option and not recommended for start ups.
benefit to rapid curing.
Drainage Water: This could range from 23 to 70 litres per cubic me-
ter of mix depending on the moisture content and/or degree of
Control of the water used during sawing, and maintaining a absorption of the aggregates.
uniform level of water on the bed ahead of the casting machine Admix: Admixtures may be useful for workability or set
can be achieved more easily if the beds or the channels be- control, but are not normally required.
tween beds are installed with a fall of approximately 3 to 4mm
per metre of bed run, over the length of the beds. Concrete Distribution

Production Processes While the Extruder is the heart of the Hollowcore Plant, ad-
ditional equipment is essential to perform other tasks. Most
Batching/Mixing important is the transportation of the concrete mix from the
batching plant to the Extruder.
Concrete usage is approximately 1m3 every 6mins per ma-
Delivery of the concrete must match the requirements of
chine. For concrete distribution to match a batch size of 1m3
the Extruder so that it does not run out of mix and slow down
is preferable. To run two machines together the minimum
production. Several methods of concrete delivery can be used
batching capacity would therefore be 20 to 30m3/h (note: if the
such as overhead cranes, fork lifts or automated Concrete Dis-
pan size is reduced then the capacity needs to be increased).
tribution Systems (CDS).
Needs only 20-70 litres of water but must be accurate to
To maintain continuity of supply of concrete to a Spiroll Ex-
1litre. Admix needs to be able to mix with water before going
truder producing (as an example) a 200mm deep slab would
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into mix.
require 1m³ every 6/7 minutes.
The Extruder can be stopped between loads but it is pref-
Method Benefits Disadvantages erable to maintain the continuity of the casting once the line
Low initial cost has been started. The permissible standing time before the
Forklift Floor space required
Readily available machine has to be lifted clear of the curing concrete would be
Low cost, reliable, established by trials but would normally be between 5 and 10
Reduced floor space minutes.
Portal Crane flexible, no building
Danger of Legs When delivering concrete the transfer between skips
required
should be kept to a minimum to avoid segregation. The skip
Low cost, reliable,
Overhead should be bottom opening with a wide mouth (1m²) to avoid
flexible, clear of floor Part of building Cost of
Gantry trapping and segregation of the stone from the fines.
space, faster than structural supports
Crane Using an average extrusion speed of 1.2m/min and a Bed
Portal Crane
length of 120 metres, the casting time per bed would be around
High cost of 100 minutes. Transfer for lifting of the Extruder, setting-up,
Automation, more
investment, cleaning time etc. would add approximately 15 minutes.
CDS System than one bay, speed,
maintenance. Poor Consideration should be given to the systems available to
low labour content
reliability
148

distribute the concrete as follows.

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Curing - Forklift Truck Front Loader

- Forklift Truck Side Loader
The curing process is the longest part of the production - Stacker Lifters
cycle. As such it is critical to the overall production cycle time. - Overhead Crane
This means that all efforts to reduce this process will most af- - Direct onto road trailers
fect the whole length of the production cycle. By having a con- - Low trailer system
crete mix with a low water content the curing time is greatly - Bogie Trolleys
reduced. The application of heat into the cast slabs through
pipes under the bed initiates and accelerates the curing of the The production rate will call for movement of: approxi-
concrete. The Production Beds can be heated by either hot oil mately 80 square metres per hour (or approximately 8 to 10
steam or hot water. Of these hot water is the cheapest to install pieces per hour assuming average lengths 6 to 8 metres).
and maintain and is by far the most popular as it is reliable,
cost effective and manageable. Inlet temperatures of 60 – 80°c Preparing the Beds
should be maintained with enough flow to maintain outlet tem- Once the hollowcore slabs have been cut to length and
peratures at around 25 – 35°c. To ensure good early strengths, lifted away from the production beds, the beds then need to
the beds should be hot when casting and the heat applied dur- be cleaned and oiled. The prestressing strands are then pulled
ing the casting to maintain a concrete temperature of 60 de- the full length of the bed from the strand dispensers, threaded
gree centigrade. To trap the moisture and for efficient use of through the abutments and the anchors fitted prior to stress-
heat the product should be covered at the earliest opportunity ing.
after casting. Plastic sheet can be used but for efficiency par- The stages of preparation are: -
ticularly in colder climates the concrete should be covered with
a good quality insulated sheet. - Clean the Casting Bed
- Clean the Bed Rails
Cutting The Slabs
- Push Debris off the Bed
The estimated time for a cut is 1½ to 2 minutes. With mov- - Spray the Bed Oil/Release Agent
ing and positioning this gives a cycle time of 4 to 5 minutes per - Pull the Prestressing Wires/Strands
cut. The blades are diamond tipped and require water during - Stress the Wires/Strand
the cutting process. Water can supplied to the saw using a
hose Cable Reeler or directly with a trailing hose. The later is These activities can be done by hand. Equipment is also
not an efficient system. available to speed up the processes and reduce the labour
costs.
Lifting (Stripping) Clamps
Quality Control Equipment
Special Lifting Clamps are utilised to lift the product off the
beds either by crane or forklift. The product can be transferred Efficient Hollowcore Production requires good quality con-
from the bed to the Stock Yard by crane, boggie trailers, forklift, trol systems to ensure the consistent quality of the aggregates,
purpose made lifters or directly onto trailer. the concrete, curing conditions, good bond and dimensional
Care is required to match the logistics of handling the fin- accuracy of the finished product.
ished product with the production cycle to ensure the beds are To achieve this, the normal aggregate testing and cube
stripped at the optimum rate. testing equipment is required. Consistent concrete is achieved
with batching calibration procedures. Preparation of the cubes
Transporting Slabs with heavy vibration to match the extruder is necessary and
extra cubes should be made to check the “transfer strength
Options for transfer of product are:- of the concrete is required in addition to the 28 day strengths.”
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Stressing and detensioning procedures require to be estab-

Method Benefits Disadvantages lished with correct calibration.
Need a secondary
Conclusion
Low initial cost Faster cutting station for
90 Cross Cut
o
cutting times long and angle The manufacture of hollowcore is not difficult. Low cost
cuts start up units can be designed with the potential to increase
Cut slabs the capacity to match future demand.
longitudinally when The degree of automation depends upon the capacity re-
Long Rip Cuts Poorer Finish
still wet, which is quired and the local cost of labour to ensure good pay back
faster periods.
Cuts any angle and Heavy and more Start up factories can be run with a low level of automation;
Multi Angle this will reduce the capital expenditure and increase the reli-
long cuts on the bed expensive saw
ability of the plant.
Frees up production A high standard of product can be guaranteed by using the
Secondary bed faster. Cheap correct procedures and equipment.
Two stage cutting
Cutting Station method of cutting High Frequency Vibration Extruders as made by SPIROLL
angles
150

produce the strongest and most consistent product. w

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

Precast Concrete Codal Provisions –

Comparison of Various Codes

Prasad. C.A.
M.Tech, M(ASCE), FIE, MSEI, CE(I)
Managing Partner, PS Engineering Consultants
Secretary, Pre Engineered Structures Society of India

Design Considerations

The precast structure should be analyzed as a monolithic

one and the joints in them designed to take the forces of an
equivalent discrete system. Resistance to horizontal loading
shall be provided by having appropriate moment and shear
resisting joints or placing shear walls (in diaphragm braced
frame type of construction) in two directions at right angles or
otherwise. No account is to be taken of rotational stiffness, if
any, of the floor-wall joint in case of precast bearing wall build-
ings. The individual components shall be designed, taking into
consideration the appropriate end conditions and loads at vari-
ous stages of construction. The components of the structure
shall be designed for loads in accordance with Part 6 ‘Struc-
tural Design, Section 1 Loads, Forces and Effects’. In addition
Schematic of the Ronan Point Collaps, Modified After Dragosavie (15)
members shall be designed for handling, erection and impact
loads that might be expected during handling and erection Skyline Plaza

Robustness:
Ronan Apartments
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- Watershed event for progressive collapse - March 2, 1973

- 22 story precast panel construction supported by cast in place - While concrete was being placed on the 24th floor and shoring
concrete structure including parking garage removel was occurring on the 22nd floor a collapse occurred
- Gas explosion occurred in 18th story apartment for the full height of the tower
- Wall panel blew out, causing loss of support of panels on 19- - Impact of debris also caused horizontal progressive collapse
22nd flrs of entire parking garage under construction adjacent to the
- Debris of upper floors caused each floor below to successively tower
152

collapse - 14 workers killed, 34 injured

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

Provisions for Robustness in British Standards initiated

first in 1974

2.2.2.2 Robustness

Structures should be planned and designed so that they

are not unreasonably susceptible to the effects of accidents.
In particular, situations should be avoided where damage
to small areas of a structure or failure of single elements may
lead to collapse of major parts of the structure.

Provisions in British / Indian Standards

Unreasonable susceptibility to the effects of accidents may

generally be prevented if the following precautions are taken.
a) All buildings are capable of safely resisting the notional
horizontal design ultimate load applied at each floor or
roof level simultaneously equal to 1.5 % of the characteris-
tic dead weight of the structure between mid-height of the
storey below and above or the roof surface at each floor or
roof level simultaneously.
- Tower was reinforced concrete flat plate construction Unreasonable susceptibility to the effects of accidents
- Study of failure indicated premature removel of 22nd floor
may generally be prevented if the following precautions are
slab shoring lead to punching shear failure of the slab around
taken.
one or more columns at the 23rd floor
- The weight of debris caused the failure of all the lower floors a) All buildings are capable of safely resisting the notional
for the full height horizontal design ultimate load applied at each floor or
roof level simultaneously equal to 1.5 % of the characteris-
Codal Provisons
tic dead weight of the structure between mid-height of the
There are, in general, three alternative approaches to de-
signing structures to reduce their susceptibility to dispropor-
tionate collapse… as adopted by Major International Codes of
Practice:

- Redundancy or alternate load paths (Bridging Elements

etc.,)
- Local resistance (Ductility)
- Interconnection or continuity (Ties etc.,)

British Standards (BS) and New UK Regulations provide

explicit rules for Robustness. Hence these are discussed in
detail in this presentation

storey below and above or the roof surface at each floor or

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roof level simultaneously.

b) All buildings are provided with effective horizontal ties
1) Around the periphery;
2) Internally;
3) To columns and walls.
153
 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

c) The layout of building is checked to identify any key ele-

ments the failure of which would cause the collapse of
more than a limited portion close to the element in ques-
tion. Where such elements are identified and the layout
cannot be revised to avoid them, the design should take
their importance into account. Recommendations for the
design of key elements are given in 2.6 of BS 8110-2:1985

Provisions in British Standards

d) Buildings are detailed so that any vertical load-bearing

element other than a key element can be removed without
causing the collapse of more than a limited portion close to the Figure 5.4 Concept of horizontal and vertical ties
element in question. This is generally achieved by the provision
Provisions in Standards
of vertical ties in accordance with 3.12.3 in addition to satisfying
a), b) and c) above. There may, however, be cases where it is in- Safeguarding against vehicular impact
appropriate or impossible to provide effective vertical ties in all
or some of the vertical load-bearing elements. Where this oc- Where vertical elements are particularly at risk from ve-
curs, each such element should be considered to be removed hicle impact, consideration should be given to the provision of
in turn and elements normally supported by the element in additional protection, such as bollards, earth banks or other
question designed to “bridge” the gap in accordance with the devices.
provisions of 2.6 of BS 8110-2:1985 Flow chart of design procedure( cl 3.1.4.6, BS 8110)
Figure 3.1 summarizes the design procedure envisaged by
the code for ensuring robustness.
Flow chart for Design Procedure
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3.12.3.7 Vertical ties Figure 3.1 Flow chart of design Procedure

Each column and each wall carrying vertical load should

be tied continuously from the lowest to the highest level. The
tie should be capable of resisting a tensile force equal to the
maximum design ultimate dead and imposed load received by
the column or wall from any one storey

3.1.4.1 General check of structural integrity

A careful check should be made and appropriate action

taken to ensure that there is no inherent weakness of structur-
al layout and that adequate means exist to transmit the dead,
imposed and wind loads safely from the highest supported
154

level to the foundations.

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

Provisions in Standards
Ties Design Requirements
Type of tie Reinforcement required
Amount Disposition etc.
Minima provided to comply with require-
ments for reinforced concrete walls and
Vertical (only required for buildings columns will suffice.
exceeding four storeys high) CP110 only: For plain concrete walls
where p<0.2% and for precast struc-
tures see provisions in Clause 5.1.2.4
At each floor and roof level.
Peripheral To resist T = F1kN In peripheral wall or within 1200 mm of
edge of building.
At each floor level.
Either spread evenly through slab or
If (gk +qk)l < 37.5 kN/m, to resist
grouped at beams, walls etc.
Internal T = F1kN/m width
In walls (Within 500 mm of top or bot-
Horizontal (required If (gk +qk)l > 37.5 kN/m, to resist
tom of floor slab), floor slab or beams.
in buildings of any T = 0.0267 (gk + qk)l F, kN/m width
height)
To resist the greater of either At each floor level, to anchor column or
wall to floor structure.
External (i) values for walls are perme- Reinforcement required may be partlyor
column and tre of horizontal lenth wholly provided by extending that used
wall (ii) 0.03 x total ultimate vertical load for for peripheral or internal ties.
which member has been designed, at Corner columns should be tied in both
floor level considered. directions to resist forces T specified.
Number of Storeys no 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 or more
Tie-force coefficient Ft 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

Provisions in British Standards

Ties Anchorage Details
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Figure 3.1 Flow chart of design procedure

Provisions in British Standards
Provisions in British / Indian Standards
Key Elements
Ties Anchorage Details
2.6.2 Key elements

2.6.2.1 Design of key elements (where required in build-

ings of five or more storeys). Whether incorporated as the only
reasonable means available to ensuring a structure’s integrity
in normal use or capability of surviving accidents, key elements
should be designed, constructed and protected as necessary
to prevent removal by accident.
2.6.2.2 Loads on key elements. Appropriate design loads
should be chosen having regard to the importance of the key
element and the likely consequences of its failure, but in all
cases an element and its connections should be capable of
156

withstanding a design ultimate load of 34 kN/m2, to which no

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

partial safety factor should be applied, from any direction. A with any abnormal hazards.
horizontal member, or part of a horizontal member that pro- Critical situations for design should be selected that reflect
vides lateral support vital to the stability of a vertical key ele- the conditions that can reasonably be foreseen as possible
ment, should also be considered a key element. For the pur- during the life of the building. The structural form and concept
poses of 2.6.2, the area to which these loads are applied will and any protective measures should then be chosen and the
be the projected area of the member (i.e. the area of the face detailed design of the structure and its elements undertaken
presented to the loads). in accordance with the recommendations given in the Codes
and Standards give in paragraph 5.2.
Provisions in British / Indian Standards
Key Elements contd., New Regulations in UK
Class 3 Buildings: Risk Assessment Procedure
2.6.2.3 Key elements supporting attached building compo-
nents. Key elements supporting attached building components 1. Identify hazards (see Section 6.4) to form the basis of a risk
should also be capable of supporting the reactions from any register. This is an absolute minimum for Class 3 build-
attached building components also assumed to be subject to ings, to demonstrate that the possible hazards have at
a design ultimate loading of 34 kN/m2. The reaction should least been thought about by the designer.
be the maximum that might reasonably be transmitted hav- 2. Determine or estimate the severity of the consequences of
ing regard to the strength of the attached component and the each hazard.
strength of its connection. 3. Assess the likelihood of each hazard occurring.
4. Estimate the risk of each hazard. The risk is usually ex-
NBC 2005 pressed as a function of the severity and the likelihood for
A Key element is such that its failure would cause the col- each hazard.
lapse of more than a limited area close to it, and the area may 5. Evaluate which hazards have unacceptable levels of risk.
taken as equal to 70 m2 or 15% of the area of the storey which- 6. Propose risk mitigation measures for any unacceptable
ever is lesser. risks.
The hierarchy of risk control is a) to prevent the hazard
Provisions in British Standards from occuring, b) to reduce the probability of the hazard occur-
Bridging Elements ring, and c) to reduce the severity of the consequences. Further
guidance is provided in Section 6.5.
2.6.3 Design of bridging elements (where required in build-
ings of five or more storeys) New Regulations in UK
2.6.3.1 General. At each storey in turn, each vertical load- Class 3 Buildings: Risk Assessment Procedure:
bearing element, other than a key element, is considered lost Sources of further guidance
in turn. (The design should be such that collapse of a signifi-
cant part of the structure does not result.) If catenary action is BS 7974: 2001 (19)
assumed, allowance should be made for the horizontal reac- This code of practice provides a framework for develop-
tions necessary for equilibrium. ing a rational method for designing buildings using fire safety
2.6.3.2 Walls engineering. However, there are several aspects that could be
applied more generally to Class 3 Buildings, particularly the
2.6.3.2.1 Length considered lost. The length of wall con- Qualitative Design Review (QDR).
sidered to be a single load-bearing element should be taken
as the length between adjacent lateral supports or between a ISO 2394:1998 (20)
lateral support and a free edge (see 2.6.3.2.2). This International Standard specifies general principles
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

2.6.3.2.2 Lateral support. For the purposes of this sub- for the verification of the reliability of structures subjected to
clause, a lateral support may be considered to occur at: known or foreseeable types of action. Section 8 provides guid-
a) a stiffened section of the wall (not exceeding 1.0 m in ance on the principles of probability-based design and Annex B
length) capable of resisting a horizontal force(in kN per provides examples of permanent, variable and accidental ac-
metre height of the wall) of 1.5 Ft; or tions. The information contained within this standard is simi-
b) a partition of mass not less than 100 kg/m2 at right angles lar to that contained in EN 1990 Eurocode: Basis of Structural
to the wall and so tied to it as to be able to resist a horizon- Design (21).
tal force (in kN per metre height of wall) of 0.5 Ft; Where Ft
is the lesser of (20 + 4 n0) or 60, where n0 is the number of New Regulations in UK
storeys in the structure. Class 3 Buildings: Risk Assessment Procedure:
Sources of further guidance
New Regulations in UK
Class 3 Buildings pr EN 1991-7-7 (5)

All Class 2B Regulations apply; in addition: This document contains a great deal of helpful information
For Class 3 buildingd – A systematic risk assessment of and guidance that can be applied to Class 3 Buildings. Annex
the building should be undertaken taking into account all the B provides guidance on risk assessment methods, acceptance
157

normal hazards that may reasonably be foreseen, together criteria and mitigation measures. Section 3 includes guidance
 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

on identifying accidental actions. Sections 4 (Impact) and 5 (In-

ternal Explosions) provide guidance on the size of loads that
accidental actions might cause. This is likely to be a key source
of guidance of engineers designing Class 3 buildings.

SCI publication P244(18)

This publication provides guidance on the protection of
commercial buildings and personnel from the effect of explo-
sions caused by the detonation of high explosives. It is aimed at
engineers and architects who are involved in buildings designs
where this type of protection is required. Particularly useful Figure 5. Structural integrity requirements for bottom bars of perimeter
topics that are covered are; calculation of blast loads, struc- beams [7.13.2.2 (b)]
tural design approach and non-structural enhancements.

Figure 6. Structural integrity requirements for stirrups in perimeter beams

(7.13.2.3)

American Standards Approaches

ACI 318
RCC:

Specifies Structural Integrity rules such as continuation of

reinforcement etc., but mention neither specific Tie force nor
check to limit damage due to removal of single element.

Precast Concrete:

Specifies Tie force no check to limit damage due to re-

moval of single element.
Approaches of other American Standards such as ASCE
7-02, GSA etc., are too not very explicit.
General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent
agency of US GovtGSA’s Facilities Standards for the Public
Buildings Service (PBS)
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Provisions in Australian Standards

Flat Slabs as an example
Figure 2. Lack of continuous reinforcement across the beam-to-column In order to prevent a progressive collapse in flat slabs, the
connection can lead to progressive collapse (Reference 4) Australian code (AS3600) has mentioned that there should be
bottom steel at the slab column connection. As per observa-
tion the top bars are ineffective during a punching shear failure
event. The bottom bars begin to take the force in the form of a
catenary

As per NBC 2005

Bearing for Precast Units

Precast units shall have a bearing at least of 100 mm on

masonry supports and of 75 mm at least on steel or concrete.
Figure 4. Structural integrity requirements for top bars of perimeter beams Steel angle shelf bearings shall have a 100 mm horizontal leg
158

(7.13.2.2(a)) to allow for a 50 mm bearing exclusive of fixing clearance.

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

Approaches for design against disproportionate

Inter-connec- Threat-dependent
collapse adopted in selected codes and stan- Redundancy Local Resistance
tion analysis
dards
ASCE 7-02 -
ACI 318-02 -
GSA…PBS, 2000 -
GSA…PBS, 2003 -
GSA PC Guidelines -
ASCE: American Society of Civil Engineers | ACI: American Concrete Institute

General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent

agency of US GovtGSA’s Facilities Standards for the Public
Buildings Service (PBS)
Would use of these codes and stan-
Threat-
dards in their design have improved Local Inter- Ronan Murrah WTC
Redundancy dependent
the performance of Ronan Point, Resistance connection Point Building 1& 2
analysis
Murrah and WTC ?
ASCE 7-02 - ? N N
ACI 318-02 - Y ? N
GSA…PBS, 2000 - ? N N
GSA…PBS, 2003 - N Y N
GSA PC Guidelines - N N N

Provisions in Australian Standards e) It shall require little temporary support, permit adjustment
and demand only a few distinct operation to make;
Flat Slabs as an example f) It shall permit effective inspection and rectification;
g) It shall be reliable in service with other parts of the building
h) It shall enable the structure to absorb sufficient energy
during earthquakes so as to avoid sudden failure of the
structure.
Precast structures may have continuous or hinged con-
nections subject to providing sufficient rigidity to withstand
horizontal loading. When only compressive forces are to be
taken, hinged joints may be adopted. In case of prefabricated
concrete elements, load is transmitted via the concrete. When
both compressive force and bending moment are to be taken
rigid or welded joints may be adopted; the shearing force is
usually small in the column and can be taken up by the friction
resistance of the joint. Here load transmission is accomplished
by steel inserted parts together with concrete.
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When considering thermal shrinkage and heat effects,

When deciding to what extent, if any, the bearing width may provision of freedom of movement or introduction of restraint
be reduced in special circumstances, factors, such as, loading, may be considered Joining techniques/materials normally
span, height of wall and provision of continuity, shall be taken employed are
into consideration Welding of cleats or projecting steel,
7 Joints Overlapping reinforcement, loops and linking steel grouted
by concrete,
7.2 The following are the requirements of a structural joint: Reinforced concrete ties all round a slab,
Prestressing,
a) It shall be capable of being designed to transfer the im- Epoxy grouting, Bolts and nuts connection, or a combina-
posed load and moments with a known margin of safety; tion of the above, and any other method proven by test and any
b) It shall occur at logical locations in the structure and at other method proven by test
points which may be most readily analysed and easily rein-
forced; 8 Tests for Components/structures
c) It shall accept the loads without marked displacement or 8.2 Testing on Individual Components
rotation and avoid high local stresses;
The component should be loaded for one hour at its full
160

d) It shall accommodate tolerances in elements;

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

span with a total load (including its own self weight) of 1.25 Factory prefabrication is resorted to in a factory for the
times the sum of the dead and imposed loads used in design. commercial production for the manufacture of standardized
At the end of this time it should not show any sign of weak- components on a long-term basis. It is a capital intensive pro-
ness, faulty construction or excessive deflection. Its recovery duction where work is done throughout the year preferably un-
one hour after the removal of the test load, should not be less der a closed shed to avoid effects of seasonal variations. High
than 75 percent of the maximum deflection recorded during level of mechanization can always be introduced in this system
the test. If prestressed, it should not show any visible cracks where the work can be organized in a factory-like manner with
up to working load and should have a recovery of not less than the help of a constant team of workmen.
85 percent in 1 h.
9.1.2.2 Site prefabrication
8.3 Load Testing of Structure or Part of Structure
Prefabricated components produced at site or near the
Loading test on a completed structure should be made if site of work as possible.
required by the specification or if there is a reasonable doubt as This system is normally adopted for a specific job order for
to the adequacy of the strength of the structure. a limited period. Under this category there are two types that is
8.3.1 In such tests the structure should be subjected to full semi-mechanized and fully-mechanized.
dead load of the structures plus an imposed load equal to 1.25
times the specified imposed load used in design, for a period of 9.1.2.2.1 Semi-mechanized
24 h and then the imposed load shall be removed. During the The work is normally carried out in open space with locally
tests, vertical struts equal in strength to take the whole load available labour force. The equipment machinery used may be
should be placed in position leaving a gap under the member. minor in nature and moulds are of mobile or stationary in na-
NOTE — Dead load includes self weight of the structural ture.
members plus weight of finishes and walls or partitions, if any,
as considered in the design. 9.1.2.2.2 Fully-mechanized
8.3.1.1 If within 24 h of the removal of the load, a reinforced
The work will be carried out under shed with skilled labour.
concrete structure does not show a recovery of at least 75 per-
The equipments used will be similar to one of factory produc-
cent of the maximum deflection shown during the 24 h under
tion. This type of precast yards will be set up for the production
load, test loading should be repeated after a lapse of 72 h. If the
of precast components of high quality, high rate of production.
recovery is less than 80 percent in second test, the structure
Though there is definite economy with respect to cost of
shall be deemed to be unacceptable.
transportation, this system suffers from basic drawback of
8.3.1.2 If within 24 h of the removal of the load, prestressed
its non-suitability to any high degree of mechanization and no
concrete structure does not show a recovery of at least 85 per-
elaborate arrangements for quality control. Normal benefits of
cent of the maximum deflection shown during the 24 h under
continuity of work is not available in this system of construc-
load, the test loading should be repeated. The structure should
tion.
be considered to have failed, if the recovery after the second
9.1.5 The various stages of precasting can be classified
test is not at least 85 percent of the maximum deflection shown
as in Table 2 on the basis of the equipments required for the
during the second test.
various stages. This permits mechanization and rationalization
8.3.1.3 If the maximum deflection in mm, shown during 24
of work in the various stages. In the precasting, stages 6 and
h under load is less than 40 l2 /D , where l is the effective span
7 given in Table 2 form the main process in the manufacture
in m; and D, the overall depth of the section in mm, it is not
of precast concrete elements. For these precasting stages
necessary for the recovery to be measured and the recovery
there are many technological processes to suit the concrete
provisions of 8.3.1.1 and 8.3.1.2 shall not apply.
product under consideration which have been proved rational,
9 Manufacture, Storage, Transport and Erection of Precast economical and time saving. The technological line or process
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Elements is the theoretical solution for the method of planning the work
involved by using machine complexes. Figure 5 illustrates dia-
9.1 Manufacture of Precast Concrete Elements gramatically the various stages involved in a plant process.
9.1.1 A judicious location of precasting yard with concret- d) Better working conditions for the people on the job; and
ing, initial curing (required for demoulding), storage facilities, e) To minimize the effect of weather on the manufacturing
suitable transporting and erection equipments and availability schedule.
of raw materials are the crucial factors which should be care-
fully planned and provided for effective and economic use of 9.2 Preparation and Storage of Materials
precast concrete components in constructions.
Storage of materials is of considerable importance in the
9.1.2 Manufacture precasting industry, as a mistake in planning in this aspect
can greatly influence the economics of production. From ex-
The manufacture of the components can be done in a fac- perience in construction, it is clear that there will be very high
tory for the commercial production established at the focal percentages of loss of materials as well as poor quality due to
point based on the market potential or in a site precasting yard improper storage and transport. So, in a precast factory where
set up at or near the site of work. everything is produced with special emphasis on quality, prop-
er storage and preservation of building materials, especially
161

9.1.2.1 Factory prefabrication

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

cement, coarse and fine aggregates, is of prime importance. The shorter side shall not vary in 1, 7
Storage of materials shall be done in accordance with Part 7
‘Constructional Practices and Safety length from the perpendicular by
more than 3 mm
9.3 Moulds
The shorter side shall not be out of 4
9.3.1 Moulds for the manufacture of precast elements +2
may be of steel, timber, concrete and plastic or a combina-
square line for more than −5 mm
tion thereof. For the design of moulds for the various ele-
ments, special importance should be given to easy demoulding v) Twist
and assembly of the various parts. At the same time rigidity, Any corner shall not be more than
strength and water tightness of the mould, taking into consid- the tolerance given below from the
eration forces due to pouring of green concrete and vibrating,
plane containing the other three
are also important.
corners:
9.3.2 Tolerances
± 5 mm (Up to 600 mm in width and 2, 8
The moulds have to be designed in such a way to take into up to 6 m in length)
consideration the tolerances given as follows: ± 10 mm (Over 600 mm in width and
i) Length for any length)
± 5 mm 1, 7 ± 1/1 500 of dimension of ± 5 mm 4
± 5 mm or ± 0.1 percent whichever is 2, 3, 8 whichever is less
greater ± 3 mm 1
± 0.1 percent subject to maximum 4 ± 1 mm
of + 5 mm vi) Flatness
-10 The maximum deviation from 1.5 m
± 2 mm for length below and up to 5 straight edge placed in any position
500 mm on a nominal plane surface shall not
± 5 mm for length over 500 mm 5 exceed
± 10 mm 6, 9,10 ± 5 mm 2, 8
Thickness/Cross-sectional dimen- ± 3 mm 4
sions ± 2 mm 1, 7
± 3 mm 1 ± 4 or maximum of 0.1 percent 5
± 3 mm or 0.1 percent whichever is 2, 8 length
greater NOTES — Key for product reference
± 2 mm up to 300 mm wide 4 1 Channel unit
± 3 mm greater than 300 mm wide 2 Ribbed slab unit/hollow slab
3 Waffle unit
± 2 mm 3, 7 4 Large panel prefabrication
5 Cellular concrete floor/roof slabs
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± 4 mm 6, 9, 10
6 Prefabricated brick panel
iii) Straightness/Bow 7 Precast planks
8 Ribbed/plain wall panel
± 5 mm or 1/750 of length whichever 2, 4, 8
9 Column
is greater 10 Step unit

± 3 mm 1, 5 9.3.3 Slopes of the Mould Walls

± 2 mm 7 For easy demoulding of the elements from the mould with
fixed sides, the required slopes have to be maintained. Other-
iv) Squareness
wise there is a possibility of the elements getting stuck up with
When considering the squareness of the corner, the longer the mould at the time of demoulding.
of two adjacent sides being checked shall be taken as
9.4 Accelerated Hardening
the base line. In most of the precasting factories, it is economical to
The shorter side shall not vary in 2, 5, 8 use faster curing methods or artificial curing methods, which
length from the perpendicular by in turn will allow the elements to be demoulded much ear-
lier permitting early re-use of the forms. Any of the following
more than 5 mm
162

methods may be adopted:

 PRECAST CONCRETE BUILDINGS: CODAL PROVISIONS

a) By Heating the Aggregates and Water Before Mixing the tion. Tensile stresses up to a limit of 50 percent above those
Concrete specified in Part 6 ‘Structural Design, Section 5 Concrete’ shall
b) Steam Curing be permissible
c) Steam Injection During Mixing of Concrete
d) Heated Air Method 9.9 Transport
e) Hot Water Method Transport of precast elements inside the factory and to the
f) Electrical Method site of erection is of considerable importance not only from
9.4.1 After the accelerated hardening of the above prod- the point of view of economy but also from the point of view
ucts by any of the above accepted methods, the elements shall of design and efficient management. Transport of precast ele-
be cured further by normal curing methods to attain full final ments must be carried out with extreme care to avoid any jerk
strength. and distress in elements and handled as far as possible in the
9.5 Curing same orientation as it is to be placed in final position.

9.5.1 The curing of the prefabricated elements can be ef- 9.10 Erection
fected by the normal methods of curing by sprinkling water and In the ‘erection of precast elements’, all the following items
keeping the elements moist. This can also be done in the case of work are meant to be included:
of smaller elements by immersing them in a specially made
water tanks. a) Slinging of the precast element
b) Tying up of erection ropes connecting to the erection
9.5.2 Steam Curing
hooks
9.5.2.1 The steam curing of concrete products shall take c) Cleaning of the elements and the site of erection
place under tarpaulin in tents, under hoods, under chambers, d) Cleaning of the steel inserts before incorporation in the
in tunnels or in special autoclaves. The steam shall have a uni- joints, lifting up of the elements, setting them down into
form quality throughout the length of the member. The pre- the correct envisaged position
cast elements shall be so stacked, with sufficient clearance
e) Adjustment to get the stipulated level, line and plumb
between each other and the bounding enclosure, so as to allow
proper circulation of steam. f) Welding of cleats
g) Changing of the erection tackles
9.6 Stacking During Transport and Storage
h) Putting up and removing of the necessary scaffolding or
Every precaution shall be taken against overstress or supports
damage, by the provision of suitable packings at agreed points j) Welding of the inserts, laying of reinforcements in joints
of support. and grouting the joints
k) Finishing the joints to bring the whole work to a workman-
9.6.1 The following points shall be kept in view during stacking:
like finished product. w
a) Care should be taken to ensure that the flat elements are
stacked with right side up. For identification, top surfaces
should be clearly marked. Author’s Bio
b) Stacking should be done on a hard and suitable ground to Mr. C.A Prasad, is an Engineering graduate (B.Tech, civil
avoid any sinking of support when elements are stacked. Engineering), from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Univer-
c) In case of horizontal stacking, packing materials shall be at sity Hyderabad in the year 1982, and Post graduate in Engi-
specified locations and shall be exactly one over the other neering Structures (M.Tech) from Regional Engineering Col-
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to avoid cantilever stress in panels. lege, Kakatiya University, Warangal in the year 1989. He has
d) Components — should be packed in a uniform way to avoid 30 years of experience to his credit in the various fields of civil
any undue projection of elements in the stack which nor- engineering, viz., Construction, Design, Quantity Surveying,
mally is a source of accident. and Project management of works.

He has worked in the Middle East for ten years and

9.7 Handling Arrangements
worked in the international firms like Balfour Beatty, WS At-
9.7.1 Lifting and handling positions shall be clearly de- kins, and Engineers Office. His Design works include the Burj
fined particularly where these sections are critical. Where nec- Al Arab tower, the building in the waters of Ocean, Jumeirah
essary special facilities, such as bolt holes or projecting loops, Beach works, Millennium Grand Stand, Ware Houses and
shall be provided in the units and full instructions supplied for towers in Dubai and Doha, etc.,
handling.
He is a well-known personality in the field of precast
For precast prestressed concrete members, the residual
works and is encouraging and promoting Precast structures
prestress at the age of particular operation of handling and
in India, by advising and assisting the developers in the set-
erection shall be considered in conjunction with any stresses
up of Precast factories and delivering precast consultancy
caused by the handling or erection of member. The compres-
services to them.
sive stress thus computed shall not exceed 50 percent of the
164

cube strength of the concrete at the time of handling and erec-

 PRECAST BUILDINGS: SITE REPORT

The Future of Indian Construction

- Precast Technology
Snehal Joshi
File shot of 14 storeyed residential tower
under construction in Chennai

T
he scenario of precast construction challenges in terms of the quality of the The Methodology
in India is slowly gaining foothold. work as well as safety, today India just can- Integration
Sorted construction methodolo- not do without precast beams and slabs In the conventional construction
gies, simplified installation and well man- which are laid as members of these con- method, all the constructed elements act
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aged triple constraints are some of rea- necting elements which bind the city in synergy with each other. On the con-
sons to prefer precast technology over together. trary, the construction professionals are
conventional construction methods. In the Industrial construction is now seeing
mostly seen working on the refining the
past few years emphasis is given on a matured phase of precast construction
requirements with stakeholders and the
deployment of precast technology as it where the engineers choose some pre-
contractors, subcontractors are busy
gives a workable solution for the challenges castelementsagainstconventionalmethod.
adhering to the rules and the guidelines of
faced in Indian construction industry. Precast technology is coming of age if resi-
building performance and sponsors are
Precast technology gives meaning to dential construction is looked into. With
worried about whether the cost and time
the agelessness of the concrete, improv- the demand of affordable housing all over
requirements are fulfilled or not.
ing productivity and quality of construc- the country, precast seems to be more via-
tion. With precast, the schedules can be ble option which was not the same, few With precast it is all about integrating
adhered to, which generally suffer slippage years ago. The footprint of this technology the stakeholders at the early stage of the
due to many unavoidable circumstances has increased all over India in the residen- project in order to enhance the overall
on the construction site. tial construction segment and is being building performance. Precast technol-
Few years ago, the construction of appreciated for its quick, hassle free and ogy needs a paradigm shift in the mind-
166

flyovers and bridges were posing serious affordable ways of construction. set of professionals and all the stakeholders
 PRECAST BUILDINGS: SITE REPORT

to achieve the performance parameters "One can implement many mea- last 2-3 years. The growth has been
of a building. sures to make the building green steady as it involves a lot of persuasion
but this subject is always a topic to activity in order to convince the benefits of
Fragmentation
precast construction he informs.
Though there is much to be changed,
discuss with the sponsors and the
While speaking on the residential con-
thebuildingfragmentationapproachamong stakeholders at the starting of the struction scenario in Chennai, he feels
construction professionals is significant project" that it is necessary to have space for con-
which helps better planning. It is through struction, suitable for erecting all the
precast technology that the professionals machineries for precast installation, that
need to work on fragmentation in order to too in case, casting of members is carried
achieve integration in building elements. out only in the factory or the yard. For this
By disintegration of the building into dif- project, particularly, Mohan Kumar has
ferent segments, processes like fabrication, on-site casting unit which creates moulds
casting and installation can be made really indigenously and casts the precast mem-
simple. Contractors can work on the stip- K. Mohan Kumar ber as per design.
ulated schedule in a hassle free manner. Managing Director,
On green footprint
Ra-Ni Precast Consulting Services Pvt. Ltd.
Creation
On asking about the green footprint of
Design is the base of creation. And Dubai. Currently, working on the 14 the building he says that one can imple-
design is also an output of integration. It is storeyed precast residential towers, he is ment many measures to make the build-
through fragmentation that professionals playing many roles while seeing this pro- ing green but this subject is always a topic
can cast the reinforced precast members ject in the various completion stages. to discuss with the sponsors and the
in an organized way. As the involvement of stakeholders at the starting of the project.
Residential Precast
stakeholders is already ensured in the He says, introducing greener precast is
integration stage, the possibility of design A 14 storeyed residential tower with not a tough task.
change is minimal which promises exe- precast technology is not new to India and
Connecting the reinforcement
cuting a project without time delay and Chennai particularly, there are buildings
within budget constraint. which are constructed using precast, and Being in the industry for such a long,
the percentage of using precast in resi- Mohan's in depth understanding of this
Installation
dential arena has been increased in the subject helps him choose the best for this
A well planned installation needs
something more than planning. It needs
effortless functioning of machineries and
grace of installation professionals. The
course of work for the machineries needs
to be decided in the initial stages of the pro-
ject. Systematic installation of precast ele-
ments warrants safety which is a little
ignored aspect in the conventional con-
struction methods.
The case study
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Advances of precast construction have

reached the metros and Chennai is no
exception to it. There are many companies
in precast technology who are working on
industrial, commercial and residential
projects in and around the city.
An Evangelist
Mohan Kumar, Managing Director of
Ra-Ni precast has been in the field of pre-
cast from past 25 years. He can be looked
up to as a precast evangelist who had a
vision of implementing precast technol-
ogy in Chennai pouring in all the experi-
ence which he has gathered in his long ten-
ure in the countries like Singapore and
167

Advances of precast construction have reached the metros and Chennai is no exception to it
 PRECAST BUILDINGS: SITE REPORT

and time limits. Handling three different

teams he feels that precast construction
is more organized and less chaotic than
the conventional method as it only needs
people who are trained on the technology.
He has a team of handpicked profession-
als from precast industry who have been
working on this technology from past sev-
eral years.
Bridging the gap
After working on many prestigious
projects in India and abroad he insists that
there is still a bit of gap between the aca-
demics and the practical implementation.
While he is working on bridging that gap,
through guest lectures and informative
sessions in various institutions, he says it
seems difficult to educate already
moulded brains of construction profes-
sionals to pursue this novel technology.

Creating moulds and fabricating The road ahead

There is always a first time while im-
project. The process of connecting the The precision plementing any technology, though there
reinforcement and using grout for the Speaking about precision, Mohan are many players in the Indian market, the
joints used for this project is explained as Kumar said that they achieve ±3 mm pre- road of precast technology is still less trav-
follows. cision for moulds and ±50 mm precision elled due to lack of awareness. The con-
The interesting aspect of connecting while installation. struction professionals should come to-
the structural elements is the usage of While this project is completed on time, gether to spread awareness about this
splice sleeve, which works as a connector he aims at casting building members in amazing technology which is being used
between reinforced members. the factory to save more on the time and widely without any hassle internationally.
The first figure shows grouted holes avoiding the effect of bad weather. He Mohan Kumar, owner of Ra-Ni pre-
of splice sleeve, and the second figure claims that the work of casting can be exe- cast feels it's still not too late for India to
shows the method of grouting and con- cuted doubly fast by introducing work shifts start working on precast in full-fledged
necting the reinforcement. and conducive working environment. way as it is an ever green technology with
The figure aside shows how the walls wide reach. He feels it is always better to
are connected using splice sleeves. The Team mould the new and young generation to-
Mohan Kumar says that use of pre- His on time, on budget and on delivery wards this upcoming technology in order
stressed slab is a norm nowadays as it is a approach has benefitted this project by to have a brighter future. He also feels that
proven method of achieving economy. completing it within the specified budget there is a need to compile a book of stan-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Grout
Outlet Hole

Grout
Inlet Hole

Bedding Mortar Washer

168

Grouted Splice Sleeve Holes Grouting and connecting

 PRECAST BUILDINGS: SITE REPORT

Beam as a precast element resistance to new technology is a customary in India unless it gives astounding
results to layman

dards which would help practitioners working on it. It is also necessary to edu- The resistance to new technology is a
practices this technology with a refer- cate the consumer about the pros and customary in India unless it gives astound-
ence. The processes are in place to docu- cons of existing and upcoming technol- ing results to layman. Like everything else,
ment every important aspect of precast ogy. This will not only reduce the efforts with great foundation, Precast Technology
technology, he informs. for convincing them to buy the house but is going to be the future of Indian con-
Once the standards are in place pro- also make them understand the current struction Industry, by then India will be
fessionals and academicians will start trends in the field of civil engineering. knownasa developed country, hopefully. w

Instead of relying solely on the superficial observa-

tion that can be garnered from recorded footage,
Foster and his team froze ant rafts in the laboratory
using liquid nitrogen, and used a micro-scale com-
puted tomography (CT) scan to analyse the 3D
structure of the rafts in detail.
They discovered that what appears to be a confused
jumble of formic flesh to the naked eye is actually a
meticulously structure of self-organising precision
and ingenuity. The ants arrange themselves so that
they are perpendicular to each other in order to
maximise their usage of space and to incorporate
ants of varying sizes into the structure of the raft.
Floating raft by fire ants: Multiple scans discovered that the ants attach
True works of structural engineering brilliance themselves to each other via the use of sticky pads
on their limbs, with an average of 14 connections
made by each ant. No fewer than 99 per cent of the
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Scientists are striving to uncover the ingenious structural engineering ants are attached to another ant, ensuring that the
secrets behind the floating rafts formed by panicking fire ants. When con- responsibility of forging structural connections is
fronted by a sudden deluge, fire ants flee from their subterranean nests and equally dispersed.
clump together in their hundreds to form floating 'rafts' which are capable of
ensuring their collective survival.These floating rafts are comprised of noth- The resulting structure possesses a sufficient num-
ing more than the unadorned bodies of the panic-stricken ants, yet possess ber of air pockets, created by the spaces formed by
unique physical properties which dramatically abet their likelihood of surviv- its interlocking members, to keep the heaving
ing disaster. According to scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology, mass of fleeing ants afloat. It also possesses the
while the rafts may appear to the naked eye to be little more than chaotic balls additional extraordinary property of adjustable
of frenzied insects, they are true works of structural engineering brilliance. size, capable of either contracting or expanding in
response to external obstacles or disturbances.
“They're literally building a new type of material with special properties, The scientists believe the engineering accomplish-
because of the way they connect up,” said David Hu, Assistant Professor of ments of the ants could have major safety implica-
Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. A study led by tions for human beings, enabling us to design and
Paul Foster and published in The Journal of Experimental Biology in June made build sophisticated robots which come to together
use of an ingenious set of methods to uncover the engineering secrets which to form floating rafts or bridges in the case of severe
confer the rafts with their remarkable physical and structural properties. flooding disasters.
170
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

A One-Stop Precast Solution Provider

T
he Indian construction industry has
seen rapid influx and adaptation of
various technologies over the last
couple of decades. Prefabricated building
construction is one of the fastest growing
among them. Malar Energy & Infrastruc-
ture has firmly established as one of the
leading precast solutions provider in the
country. The company has become syn-
onymous with quality prefabricated build-
ing construction and has taken rapid strides
on the back of its commitment to provide
quality products and services in the field.
Malar Energy & Infrastructure is led
by the dynamic RR.Gopaljee, a visionary
technocrat, who is the founder-director of
the company. Hailing from one of the Foreign delegates at Malar Infra site
reputed media family in Tamil Nadu,
RR.Gopaljee has been instrumental in 50000 sq.ft of wall panel per day, column, - Wall Panels
guiding the company's successfully, beam and staircase can be produced as - Stairs & Landing
while adhering to the company's core val- per requirement. In short the company is - Columns & Beams
ues of transparency, strict adherence to capable of producing precast and pre- - Full Precast Building Systems
quality standards & statutory norms and stressed concrete elements for 30000 - Infra structure Elements (Road Barrier,
ethical business practices. An organized sq.ft built up area per day. Drain, Manholes, Tanks, Trenches etc)
thinker with brilliant business acumen, he Malar Energy & Infrastructure pro- Apart from its product offerings,
is known for his innovative approach that duces a range of precast concrete prod- Malar Energy & Infrastructure offers a
has made Malar Energy & Infrastructure, ucts in a controlled factory environment, wide range of services. These include:
a top name in the field of prefabricated buil- using the latest technology, ensuring con-
dings, in a relatively short span of time. sistent quality and precision. The com- Sales & Technical Support
The company's current production pany's range of products include: The company offers industry-leading
capacity is 25000 sq.ft of slab per day, sales and technical support with a dedi-
- Precast Form Slab
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
172

Garden View of SRR Township - Work in Progress

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Site Photograph of Sri Rajarajeshwari Township, Near Trichy

cated team, which provides guidance at house team works in close association in the stockyard so that they arrive on-site
every stage of a project, from concept to with the consultants of the clients. This in the sequence that they will be required
completion. By working with our custom- helps its customers achieve more effec- for erection. This systematic process elim-
ers and delivering practical support right tive designs and enable cost savings, mini- inates double-handling of the products,
from the earliest planning and design sta- mize construction schedules and ensure thereby saving precious time.
ges, we can help specify the most appro- that the original concepts are translated
Installation & On Site Support
priate solution. The result is that our cus- into reality in the completed buildings.
tomers benefit from cost-savings and re- Malar Energy & Infrastructure's expe-
Manufacturing & Delivery
duced construction time by avoiding com- rienced erection crew provides hands on
mercial and technical issues before they The company's extensive experience support, deploying their expertise and
arise. in manufacturing precast concrete prod- knowledge in implementation of any con-
ucts allows it to save, at every stage, the cli- struction project, in the most efficient way.
Design, Planning & Project Management
ent's resources, time and costs. A strong
Strong Quality Focus
The company also offers specialized supply chain ensures competitive prices
design, planning and project management and a high level of service. Once the prod- A strong quality focus has been one of
consultancy services. The company's in- ucts are ready for delivery, they are placed the key cornerstones of the company's
success story. The company has estab-
lished a Quality Management System in
line with ISO 9001:2008 standard require-
ments. The company has its own in-
house design team, production and erec-
tion crew and modern machinery and
equipment to carry out the work comply-
ing with stringent quality standards.
The quality control process is moni-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

tored by an experienced QA/QC team com-

prising of QA/QC Managers and Engi-
neers, at different stages of execution of
work, such as design & drawings, materi-
als, reinforcement fabrication & fixing,
concrete demoulding, storage & trans-
port and erection.w

For further details:

Malar Energy & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.
No.57, 1st Floor, Pantheon Road, Egmore,
Chennai - 600008
Ph:+91-44-42146992 / 28414114
Mob: +91-7373099529
Email: malarinfra@gmail.com
Web: www.malarinfra.com
173

Erection of Hollow Core Slab at Pathanjili Silks Showroom Site at Trichy

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

World-class Machine for Production of

Hollow Core Slabs

T
he rapid pace set by the Indian con-
struction industry has seen an
influx of several new technologies
in the recent past. One such area is the
use of precast and prestressed elements.
Prestressed hollow core slabs for exam-
ple, are finding an increasing number of
takers nowadays. Specialized machinery
plays a key role in the production of hollow
core slabs. Nordimpianti's E 120 Evo
Extruders are globally well known for pro- Prestressed Hollo wcore Slab Made on Extruder Mall Structure Constructed With Hollow Core Floor
duction of high quality hollow core slabs.
Represented in India by Precast Equip- constructed walls, brick built walls, steel Hollow core slabs are very easy to
ments & Consultancy Services, these structures, on-site concrete cast struc- incorporate in Residential, Commercial
machines from Nordimpianti, Italy, have tures, prefabricated beams etc. For infra- or Industrial Projects as the flooring pro-
ushered in a new era in the construction structure hollow core slabs are used viding large spans and providing huge
industry. extensively to protect roads from natural open spaces in the building.
Manufactured on Nordimpianti's E120 dangers. With only 3-4 workers it is possible to
Evo Extruders, hollow core slabs are pre- The advantage to the Project Devel- install 500-600 m2 of floor per day and
stressed concrete elements that have a oper is large raw material savings, as the therefore is possible to complete big pro-
constant cross section. They are manu- pre-stressed element has lower reaction jects in very short time spans and with min-
factured using pre-stressed strands or sections and therefore a more efficient imal labour.
single wire with a high tensile strength use of concrete and thus achieves ele- Because construction crews work
and embedded within the element. ments of a high quality, as well as reduced year-round, in all types of weather, pro-
Hollow core slabs can be used with dif- weight. Also the lower surface of the slab jects stay on or ahead of schedule result-
ferent supporting structures: concrete has a smooth steel formwork finish. ing in financial savings.
Assured Quality
Experience meets inventiveness and
engineering in Nordimpianti's E120 Evo
Extruder for the production of hollow core
slabs incorporating new designs and
thinking.
The casting machine being the most
important part of the production chain;
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Nordimpianti has fused their own and cus-

tomers experience to offer to the market
this new product that improves on perfor-
mance and raw material productivity
whilst at the same time reducing mainte-
nance costs.w

For further details about the

Nordimpianti Evo Extruder:
Precast Equipments &
Consultancy Services
Ph:+91-9820724957
Email: charul.pecs@gmail.com
info@nordimpiantisystem.com
174

Hollow Core Plant on Site at Hyderabad

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

World-class Range of Products for the

Construction Industry

P
eikko India supplies a large selec-
tion of concrete connections and
composite structures. The com-
pany's products can be used both in pre-
cast and cast-in situ solutions in wide vari-
ety of applications. The company is the Indian
arm of the globally well known Peikko
Group, founded in 1965, which has carved
a niche for itself in providing innovation
solutions to make the building process
faster, easier and more reliable.
Peikko India, backed by strong R&D and
quality focus offers a wide range of prod-
ucts catering to the needs of the construc-
tion industry. Listed below are the world-
class products offered by Peikko India.
Precast Concrete Connections
Peikko's widely approved and tested
precast concrete connections offering
improved competitiveness and efficiency
consists of a wide range of products in-
cluding, anchor bolts, column shoes, beam
shoes, wall shoes, fastening plates, fas- reinforcement system, column corbels and easy to install and has standardized
tening items, rapid couplings, loops, rebar and rebar couplers. connections. Demanding façade shapes,
couplers, cantilever slab connectors, etc., curves, and cantilevers can be made with
Deltabeam Composite Beam
to mention only a few. Peikko also offers Deltabeams using in-built formwork and
modern design tools for designing con- 'Deltabeam' is a beam for slim-floor prefabricated elements. Deltabeam's
nections quickly and reliably. structures, to be used in intermediate shallow design decreases the building's
floors and ceilings. It can be combined floor-to-floor height allowing easy tech-
Cast –in-situ Concrete Connections
with any type of slab, but ideally it is used nical installations. As it has up to R180 fire
Peikko offers a wide range of connec- with hollow-core and filigran-type slabs. resistance built in, as proven by multiple
tions for use on the construction site. The Deltabeam enables large open spaces. It full-scale fire tests, no additional fire pro-
cast-in-situ concrete connections range is a very practical beam solution for multi- tection is needed on site. Local technical
from the company includes, anchor bolts, story buildings such as offices, hospitals, support can assist when needed.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

fastening plates, fastening items, corner schools, hotels, car parks, shopping cen-
Peikko Composite Frame
protectors, loops, punching and shear, ters, and residential buildings. It is fast
Peikko's Composite Frame is a flexi-
ble and tailor-made solution best suited
for multi-story buildings such as offices,
hospitals, schools, hotels, car parks, shop-
ping centers, and residential buildings.
The composite frame benefits include:
- One supplier for the entire frame
- Fast and easy installation
- Standardized connection details
- The Composite Frame components
are CE marked according to EN 1090-1
- Up to R180 fire resistance built in
176
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Flooring Products - Large area construction

- Jointed and jointless floor construc-
Peikko's flooring product range offers
tion methods
the largest available selection of innova-
- Technology for post-tension floors
tive products for use in ground-bearing and
pile-supported ground-level concrete floor There is a full range of solutions readily
construction. The company offer solutions available for both external and internal
for the most demanding types of industry applications, from light- to heavy-duty
and operating environments. usage, and with or without arris protec-
tion capability. All the flooring products
The company's flooring products offerings
are environmentally friendly and 100%
cover the full range of construction meth-
recyclable.
ods such as:
Wind Turbine Foundation Technology
- Screed layer application
- Long strip concrete floor construction Peikko's Wind Turbine Foundation
mized solution for onshore wind turbine
techniques Technology offers a reliable and opti-
foundations. The solution can include just
components or components supported
by design.
Tools for Designers
Tools for Designers is Peikko's tool-
box for structural designers to make their
work faster, easier and more reliable. De-
signers can optimize structural designs
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

by using Peikko's test, approved products

and efficient design tools.
The toolbox includes design software,
3D components for modeling programs and
Technical Manuals of Peikko's products.
To be able to support designers' needs all
tools are developed constantly.w

For further details:

Peikko India Pvt Ltd
60/13, Flat No. 1, 'Niwara', Bharti Niwas Colony,
Erandavane, Pune - 411004
Ph:+91-20-64000358
Email: laxman.wadhwani@peikko.com
Web: www.peikko.in
177
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Christian Medical College (CMC, Vellore)

Goes the Precast Way

T
he Indian precast industry is all set
to usher in a new era in the con-
struction industry. One of the top
names in this field is Teemage Precast.
The company, based out of Tirupur, Tamil
Nadu, is a total solution provider in the pre-
cast industry and has successfully com-
pleted nearly 10 lakh sq.ft (30 projects) of
precast buildings since its inception in
2012. Teemage Precast is considered a
pioneer in the field and belongs to the
famed “The Chennai Silks” group of com-
panies, which has been in the textile
industry in Tamil Nadu, since 1962.
Teemage Precast has taken rapid
strides on the basis of its strong commit-
ment to quality and expertise in the tech-
Store Room
nology. One of its prestigious clients has
been the Christian Medical College (CMC),
Vellore. Considered on one of the top most

Exam Hall

medical institutions in the country, CMC

Vellore has taken a big step forward with
respect to its construction activities by GYM
using precast concrete technology.
The interest for using the precast con- architects. They got impressed with the
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

struction technology was generated efficiency in the system and immediately

amongst the top management of CMC, took a decision to give it a try. The technol-
when Teemage Precast was constructing ogy enables completion of projects well in
“The Chennai Silks” Vellore project in advance, as compared to conventional
mid-2013. construction methods and also requires
The Engineering & planning division minimum coordination. This in turn con-
of CMC had visited the site along with the verts into significant savings both in terms
Canteen
of time and overall project cost.w
Building Precast
Si.No Project Name Project Duration
Area (Sq.ft) Elements
1 Canteen Building 3,624 94 12 Days For further details:
Teemage Precast In
2 Gym Building 3,741 77 14 Days College Road,1st Cross street,
Tirupur - 641602,Tamilnadu
3 Exam Hall 41,366 595 27 Days Mob: +91-8220455555, 8220051777
Email: sales@teemageprecast.in
4 Store Room 7,591 208 18 Days Web: www.teemageprecast.in
178
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Ushering in a New Era in

Precast Construction
Technology

pany is making rapid inroads into the ers in many parts of India is a challenge for
Indian market. the industry. Many construction workers
The company's flagship project is are also working in agriculture, meaning
Daniel Breitbach 'Bharat City' in Ghaziabad, encompassing that they are not available to construction
Regional Director a total of 8,000 residential units. Bharat activities all year long. But even with a suf-
Middle East & Asia City covers an area of 250,000 m² and is ficient number, there would still be the
Weckenmann Anlagentechnik
currently being developed into a small problem of logistics and professional
GmbH+Co.KG
independent suburb with 20-storey resi- management of staff, not to mention the
dential buildings. The future residents will need to ensure high construction stan-

T
he Indian precast industry is poised also be offered an attractive social envi- dards.
for a rapid phase of growth. One of ronment, including parking areas, a pri- Moreover, BCC aimed at reducing the
the names leading this revolution vate school, a hospital and a clubhouse construction time by up to 50% compared
in precast construction technology is BCC with sports facilities. to the classic construction method. BCC
Infrastructures (BCC) of Ghaziabad, near After a careful analysis, BCC came to concluded that this could only be achieved
New Delhi. The company, considered a the conclusion that it would be impossible by building with precast, and tied up with
pioneer in the field of precast construc- to use traditional construction methods to the German precast specialist
tion technology, has already successfully carry out the entire Bharat City real estate Weckenmann Anlagentechnik GmbH &
completed traditional real estate pro- project - which is typical in style of numer- Co. KG. Unlike the few other existing pre-
jects. With its team of experienced profes- ous major projects in India - if they still cast producers in the Delhi area, BCC is
sionals, strict adherence to quality stan- wanted to meet the required time frame. planning to build for the first time with
dards and highly specialized expertise in The reasons for this are manifold: On the semi precast floor slabs, an application
precast construction technology, the com- one hand, the lack of construction work- which has been proven in Europe for
decades, whilst solid walls will be used for
interior and exterior wall construction.
There are clear advantages, particularly
in the use of semi precast floor slabs, as
they are easy and quick to produce, and
meet high standards of earthquake resis-
tance. Due to the large surface area of the
elements it was also possible to reduce
the number of crane movements
required and also the amount of "finish-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

ing" work could be drastically cut.

For the BCC management team,
building with precast is the only way for-
ward to overcome the urgent needs of the
Indian housing shortage in the future.w

For further details:

Weckenmann Anlagentechnik
GmbH+Co.KG
German Centre for Industry and Trade
Delhi Private Limited
Building No.9, Tower B, Level 12, DLF Cyber City,
Phase III, Gurgaon-122 002, Haryana
Ph:+91-124 4635995-96
Email: hariharasudhan@weckenmann.de
Web: www.weckenmann.de
180

Bharat City
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

KGS Group's first but not last Cast in

Place concrete project with Tekla

W
hen Pointe du Bois Generating
Station's its spillway was to be
replaced, it was over 100 years
old. The designer KGS Group selected
Tekla as the optimum tool for the $300 mil-
lion project that uses 30,000 cubic meters
(almost 40,000 cubic yards) of Cast in Place
concrete and 145 tons of reinforcing steel.
KGS chose Tekla for modeling cast-
in-place concrete and delivering con-
struction drawings of the project. Their
model includes everything for construction
from concrete pours and curbs to electri-
cal cable trays and all structural steel.
The benefits of Tekla
The KGS team used Tekla for quantity
take-offs for concrete, steel and miscel-
laneous profiles. They modeled all rebar, Point du Bois Spillway Replacement, and Surprisingly simple
benefiting from the accuracy of modeling they are going to use Tekla with it.
Pointe du Bois Spillway Replacement
finding clashes early.
Issues resolved early was KGS's first cast-in-place reinforced
Thanks to using Tekla, KGS resolved
As KGS utilized Tekla all-around, they concrete project designed and detailed
many issues early in the design stage
benefited from the beginning to the end with Tekla Structures. A team of just three
instead of construction site which would
from including all possible information in Tekla users - two of them new with the
have been more difficult and expensive.
the model. software – completed rebar and concrete
The team worked with control and preci-
sion in the model. As many disciplines “Many issues were resolved very model, drawings and schedule while the
added components to the model, clash early in the design stage instead of con- experienced steel detailing department
detection proved to be the biggest benefit. struction site. From beginning to end, we took care of structural steel.
have benefited from having as much in- “Tekla was actually much simpler
The next steps and user friendly solution than I expected,
formation in the model as we can possibly
KGS Group is preparing for the next add,” says James Tapper, Tekla Adminis- I am certainly a fan of Tekla Structures for
project that is even more complex than trator, from KGS Group. CIP and steel design work,” says Donovan
Kroeker, Senior Structural Engineer, from
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

KGS Group.
Quantity take-offs and every rebar
KGS modeled every single piece of
reinforcing steel with Tekla. The first bene-
fit they experienced was the accuracy of
modeling the rebar, and the second was
pin pointing clashes early and effectively.
Otherwise these could have caused design
delays or worse, issues more difficult and
expensive to solve on the construction site.
Pointe du Bois Spillway involved
major earthworks, and as it is a replace-
ment project, KGS had to take into
account the existing structures. The team
181

used several topographic models from

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Civil 3D and scans and point clouds for

planning. Thanks to these, they could cut
the underside of concrete pours to match
the terrain quite accurately.
- “We used Tekla for quantity take-
offs for everything, including concrete,
steel and miscellaneous items, including
critical profiles such as water-stops,“
says James Tapper, Tekla Administrator,
from KGS Group.
Meeting the standards
For coordination of the Spillway
Replacement project, KGS team fully uti-
lized Tekla with IFC, DWG and Tekla The first but not last Cast in Place project had control over the contents and preci-
BIMsight exports to share with the client with Tekla sion in the model,“ says James Tapper. As
and other subcontractors. The team cus- a variety of disciplines added numerous
While KGS has been trending towards
tomized many inp and db files to meet the components to the model, clash detec-
BIM solutions for a number of years, at
Canadian Rebar standards, and created tion proved to be the biggest benefit.
KGS Group, the Spillway Replacement
industry specific profiles in addition to a KGS's team solved many problems in the
was a pilot project in order to fully explore
full metric cast-in-place environment. design stage, which saves a lot of time and
using complete BIM environments for
They also created custom templates to money compared to finding fixes on site.
large scale projects.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

associate the Canadian Standard Bend And what next? KGS has already
“At KGS, we benefited from the effec-
Types with the Tekla internal shapes. begun the preparations for more complex
tive, full-blown modeling approach. We
projects to be completed with the use of
Tekla Structures.
At KGS, we benefited from the effec-
tive, full-blown modeling approach. We
had control over the contents and preci-
sion in the model - James Tapper, Tekla
Administrator, KGS Group. w

For further details:

Tekla India Pvt Ltd
Ph:+91-22-61387777
Email: info.india@tekla.com
Web: www.tekla.com
182
 CONCRETE: SFRC

SFRC: Practical Considerations and

Commercial Feasibility
Abstract: During the last three decades SFRC was considered in post crack stage. Conventional methods do not necessar-
a new technology for Construction Industry. However this tech- ily consider post crack behaviour of concrete. Design method
nology has found high acceptance among today’s Construction based on Lose bergs yield line model considers post crack
industry. Currently, steel fibers are used mainly in Industrial strength of concrete in a right manner hence it is till date the
flooring, Tunneling and Pavements etc. best method to design SFRC as Shown in Table 1 and Picture 1
Construction Time and durability are the main factors
among the various advantages which help SFRC to command
its superiority over other methods.
In our country lot has been written or published about
SFRC, but we are not using this technology as it is being used
in other countries there is a definite and detail approach on
how to design Fiber concrete and achieve a homogeneous
dispersion of Steel fibres. Steel fibre geometry and grading of
concrete play a very important in role in practicalities of SFRC.
Following article talks about various aspects of Steel Fi-
bre reinforced Concrete Viz. Design Methods, Design of SFRC
Floor based on lose berg’s yield line Model Selection Criteria, Picture 1: comparison of real scale test results and results of back-calculation
Mix Design and other practical considerations and commercial
feasibility. Picture 1 contains a comparison of real scale test results
and the results of back-calculation according to the different
Definition design approaches. It demonstrates the importance of taking
the right design approach for elastically supported steel fiber
Steel fibre reinforced concrete is defined as a concrete,
reinforced concrete slabs. As a simple guideline, the results of
containing discontinuous discrete steel fibres. Steel fibres are
elastic-elastic calculation can never be more economic than
incorporated in Concrete to improve its Crack resistance, Duc-
those of a plastic-plastic calculation providing same material
tility, Energy absorption and impact resistance characteristics.
properties and level of safety. The elastic-plastic approach is in
Properly designed and dosed SFRC can reduce or even contain
the range of plastic-plastic approach.
cracking, a common cause for concern in plain concrete.
Design of an Industrial Floor
Scope
Industrial floors are generally subjected to Loads such as
Concrete composition, admixtures, placing and curing play
point load, UDL and Wheel Load. In Interest of explaining load
another evident role but here focus will be on design Principals
effects certain loads and sub base values are assumed to ar-
and Methods a sample design of SFRC Industrial floors using
rive at Flexural Stress and corresponding dosage. Other as-
Drapro and selection Criteria of Steel Fibre.
sumptions such as Temperature, Joint distance, loading factor
Design Methods can be made available on request.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

SFRC necessarily behaves very different as that of plain - Input –loads

concrete. The performance of SFRC varies when compared - Point Loads

Sr Design Methods Applicability Why Test results Limitation/Economy

Elastic – Elastic Post crack behaviour and sys- Far from reality
Applicable but Rather very safe Hence not
1 (Westerguard tem properties are not taken in (Actual Test
not suitable economical
ard or FEM ) to account results)
Fibres do not increase flex-
Applicable and Post crack behaviour Proper-
ural Strength of the section
closer to more ties are taken into account to
2 Elastic –Plastic Closer to Reality within the section but
accurate Plas- some extent related to
increase load bearing capac-
tic- Plastic Flexural Strength
ity of the system
Considers Ductility of steel fibre
Generally economical as
Applicable and reinforced concrete and both Closer to actual
3 Plastic- Plastic compared with Plain or Rebar
Suitable material as well as system results
reinforced concrete
properties in account
184

Table No 1 Comparison of various design methods

 CONCRETE: SFRC

Input Sub base

Sub base plays an important role in Floor. Generally fol-

lowing sub base (Picture 6) is seen in industries. To analyze the
effect of sub base on floor design, it is necessary to arrive at
equivalent E modulus or CBR value of the sub base.
If there are more than 2 layer of sub-base defined the
equivalent E-modulus of the ground is calculated using the
formula below

Picture 2: Point Loads

Above figure (Picture 2) illustrates Point loads arising from

Rack loads, Stacking Area, Lines Etc.
We need to design a floor which is efficient of taking these
loads at various locations such as joint of panels, centre of pan-
els etc.

Anticipated Location of Load

Result
As it is not known beforehand which yield will occur first,
Picture 3: Various location of loads we have to consider all possible load combinations. After con-
sidering various load combinations and locations following
Wheel Loads maximum moments (Table 2) are foreseen.

Wheel loads are loads coming form Moving Equipments Assumptions / Design Criteria
like Fork Lift , The diagram gives details of Loads arising out of
a 6 ton Capacity Fork Lift having a tire pressure of 1.5 N/mm Steel Fibres
^2 ( Picture 4) Selection Criteria
UDL The most important aspects controlling the performance
Above Figure (Picture 5) illustrates UDL of 5 Ton /M ^2 of steel fibres in concrete are as follows

- Tensile Strength on the wire( > 1225 Mpa)

- Aspect ratio
- Geometrical shape
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Higher aspect ratio (Picture 8) always gives better perfor-

mance of the SFRC with respect to flexural strength, impact
resistance, toughness, ductility, crack resistance etc.
Unfortunately, the higher the aspect ratio and volume con-
centration of the fibre, the more difficult the concrete becomes
Picture 4: Wheel loads Picture 5: UDL to mix, convey and Pour. Thus there are practical limits to the

Ultimate Limit State Serviceability Limit State

Loads (m+m’)max 5.67 kNm (m+m’)max 4.02 kNm
Shrinkage Ms 1.41 kNm
Bending moments (kNm)
Temperature MT> 1.84 kNm
Settlement Mw 0.00 kNm
Floor thickness 120 mm
Required SF concrete
flexural stress 1.09 N/mm2 0.86 N/mm2
185

Table No 2 Result
 CONCRETE: SFRC

Ultimate Limit State Serviceability Limit State

Concrete design
1.45 N/mm2 2.18 N/mm2
stress
Type RC 80/60-BN Type RC 80/60-BN

Dramix ® Dosage 15 kg/m3 Dosage 15 kg/m3

1.14 N/mm2 1.39 N/mm2

SF Ductility (%) 41.08 50.00

Ultimate Limit State: for a dosage of 15 kg/m3 Dramix RC 80/60-BN.

Serviceability Limit State: for a dosage of 15 kg/m3 Dramix RC 80/60-BN

E k value : 3000.00 N/mm2

Concrete compressive strength, C20/25
f ck :
For ultimate limit state, the gov- 5.67 kNm
erning load case is :
Four wheels in a rectangle - Saw
Cut
Picture 8: Aspect Ratios Picture 9: Glued Dramix® steel fibres
For serviceability limit state, the 7.28 kNm
governing load case is :
bres present no difficulty in mixing. They are added as an extra
Four wheels in a rectangle - Saw
aggregate and require no special equipment to be added to the
Cut
mix, whether dry mix or wet mix. The hooked ends improve the
Temperature differential between 28 °C bond and anchorage of the Dramix steel fibres in the concrete/
top and Bottom of the slab shotcrete and increase the reinforcing efficiency and ductility.
Coefficient of friction (µ) between 0.50 Hooked ends are proved to be best as compared to any other
slab and sub base : shape of fibres. Bekaert has done extensive research on same
Dramix ® Solution copies of which can be made available on request.
Floor thickness : 120 mm Fibre Dosage
Dosage : 15 kg/m3
This is one of the most important elements in SFRC. As
Fibre type : RC 80/60-BN discussed earlier fibre performance clearly depends upon pa-
Re,3 value : 41.08 % rameters like tensile strength, Aspect Ratio, Anchorage. The
Equivalent flexural strength 1.52 N/mm2 dosage of fibres for a certain performance varies as per type of
(Ffct,eq,150) : fibre used .This can be established by making a proper design
Max joint spacing : 4000 mm * 4000 mm
followed by field test. Following table gives comparison of vari-
ous types of fibres in terms of dosage.
Table No 4 Governing case & proposals
Comparison with Alternatives
amount of single fibres, which can be added to SFRC, with the
A conventional pavement with 200 mm Thk with single
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

amount varying with the different geometrical characteristics

of the several fibre types. Loose steel fibres with a high 1/d as- Mesh can be replaced by a 120 mm Thk (SFRC) pavement with
pect ratio, which is essential for good reinforcement, are diffi- following combinations.
cult to add to the concrete and to spread evenly in the mixture. Although unit cost of lower aspect ratio (45) fibre is less,
BEKAERT has glued (Picture 9) the loose fibres together due to high dosage ( 31.5 ) Kg) per M ^3 cost of SFRC becomes
with water-soluble glue into bundles of 30-50 fibres to facilitate very high as compared to that of SFRC with lower dosage ( 15
handling of the Dramix steel fibres. The individual Dramix steel kg ) of High Aspect ratio ( 80 ) Fibres.
fibres have the necessary high 1/d aspect ratio, but as they are
glued together in compact bundles, they have approximately Fibre Type Type Len- Diam- Aspect Dosage
gth eter Ratio per
the same size as the other aggregates. Glued Dramix steel fi-
( L/D) M^3*
mm mm Length/ Kg
Diameter
RL 45/50 Loose 50 1.05 48 31.5
RC 65/60 Glued 60 0.9 67 20
RC 80/60 BN Glued 60 0.75 80 15
186

Picture 7: Dramix® steel fibres Table No 5 comparisons of various types of fibres

 CONCRETE: SFRC

Practical considerations tion. What fibres want is concrete with enough paste around
the aggregates.
Steel fibre reinforced concrete is better concrete as com-
pared to RCC in certain applications. To make this technology Case I –Practical
practically possible it is very much necessary to give impor- Project at Coimbatore
tance to fibre geometry, Concrete consistency, gradation Etc. Given facts
What we want is concrete with right mix and Homogeneous Mix Design
dispersion of steel fibres (As below)
Mix Design for Hansen/Shapporji Project As on 11.2.8 Reference
PSG COLLAGE REPORT
P/SM/T &CON/LN1309/
2007/34D DATED
22.01.08
Description
Grade of Concrete M30
Required Slump 40-80
Picture 10: Fresh Concrete Picture 11: X-ray image of SFRC
Type Of Cement OPC 43 GRADE
Fibre Geometry Grading of Sand Zone II
Maximum Size of Coarse aggregate 20
Length of the fibre should be more than sum total two Ag-
gregate sizes (Picture 12). At the same time fibre length should Specific Gravity
not exceed 2/3rd of the inner dia of the conveying system (Pic- Cement 3.15
ture 13). Sand 2.67
Here first factor is related to interlocking of two aggregates Coarse Aggregate 2.69
whereas second factor is related to workability of concrete
60 to 40 ratio of 20 and 12.5 Dia Aggregate
through the pumping system.
Bulk Density KG/M ^3
Cement 1440
Sand 1570
20 MM Coarse Aggregate 1542
12.5 MM Coarse Aggregate 1565
Water Absorption ( %)
Sand
Coarse Aggregate 0.41
Target Mean Strength ( N/MM ^2) 38.25 Mpa
Standard Deviation = 5.0 Mpa
Water Cement Ratio 0.4
Picture 12: (Minimum length of fibre)
Water content per m ^3 of concrete ( kg) 144
Sand as percenatge of total aggregate by 35
Absolute volume
Entrapped Air as % of Volume of Concrete 2 The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Cement Content per M ^3 of concrete (kg) 360

Picture 13: (Maximum length of fibre) Sand per M ^3 of Conccrete (KG) 674.4
Coarse Aggregate per m ^3 of Concrete 1261.9
In order to have more networking of fibres it is suggested (KG)
to have fibres with highest available L/D Ratio or least available (20 MM AND 12.5 mm In ratio of 60.40)
diameter which finally gives more fibres per kilo (Picture 13)
Admixture ( kg) 1.44
Concrete Consistency and Gradation Mix Proportion by Weight
In addition to selection of appropriate fibres it is very much C, S ,CA ( 20 MM) ,CA(12.5MM) ,W 1:1.873,2.103,1.402. ,0.4
necessary to have consistent concrete with continues grada-
C= CEMENT, S = SAND, CA COARSE
AGREGATE, W = WATER
Quantities of Materials( KG) Per M ^3 OF CONCRETE
Cement 360
Sand 674.4
Coarse Aggregate ( 20 MM) 757.14
Coarse Aggregate ( 12.5 MM) 504.6
187

Picture 14: Network of fibres Picture 15: Sieve curves Water 144
 CONCRETE: SFRC

Admixture 1.44 Case II – Commercial as Per Annexure I

Confirmatory Test Result Conclusion
7 days Compressive Strength 33.7
Although proper design and economics is important for
Expected 28 Days Compressive Strength 50.5 the project it is very much necessary to engineer the concrete
Workability to suit the selected fibre geometry. Concrete consistency and
Slump 62 gradation should be different for every mix and should depend
on the type of fibre as suggested by manufacturer.
Steel Fibres Steel fibre reinforced Industrial floors can be designed us-
Type 1 ing Lose berg’s Yield line model. At www.bekaert.com/building
one can register to get a free design of Steel fibre Industrial
Length : 60 MM
floors based on the inputs provided.
Diameter : 0.9 MM
Steel fibres being an essential part of this design should
Formation : Glued
be selected very carefully as discussed in the paper. More em-
Anchorage : Hooked End (Dramix)
phasis should be given on total cost impact than per unit cost
Tensile Strength : > 1000 N/MM ^2
as mentioned in the Annexure II
Dosage : 30 KG/ M^3
Acceptance
Parameter Significance Remark
Type 2 Criteria

Rm nom Higher tensile

Length : 60 MM Tensile
= 1225 strength , Better
Strength
Diameter : 0.75 MM N/MM^2 performance

Formation : Glued Hooked end gives Better

anchorage as compared
Anchorage : Hooked End (Dramix) Anchorage Hooked end
Better
with other forms of
Anchorage
Tensile Strength : > 1000 N/MM ^2 anchorage such as Flat or
corrugated
Dosage : 20 KG/ M^3
Length of Fibre
Length should at least
In order to create more paste in existing formulae of con- ( MM)
60
cover three major
crete following suggestions were made to job site. aggregates
1. Depending on availability pl. add either of following (30-50 More fibre gives more
Lesser the diameter
Kg per M ^3, Fine sand <= .125mm, Fly Ash, 3. GGBS) Diameter
0.75 , more number of
Length , More surface
( MM) Area/Volume , Better Cor-
2. Start from W/C Ratio of 0.5 and take trials up to 0.46 fibres per kg
rosion Resistance
3. Increase cement content to 380-400 KG ( Trail and error) Higher aspect
Aspect Ratio
4. Increase slump to minimum 80 and maximum 120 ( Trial ( L/D)
80 ratio leads to better
performance
and Error)
More length per
It was difficult to get fine sand of required fineness so it Length Per
280 Meter KG gives optimum
KG
was decided to increase 20-40 KG of existing fine grade sand results
(ZONE II). Glued fibre ensures
Formation Glued fibre better dispersion
Six Samples of various combinations were checked for fi- and no fibre balling
bre dispersion as follows.
Closer Tolerance
Tolerance ± 7.5 Avg leads to designed
Required Actual as per Variation
Slump performance
fiber content Sieve Test in %
More fibres more
Grams Grams % MM No Of Fibres
4600 network , More
Per KG
ductility
1060 974 8.11% Collapse
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

CE-label
1060 1041 1.79% 80 system 1
Standards
according
1060 891 15.94% 80 EN 14889-1
706 729 -3.26% 130 Table No 8 Annexure II Selection Criteria for Steel fibres
706 570 19.26% 130
References
706 635 10.06% 170
1. Gerhard Vitt Design –Presentation at Malenovice approach for Dramix In-
Average 8.65% dustrial floors
Table No 7 Results of washout test 2. Beckett D, Humphreys J The Thames Polytechnic , Dart ford : Compara-
tive tests on Plain , Fabric Reinforced and Steel Fibre reinforced Concrete
No balls were observed during the mix Ground Slabs ,
W/C Ratio maintained was 0.48/0.49 3. Lose berg A : Design Methods for structurally Reinforced Concrete Pave-
ments , Sweden, 1961
Further improvements at the time of actual project can be 4. Thooft H : Dramix Steel Fibre Industrial floor Design in accordance with the
as follows. Concrete Society TR34
5. Practical guide to the installation of Dramix Steel fibre concrete floors.
1. Make fine sand available and reduce cement content 6. Ganesh P. Chaudhari , Design of SFRC Industrial floor Indian Concrete In-
2. Reduce water cement ratio to 0.46 stitute , Seminar on Flooring and Foundations
7. Ganesh P. Chaudhari, Design of Durable SFRC Industrial Floor, Interna-
3. Maintain slump in the range of 80-120 tional conference of “Sustainable Concrete Construction “ACI, 8-10 Febru-
188

4. If possible increase mixer speed to 18 RPM ary, Rantagiri, India. w

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Tata BlueScope Launched

Unique Heat Reflective Solution

T
ata BlueScope Steel has intro- introduction of ThermatechTM paint tech- ThermatechTM solar reflectance technol-
duced ThermatechTM technology nology, the properties of Colorbond® steel ogy sets a new benchmark in the industry
with Colorbond® steel, its flagship including its long term performance are and provides property owners, architects,
coated steel brand, at the Roof India Exhi- not compromised.” said Mr. Shastry at the builders and developers with a better
bition in Chennai on May 17, 2014. launch. building material option to keep pace with
ThermatechTM technology in Colorbond® steel Going into details about the new prod- the changing need of the hour. The launch
helps lower surface temperature by re- uct, Mahendra Pingle, DGM, Market Dev- of this technology is a step towards creat-
flecting more solar heat, thereby reducing elopment- Coated Steel, Tata Blue Scope, ing a future that is comfortable not just for
the heat radiation travelling downwards pointed out, “All roofs made with people but the environment too.”
into the building, thus keeping both the Colorbond® steel now incorporate the Thermatech™ technology in
roof and interior of the building cooler. new ThermatechTM technology. The tech- Colorbond® steel, reduces the tempera-
The product was launched by H.E. nology will boost the thermal performance ture inside the building by upto 60C in hot
Sriprakash Shastry, Partner, of every colour of Colorbond® steel with- weather, depending upon the level of insu-
Aswathanarayana & Eswara, LLP, Chennai, out changing its appearance. Colorbond® lation already installed, thus reducing the
who while speaking on the occasion said, steel gives the building industry more need for air conditioning. In moderate to
“Colorbond® steel with advanced than what it wants – a wider range of ther- hot climates, it can reduce annual cooling
ThermatechTM solar reflectance technol- mal efficient colours and even greater energy consumption by up to 15% as com-
ogy offers an improved level of thermal durability because of the reduced heat pared to roofing materials of similar col-
performance. It provides designers/ ar- stress on the entire roofing system”. our with low solar reflectance. (The aver-
chitects with an appropriate building ma- Highlighting the advantages offered age reduction is about 5%: results differ
terial option to help fulfill their design brief by the new product, Riten Choudhury, depending on the level of insulation, buil-
as well as achieve their sustainability Managing Director, Tata BlueScope Steel, ding shape and function).The technology
objective. The best part is that even with pointed out, “Colorbond® steel with also helps mitigate the Urban Heat Island
(UHI) effect. The company has further
expanded its colour range by adding 5 new
colours with the high SRI values other than
Surfmist (SRI-81), these include Mosaic
Blue (SRI-82), Aloe Green (SRI-82), Fan-
tasy Yellow (SRI-82), Neutral Beige (SRI-
80) & Ivory Grey (SRI-80).
Colorbond® steel with ThermatechTM
technology is manufactured at Tata
BlueScope Steel's coated steel manufac-
turing facility in Jamshedpur. Colorbond®
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

steel has been one of the core building

materials for over 40 years across the
world. It offers elegant colour, design ver-
satility, lightweight strength and durabil-
ity making it a favourite for architects,
developers, builders, designers and the
public alike.w

For further details:

Tata BlueScope Steel Ltd.
The Metropolitan, Final Plot No.27,
Survey No.21, Wakdewadi, Shivaji Nagar,
Pune-411005
Email: coatedsteel@tatabluescopesteel.com
Launch of ThermatechTM technology at Roof India Exhibition 2014 by Mr. H E Sriprakash Shastry, Partner Web: www.tatabluescope-cs.com
192

Aswathanarayana & Eswara LLP, Chennai.

 FOCUS: CLEANING EQUIPMENT

Industrial Vacuum Cleaning Equipment:

Rapid Industrialization Triggers Demand for
Specialized Cleaning Equipment
MB Bureau Report

T
he Indian parliamentary elections try's GDP. It is no different in the case of expected to slow down anytime in the
are over and a new government the present government led by Prime Min- near future. Every government knows
has come to power. The Bharatiya ister, Narendra Modi. One of the key aims that the process is crucial for generating
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Janata Party (BJP) has won a decisive of the new government is towards further large scale employment and for the over-
majority. The new Prime Minister, Narendra developing the manufacturing sector. all development of the economy. This
Modi, is known for his rapid decision mak- While the last few years may have seen a being the case, it won't come as a surprise
ing and promoting investor friendly poli- lull in the sector, there is no denying the if several new industrial corridors and
cies. Indian and international trade asso- fact that the manufacturing sector in the parks are announced in the aftermath of
ciations, institutions and companies feel country has grown by leaps and bounds. the new government taking oath in New
that this development could result in some The setting up of various Special Eco- Delhi. This being the case, a large market
promising possibilities for the construc- nomic Zones (SEZs) and dedicated indus- has emerged specifically for industrial
tion equipment (CE) sector. trial corridors has been behind this rise in vacuum cleaners. While this could be still
One of the common thrust areas of the fortunes of the manufacturing sector. considered a niche market segment, there
subsequent governments in India has been There has also been a dramatic increase is no denying its growth potential, given
the manufacturing sector. Irrespective of in the number of micro, small and medium the rapid rate industrialization.
whichever coalition had been at the helm enterprises across the country. This has With India emerging as a key global
of affairs, there has been a consistent resulted in rapid industrialization over the market for various kinds of equipment, it
focus on increasing the contribution of the last two decades. does not come as a surprise that it is now
194

manufacturing sector towards the coun- The industrialization process is not one of the most watched for industrial vac-
 FOCUS: CLEANING EQUIPMENT

Roots Multiclean offers a wide Range of Sweeping, Scrubbing, Vacuuming, Polishing, Pressure Washing & City Cleaning

uum cleaning equipment too. Top global industrial as well as commercial estab- cleaning equipment from Italy. The heavy
brands are now eyeing this gradually ex- lishments. These days there are also por- duty machines in the range include the
panding market. With specialized machin- table models available that be mounted Delfin DG100, Delfin DG150 and Delfin DG
ery becoming the name of the game and on the back too. Known as the 'backpack 300 models. Very silent, these models
awareness levels increasing , the growth vacuum cleaner” they are commonly used require minimal maintenance and de-
rate of industrial vacuum cleaning equip- in places such as aircraft hangars, shop- signed to work round the clock, providing
ment is expected to pick up pace over the ping malls and multiplexes. The most outstanding suction performances. The
next couple of years. common type that is used in industrial Delfin DG 30/70 are slightly smaller ma-
environs, are the heavy duty, continuous chines. These powerful, silent machines
Many Varieties
duty vacuum cleaners, which can work for are ideally suited for continuous and
While the basic technology behind the long hours at a stretch. heavy work load. They are designed to
industrial and commercial vacuum draw in dust, liquids and solids at the
Top Names in Fray
cleaners remains more or less the same, same time. Then there is the Mistral 202
there are different types of machines that The Indian market for industrial vac- DS ECO version, designed for high mobil-
are doing the rounds of the markets these uum cleaners is gradually beginning to ity and to easily reach even the narrowest
days. One of the most popular types are gain some momentum. Growing aware- of working spaces. The model is ideally
the cleaners that are adept at dealing with ness levels about the latest trends in vac- suited for suction of fine and toxic dust.
both dry dust , as well as liquid spillages, uum cleaning technology has meant that The Mistral 802 WD ECO model is another
that are so common on many an indus- today irrespective of the size of industrial highly maneuverable model, provided
trial premises. Then you have the ones units, one can find the latest models being with a float with filter for wet applications,
that are used only for collecting dry, toxic used in India's factory shop floors. One of together with a second filter for suction of
dust from the industrial floors. Many mod- the key players in this line has been Roots dust and dry material. It can thus alterna-
els are also designed for better mobility Multiclean, with its wide range of indus- tively carry out wet or dry cleaning opera-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

within confined industrial spaces. A good trial vacuum cleaning equipment. The tions. The Mistral 150 ECO, similarly, is
example comes in the form of the upright company represents the globally well designed for high mobility and suitable for
vacuum cleaners that are widely used in known Delfin range of industrial vacuum suction of fine and toxic dust. The com-
195
 FOCUS: CLEANING EQUIPMENT

Eureka Forbes, a name synonymous with cleaning equipment, also offers a wide range of industrial vacuum cleaners & high pressure cleaners

Industrial environs present their own unique set of cleaning challenges Industrial vacuum cleaners have to deal with tough working environs

pany also represents the Soteco brand from M1003 is a heavy duty, single phase vac- phase of industrialization, a potentially huge
Italy and offers a wide range of vacuum uum cleaner fitted with three motors and market for specialized cleaning equipment
cleaners suitable for the commercial seg- ideally suited for applications where greater for the sector has emerged. The seeds for
ment. These include the models, Soteco suction and airflow are needed. The model a growing market have already been
Base 303, Soteco Base 315, Soteco Base is designed for use across a variety of pre- sown. Top names in the field have also
429T, Soteco Base 433T, Soteco Mec 215 mises and provides the reliability, flexibil- taken note of the immense growth possi-
and Soteco Super Condor. ity and advanced cleaning capabilities that bilities of the Indian market. A few of them
Another top name in fray is Eureka busy workplaces demand. The M 100 T is have already entered the fray, while sev-
Forbes, considered one of the pioneers a machine that is ideally suited for wet and eral of them are expected to follow suit
when it comes to vacuum cleaners in the dry applications. The machine features a sooner than later. One of the key differenti-
Indian market. The company offers a wide single phase turbine and provision for fron- ating factors for any manufacturer or sup-
range of industrial vacuum cleaners. The tal squeegee makes it optimum for usage plier to win the race for garnering maxi-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

'Pro Shaker' is a good example for a tough in wet and dry applications. The TRI 30 SS mum market share is going to be provid-
machine from the company. Powered by is a model that is designed for easy maneu- ing aftermarket services. The typical Indian
a 50 litre tank capacity, the model is de- verability, requiring frequent movements, customer today is demanding value added
signed for cleaning light to medium duty within less space. The model is designed for services. Price alone, therefore, is not the
dust and debris. The model comes with a continuous, heavy duty usage and is rec- clinching factor. Suppliers on their part
host of productivity enhancing features ommended by the company for tough tasks have also realized this key factor. Global
such as ergonomic design, light frame for inindustrialsectorssuchasceramics,chem- names in the field have realized that the
easy mobility, releasable trolley tank and ical, mechanical and textile. Similarly, the best way to do business in such an envi-
manual filter shaker. The M 402 is a ver- T 100 T is another model from the com- ronment is to be close to the market, either
satile, single phase, heavy duty vacuum pany designed for heavy duty usage in in- by setting shop on their own or through stra-
cleaner in the range that is known for its dustrial environs. Designed for continuous tegic business tie-ups. Several big name
superior suction capabilities. The model operation with a strong frame, it is ideally players are expected to enter the lucrative
features large filter surface area of 1.95 suited for usage in wet and dry applications. Indian market in the near future. The in-
sq.mtr and is also ideally suitable for re- dustrial vacuum cleaning equipment mar-
Exciting Future
moval of microdusts, something that is so ket is all set for an exciting growth phase
196

common in many factory shop floors. The With the country embarking on a rapid in India.w
 FOUNDATION: EQUIPMENT

Positive Market
Sentiments Drive
Growth Momentum
M.K. Prabhakar, Associate Editor

T
he growth of the Indian construction industry
made the country a hub for various types of
specialized equipment. Piling and drilling
equipment are among the types of equipment that have
made firm inroads into the Indian market. The steady
growth of the real estate sector, along with the con-
sistent demand from the infrastructure development
sector has been behind the increase in demand for
piling and drilling equipment.
Water well rigs are a good example for the suc-
cess of drilling equipment in the country. India always
had its share of irrigation canals right from the time
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
198
 FOUNDATION: EQUIPMENT

of independence, upon which depended

its millions of farmers. However, it was only
when droughts hit that people began to
realize the fact that however modern a
canal-irrigation system may be, there
could be times when they could not serve
the purpose. It was the droughts in the
1960s that made policy makers take a
closer look at developing more depend-
able ground water resources. The market
for water well rigs started to grow around
the late 1980s. This market segment got
its real impetus in the 1990s after the open-
ing up of the economy and the boom in the
real estate sector. Rapid urbanization
brought with it the problem of water scar-
city and out came the water well rigs with
the solution. It has been a market that has
been growing at a steady pace in recent
times. While no exact figures are available,
an estimated 500 water well rigs are being
sold in the country annually. With increas-
ing urbanization, the figures are bound to
increase rapidly in the near future.
Piling equipment suppliers are banking on the revival of the real estate sector
The demand for specialized piling or
foundation equipment too has been on the
rise. While the larger models used in large been driving up the demand for this spe- sible. A good example is available in the
scale infrastructure development continue cialized equipment in recent times. form of the range offered by Getech Equip-
to be a niche market segment, the smaller ments, which offers the DTH 300, DTH
Growing Market
ones that are used in the realty sector are 450, DTH 600, DTHR 150, DTHR 150 (T),
the ones whose demand has been going Just as in the case with other types of DTHR 300, DTHR 450, DTHR 600, TBW
up in recent times. These days manufac- equipment, the competition for the piling 150, TBW 20 and Inwell 100 models of
turers have been coming up with smaller and drilling market has too been intensi- water well drilling rigs. The company's
tractor mounted models that are being fying. Manufacturers are wooing custom- range of exploration drilling rigs include the
used in real estate projects. With the eco- ers with as wide a product portfolio as pos- models, CDR 150, CDR 300, CDR 600 ,
nomic downturn and the subsequent lull
in the market, this has emerged as a key
market segment for piling rigs suppliers.
With rise in awareness levels, there has
also been the factor of demand for piling
rigs even from relatively smaller construc-
tion projects. Suppliers have been quick to
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

cease on this opportunity and now the

Indian market has many players who offer
smaller piling rigs that are targeted spe-
cifically at realty projects.
The market for larger sized piling
equipment that is typically used in infra-
structure development projects has been
clocking a steady pace of growth. What has
been driving their growth has been the
spurt in metro projects around the coun-
try. With the formation of a new govern-
ment and a buoyant economic outlook,
things are expected to look up for this par-
ticular market segment in the near future.
Factors such as rising awareness levels,
Tapping of ground water resources has become imperative given the rapid pace of urbanization and
199

tighter project completion deadlines, scar- explosion in population

city of labour and emphasis on quality have
 FOUNDATION: EQUIPMENT

CDR 300 (T), TC 150 and TC 20. Its range of

foundation drilling rigs includes models
suchastheGPR5-1,GPR25-06andTPR15.
Another company that offers a wide
range of piling and drilling rigs is PRD Rigs
India. Its water well drilling rigs range in-
cludes the, PRD 450 portable, PRD 500
trolley, PRD 600, PRD 650, PRD tractor
mounted rigs, PRD Speed Star, PRD Max
Drill 2000, PRD OZ Drill Rig, and PRD
Autloader models. The company's range
of explorations rigs includes the PRD HC
Drill Max 450, PRD Multistar, Reverse Cir-
culation Drilling, Silver Core Drilling, Sil-
ver Core HS Drill, Mini Core Drill and Blast
Hole rigs.
The Indian market for piling and drill-
ing equipment, as we have seen is getting
increasingly competitive. With the grad-
ual rise in demand for piling equipment
that are typically used in large scale infra-
structure or real estate projects, the focus
on technology has increased in recent
times. There has also been a conscious
effort from the manufacturers to be closer
to the market and provide prompt after-
market services in the recent past. With
the economy showing signs of revival, some
more big names are expected to be added
to the lineup of top names such as in such
as Soilmec, MAIT, Suretech, REL, etc.
Buoyant Outlook
One more heartening news for sup-
pliers has been the steady increase in de-
mand from the mining sector. With all indi-
cations pointing out towards further re-
forms in the mining sector, an exponen-
Water well rigs are a common scene in India tial rise in demand for exploratory rigs is
predicted in the near future. Similarly, with
the rapid urbanization, the demand for water
well rigs is also expected to increase
sharply in the near future. With the real
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

estate and infrastructure development

sectors expected to pick up steam by the
end of this year, manufacturers can brace
themselves up for a busy period. The key
differentiation factor among them, just as
in the case with other types of equipment
is going to be aftermarket services. The
evolving rental market in India is another
good news for suppliers. The easy avail-
ability of latest ground engineering equip-
ment through the rental route has been a
factor for even smaller contractors adop-
ting the latest methodologies in recent
times. All these factors put together augur
well for piling and drilling equipment
200

Further reforms in the mining sector could spell good news for drilling rigs suppliers suppliers.w
 ACCESS CONTROL: EQUIPMENT

Security Doors:
Access Control Goes Hi-tech
M.K. Prabhakar, Associate Editor
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

T
he pace at which latest technolo- which are meant to offer some security It all began with the arrival of special-
gies travel across the globe is and privacy. Thanks to the development in ized, high security, industrial doors that
mindboggling to say the least. technology, doors have become hi-tech are designed for providing tightness of all
Something that is launched in one corner gizmos in themselves. Terms such as accesses. Built with heavy duty parts and
of the world, almost invariably finds its access control systems and entrance counter balance systems, these doors
way into another market in another cor- automation systems have transformed have become a common sight in several
ner of the world nowadays. This is espe- the way doors are perceived nowadays. types of industries nowadays. The growth
cially true in the case of India, which has High security doors have become manda- in numbers of such doors has been
emerged as a key market globally for quite tory, whether it is the residencies, com- steady, given the rapid pace of industrial-
literally anything and everything related to mercial buildings or industrial premises, ization and the increase in the number of
the construction industry. Take the case given the heightened threat perceptions, commercial buildings in the country. Then
of doors for example. No longer are they to any of these segments that are growing came the specialized access control sys-
202

the humble piece of wooden furniture, by the day. tems for residencies. The mushrooming
 ACCESS CONTROL: EQUIPMENT

of apartment units and gated communi- The system captures the biometric data
ties has been behind the rapid increase in during registration and uses the template
demand for specialized security doors later on for subsequent authentications.
meant for individual residencies and vil- These access control systems in a good
las. With the real estate sector growing at majority of the cases are part of the build-
a fast pace, the demand for such access ing management systems that have be-
control systems is on the rise. come so commonplace these days, espe-
While the market for security doors cially in the case of gated residential com-
may still be at its infancy, there is no deny- munities and commercial buildings.
ing its growth prospects. Global manu-
Versatile Designs
facturers are now looking towards virgin
territories like India to further their growth The requirements for a security door
prospects. The market in India, as of now, in an industrial environment come with its
remains very fragmented, with only a few own set of challenges. Manufacturers
top players in fray. The rest of the market Biometric authentication is becoming need to first of all come up with a door to
fairly commonplace these days suit the specific industry's needs, while
is catered to by the unorganized sector.
However, with demand fast picking up, it also taking care of other aspects, such as
could be only a matter of time before the is possible. For example, different per- the speed with which the door operates.
entire market segment gets organized. missions can be given to different people These days several manufacturers offer
or groups to access certain sections. Such such high-performance doors meant spe-
Intelligent Technology systems also allow for the generation of cifically for various types of industries.
The technology behind access control reports using which it can be determined High security industrial doors usually fea-
systems seems to be improving by the as to who went where and when. ture the “roll up” system. They are usually
day. Broadly speaking, the types of access A lot of technology also goes into the made up of composite materials and de-
controls are the standalone systems and reading mechanism of the access control signed for frequency of openings. A pow-
the networked systems. In the case of the systems that make for the high security erful motor would be part of the system.
standalone systems, the access is con- doors of today. The most common way in As mentioned earlier, industrial doors not
trolled on one or many independent doors which access control is achieved is through only have to take care of access control,
in a residential or commercial building. the use of proximity or smart cards. These they also need to provide other kinds of
Such systems are used in small to medium cards have pre-programmed computer security too. For example, in the food and
building premises. The larger corporate, chips inside them, which the system reads beverage sector, the doors need to secure
commercial building or industrial pre- and allows or disallows for access accor- the control of temperature. The doors in
mises use the PC based networked sys- dingly. These days a lot of access control such sentences are designed in order to
tems, wherein greater control over access systems also use biometrics to control maintain a particular, ambient tempera-
access, the most common among them ture. Similarly, there are specially desig-
being the use of fingerprint information. ned fire doors that are used in several
industrial sectors, commercial buildings
and warehouses.

The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

203

India's booming commercial realty sector and industries offer a huge opportunity for security door suppliers
 ACCESS CONTROL: EQUIPMENT

The modern day industrial door, apart from providing security, also protects against the vagaries of weather, while also being automated for speedier operations

Manufacturers on their part are trying these high security doors too. doors. The market though, is still at a very
to come out with security doors that are not nascent stage. A huge part of it is still
Emerging Opportunity
only high on technology, but also blend untapped. The entry of globally well known
seamlessly with the rest of the building's There is no denying the fact that India brands could be the game changer in this
architecture. In industrial settings auto- has emerged as a key market for security market segment. This would herald the
mated overhead doors that can be clev- entry of the latest technologies and make
erly camouflaged are widely being used. the market more organized. Big name
The doors that slide vertically are the most players with deep purses who could set up
widely used. Along with security, they are distribution and sales network through-
easy to operate, and offer excellent insu- out the country could be garnering the
lation and soundproofing properties. maximum share of the market pie. The
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

High-speed, fold-up doors, featuring signals are already evident. Several top
modular sections are also popular options players in the field are reportedly eyeing
as security doors in industrial and com- this lucrative market.
mercial building settings these days. Com- Some recent developments in the
posed of flexible curtain, consisting of sev- field of security doors have been interest-
eral modular sections, they are easy to ing. Product designers have taken the con-
maintain and repair too, apart from offer- cept of 'intelligent doors' to the next level.
ing excellent security. New models of security doors are avail-
Security door models that fold hori- able, which are even able to point out to
zontally are also finding an increasing repairs, if any on any of the parts, on their
number of takers these days. Whether it is own. With the rapid pace at which software
the traditional bi-folding type or the ones technology is developing, things hitherto
featuring several sections joined toge- considered impossible, are all now within
ther, they are a popular option. Manufac- the realms of reality. Newer, sleeker, more
turers are also experimenting with a vari- intelligent security door models are on
204

ety of composite materials for making New technology has made doors 'intelligent' their way. w
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

High Performance Dock Levelers

G
andhi Automations Pvt Ltd is con- sulting in maintaining the quality of the products in a safe way and in the process
sidered an industry leader in the transported goods. Dock Levelers offered obtain a remarkable energy saving. The
field of entrance automation sys- by Gandhi Automations are designed as loading bay remains with the Dock Lev-
tems and loading bay equipment in India. per EN 1398 standard for the most de- eler in rest position and the Sectional Over-
The company offers a wide product range manding loading and unloading opera- head Door closed, until the vehicle is posi-
that includes, high speed industrial doors, tions. tioned. The driver drives back centring to
sectional overhead doors, dock levelers & the Dock Shelter and stops when in con-
Efficiently loading and unloading goods
dock shelters, aircraft hangar doors & tact with the bumpers: at this moment he
shipyard doors, motorized rolling shut- The importance of efficiently loading stops the vehicle.
ters, tail lifts & scissor lifts and boom bar- the goods has always been evident, and it The Sectional Overhead Door is ope-
riers & gates. One of its areas of special- has increased with the years essentially ned only when the vehicle is in position,
ization is robotically welded dock level- for two reasons: the lesser availability and braked and with the engine shut off .This
lers, which offer a perfect balance of the higher cost of manpower. eliminates the exit of hot air, the intake of
power and performance. Consequently, this has caused the cold air (or the opposite in hot and inside
necessity of hiring less qualified person- conditioned places) and the intake of
Robotically welded Dock Levelers a Per- nel. The cost of loading and unloading the exhausting gases in the warehouse.
fect balance of power and performance! goods is a precise and inevitable phase, The Sectional Overhead Door is then
Electro-hydraulic, mechanical and exactly definable, which allows a scientific completely opened and the lip of the Dock
air-powered Dock-Levelers are not sim- approach to problems and therefore, solu- Leveler opens and connects to the truck
ply “a bridge for connecting a vehicle”. It tions which may be quantified both as in- bed.
facilitates fast, smooth and safe transition vestments and as feedbacks. Gandhi After having completely opened the
by compensating the difference in heights Automations offers Dock Levelers that door and connected the Dock Leveler, the
between the loading bay and the vehicle. ensure loading and unloading with the loading takes place.
This contributes to minimizing energy used; lesser effort. At the end of the loading the Dock Lev-
savings on heating and chilling costs re- It is possible to load and unload your eler is put in rest position and the Sec-
tional Overhead Door is closed, without
moving the vehicle. The vehicle then
departs at the end of the process.
Radius lip Dock-Levelers allow the
dock to connect with the truck-bed, thus
making it possible to drive directly on and
off with fork-lift trucks, roll containers etc.
Loading and unloading operations become
quick, safe and economical. Our Dock Lev-
elers come with the most secure safety
devices and accessories.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Telescopic lip Dock-Levelers are ideal

for connecting vehicles unable to drive near
to the dock (e.g. sea containers, side load-
ing railway wagons etc.), or where it is im-
perative to reach a longer total length of
the Dock-Leveler itself. These types can be
supplied with a lip extending up to 1 m.w

For further details:

Gandhi Automations Pvt Ltd
2nd Floor, Chawda Commercial Centre
Link Road, Malad (W) Mumbai – 400064
Ph: 022-66720200/66720300 (200 lines)
Email: sales@geapl.co.in
Web: www.geapl.co.in
205
 STEEL BUILDINGS

Light Gauge Steel Frame Construction:

Indian Market Poised for Exponential Growth
MB Bureau Report
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

T
he stunning pace that has been set every urban skyline in the country now has tractors these days want a combination of
by the Indian construction industry them. Old mindsets have changed. Steel economy, strength and speed. Light gauge
over the last three decades has is no longer confined to being used only steel construction provides all this, apart
been to a great extent enabled by the entry for industrial environs or for warehouses. from enabling the creation of aestheti-
of several new concepts and technologies. These days it is being used literally every- cally pleasing designs too. No wonder
One of the key developments has been the where, from the construction of retail out- steel buildings are in demand nowadays.
exponential increase in the number of steel lets to metro stations to residential struc- The steel revolution has started in India.
buildings. Steel is “in” and in a big way in tures to aircraft hangars, you can find steel However, the country needs a lot of catch-
India now. In fact, globally mankind is more buildings being the preferred choice. There ing up to do when compared with coun-
dependent on steel than any time before. is no doubt in the fact that light gauge steel tries such as China, USA, Canada, Ger-
From ships to cars to bridges and air- construction is taking deep roots in the many, Finland, Turkey, New Zealand, Aus-
crafts, a world without steel is unthink- country. tralia, and Japan. This is one market seg-
able. Buildings have also joined the list big Demand for light gauge steel con- ment that has potential for huge growth,
time now. Gleaming steel structures are struction is from both the infrastructure, since what has been tapped is only the tip
206

no longer a novelty in the country. Almost as well as the real estate sectors. Con- of the iceberg.
 STEEL BUILDINGS

Globally, there has been a spurt in the

use of steel in recent times. Even in the
case of construction of residencies, steel
is now gradually becoming a preferred
choice. The trend earlier started with
countries which are used to seeing a lot of
seismic activities such as Japan and now
seems to have caught on globally, what
with construction with steel also contrib-
uting to the sustainability factor, which is
now such a crucial component.

The Green Factor

The buzz around building green has
been one of the key reasons for the grow-
ing importance of light gauge steel con-
struction in recent times. Steel is one ma-
terial that is both durable, as well as reus-
able. It is a fact that steel buildings can be Light gauge steel construction offers several advantages
disassembled and build up again, even
multiple times if need be. Even after sev- breaking apart. Since on an average steel is about 5 times lesser. Steel is also less
eral such repetitions, steel maintains its buildings are about 5 times lighter than likely to be affected by the vagaries of
features, while also not harming the envi- their concrete counterparts, the earth- weather or by the terrain. This factor is sig-
ronment in any way. Given this advantage quake force imposed on the buildings too nificant in a country like India, where wea-
it is not surprising that steel structures are
sprouting in large numbers nowadays.
While the material scores high when
it comes to environmental sustainability,
economic sustainability is another key rea-
son for its rising popularity. Light gauge
steel construction has come as a boon to
the contractor of today, who has had to deal
with an increasingly fluctuating economy,
with tightening purse strings. The prefab-
ricated load bearing elements in steel pro-
vide for high quality, at reasonable prices.
Not only this, steel also helps in shortening
the construction period to a great extent.
Another major advantage is the in-
crease in usable space. Since the load
bearing elements are much smaller in
case of steel buildings, as compared to
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

those of concrete ones, the usable space

in steel buildings is much larger. This way
it more efficient use of building space is
possible, leading to the overall economy
of construction.
As mentioned earlier, seismic perfor-
mance is another reason behind the rise
in popularity of light gauge steel construc-
tion. The high resistance, flexibility and
lightness of steel make it ideally the most
earthquake resistant material. Generally
speaking since bigger the mass of the
building, stronger would be the force of an
earthquake imposed on it, steel performs
better in earthquake prone zones. The
207

light material can resist impact, without Steel scores high on the sustainability front
 STEEL BUILDINGS

The technology lends itself to limitless architectural possibilities

ther varies from one region to another. gate the goodness of steel buildings in Contrary to popular perception steel does
Steel could be the potential game such disaster prone zones. lend itself to myriad architectural possi-
changer in places such as the lower Hima- bilities. Steel is also flexible enough to be
Excellent Credentials
layas, where nature's fury has resulted in adaptable to rapidly changing lifestyles.
large scale destruction of buildings too Another reason why light gauge steel For example, partition walls in residen-
often for comfort. There is a strong case construction is finding an increasing num- cies or commercial buildings could be
for the authorities concerned to propa- ber of takers is because of its flexibility. changed or removed in order to meet
changing requirements, something that
is not possible with concrete. Additionally,
steel is also long lasting, being highly re-
sistant to corrosion. Moreover, since steel
is not hidden inside the concrete, in the
case of steel buildings, it can always be
checked too. With so many advantages on
offer, it is not surprising that light gauge
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

steel construction is becoming popular by

the day.
The numerous advantages offered by
light gauge steel frames offers exciting
prospects for the growth of this particular
industry in India. The technology is God
sent for a country, whose real estate sec-
tor has been grappling with funding issues
in the recent past. The technology has
excellent credentials to play a key role in
eradicating India's affordable housing
problem. The cost effectiveness factor, apart
from the environment-friendliness of the
technology makes light gauge steel con-
struction, a technology with huge growth
208

Steel could be one of the key's to solving India's affordable housing problem potential in India.w
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Setting New Standards in

Light Gauge Steel Frame Solutions

Vijayant Jaiswal Rishi Jaiswal Anuj Sharma

President, Elemente MD, Elemente JTMD & CMD, Elemente

L
ight gauge steel frame construc-
tion is an area that is fast finding an
increasing number of takers in India.
Elemente Homes is a name that is con-
sidered a trendsetter in this field. With the
aim of bringing to India modular building
technology with steel framing using the
latest technologies available globally,
Elemente has made rapid inroads into the
Indian market. The light steel framing sys-
tem promoted by Elemente is similar to
systems used for buildings in developed
countries like US, Canada, UK, Australia
etc. The major advantages of this system
are speed of construction, conforming to
building norms and beautiful finish of the
buildings inside and out. The wide range
of services offered by the company in-
cludes design, detailing, project design & with furniture. It has successfully com- sonality, with acute business acumen,
development, project management and pleted several projects both India, as well today the group has established itself in
interior solutions. as overseas. A team of widely experienced varied fields including mining, furniture
professionals at the helm of affairs has and hotel industry. Someone who is known
Experienced Core Team for his passion for adopting latest tech-
been one of the cornerstones of the suc-
The company provides full building cess story of the company. Ably led by nologies, Vijayant Jaiswal's out-of-the-
solution including full interior solutions Vijayant Jaiswal, President, a dynamic per- box thinking and innovative approach has
been behind the rapid strides taken by the
group. According to him, stringent com-
mitment to quality has been behind the
company's success story. The company
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

uses materials that comply with TSE, DIN,

ISO, ASTM and AISI norms. The con-
structed buildings are also line with earth
quake and heating codes. Additionally, the
buildings are also suitable to different soil
and climatic conditions. This apart, the steel
buildings are able to maintain their reli-
ability after delivery and make for eco-
nomic solutions.
Elemente Homes have introduced re-
volutionary off-site solutions that deliver
buildings in less time than that of site
based traditional construction methods.
Offering an insight into the advantages
offered, Rishi Jaiswal, the Managing Direc-
209

tor, a dynamic technocrat, with over a

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

decade or varied experience in project

management in the IT industry, explained
that the buildings are designed to the high-
est standards of quality and offer design
flexibility and finish, which is not possible
to achieve with traditional construction.
In this day and age of Green Buildings,
energy efficiency, recyclability, long term
durability, safety and cost-effectiveness,
are all factors that are driving the market
for light gauge steel frame buildings. High-
lighting this key aspect, Anuj Sharma,
joint Managing Director and CMD, a well
qualified Mechanical Engineer and Direc-
tor of the company, and the innovative brain
behind the design, manufacture and exe-
cution of steel frames pointed out that since
steel buildings can be 100% recycled and
that the high green quotient of steel build- since it is independent from weather con- Steel in fact gives engineers and archi-
ings is a factor that will continue to drive ditions and concrete is not needed except tects the freedom to be creative because
their demand in the near future. for the foundation and subbasement. This of its inherent flexibility. Adaptation to
allows for cost cutting in capital and con- changing lifestyles is something that is
Several Advantages
struction costs. The speed achieve can be easily and economically achieved with
The amount of time saved with light amazing. For example, assembling of a 2 steel buildings. A good example is avai-
gauge steel frame construction is another houses of 2000m can be completed in an lable in the form of partition walls. They
major advantage. Elemente has been amazing 7 days with steel construction. can be removed or their places changed
setting newer benchmarks in this regard. Contrary to popular perception steel to meet changing needs, even years after
The construction process is quick with steel, buildings need not be dull and drab affairs. the construction. This is something that is
unimaginablewithtraditionalconstruction.
Steel is also a highly durable material.
It is highly corrosion resistant and does
not rust. Adding to this advantage is the
fact that steel also protects against lighting
strikes, since the protection installation
creates a path going towards the land and
diminishes the risk of explosions and
therefore, offer a much safer option.
Modern Manufacturing Facility
Elemente Homes, through its strict
adherence to quality and because of the
vast experience of its core team has been
raising the benchmark higher in the field.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

The company has its modern manufac-

turing facility located in Uttarakhand that
produces several section profiles of vary-
ing dimensions for modular construction
of buildings. The zero tolerance manufac-
turing process ensures superior quality
building systems with less wastage, and a
clean, environment friendly construction
process.w

For further details:

Elemente
G-65, Sector-63, Noida - 201301
Ph: +91-120-4136259
E-mail: info@elemente.in
Web: www.elemente.in
210
 CARBON FIBER WRAPPING

Carbon Wrap Technology Used

Successfully in Strengthening Project

A
lmost every passing day a new tech-
nology emerges taking the civil
engineering world by storm. Car-
bon wrap is one such technology, which
has brought with it a quiet revolution in the
field of repair, rehabilitation and strength-
ening. A lot of advances have taken place
in this field with approaches being per-
fected and adapted for use in different
kinds of strengthening projects. The tech-
nology has just about made an appearance This is when the developers approached
in the Indian market with only a select few Navie Teknokem for a solution.
companies having the expertise. Navie
The Solution
Teknokem is one of the top names in fray in
this line. The company is an industry lead- The team at Navie Teknokem con-
ing name involved in a varied spectrum of sisting of experienced structural engi-
activities including industrial flooring, water- neers, in turn got in touch with a US based,
proofing, repairs & rehabilitation and acid highly experienced consultant , and dis-
proof treatments, among others. The com- cussed with him the possibility of using
pany, since its inception in 1995 has grown carbon wrap technology. The Navie
by leaps and bounds and is today counted Teknokem started off the project after it
among the most preferred choice of the got the green signal from the expert and
engineering fraternity. highly experienced consultant.
Carbon fiber has very high tensile
Strengthening Project
strength, and at the same time is also very
Navie Teknokem was the contractor lightweight. When bonded to the exterior
for a recent, successful strengthening of a concrete column, beam or slab, it can
project involving the use of carbon fiber add strength without increasing the load
wrap technology. The building in question on the other structural members or the
was actually constructed for the purpose foundations. The composite material is
of utilization as a luxury hotel by its origi- also popularly referred to as fiber –rein-
nal developers. However, due to the eco- forced plastic (FRP). It is easy to apply. It is
Successful Completio
nomic downturn and the recessionary a much more effective and cost effective
trends, the developers decided to convert option than the traditional techniques The carbon fiber used for the project
the same into a hospital. used till now for strengthening such as was supplied by a globally renowned com-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Subsequently, when the design con- shoring by adding structural steel sup- pany. The team at Navie Teknokem made
ceptualization stage for the hospital was ports or reinforcing with steel outside of a detailed drawings and sought the advice
going on, the placement of the modular ICU structural member. The ease of installa- of a third party consultant, which too
unit on the top floor of the hospital proved tion of the method means that it costs sig- okayed the project. After getting the go
to be an issue, since it was challenging the nificantly lesser than traditional strength- ahead, the project was successfully com-
load bearing capacity of the beam below. ening methods. pleted to the satisfaction of all the stake-
holders involved in the project.w

For further details:

Navie Teknokem
"Geethanjali" 178, D.P.F. Street,
Pappanaicken Palayam, Coimbatore - 641 037
Ph:+91-422-2240815
Email: info@navieteknokem.com
Web: www.navieteknokem.com
211
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Krystol Mortar Admixture (KMA):

India's Only Crystalline Waterproofing Admixture for Mortar

Racy Sidhu, CEO,

Kryton India

O
ver the past two decades, India
has seen its most exciting stage in
construction. The country has ex-
perimented with more products and tech-
nologies over these 20 years than in the
entire construction history of the county.
Of these new technologies, Drymix Mor-
tar has seen a dramatic rise in popularity
not just limited to the Indian market, but
on a global level. This type of mortar is play-
ing a vital role in the development of today's
global construction materials. The growth
KMA is a dry crystalline powder added cracks form in the mortar later, KMA reac-
rate of mortar in the construction industry
to mortar during mixing. It is a multi-use tivates in the presence of water to re-seal
has constantly been at close to 20% in
product as it can be used as a masonry for the entire life of the structure.
developing and booming markets such as “KMA is unique to Kryton, as no other
mortar, a rendering on the outside of buil-
China, India and Brazil. crystalline manufacturer has a similar
dings or for interior wet rooms like kitch-
In many parts of India, the tried and
ens and bathrooms. This dynamic prod- product in their range. It is also unique in
true method of building continues to be
uct is based on Kryton's trusted Krystol the way it acts; being hydrophilic it works
bricks and mortar. It’s fast, reliable, well
technology which, when added to mortar with water as opposed to just blocking it.
understood and effective – except in peri-
mixes, reacts to form long, needle-like KMA remains dormant in the structure
ods of high humidity. Masonry mortar, when
crystals that block the capillary pores and for years but once in contact with water it
not waterproofed against high humidity and
micro-cracks within the mortar, effectively becomes active and grows crystals that
rain, allows for leaks and seeping. Ren-
blocking water passage. Not only does KMA stop the water from seeping through the
dering mortar that’s not effectively water-
reduce mortar's permeability, should any structure.” says Racy Sidhu, CEO of Kryton
proofed allows for water damage to the
India. “This product has been a great suc-
substrate, mold growth and discoloration
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

cess across the country and is one of our

of the building. Kryton’s introduction into the
premium products.”
construction marketplace of the effective, KMA's proprietary formula is spe-
permanent solution Krystol Mortar Admix- cially formulated to provide long-term pro-
ture (KMA,) offers builders a huge oppor- tection in cementitious mortar by reducing
tunity to reduce cracking, reduce shrink- both permeability and absorption. Build-
age and improve waterproofing – all with ing maintenance and repair costs can be
one product. significantly decreased by improving dura-
bility and by preserving the original
appearance.w

For further details:

Kryton Buildmat Co. Pvt. Ltd.
Ph: 0124 – 4381140/41
Email: info@kryton.in
This image is for representation only. Actual Web: www.kryton.in
212

packaging may differ.

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Marini Re-defines Productivity

Benchmarks Across Projects
tough weather conditions ever since they dusty environments, with dust contents
commenced their project. The annual pre- extremely high. Each of these extremes
cipitation range, due to heavy rains has been need quite a good balancing in design which
around 925 mm plus. With project dura- is a challenge very well mastered by Marini
tions cut short due to weather conditions, engineers. Mr. Varghese's statement is
Blesson Varghese we are forced to utilise every good sun- quite understated, Marini's on some ex-
MD, Marini India shine, and clear sky. Forcing us to some- treme sites like those in Rajasthan have
times run our Marini with very high con- broken every known records for perfor-

M
arini plants are known for their tent of moisture in the virgin aggregates. mance and productivity.
reliability and performance. It is We have run our Marini up to a maximum Mr. Agrawal operating a Marini at
usual for marketeers to talk big of 11% moisture content without any fuss. their Rajasthan site states, we installed a
about products, however with the Marini, you The plant is a production monster, normal Marini along with another brand of plant
can be absolutely sure of one thing, it walks asphalt plants would have started cough- at one of our projects. WIthin less than 30
the talk and will always pleasantly sur- ing up at moisture contents as low as 4%, days of running our Marini, we moved our
prise you. This explains, why Marini users, however with the Marini we really push entire load of production on to our Marini.
nation wide are setting new standards in the limits very high, and easily break our The benefits of operating a Marini was so
productivity and performance. This report own records, adds Naren the plant engi- evident. More than the cost of operations,
briefs some customer feedbacks. neer at the Calcutta site. which was over 25% less, the productivity
L&T and KMC have been very early Performance in tough conditions, es- was absolutely great. We were easily
users of Marini technology and their pref- pecially as varied and demanding as in India, churning out 2500 tons per day, just with
erence for the Marini technology has been can only be had with years of experience, one single plant, without any qualms, states
proven for more than a decade in the Indian thorough knowledge and accurate un- Raman plant in charge at the Rajasthan
industry. This report however, is distinct as derstanding of Indian sites and projects. site. We have clocked over 99% uptime
it shifts the focus on some other Marini and in less than an year, produced close to
Productivity across every demand
users. 350 000 tons of high quality mix.
We do not supply a fit-for-all plant to Producing over four different kind of
Performance across tough conditions
our customers, and that explains the suc- mixes every day, with consistent quality
Marini users confess one thing, that the cess of the Marini adds Blesson Varghese and almost zero wastage is astounding at
Marini is an absolute delight to work with. MD Marini. On one hand we have extre- our Calcutta site, adds Naren.
Project Managers like Ganesh Rao oper- mely wet conditions, and in other parts of
Service support that delivers peace of
ating a Marini in Calcutta, has been facing India, we have extremely dry and highly
mind
All great equipment need service and
attention, we had some bitter experiences
in the past with other brands, and were a
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

bit skeptical with our first Marini. One

expects a multinational brand to offer only
expensive service, however with our Marini
experience, we are spending less com-
pared to other brands, and we are extre-
mely delighted with Marini service, adds R
L Kashyap VP. High plant uptime with a
very good quality service, delivers a very
high level of peace of mind, which is extre-
mely important for us at the management
helm, to focus on important things, like
getting more business.
Focus is what makes Marini stand
apart from all other brands. Each plant is
so meticulously followed up and with a
214

very well planned and customised service

program, that we are absolutely delighted We are committed to the performance of ensures, plant users are never left with-
with the performance of our plant, adds our equipment and thats what makes us out any support, anytime anywhere.
Prashant Kanade. On time service assis- Marini, he further adds. Each Marini in The uptime clocked as high as 99%, is
tance, prompt support and use of modern India, is built with technology, such as thanks to the technology and the service
technology assisted service ensures top remote assistance, auto diagnostic func- support from Marini, there is no alterna-
notch performance adds Soundarrajan. tions, online maintenance scheduler, which tive magic adds Mr. Varghese.
Profitability with each ton
Technology plays a very important role.
Technology, not just in plant construction
but in each component function. Our Marini
has helped us amazingly, adds Digvijay
Singh Director at DCPL. Bitumen accu-
racy, screening and sorting, along with
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

drying and mixing, each function of the hot

mix plant works flawlessly on the Marini.
We have benefited greatly from many of
these Marini features, quite unheard on
other brands. Delivering for us, prompt
completion of projects, almost zero wast-
age, very high efficiency and low produc-
tion costs. Many of these advantages, eas-
ily explain, why smart professionals are
moving towards Marini technology, adds
Mr. Varghese.w

For further details:

Marini India
Email: info@marini.co.in
Web: www.marini.co.in
215
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

MC-Special DM
Dynamic SynCrystallization® based
High Performance Integral Waterproofing Additive

R
einforced Concrete is one of the tion of MC-Special DM to the concrete, the tribution is optimized. In presence of exter-
most versatile and widely used ensuing actions helps protect your con- nal water ingress and existing calcium
construction materials on account crete against water ingress. hydroxide in the pore space, this crystalli-
of its constructability and durability. Its zation process accelerates, thereby filling
1.Reduction of Capillary Pores: Spe-
durability is severely affected, due to its up the pore cavities with the CSH gel and
cial additives in MC-Special DM make the
inherent formulation. Even M30 Concrete crystal hydration products. This mineral-
concrete more workable (increases slump)
has as much as 14-20% pore volume, not ization process reduces further water in-
at the same w/c ratio or provide a reduc-
including air pores. Concrete contains these gress into the concrete.
tion in w/c at the same workability levels.
pores due to a generous addition of mix-
This property helps concrete achieve 3.Hydrophobic Pore Blocking Mech-
ing water used to obtain a sufficient com-
excellent compactability thereby reduc- anism: In addition to reduction of capillary
pactness and workability. Owing to these
ing capillary pores. pores and the Dynamic SynCrystallization®,
capillary pores, concrete is always pervi-
MC-Special DMhas special additives, which
ous to water. For Durability, it becomes 2.MC's Revolutionary DySC® Tech-
on one hand causes contraction of capil-
imperative to protect concrete from ingress nology: MC-Special DMuses special latent
laries and on the other hand converts the
of water and an effective solution is inte- hydraulic and pozzolanic Nanoparticles to
water-absorbing capillary forces into water
gral waterproofing using MC-Special DM. ensure densest packing in the cement ma-
repellant capillary forces due to the hy-
This form of protection/waterproofing be- trix at the Nano scale. The cement matrix
drophobic effect of the constituent. Thus
comes increasingly attractive for applica- is therefore densified by a complex pro-
water is pushed out of the capillary pores
tions such as basement slabs, walls, lift- cess called - Dynamic SynCrystallization
and the concrete is kept dry.
pits, underground pipes, tunnels, deep pile (DySC®). The strength and impermeability
The result of these mechanisms has
foundations, manholes, dams, water-re- of any cement-based material is based on
been verified in accordance with DIN 1048:
tention structures, swimming pools, wet hydration of the clinker components. MC-
Part 5: Testing water penetration into the
areas, cooling towers, etc. Special DM'sNanoparticles in the capil-
concrete at varying pressure upto 5 bars.
MC-Special DMis easy to use, either lary pores act as additional crystallization
Results indicate that depending upon the
in the concrete batching plant or in a tran- seeds that lead to new C-S-H gels and
concrete mix-design the water penetra-
sit mixer at site. MC-Special DM should crystal formation thus completing miner-
tion under pressure is reduced by up to 60%.
be added to the concrete after all other alization of the cavity structure.
In addition, similar tests for co-efficient of
components of the mix have been added. At this phase, the crystallization con-
permeability for concrete treated with
Concrete should be mixed for atleast a tinues to the surface of the cement grains,
MC-Special DM was reduced by up to 67%
minute after addition of MC-Special DM. without affecting the pore gel solution.
as compared to control concrete.
Dosage is economical at 1% by weight of Over time the structure of the matrix is be-
Therefore, with specialized Mix Designs
cement or atleast 3 kg MC-Special DMper comes refined, overall porosity decreases,
and MC-Special DM, High performance
m3 of ready mixed Concrete. Post addi- micro-cracks are sealed and pore size dis-
waterproof can easily be envisioned for
application into everyday construction.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

MC-Bauchemie (India) Pvt. Ltd. Manufac-

tures this product alongwith a host of
other Construction Chemicals in techni-
cal and financial collaboration with MC-
Bauchemie, Germany. MC-Bauchemie
(India) Pvt. Ltd. isan ISO 9001:2008 certi-
fied Company.w

For further details:

MC – Bauchemie (India) Pvt. Ltd.
411, Arenja Corner, Sector 17, Vashi,
Navi Mumbai - 400703,
Ph:+91-22-27892856/27880803,
Fax:+91-22-27893870,
E-mail: Info.india@mc-bauchemie.com
Web: www.mc-bauchemieindia.com
216
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Quality Issues Associated with

Readymix Concrete
V.R. Kowshika
Director-Marketing &Technical,
ECMAS Construction Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.

O
ver a period of last 20 years RMC B. Each truck when it reaches site again range should not be rejected on the other
industry has made reasonable the slump, temperature is mea- hand an inferior quality concrete should
progress in India in terms of vol- sured, recorded, communicated to not be put into use. We need to also know
umes. Lot of efforts have been put to plant. that cost of using a bad concrete is much
covert site mix concrete into readymix con- In India some companies do not fol- more than cost of rejection as the cost of
crete and that has given fruits. low both A and B in total and hence we subsequent testing ,time lost to prove the
In terms of QA/QC systems, quality of will have problems mostly in such concrete right many times will be huge.
concrete produced we see many issues companies. For properly following
What happens in case of low slumps on
and unfortunately the progress is not upto both A and B , sufficiently trained
field?
the expectations. This article explores the technicians are required both at
issues and possible solutions. Plant and site. The lower slumps can be attributed to
low initial slumps, quick loss of water
1. Low entry and exit barriers Why slump becomes a problem? some of
from concrete due to high evaporation
the reasons are
As there are not much regulations on rates(on high temperature days),very
the Quality of people employed in RMC 1. Wrong initial judgment or not quick hydration rates due to elevated tem-
industry, any one who is having sufficient observing the concrete initially peratures, high speed rotation of transit
money can invest and start. But here the 2. Inconsistent raw materials with dif- mixer drums on the way to sites, delays in
problem is if this investor with his team ferent properties compared to mate- transportation, inadequate dosage of
are not interested, dedicated to serving rials used in trials/normally. admixture or un suitable admixture with
the industry with high quality concrete, 3. Error in admixture dosage low slump retention, quickly reacting
then the concrete from such plants will 4. Error in water content due to improper cement etc. Low slump concrete having
most likely be inferior in quality. Here in moisture correction reasonable slumps can be rejuvenated
such cases unless there is change in ATTI- 5. Error in batching itself. by re dosing with chemical admixture.
TUDE of the top management the quality 6. Changes in properties of cementitious Proper care has to be taken while re dos-
will be a neglected area. materials. ing by using right amount of admixture,
7. Time elapsed after mixing also mixing properly for a minimum of 3 to
2. QA/QC team The solution to all the above issues 4 minutes in order to ensure uniform mix-
Any RMC company should have a will be to bring maximum awareness to ing . We also need to note that we should
good QA/QC team. It is the responsibility QA/QC people on all aspects of quality not do re dosing more than say 2 times as
of the top management to select ,train control such as Forward, intermediate after that the concrete may not respond to
and build a strong QA/QC team so that and Retrospective controls. We need to give right fresh and hardened properties.
they take care of Quality of the finished know the top management should invest It is also necessary to note that re dosing
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

product. For any RMC company with a maximum time and required money in has to be done within a maximum period
long term ambition good QA/QC team is training QA/QC people.
mandatory. What are the measures to be taken if the
3. Issues with workability slump is more?
In ready mix concrete both producer If slump is more than required first check
and consumer is looking for right slump. whether that is within the requirements of
If any one of the two are not looking for IS 4926?.If not, we can just ask the truck to
right slump then it can trigger many other wait for say another 15 to 30 minutes and
quality related problems. In countries like take slump again, if then also slump is
OMAN,KSA many ready mix concrete more and unacceptable then the con-
producers follow the following interme- crete may be rejected. It is to be noted
diate qc checks that anybody can reject concrete but it
A. Each truck is physically checked for requires lot of judgment ,experience to
slump ,temperature and recorded accept concrete. A good concrete which
218

before the truck leaves the plant. appears to be just falling out of slump
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

of say 3 or4 hours(depending upon ambi- where the actual strength of concrete has j . Not calibrating the cube testing
ent conditions, grade of concrete and become low or unacceptable. Mostly here machine or a Erroneous testing
based on some experience or data) after the ingredients and the process of pro- machine.
batching concrete. In case of high duction are responsible for the results. k. Not placing the cube properly at cen-
strength concretes, high performance Some of the reasons as we know for tre of platen , during testing.
concretes re dosing trials need to be done these are l. Not applying proper rate of loading as
to assess the time of re dosing and re dos- per standards.
a. Low quality cement / cementitious
ing rate. m. Not making cubes in right way, as per
materials or any other ingredients
According to European Standard EN standards
b. Vast changes in properties of cemen-
206-1:2000 five classes of slump have C. Post production strength issues.
titious materials compared to the
been designated, as tabulated below.
propertiesduringreferencetrialmixes. These are strength problems that are
For a slump class S2 or S3 you could
c. High water contents in mixes leading
expect a measured slump (spot sample created after producing concrete during
to big deviations in W/C ratio(can gen-
from initial discharge) to fall within the transportation, delivery, placing and even
erally also happen due to wrong mois-
range of 30 - 120mm and 80 - 180mm after placing. Like Intrinsic strength prob-
ture, absorption corrections or com-
respectively, whereas for target slumps lems they are irreversible and only some
pletely neglecting moisture content
of 80mm and 120mm, the ranges will be remedial treatments can help in making
on different aggregates)
40 - 130mm and 70 - 180mm respectively. this concrete fit for purpose. Some rea-
d. Wrong batching of ingredients.
The EN standards appear to be more sons that can be listed are
e. Improper mix design and selection of
practical on the slump deviation issues n. Improper and inadequate compaction.
raw materials.
4. Issues with strength of ready mix con- o. Intermittentcuring ,inadequatecuring.
B. Apparent strength issues p. Addition of water on site or during
crete
These issues look as if they are real transportation.
Strength is one of the most important q. Delayed use of concrete after long
but they need investigation and most
parameters on which the quality of con- time ,after batching.
likely the actual strength of concrete may
crete is judged and hence its fitness for q. Not following proper construction
be right, if other practices are followed
purpose is agreed. The strength issues practices like providing construction,
properly during and after concreting. The
can occur in ready mix concrete due to Expansion joints etc.
reasons for such strength issues can be
many reasons. The issues can be classi- A very good understanding of these
fied into the following categories as fol- f. Improper sampling(not following
issues and solutions help the QA/QC sys-
lows internationally acceptable standard
tems to manage quality of concrete in a
sampling procedures)
A. Intrinsic strength issues……..which can very effective way , also solve strength
g. Not remixing the sample
be corrected only by some remedial related issues in a proper way so that jus-
h. Not applying mould oil to the cubes.
treatments. tice is done both to RMC producer and
i. Not curing the concrete cubes in a
customer.
These are real problematic issues proper way ,continuously.

The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

5. Issues of Cracks
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking
It occurs within 1 to 8 hours after plac-
ing, when subjected to a very rapid loss of
moisture caused by a combination of fac-
tors, which include air and concrete tem-
peratures, relative humidity and wind
velocity at the surface of the concrete.
These factors can combine to cause high
rates of surface evaporation in either hot
219

or cold weather.
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Plastic Shrinkage Cracks ture. However as they can become pas-

sage for external agents like
When moisture evaporates from the
water,co2,oxygen,chlorides etc they need
surface of freshly placed concrete faster
to be closed at the earliest to prevent
than it is replaced by bleed water, the sur-
these agents affecting the RCC structure
face concrete shrinks. A zero bleed con-
and concrete itself.
crete will shrink due to the restraint pro-
vided by the concrete below the drying sur- The preventive measures are
face layer, tensile stresses develop in the
5.a. Use right slump concrete with rea-
weak, stiffening plastic concrete, result-
sonable bleeding and not very low
ing in shallow cracks of varying depth
slumps with very low bleeding( Rate of
which may form a random, polygonal pat-
evaporation should be lesser than
tern, or may appear essentially parallel to
rate of bleeding).This has to be
one another as shown in pictures.
decided purely based on ambient con-
These cracks are often fairly wide at
ditions and really most of the times
the surface. They range from 5 cm to a few
impractical
m in length and are spaced from 5 cm to
5.b. Most importantly use wind breakers,
as much as 3m apart. Plastic shrinkage
cover the freshly laid concrete with
cracks begin as shallow cracks but can
polythene sheet ,start curing with
become full depth cracks.
easiest method as early as possible
Plastic Settlement Cracking just when the concrete has set or just
After initial placement, vibration and prior to concrete setting . Protection
finishing concrete has tendency to con- against moisture loss prior to setting Sowhatshouldwedoifthesecracksoccur?
tinue to consolidate. During this period, is very important. This can be
Most of these cracks are said to be
the plastic concrete may be locally achieved by spraying water using a
autogenously healing in nature.However
restrained by reinforcing steel, earlier pesticide sprayer or applying a evapo-
a neat cement with acrylic polymer/SBR
placed hardened concrete or formwork. ration retardant or a curing com-
polymer also mixed with non shrink grout
This local restraint may result in voids pound.
additive can be used to fill up these cracks.
under the obstruction and cracks above 5.c. Retamp or revibrate the concrete if
They can also be filled up with pre packed
the obstruction. When associated with cracks are observed just when the
crack filling mortars .
reinforcing steel, settlement cracking concrete is being placed, finished.
It should be noted that the QA/QC peo-
increases with increasing bar size, This is difficult but when rates of evap-
ple should be fully aware of the subject of
increasing slump, and decreasing cover. orations are very high ,this is one of
cracks to properly handle such common
The degree of settlement cracking maybe the important actions to be taken.
issues. It should be noted that the cracks
intensified by insufficient vibration or by 5.e. To prevent plastic settlement crack- issue is more to do with external ambient
the use of leaking or highly flexible forms. ing apart from taking care of above conditions and cracks can be mini-
It is important to note that plastic methods ,we need to avoid conges- mized/prevented to great extent by
shrinkage and plastic settlement cracks tion of rebars; rigid design of forms; proper construction practices at site. A
occur after placement of concrete and proper vibrating needle penetration; proper understanding of these issues is
most of the times governed by external provision of time interval between the very essential to site Engineers who are
factors like ambient temperature, humid- placements of concrete in columns, involved in supervision of concrete quality
ity, wind velocity. Greater the rate of evap- deep beams, thick slabs and beams on site as they are fully responsible for
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

oration of bleed water or water from the (with advance pour planning). The use minimizing/preventing such cracks. A
body of concrete greater is the tendency of of the lowest possible slump, and an proper perception on these issues is also
concrete to crack. Both plastic shrinkage increase in concrete cover will reduce essential to stop unnecessary harass-
and plastic settlement cracks are classi- settlement cracking. ment to RMC QA/QC personnel as well
fied as non structural cracks and have no Again many of the above, when can not
as all other suppliers ,providing ingredi-
impact on the life /strength of the struc- be done, we can only focus on 5.b and 5.c.
ents to concrete producers.
References
1. Quality issues in RMC,ppt by Mr Raj
Pillai and V.R.Kowshika.
2. Manual of Ready-Mixed concrete by
J.D.Dewar and R.Anders on
3. QA/QC controls of RMC, ppt by
Marcus Rappens Berger, UK
4. Understanding cracks, ppt by Gordon
220

Bain,Australia.
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Dock Shelters from Gandhi Automations

– Safe & Environmental Friendly

G
andhi Automations offers a com-
plete range of Dock Shelters avai-
lable for every kind of use and envi-
ronment. Strong and of good quality, the
different models are designed to resist to
the docking of the vehicles, reducing their
impact in different ways.
Retractable Dock Shelters: The
retractable PVC front panels Dock Shelter
is the most commonly used one. Thanks to
its simplicity and efficiency, it grants for a
constant pay back of the investment.
These are available for dock level installa- Retractable Dock Shelter
tion or for ground level installation for the
protection of doors without dock. The PVC coated polyester fabric, supporting
front panels are made of high resistance the vehicle pressures and perfectly seal-
black PVC reinforced with a double weav- ing the three sides, including the space
ing of polyester that works like a spring in between opened rear doors and sides of
order to seal the vehicles of different the vehicle. The two vertical cushions have
shapes. The flaps are flexible and have very continuous overlapped anti-friction lim-
Inflatable Dock Shelter
high wear and tear resistance. Designed pets allowing for the up and down heavy
to retract under the shock of any possible friction of the vehicle on its suspensions, fan and it creates a perfect insulation bet-
wrong maneuvers of the docking vehicles during the loading. It is available with fixed ween the vehicle and the loading bay, shel-
and extend when the vehicle drives away. or adjustable horizontal top cushion, ad- tering from cold, rain, wind and also dust
Cushion Dock Shelters: Due to its justable to the different vehicle heights. and humidity. The Inflatable Dock Shelter
high insulation factor, the Cushion Dock Inflatable Dock Shelters: The Inflat- is made of polyester fabric PVC covered, a
Shelter is the ideal solution for controlled able Dock Shelter is the best solution for material resisting to hot temperatures and
temperatures. The three cushions are made insulating and improving the working envi- bad weather conditions. Inflatable Dock
of elastic polyurethane foam, covered with ronment. It can be rapidly inflated with a Shelters provide the most versatile seal
available to service the widest variety of
truck and trailer configurations.
Advantage:
Better Dock Safety: Dock Shelters seal
the gap between the building and the vehi-
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

cle in such a way that when the Sectional

Overhead Door is opened goods and per-
sonnel are protected against the harsh
weather conditions outside. Dock Shelters
provide a seal between the internal and
external environments thus assisting in
reduction of energy consumption. The sav-
ings in energy costs is considerable.w

For further details:

Gandhi Automations Pvt Ltd
2nd Floor, Chawda Commercial Centre
Link Road, Malad (W) Mumbai – 400064
Ph: 022-66720200/66720300 (200 lines)
Email: sales@geapl.co.in
Web: www.geapl.co.in
222

Cushion Dock Shelter

 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Reliable Road Sweeper for the Toughest

Cleaning Requirements

India
ndianow
nowhas
hasone
one
ofof
thethe
largest
largest
road
road
net-
Iworks
networks in theMaking
in the world. world.the
Making
upkeepthe
of
thisupkeep
networkofofthis network
roads of roads
and highways areand
lat-
highways
est road are latest road
sweeping sweeping equip-
equipment. Roots
ment. RootsisMulticlean
Multiclean is considered
considered an
an industry
industry trendsetter,
trendsetter, when itwhencomes it comes
to roadto
road sweeping
sweeping equipment.
equipment. The company,
The
which offers a wide range of cleaning
equipment, offers truck mounted model
RS 6000, known for meeting the toughest
cleaning requirement.
It is highly essential to keep the roads
and road sides' spic and span. Cleaner
roads are safer roads. Maintaining a clean
road involves the removal of litter and
removal of leaves from the roads. This not
only keeps the roads clean and tidy but
assists keeping the roads safe and the
road drains free of objects that could
impede water flow.
Road sweepers have been around for
ages in developed countries and were Road Sweeper / Highway Sweeper for Highway Cleaning
designed to keep cities and towns clean. ally by people with brooms. Sweeping collect all this and to dispose it. Now with
Sanitation and waste removal has away garbage, leaves, animal waste and increased awareness on personal
become more mechanized in developed any other kind of visible filth were always hygiene and lack of willingness amongst
countries. This concept is now slowly pick- done by people. They would do this for the people for such menial jobs, it has now
ing up in India with the growth in infra- hours and hours, which could become a become a necessity and compulsion to
structure and social awareness. tedious task after a while. Beyond sweep- resort to mechanized cleaning.
Roads in India were swept tradition- ing, the even more herculean task was to With all the busy streets and fleeing
automobiles, it is absolutely impossible to
maintain the long stretch of highways and
large cities clean with manual work force.
The practical problems involved in main-
taining a highway or large area starts with
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

managing the large manpower required

and then comes the question of cleaning
efficiency and management of time. The
usage of a road sweeper makes more
sense.
A Road sweeper / highway sweeper
for highway cleaning – Truck Mounted
Sweepers built by Roots Multiclean Ltd
are of the highest quality standards, meet-
ing the toughest cleaning requirement
and are known for their functionality and
reliability.
Prominent features of the Roots Truck
Mounted Sweepers
223

Road Sweeper / Highway Sweeper for Highway Cleaning - Dust- Free efficient sweeping
 COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Overall
Dimensions
(Chassis dependent)
Length 7200mm
Height 3000mm
Width 2300mm

Debris Hopper
Capacity 6m3
Water Tank 1000 litres
Dumping Height 1100 mm
Dumping Tilt Angle 520
Dumping Hydraulic
Dumping Controls In Cab
One Each Side
Inspection Doors of Hopper

Sweeping
Equipments
Overall Sweeping Road Sweeper / Highway Sweeper for Highway Cleaning
with one side brush 2100 mm
F 500mm - Appropriate speed directs it into the suction head which col-
Side broom (F 600 Optional) - Increased hopper capacity for larger lects the dust and dirt particles into the
Single Segment area operation hopper. The machine also effectively col-
Side broom Type Steel Tined - Robust build to suit tough environ- lects Brick size particles of debris, and
F 400mm x ments. certain constructions materials and
Main broom 1200mm Length - Ergonomically placed instruments spillages. The wander hose helps to
Cylinderical PP and Control Systems for easy opera- reach all corners and gutters where the
Main broom Type Roller Broom tion machine cannot reach and takes the
Broom Drive Hydraulic Motor - Low maintenance cost. debris to the hopper. The truck mounted
- Completely sealed hopper with pre- sweepers come with a high-pressure
Hydraulic
filter system for heavy dustya water jet to aid in cleaning certain places.
Direction change cylinder
pplications ( Suppresses the dust ) The high pressure water jet can also be
Suction Nozzle 500mm width
- Has an auxiliary engine for the sweep- used to clean the hopper after dumping
Suction Nozzle Independent
ing and vacuuming the collected dirt.
Type Suction Nozzle
- Two variants – Regenerative type for Road sweeping machines are used in
Operating Direction Forward
terrain undulations and Brush type a wider application area than just road
Suction Hose F 250mm for smooth road surfaces with low sweeping. Their versatility allows them to
Reinforced dust. be used on large construction sites and
Hose Construction Moulded Rubber
Function as well as industrial sites where the col-
F 150mm x
lection of debris is important, for both
Wander Hose 3000mm Length The machine sweeps the debris and safety reasons as well as aesthetic rea-
sons. The reason why the majority of road
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

sweeping machines are truck based is to

allow for extended time sweeping and to
accommodate the resulting larger vol-
umes of debris. Road sweeping
machines are available in different
designs and debris feeding mechanisms
to allow usage in different applications
and terrains.w

For further details:

Roots Multiclean Ltd.
R.K.G. Industrial Estate, Ganapathy,
Coimbatore - 641006
Ph: +91-422-4330330
E-mail: rmclsales@rootsemail.com
Web: www.rootsmulticlean.in
224

Road Sweeper / Highway Sweeper for Highway Cleaning

 COATINGS: POLYURETHANE DISPERSIONS

SuperFlex PUD Coatings

“Greater Coating Applications than Your Imaginations”
Sameer Bhore, Project Manager – Walrus Paints Pvt. Ltd., Multichem Group, Mumbai

"PUDs are benefiting from a growth in the

Water Drying
high-end coating market due to their per- H O - Si - O - Si - O H
formance and strong potential as well as H O - Si - O H
O O
energy consumption requirements” OH H O - Si - O H Siloxane
Si Si
bonding
Polyurethane dispersions are high OH
solids dispersions of polyurethane/ poly-
thane coatings are becoming more popu- Polyurethane dispersions give im-
urea polymers in water. They provide the
lar for goods manufacture, in the furni- pressive results in all of these applica-
performance of polyurethane and the con-
ture industry, and for the original equip- tions due to its very high initial and final
venience of waterborne latex. Polyurethane
ment manufacturing side of the automo- bond strength in bonding a large number
polymers have traditionally exhibited high
tive industry, as well as some marine of natural and synthetic materials.
toughness and versatility in Coating, Adhe-
applications. Some modern production Moreover, the addition of an emulsifi-
sive, Sealant and Elastomeric (CASE)
lines have now been switched entirely to able polyisocyanate crosslinker consid-
applications. Waterborne dispersion tech-
water-based, heat cured coatings. erably increases heat resistance and
nology allows ease of formulation, appli-
cation and cleanup as well as environ- Superflex Properties ensures significantly better resistance to
mental advantages such as the elimina- chemical degradation.
Tensile strength: It is known that the
tion of monomers, odor and production of UV resistance and Other Properties:
mechanical properties of polymer depend
volatile organic compounds (VOC). Since
up on the degree of polymerization it was Superflex coatings are based on ali-
the polyurethane reactive chemistry is
interesting to know that all the polyester phatic polyurethane dispersions which are
performed at Multichem, the user does
soft segments had almost same degree characterised by improved storage sta-
not have to work with reactive materials;
of polymerization put still the puds coat- bility, good water release, outstading che-
in addition, this product has no residual
ing from them have remarkably very high mical and stain resistance, high UV stabil-
(i.e., free) isocyanate. Polyurethane disper-
tensile strength in the range of 15 to 45 ity along with high pendulum hardness.
sions allow the many advantages of poly-
Mpa. Superflex products are also designed to
urethane polymers to be brought to CASE
Bonding strength: Initial bond strength give thermal barrior in hot season.
applications, without these conventional
is a valuable property when assembling
handling concerns. However, formulating
parts together and keeping them in posi-
skill is required to obtain optimum prop-
tion. Adhesives must combine good initial
erties from polyurethane dispersions.
tack and adhesion.
Performance and Environmentally-
friendliness Drive Growth Flexibility:
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

The combination of performance and Both wood coaters and industrial users
environmental pressures make polyure-
will benefit from the optimum flexibility
thane dispersions a premier technology
Superflex offers. Contractor will appreci-
for a wide number of products. These char-
ate its suitability for clear and pigmented
acteristics are the main drivers behind the
coating, primers and top coats as well as
strong market growth.
the possibility of 1k or more economical
With polyurethane technology, we
2k coating formulation. Superflex prod-
can create coatings, adhesives and seal-
They offer a variety of possible appli- ucts give more offer more than 100% elon-
ants with superior performance and aes-
cations owing to their outstanding adhe- gation to take care of substrate thermal
thetics that will endure even in the most
demanding situations. For example, poly- sive properties. These range from 3-D dec-
urethane coatings are always considered orative film lamination in the furniture
to be top of the line in terms of corrosion industry and heat lamination for automo-
resistance, weather stability, scratch re- tive interior trim to the often highly com-
sistance and the like. plex manufacture of fashionable foot-
225

As a result, water-based polyure- wear.

 COATINGS: POLYURETHANE DISPERSIONS

contraction and expansion. This property Concrete roofs, even with good drain- Podium Waterproofing: SuperFlex
ultimately leads to leakage protection, age, have a tendency of leaking. A practi- products are extremely tough, durable, fast
through cracks which may develop during cal solution is to install a liquid applied reacting high build systems for water-
the life of structure. membrane system. Liquid applied mem- proofing and protective coating. Hence they
branes are easy to repair if an accident are best suited for Podium Waterproof-
Anti-dirt Pick
occurs when they remain the trafficable ing, either as exposed or as undercoat.
Dirt pick-up for low-VOC exterior paint surface. They are also the most practical
is one of the toughest challenge. Many fac- waterproofing method when a decorative
tors contribute to increased dirt pick-up. surface is installed such as pavers. When
High PVC paints have a higher surface area applying a membrane to roofs we recom-
allowing greater area for dirt to accumu- mend a membrane with reinforcing mate-
late. Low Tg resins make the film soft and rial. This is a similar process to balconies.
sticky under heat and moisture. Oil affi- Either as a foam underlay or on top as
nitive surface active additives attract envi- a coating, Superflex can make the floors
ronmental dirt and stains to the painted we walk on every day more durable, easier
surface. to maintain and more aesthetically pleas-
ing. Using flexible polyurethane foam as a
Superflex serves three functions: carpetunderlayinresidentialorcommercial
- Allows the reduction of film tackiness applications can significantly increase the
- Allows the reduction of hydrophobic lifespan of the carpet, protect its appear- Today's homes demand high-perfor-
additives, which are oil/soil attracting ance, provide added comfort and support mance materials that are strong, yet light-
additives (indirect reduction of dirt and can reduce ambient noise. weight; perform well, yet are easily installed;
attraction) Superflex is also used to coat floors,
and are durable, but also versatile. PUD
- Adds oil repellency to the paint (direct from wood and parquet to cement. This pro-
helps conserve natural resources and helps
reduction of dirt attraction) tective finish is resistant to abrasion and
preserve the environment by reducing
solvents, and is easy to clean and maintain.
energy usage. With its excellent strength-
With a polyurethane finish, a new wood,
to-weight ratio, insulation properties, du-
parquet or cement floor wears better and
rability and versatility, PUD is frequently
longer, while an old floor can be refin-
used in building and construction applica-
ished to look new again.
tions. Both the affordability of these ver-
Wall Waterproofing: Wall coatings not
satile materials and the comfort they pro-
only protect against moisture and aggres-
vide homeowners have made polyurethane
Superflex Normal coatings sive substances, such as acidic gases, but
components part of homes everywhere.
they need to be compatible with the physi-
Superflex PUD is used all over the
Application cal requirements of the building. SuperFlex
house. In floors, flexible foam padding
Roof Waterproofing: Roofs are one of offer interesting advantages for both inte-
cushions your carpet. In the roof, reflec-
the main areas from which water damage rior and exterior wall coatings. Superflex
tive plastic coverings over polyurethane
occurs. New roofs are constructed to meet systems can provide specific properties to
foam can bounce sunlight and heat away,
standards and are generally secure. Con- the wall e.g. a particularly good chemical
helping the house stay cool while helping
crete slab roofs in particular experience and or solvent resistance, which results in
reduce energy consumption. Polyurethane
problems over time. Plumbers attend to a very durable protection for a very long
building materials add design flexibility to
most structural roofing problems to direct time.
new homes and remodeling projects.
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

water, roofing contractors for the surface Foam-core panels offer a wide variety of
covering, with waterproofing products colors and profiles for walls and roofs,
complimenting the solution. A growing while foam-cored entry doors and garage
trend is to utilize the roof space by creat- doors are available in different finishes
ing a 'Green Roof' garden. Waterproofing and styles.
is essential when creating a 'Green Roof'. Coating in Clean rooms, Hospital,
Pharmaceutical, Food industries: Clean
rooms coatings in the pharmaceutical
industry and hospitals room are exposed
Polyurethane-based coatings are to extreme conditions. They have to endure
characterized by a specifically adaptable heavy chemical and mechanical stress.
"hard-soft-segmentation" which results Walls and ceilings are normally the
in good flexibility over a large range of tem- largest area requiring protection in the
peratures. Consequently, small cracks can pharmaceutical industry. Our water-
be bridged better compared to coating sys- borne products have proved durable in
227

tems based on other raw materials. surfaces subject to frequent cleaning.

 COATINGS: POLYURETHANE DISPERSIONS

Easy cleaning, easy application and coat- - Simple mix ratio, good sprayability,
ing economy are also points to be taken smooth finish
into account. - Has excellent impact and tear resis-
Superflex coating systems are ideal tance
for food and beverage industry floors be- - Seamless, root-resistant monolithic
cause they provide a seamless, durable, structure
low-maintenance, sanitary, safe, non-slip - Use non-yellowing Topcoat for full UV
surface that is temperature resistant (can resistance
resist extreme hot and cold tempera- - Total adhesion - no water tracking
tures), and cures fast. - Rapid cure allows quick access to fin-
The clean rooms in Pharmaceuticals, ishing trades or return to service of
labs, hospitals & industries like electron- infrastructure works.
ics demands a very hygienic dust free coat- - Fast cure, long life, permanently
ing & flooring systems. Also in specific flexible.w
conditions along with hygiene & dust free Summery
atmosphere we need to provide Antistatic
PUD Based Superflex many advan-
properties specially in areas with High volt-
tage over other elastomeric waterproof For further details:
age equipments. We offer the entire range
coatings such as high humidity resistance
of systems for these typical areas as below: Multichem Industries Pvt. Ltd.
providing a resilient, dense bubble free 2, Matoshree Kunj, M.D. Kini Marg,
- Highly glossy to matt finish and impermeable coating. Following are Bhandup Village, Bhandup (E), Mumbai-400042
Ph:+91-22-25669137
- Available in various colour some more benefits:
Email: info@multichemgroup.net
- Hygienic & easy to clean dust proof - No Hazardous TDI, MOCA, bitumen or Web: www.multichemgroup.net
surface tar

COMMUNICATION FEATURE

Monsoon Preparation for Tower Cranes

tant for reducing downtime. A vast major- hot air must be flown out from the
ity of the technicians/engineers are not panel.
aware of the preventive maintenance pro- - Check whether all the limit switch
cedures. While some of them are aware, (hoist slew & trolley) covers are fixed
often what happens is that due to pres- properly. Check whether the cable
sure on them for completion of projects glands are intact, if not cover the cable
within schedule due to the approaching entry points with plastic.
monsoon, many of them tend to skip the - Check the cable entry of over load and
process. A simple check up schedule over moment limit switches and pro-
could go a long way in reducing downtime, tect it from water.
P.V.Ramdev, MD,
Everest Engineering Equipment Pvt Ltd thereby also enabling timely completion - Check all gear box oil filling caps and
breather caps to avoid water entry into
The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

of projects, which in turn also leads to cost

gear box oil. If water mixes with oil, it will

T
ower cranes are considered one of savings too. The following are the steps
damage the seals as well as corrode
the most critical types of equip- involved in the simple check up process
the internal parts.
ment in the construction industry. for maintenance of tower cranes during
- Check whether the hoisting brake drum
Tower cranes' dotting the skylines of monsoons. and liners have proper rain cover. Water
Indian cities has become a common sight - To Prevent Water entry in to motors, entry to the braking system not only
nowadays. Since, they are crucial for com- cover only the motor terminal boxes corrodes the parts but may slip the
pletion of projects within specified time with plastic. Do not cover the fan or lifting loads.w
schedule, any breakdown of the tower motor body, which may restrict cooling
cranes is bound to lead to delays in pro- air flow and may burn the motor.
jects. Breakdown, especially of older - Ensure all Electrical panels are For further details:
tower cranes, particularly during the mon- closed property if the panels are to be Everest Engineering Equipment Pvt. Ltd.
soon season is however a common prob- covered with plastic do not cover the 45, Ideal Trade Centre, Plot No. 64, Sector-11,
CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai - 400614
lem faced by contractors. cooling fans. Because the VFD Ph: 022-27570729
Preventive maintenance of the tower (variable frequency drives) have their Email: ramdev@everestengg.in
228

cranes for monsoon is therefore impor- own protective cooling system. This
 E.Scape

Stone spheres in Animals Built Reefs

Costa Rica top's UNESCO 550 Million Years Ago
world heritage spots

A rchaeological sites in Costa Rica dotted with mys-

terious stone spheres are among six new spots
I t is a remarkable survivor of an ancient aquatic world now a
new study sheds light on how one of Earth's oldest reefs
was formed. Researchers have discovered that one of these
newly designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. reefs now located on dry land in Namibia was built almost
The stone sphere sites, on the Diquis Delta in south- 550 million years ago, by the first animals to have hard shells.
ern Costa Rica, join places like the Great Wall of China Scientists say it was at this point that tiny aquatic creatures
and Yellowstone National Park on the list of 1,007 developed the ability to construct hard protective coats and
sites designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. build reefs to shelter and protect them in an increasingly dan-
The organization lists places that are of outstanding gerous world. They were the first animals to build structures
universal value, based on criteria such as represent- similar to non-living reefs, which are created through the nat-
ing a masterpiece of creative genius, recording testi- ural processes of erosion and sediment deposition. The study
mony of a vanished civilization, or containing excep- reveals that the animals attached themselves to fixed sur-
tional natural beauty. faces and to each other by producing natural cement com-
The U.N.'s World Heritage Committee, met in Doha, posed of calcium carbonate, to form rigid structures.
Qatar, recently to announce the additions to the list. The creatures known as Cloudina built reefs in ancient seas
Other than the Diquis Delta sites, the new honorees that now form part of Namibia. Their fossilised remains are
include the architectural remnants of a medieval Eur- the oldest reefs of their type in the world. Cloudina were tiny,
asian city, spectacular landscapes in Vietnam and filter-feeding creatures that lived on the seabed during the
India, a wildlife sanctuary in the Philippines and a site Ediacaran Period, which ended 541 million years ago. Fossil
offering geological evidence of the meteorite collision evidence indicates that animals had soft bodies until the emer-
that killed off the dinosaurs. gence of Cloudina.

Pre-Certified LEED Platinum

The Masterbuilder | June 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in

Office Tower Unveiled in Thane

K rishna Datla led DIL Limited has announced the development of Thane One,
an IT/ITES business hub in Thane, Maharashtra, India. Phase I of the project is
due to complete by August 2014. The office tower units with a business center, ban-
quet facilities, a health and wellness center with swimming pool, food and bever-
age outlets, retail amenities and guest rooms. An emergency medical facility is
also included in the plans, as well as a multi-level car park with over 1,000 bays,
plus charging points for electric vehicles. The six-acre development includes an
onsite sewerage effluent treatment plant for treating and reusing water. Thane
One has been designed to be Seismic Zone 3 Earthquake-Resistant and incorpo-
rates a wide variety of security and safety elements, such as pressurized fire-
escape staircases and a glazed façade, designed with openings that meet the
international standards for smoke ventilation. The development is activated with a
variety of landscaped terraces and balconies, which have been designed to achieve
LEED Platinum certification.
229