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CONSTRUCTIONWEEK NEWS , ANALY SI S, PROJ E CTS & B U SI NE SS I NT E L L I G E N C E FO R T H E C O N S T R U CT I O N I N DU S T R Y
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Total number of pages 80 VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2018 • MUMBAI • `50
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WHEEL & BACKHOE LOADERS GREEN BUILDINGS
THE PATIENT
CRUSADER
Yudhvir Singh Malik, chairman, NHAI, and secretary, MoRTH, has championed several causes across the portfolios he has held. His task on hand is to ensure that India gets her roads infrastructure.
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CONTENTS 34
44
34
GREEN BUILDINGS Most developers understand that green buildings are the way forward. They have a checklist of what constitutes a green building and ways to make one.
44
WHEEL & BACKHOE LOADERS With a view to improve operational efficiency & safety, modern wheel & backhoe loaders come equipped with technological advances that are further aiding their popularity and numbers.
54
24 THE PATIENT CRUSADER
Yudhvir Singh Malik, chairman, NHAI, and secretary, MoRTH, has championed several causes across the portfolios he has held. His current task is to ensure that India gets her infrastructure.
For regular updates and subscriptions log on to
8 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
TUNNEL VENTILATION SYSTEMS Besides tunnel engineering, there are myriad kinds of systems created only for these marvels. Ventilation systems are just one.
62
HIGH-SPEED RAIL India’s need for a high-speed rail network is apparent, and the Government is spearheading the initiative, despite the many challenges that stand in the way of implementation.
EDITOR’S NOTE
CONSTRUCTIONWEEK VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 1 • SEPTEMBER 2018
Coming Full Circle Jayashree Mendes
Mitalee Kurdekar
T
here’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing something you’ve worked on come to fruition. With the Construction Week India Awards 2018, we definitely feel that sense of gratification. We believe that we have stood the test of time as the awards will complete their eighth year since inception, this September. And, in keeping with tradition, we wish to ensure that there is much to look forward to at this year’s awards ceremony. Last year, of course, marked the introduction of new categories in the form of Procurement Person of the Year, Project Manager of the Year and MEP Person of the Year, which fêted the unsung heroes within the industry. But we knew that we couldn’t stop there. After all, every construction project has a germination point – one where the initial idea is born, sketched & detailed, before finally taking shape. Which is why, this year, we have decided to honour those whose work helps craft modern-day marvels that would otherwise have remained mere figments of one’s imagination. In fact, with Architectural Design of the Year, we have well and truly come full circle, celebrating all that is integral to fine construction. The industry has been kind, as always, in their outpouring of support for our latest entrant, and – for that – we are glad. In all, we have received an overwhelming number of quality nominations across all 18 award categories, making for a robust judging process and, no doubt, guaranteeing that we will have an exciting awards ceremony. For those not in the know, September 28, 2018, promises stimulating panel discussions between industry stalwarts, followed by a soirée that will see the best in the business get together to applaud achievements made over the past year. Moreover, through our special awards, we will pay homage to illustrious personalities that have been instrumental in paving the way for others, by setting the benchmark for leadership and success within the construction space. With the continued backing of the construction industry, we promise to make it a majestic affair!
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Cross Road, Between Sussex and Retiwala Ind. Estate, Byculla (East), Mumbai-400 027, India, India and published at ITP Media (India), Notan Plaza, 3rd floor, 898, Turner Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400050, India EDITOR Jayashree Kini Mendes
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10 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
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NEWS
Rs 44,000 CR FREIGHT CORRIDOR IN THE WORKS
T
he Indian Railways plans to invest Rs 44,000 crore to build a 1,100km greenfield freight corridor on the east coast connecting Kharagpur with Vijaywada. The corridor, which is expected to carry about 200mt of freight per annum, is likely to be announced in the budget proposal for 2019-20. “There is very heavy traffic Once open, the stretches on the western and eastern corridors will on this route. The work on reduce the travel time. the proposal is currently going on,” said Anurag Sachan, MD at Dedicated Freight Corridor the 3,300km long eastern and western Corporation (DFCC). “We wll be proposfreight corridors. The two corridors, being funding from multilateral agencies ing constructed to connect the mainland along with some equity from Indian Railwith the ports on the western and the ways for the project.” The corridor will eastern coasts of the country, are exconnect mineral rich areas of the counpected to be fully completed by 2020. try to industries in the south. The first phase of the project, India’s The construction work on the corridor first mega railway project since Indepenwill begin only after the DFCC delivers dence, being constructed at the cost of
L&T BAGS ORDERS WORTH Rs 1,904 CRORE
Larsen & Toubro’s construction arm has won orders worth Rs 1,904 crore across segments in the domestic and international markets. Its power T&D business has bagged multiple orders worth Rs 1,723 crore. The business has won an order in the Kingdom of Morocco for the construction of transmission lines to evacuate power from the Midelt solar power station. It has also bagged an order from Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company for the construction of an overhead transmission line from Toshka in Egypt.
14 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
Rs 81,000 crore, is likely to be completed by year end. The 1,500km long western freight corridor runs from Dadri near Delhi to JNPT in Mumbai while the 1,800km eastern corridor is from Ludhiana to Dankuni. DFCC will be making 432km of the western corridor and 343km of the eastern corridor operational by the end of the financial year. Once open, the stretches on the western and the eastern corridors will significantly reduce the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai and Delhi and Howrah, the two most congested rail routes in the country. The construction of the western corridor is being fully funded by JICA, which has provided around Rs 33,000 crore as soft loan. The eastern corridor is being partially funded by the World Bank. Once operational, the corridors will increase the national transporter freight carrying capacity to over 2,000 million tonnes, up from the existing 1,200 million tonnes.
jspl pockets 20% of Rs 2,500 cr order from indian rlys
P
rivate steel maker JSPL has bagged 20% of the Rs 2,500 crore global tender by the Indian Railways to supply long rails. Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) chairman Naveen Jindal said his company has received 20% of the tender floated by the Railways. Indian Railways had invited the global tender for procuring around 4.87 lakh metric tonnes of rails to meet the shortfall of supply from SAIL. This is the first time in three decades that rail procurement has been opened for the private sector. Seven foreign steel companies, and JSPL submitted their bids.
JSPL was the only Indian steel maker in the fray, and was expected to get an assured order of 20% under the ‘Make in India’ clause. JSPL is the only private company that produces rails in India. It was already supplying rails to various countries like Iran and Bangladesh. The foreign entities are Sumitomo Corporation, Angang Group International, Voestalpine Schienen, East Metals, CRM Hong Kong, British Steel France Rail and Atlantic Steel. Till now, the national transporter was procuring rails from governmentowned SAIL.
NEWS
HCL TO SPEND RS 5,500 CRORE ON EXPANSION PLANS
H
industan Copper (HCL) will spend Rs 5,500 crore over 6 years to expand its production capacity by six times to up to 20 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). HCL has very ambitious expansion plans, the company’s CMD Santosh Sharma said. “We have been working till date with a target of expanding to 12.4 HCL will also spend Rs 175 crore for exploration activities million tonnes of copper ore proover three years. duction per annum. Now we have set our revised target at 20 million tonnes (mt),” he said. Sharma said the our exploration activities also,” he added. company is aiming to enhance its capacity It will fund the capital expenditure through six times from present 3.6mtpa to 20mt by internal accruals, equity (QIP), and debt in 2023-24. a phased manner. Right now the company is catering to Besides, the company said that it will around 5% of domestic copper demand also spend Rs 175 crore for exploration and aspires to take it to the level of 30% activities spread over three years. and it has reviewed its expansion plan, Expansion projects of HCL are located in Sharma said. the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan “We have come to conclusion that we and Jharkhand. can grow up to 20 million tonne by 2023Hindustan Copper, a vertically integrated 2024 and for that we have already chalked copper producer, is primarily engaged in out action plan and we will be working on business of mining and processing of copthat action plan. This will be supported by per ore to produce refined copper metal.
BIRLA CORPORATION TO SET UP GREENFIELD CEMENT PLANT IN MAHARASHTRA
B
irla Corporation has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary RCCPL has decided to set up a 3.90 million tonne greenfield integrated cement plant at Mukutban in Maharashtra with a 40MW captive power plant and a 10.60MW heat recovery system. The company said that the RCCPL board has approved setting up the new cement plant, which will take up its capacity from present 5.58 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to 9.48mtpa. The project will entail an investment of Rs 2,450 crore. The greenfield project will be financed by a mix of debt and internal accruals. The move will catapult the
16 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
MP Birla group’s cement production capacity to 19.5mtpa within financial year 2021-22 from 15.5mtpa now. It has already acquired land and has mineral concessions required for the project. The proposed plant has already received environment clearance. It is also expected to get fiscal incentive from the Maharashtra government since it is a cement deficit state. RCCPL has three cement units, an integrated cement plant in Madhya Pradesh and grinding units in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, with an aggregate capacity of 5.58 mtpa of cement and 3.3 mtpa of clinker.
IN SHORT
I
nfrastructure firm NCC has received two new orders worth Rs 689 crore in July from state government agencies. The company said it has received an order of Rs 554 crore pertaining to buildings division and an order of Rs 135 crore related to the electrical division. -------------------The State Bank of India has cleared Rs 25,000 crore advances to NHAI, the largest ever funding arranged by NHAI in a single tranche, marking a resumption of flow of bank funds to the infrastructure sector. Bank lending to infrastructure sector had almost dried up forcing highways minister Nitin Gadkari to reach out to banks last month to get them to resume funding the sector. The SBI loan will be an unsecured loan at 7.99% rate of interest for 10 years with a moratorium of three years for repayment of the principal. The MoU was signed between SBI and the NHAI last month. The funds are needed to meet the bigger roads target for the year. The ministry has raised the daily target for constructing national highways to 45km a day in the current fiscal.
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COMMENT
WHAT LIES BENEATH Ashim Sharma outlines the trends that lie in store for the real estate and construction equipment industry. The author is partner & group head at NRI Consulting & Solutions.
I
nfrastructure spending increased 1.6 times from Rs 23.77 lakh crore in 11th Five Year Plan to 37.24 lakh crore in 12th Five Year Plan. Union budget 2017-18 allocated Rs 3.96 lakh crore to the sector, including Rs 1.31 lakh crore for Railways and Rs 64,000 crore for highways. With the Government target of investing about Rs 25 lakh crore in infrastructure by 2019, the construction equipment market is expected to witness a high growth in this period. Apart from Rs 8 lakh crore on developing 27 industrial clusters, another about Rs 5 lakh crore would be spent on road, railway and ports connectivity projects. Public infrastructure projects are the major revenue generators for CE sector in India, accounting for more than 50% of the demand. Roads and highway projects lead the way, with CE accounting for a major part of the project cost. With growth expected in the public infrastructure projects as well as other major customer segments i.e. ports, airports, housing, mining, etc. the CE industry is expected to see a surge in volumes. With the increase in demand, several mega trends are influencing the CE market in India. Demand shift from multi-function to specialised In the last decade, multi-function equipment such as backhoe loaders dominated the Indian market, offering sufficient engine capacity and cost advantage by providing functions usually associated with two or more machines. However, contract sizes have risen, necessitating need of dedicated equipment to meet timelines. Construction sector is the second largest employer in India. It is also the second-most hazardous sector after mining. Safety has become a key part of discourse while designing vehicles. Currently, government is in consultation with stakeholders to frame a legislation for CE. One of the stated aims as per the draft legislation is
22 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
to ‘Improve the operational safety & emissions aspects of such machinery to promote safety & health & protection of the environment by reducing air pollution’. Globally, the advent of IoT and Big Data is having a profound impact on industries. In India, telematics allows users to get alerts regarding service, operations and security. Equipment repairs represent the third largest cost and can be brought down by use of real-time monitoring and remote diagnostics. Data analytics solutions in the market monitor vehicle and operator and deliver insights for productivity improvements to smartphones/tablets. The future is a complete connected site where all machines are wirelessly connected to each other as well as with a monitoring center and share location and performance data in real time to enable minimum idle time and maximum asset utilization. It is estimated that India would need 1 million trained operators and 3 million mechanics by 2020. Although Infrastructure Equipment Skill Council has targeted to train 2 million personnel by 2020, it will not be enough. Government has allowed tax credits on imported CE, leading to reduction in the landed cost and making imported construction equipment from China cheaper. Construction firms are now looking at ways to reduce capital expenditures to allocate funds for other business needs and leasing has gained prominence. Although rental market size is India is still small compared to other countries, it is poised to grow at a fast rate due to infrastructure development in smaller cities where a lot of contracts are expected to contractors, who prefer renting to owning. Many of the trends outlined above can be looked at as an opportunity to gather higher share of the market by being the first one to take suitable actions to navigate this challenging environment.
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COVER STORY
24 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
COVER STORY
THE PATIENT CRUSADER
Yudhvir Singh Malik, chairman, NHAI, and secretary, MoRTH, has championed several causes across the portfolios he has held. His current task is to ensure that India gets her infrastructure. BY JAYASHREE KINI MENDES
C
ivil servants in India are being pressed to think big. The idea is that if the bureaucracy works better, bringing in change is that much faster. With their erudite background, they are required to be farsighted, sanguine, committed, and forthright. An amenable social disposition and perseverance to complete tasks in hand only adds weightage to the persona. There’s more. Few civil servants are entrusted with critical portfolios and those shouldering them have been given the role based on track record. Even fewer are conferred dual roles or even reinstated in an earlier held portfolio much after moving on to larger roles. In recent times, such an honour has befallen Yudhvir Singh Malik, Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and chairman, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). And rightly so. For long, India’s beleaguered roads & highways sector had not received the attention it ought to have. Construction of new roads & highways were largely ignored and mostly left in disarray. Little thought was given to connecting cities and the hinterland, and even little to the fact that at the very intersection of growth, development and employment imperatives remains road & highway building. So when Malik was appointed chairman of NHAI (November 2016June 2017; his first innings) by the present government, he decided to take matter into his hands. The priority was to not only build highways but also connect remote locations to cities. It helped that the government also announced the Bharatmala project. In his words, “The government has come out with the next most ambitious road development programme, Bharatmala. This mega programme is divided into two phases. This is the next most ambitious programme after the National Highway Development Programme
CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018 25
COVER STORY
(NHDP) which was undertaken in 1998 under the Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which saw the realisation of the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South and East-West corridors.” Malik adds that working with the impatient and supporting Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has only quickened the pace of projects and put them into execution faster. Much math has gone into working out the nuances of this gigantic programme. “Deciding on the contours of Bharatmala involved much in-depth studies. We had consultants on board who embarked on Origins and Destination traffic studies, with the Ministry helping them recognise those national corridors that had choke points. For instance, the East-West corridor leading from Gujarat to Silchar has a number of places where the road is a combination of 6-lane, 4-lane, or 2-lane, and difficult sections where a 2-lane road is difficult to upgrade to 4-or 6-lane for myriad reasons,” he adds. While some might flinch in the face of such encumbrances, Malik is undeterred. He allows his experience back home in his state, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, FSSAI, NITI Aayog, etc. to stand him in good stead and deal with the intricacies of perplexing moments and situations. He is glad that this ambitious programme has the interest of the Prime Minister aided by regular monthly PRAGATI meetings. BUREAUCRATS AT THE TILL On paper, India has long claimed some of the world’s most extensive road and rail networks. That belied reality: roads were twisty, bumpy, single-lane or plain macadamised. Puz-
zled tourists wondered why distances that looked so small on maps took forever to traverse. The road network had barely expanded since the days of the British Raj, and the remotest corners were tied to the centre by the thinnest of infrastructure threads. Real estate development came up faster than infrastructure. Malik is fully aware that capacity addition to the existing roads is painstaking. Bharatmala Pariyojana has been divided into six components. Components are measured on the basis of assured connectivity, ease of work, and long-term benefits. Malik says, “The six components include improvement of the national corridors, development of economic corridors, building intercorridors and feeder routes, border roads, coastal roads and port connectivity, and, finally, expressways. This is how it has been planned and as we gather more understanding we are also working out ways to optimise these corridors.” One such example is the Delhi-Mumbai economic corridor, which is now connected through NH-8 and congested. This corridor is a 6-lane up to Jaipur, and along the way might narrow to a 4-lane for some kilometres. “We have ruled out capacity addition because of the onerous tasks of land acquisition, the expensive utilities shifting, etc. So in January this year, the Ministry came out with guidelines on a few major issues. One was that development of road capacity along the economic corridors need not necessarily be an expansion of the existing road. Since the focus at the initial stage of any road construction has been on connecting major cities and towns en route, it need not be an optimal alignment from the Origin and Destination. It could take a circuitous route, Bridge over river Narmada on NH-8 at Bharuch (Gujarat).
26 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
COVER STORY
Bridge at Chambal River at Kota NH-27 (old NH-76), Rajasthan.
Zirakpur-Parwanoo section of NH-5 (old NH-22).
and a serpentine one, whereas an economic corridor becomes most efficient when it’s a crow-fly route,” adds Malik. Already the government has awarded 6,320km of roads under Phase I of Bharatmala with the financial implications estimated to be Rs 1.44 lakh crore. The government estimates to incur a stupendous investment of about Rs 7 lakh crore for constructing 84,000 km of roads. CHANGING LANES The boost to India’s infrastructure building has not been problem-free. An exuberant rush into public-private partnerships for big projects a decade ago left many private firms taking on bigger financial risks than they could manage. Many ventures stalled. Sometimes, the government found itself at a loose end when contractors defaulted on delivery citing vague reasons. But much of that is behind now. Malik admits that there are challenges, but he prefers to remain firmly in the present. “When we take up expansion of
28 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
an existing road, we face three or four challenges. One is land acquisition for the expanded right of way, second is utilities shifting, the third is tree felling, and lastly, it is the removal of structures. Each one of these has costs, and takes time and effort in getting approvals from authorities, and then addressing them,” he adds. It is for this reason that MoRTH and NHAI decided that the alignments of major economic corridors must be considered after a thorough cost benefit analysis has been worked out. There are benefits of building green-field projects, asserts Malik. It would allow the Government to acquire land in one go with a futuristic plan, which means that considering an ultimate capacity of 8-lane would translate into 70m to 90m right of way in the first go. It would also mean minimal tree felling and utilities shifting, and any other impediments could be worked around. So as and when such major economic corridors projects are to be considered it helps to do a cost benefit analysis as to the costs and efforts involved in development of a green-field vis-à-vis expansion of the existing corridor. “We found greenfield corridors work out to be more efficient and have already identified nine such corridors till now,” he adds. In the case of Delhi-Mumbai economic corridor, we have finalised an alignment that passes through rather undeveloped areas of Haryana, east of Rajasthan and West of Madhya Pradesh. This green-field alignment reduces the existing distance between Delhi-Vadodara by more than 106kms, besides opening new areas to development. Of course, small adjustments are made when the road takes them through a reserve forest, a wildlife sanctuary or a water body. Further on, NHAI has already awarded five packages from Vadodara to Kim (124km), he said. The staunch crusader who reveres safeguarding the environment is happy that not only will this cut down travel time by more than two hours, but also reduce fuel consumption and
COVER STORY
CO2 emissions. “Similarly, we are looking at established economic corridors such as Surat to Chennai and Vishakhapatnam-Vijaywada, Chennai-Salem among others. The idea is reducing distance and if a green-field alignment can help achieve that, it is good,” says Malik. There’s also a quest to use rubber that is added to the bitumen of BG30 Grade or modified bitumen that prolongs the life of the road.
Kashipur-Sitarganj section of NH-309 & NH-9 (old NH-74).
Gomti ka Chauraha-Udaipur, NH-8.
30 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
The Ministry and NHAI seek to work with minimum interruptions. In this respect, another conscious decision taken was to acquire land only on one side of the existing road wherever an existing road is to be expanded, thus minimising the pitfalls of tree felling and utility shifting. “The initiatives for green-field or one-side expansion has got huge support from the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has been supportive and impatient with the pace of development,” says Malik. The Prime Minister has been approving the approach, in particular the environmental gains therefrom. The Ministry also has its own guidelines to building roads. The configuration of any NH is usually: 2-lane with paved shoulder, which means 10m carriage way (otherwise it is 7m carriage way), 4-lane, 6-lane and 8-lane. While the NHAI is mostly entrusted development of high value NHs of 4-lane and above configurations, the 2-lane/ 2-lane with paved shoulders are normally constructed by MoRTH through the State PWDs. NHIDCL is entrusted projects in North-east and North-west hill states and the border roads. Road design plays an important role for NHAI. A bituminous or flexible pavement road is designed for a lifecycle of 15-20 years, whereas a cement concrete road can last for 30 years. “For economic corridors, we are contemplating using a perpetual design which offers strength to the base foundation
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COVER STORY
Mahanadi bridge near Cuttack on Bhubaneswar-Chandikhole section of NH-5 (New NH-16).
and one is required only to do up the wearing coat at regular intervals,” says Malik. Similarly, the NHAI is ensuring that its efforts will pay in terms of toll collections and add to the ease of life for the road users. Last year, NHAI also launched FASTags for electronic toll collection. The exercise has immensely helped and today more than 27 lakh FASTags have been issued across the country. ON THE RIGHT PATH Few know about the Ministry’s and NHAI’s constant moves to transform and optimise processes. One such issue it tackled was quick land acquisitions. There has been a significant reduction in time in managing the acquisition processes with the launch of a portal, Bhoomi Rashi, linked with the public finance management system thus enabling easy flow of funds from the Competent Authorities, Land Acquisition (CALA). Bhoomi Rashi, developed by MoRTH with NIC, has been a game changer in easing and fast-forwarding the entire process. “There are instances where the cost of land acquisition is equal to or higher than the civil construction cost of the road thus becoming a drain on resources and its deployment,” he says with a wry smile. Rules have been laid out for pre-construction, construction and maintenance stages to improve quality, reduce construction cost and time. Some of the changes include mandatory use of LiDAR in land surveying, preparing DPRs, streamlining land acquisition process, etc. There is zero tolerance towards contractors who have delayed projects in the past. What is irksome is that most of these projects left incomplete have
32 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
Bhubaneswar-Puri section of NH-203.
lengths less than 10km and out of the currently 138 delayed projects, NHAI hopes to get 93 completed by March next year. Malik also holds the concessionaires responsible for maintenance of the highways. “For BOT projects, the concessionaire is responsible for maintenance during the entire concession period. But the maintenance of a road project in BOT annuity and HAM is 15 years. Roads constructed under EPC mode have a defect liability period of four years, which is being proposed to be increased to five years now. Beyond that, we engage O&M contractors,” he adds. Road projects don’t come cheap. Moreover, their long gestation period make them susceptible to cost escalation. The four arms of the MoRTH (PWD, NHAI, NHIDCL, BRO) work according to the responsibilities given to them. Most high-value projects come under the ambit of NHAI. There are times when the Authority is compelled to construct projects that could be more of an investment rather than see much traffic. Malik says, “We supplement the budgetary support by raising borrowings and repayments are made through earnings from the projects. However, those projects that are economically unviable but are considered to be important from an infrastructure point of view are funded through budgetary resources.” With so many achievements and a continuous work in progress, what Malik seeks to achieve is get young people on the ground to work with consulting firms like DPR consultants and Authority Engineers. There’s a general sense of fatigue when he sees firms lackadaisical in their work. We need young people, what a friend once called, with fire in the belly. The reformer would like to maintain that the government is indeed doing its job, and how.
GREEN BUILDINGS
BUILDING ECOTOPIA
Most developers understand that green buildings are the way forward. They have a checklist of what constitutes a green building and ways to make one.
BY JAYASHREE KINI MENDES
T
here’s a general tendency among Indian companies to remind everyone about the green building they live or work in. The reason. Green buildings, though popular as an idea, are not actually constructed by the book in its totality. However, according to an article by Anuj Puri, chairman, ANAROCK, though at a nascent stage, India has emerged as one of the leading countries in terms of green buildings’ projects. India ranks only second after the US in terms of the number of green technology projects and built-up area. More than 4,300 projects with an approximate 4.7 billion sq-ft of built-up area are registered for green technology in the country. But are we really doing much? It helps to go green, is an axiom we often hear. The government too is offering subsidies and incentives to developers constructing green buildings. T Chitty Babu, chairman and
34 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
CEO, Akshaya Pvt Ltd, says, “Currently, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is offering out of turn consideration for all green pre-certified projects. Other than this, there are state-wise incentives. States such as Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra, and West Bengal are offering incentives such as increase FAR and reduction in property taxes. Currently, there are no such incentives in Tamil Nadu yet.” The government of India provides fast-track environmental clearance for green building projects which are pre-certified/provisionally certified by IGBC. “They offer additional 5% FAR free of charge for projects which are rated Gold or above by IGBC. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), offer an additional FAR of 3%, 5% and 7% for green buildings rated as Silver, Gold, and Platinum respectively by IGBC,”
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GREEN BUILDINGS
FROM CONCEPTUAL TO DESIGN STAGES, THE GREEN BUILDING NORMS COME INTO PLAY RIGHT FROM SELECTION Hiranandani BG House, Mumbai is LEED Platinum certified.
says Vivek Mohanani, MD & CEO, EKTA World. The subsidies and incentives offered by the state governments are to be seen in proper perspective, as being subtle nudges towards encouraging more green buildings, rather than something sort of a freebie or goodie. “It needs to be kept in mind that land is a state subject, and various state governments offer concessions to projects that follow norms of green buildings. Across various states in India, the two basic incentives are (1) additional FAR/ FSI at no additional cost – in most instances, it ranges from 3-7%, this depends upon the rating of the concerned Green Building (2) Reduction in permit fee is also allowed, subject to related norms and regulations,” says Dr Niranjan Hiranandani, founder & CMD, Hiranandani Communities; president, Naredco. In the Indian scenario, largely, green buildings have been commercial structures, where again, largely the project is leased out and not sold to the end users. So, with ownership largely being that of the developer who has constructed these buildings, it stands to reason that maintenance of the project – including the green building aspects – is that of
IT IS A MYTH THAT EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS USED IN GREEN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ARE EXPENSIVE. T CHITTY BABU 36 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
OF THE SITE. DR NIRANJAN HIRANANDANI the real estate developer. It is all about using the concerned material for not just maintenance, not just repairs but also renovation and retro-fitting the green building through its life, adds Hiranandani. PLANNING AND GREENERY With India having ratified the COP 21 climate change agreement, green buildings promises to be one of the strongest pillars and foundation for reduction of carbon footprint. Constructions of buildings have been one of the chief global emissions contributors. However, these hold the maximum potential in terms of delivering cuts if the focus aligns to building green. “Additionally, the PWD, government of Maharashtra, has mandated that the renovation of existing buildings and the development of all new government buildings in Maharashtra shall be carried out as per the suitable IGBC Green Building Rating system,” says Amit Ruparel, MD, Ruparel Realty. Experts from the private sector can play a key role in participating with their government counterparts to chart progressive policy and draft win-win propositions for all stakeholders. “Godrej Properties is one of the five founding members of the Sustainable Housing Leadership Consortium (SHLC), a voluntary, collaborative effort with leading Indian housing sector companies to drive sustainability in India’s housing market. Brought together by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, the SHLC’s focus and mandate is to promote sustainable urban development. In addition to leveraging private sector investments to facilitate greater uptake of certified green buildings, IFC is facilitating policy dialogue between the private sector and the government, evaluating technology levers and sharing best practices,
GREEN BUILDINGS
working to raise public awareness as well as identifying strategic actions for industry wide implementation,” says Anubhav Gupta, chief design officer, business head, Vikhroli; head, CSR & sustainability, HO design, Godrej Properties. In terms of practices to adopt, developers need to audit the usage of energy consumption and pre-empt. The technologies that are used in green building lead them to be more energy efficient. “Although these technologies might have greater upfront costs, they save money in the long run. Green buildings make up for their slightly higher premiums through higher energy efficiency and reduced energy intake. A study shows that LEED certified buildings are 25-30% more energy efficient than conventional ones. Maintenance workers create a building microcosm that minimises waste, uses more sustainable materials and systems, and uses energy in the most efficient way possible. Using compressed air audits, VFD, heat dissipation in electrical control panels, low air pressure can keep energy
WE HAVE DEDICATED ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNERS AND SUSTAINABILITY EXPERTS IN-HOUSE CONSULTING WITH EXPERTS ON EVERY PROJECT. ANUBHAV GUPTA Akshaya Pvt Ltd has a reputation for constructing mainly green buildings.
38 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
maintenance costs at a minimum,” says Dhaval Ajmera, director, Ajmera Group. EQUIPMENT AND MAINTENANCE In a green building, there is a need for constant evaluation. “It is the support, which has to be provided by the developer in terms of the equipment maintenance and services. The developer should also look into water conservation and harvesting practices. Some developers have integrated rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharging initiatives in their developments. Solar energy also needs special impetus. All these initiatives need monitoring on a periodic basis and the developer can identify a suitable third-party agency for their maintenance, says Bijay Agarwal, MD, Salarpuria Sattva Group. The initial installation cost of green home systems is marginally high, but it definitely pays off in the long run as water and energy bills are drastically reduced. “Green buildings typically witness 12% operational savings and 7% assets value appreciation as compared to conventional building. The green buildings specially designed for the tropical environment have paved the way for innovative techniques and utilisation of new green materials in the construction industry. These tropical green buildings not only enhance the comfort of dwellers, but also conserve on water and reduce costs associated with energy repair, maintenance and air conditioning. Cost of green materials need not dictate the cost of green buildings, and expert designers can utilise green materials, including some that apparently cost more, without increasing overall project costs. Photovoltaics or extra insulation can have a good payback even though they are expensive to install and their returns can only be seen after a few years,” says Manju Yagnik, vicechairperson, Nahar Group. Green buildings require a host of certifications from agencies such as IGBC or GRIHA council. This has an exhaustive set
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GREEN BUILDINGS
Godrej One, with 750,000 sq-ft, is LEED Platinum certified.
IT IS THE SUPPORT, WHICH HAS TO BE PROVIDED BY THE DEVELOPER IN TERMS OF THE EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND SERVICES. BIJAY AGARWAL
EKTA Tripolis in Goregaon is designed and executed to be a green building.
40 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
of guidelines, which require a highly disciplined development approach. Certain mandatory requirements and green credits are also applicable. “Projects can qualify for precertification once the developers have incorporated the requirements in the project’s design and submitted the relevant documents. The final certification is awarded once the project is complete. The developer, at every step of project completion, is required to submit all supporting documents. This must include information on how and to what degree, the developer intends to adhere to the prescribed certification norms,” says Agarwal of Salarpuria Sattva. Speaking about green products, Gaurav Mathur, head of business development, Grundfos India, says, “Around 10% of the world’s energy is consumed by pumps. If these pumps are replaced with energy efficient pumps (like Grundfos), we can save around 4-5% of this energy. Most pumps waste energy due to incorrect sizing, lack of intelligent control, or outdated technology. A Grundfos Pump Audit evaluates efficiency and the potential for saving energy at a site. It results in an overview of pump performance and suggestions for improvement. Pump audits have produced results for all customers. Industries and water supply companies have cut their energy consumption by 40-60% due to our audits.” Vincent Pinto, sr. VP, new installation business, Schindler India, says, “In elevators and escalators, Schindler strives to bring greener products and technologies to customers. With use of gearless machines, our products consume up to 30% lesser energy compared to conventional systems. Technologies such as Standby mode when not in use, STM belts, etc also bring about savings in power consumption and space. Our products are almost 100% recyclable and free from harmful substances. Our plant at Chakan, Pune, is IGBC platinum rated and we have used solar panels to power more than 75% of the operations.” Babu of Akshaya says that it is a myth that equipment and
GREEN BUILDINGS
PWD HAS SAID THAT RENOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF GOVT BUILDINGS SHALL BE DONE AS PER IGBC SYSTEM. AMIT RUPAREL
Salarpuria Sattva Greenage is a green project in Bengaluru.
LEED CERTIFIED BUILDINGS ARE 2530% MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT THAN CONVENTIONAL ONES. DHAVAL AJMERA
PHOTOVOLTAICS, EVEN THOUGH EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL, ARE GOOD, AND THEIR RETURNS CAN ONLY BE SEEN AFTER A FEW YEARS. MANJU YAGNIK 42 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
materials used in green building construction are expensive. Most equipment and materials are commonly available in the market and if the builder uses technology to the full potential, there is a chance of reducing the overall construction costs as well. For example, Aerocon blocks, though expensive as compared to a clay brick, have following advantages: They are lightweight and can reduce the structural load significantly; they are bigger in size and better manufactured reducing the mortar requirement as well as plastering thickness; and again due to their size, the construction times is faster and requires lesser time. Green Buildings have pre-set norms which have to be followed at all four stages. “For conceptualisation and design stages, the green building norms come into play right from selection of the site. During the design stage, due importance has to be given to placement and location of the structure vis-à-vis lay of the land as also wind direction, to make sure that the orientation of the building is such that it ensures more natural light and air into the building,” says Hiranandani. Robust planning is one of the key factors that contribute towards making a building green. “We believe in green or sustainable thinking as a core development proposition. We have dedicated environmental planners and sustainability experts in-house consulting jointly with industry experts on every project. While a green home typically does not cost a lot more to maintain, green features do add to capital costs. We are in the process to pilot post occupancy surveys to close the loop between green infrastructure and demonstrable benefits seen over the project lifecycle. We actively participate in raising the bar using codes defined by IGBC for the practices, codes and innovations to be realistically implemented and comparable across other frameworks like LEED and GRIHA,” says Gupta of Godrej Properties.
WHEEL & BACKHOE LOADERS
THE RIGHT LOAD
With a view to improve operational efficiency & safety, modern wheel & backhoe loaders come equipped with technological advances that are further aiding their popularity and numbers. BY MITALEE KURDEKAR
T
he market for wheel & backhoe loaders is seeing a spurt in its growth rates. Being a common construction equipment for many decades, the market in India for these products is increasing to meet the demand of fast-paced construction activities both in the public sector as well as the private sector. With many infrastructure projects in the public domain now being executed through the PPP model, the impetus to complete them in a shorter time-frame means that the use of such equipment will rise, resulting in much stronger demand. While some prefer wheel loaders over backhoe loaders given the obvious benefits of mobility, flexibility and low maintenance costs, larger sites opt for backhoe loaders based on the advantages it offers in terms of fast pace
44 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
Volvo CE’s CareTrack telematics system aims to give equipment owners access to a wide range of machine monitoring information.
of work and operator convenience. In short, both products have a sound future in store. An interesting feature of the global demand for such loaders is that it seems to originate more from the Asia Pacific region, particularly from China and India. This is no surprise, as increasing globalisation has ensured that economic activities have shifted to China and India. With farmlands and rural areas in these countries giving way to industries and consequent construction activities, it is natural that the demand for loaders and like construction equipment will spiral upwards. With an eye on costs to remain competitive, these countries are gearing up for the use of modern automated equipment more than ever before, and this is leading to technological advancements in this arena.
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WHEEL & BACKHOE LOADERS
WE ARE SEEING GROWING DEMAND FOR LARGER CLASSES OF EQUIPMENT. DIMITROV KRISHNAN LOCAL OUTLOOK The Indian Government’s initiatives and focus on implementing new infrastructure projects has been a key catalyst for the loader industry in the country. Efforts around the Make in India programme, which some OEMs have taken advantage of, have added a further impetus. In this context, Dimitrov Krishnan, VP and head, Volvo CE India, explains, “The government continues to place priority on building roads and bridges—allocating a budget to build 35,000 kms of road under phase-I of the Bharatmala project, along with allocations for urban rail and airport expansion projects. The drive to improve infrastructure will unquestionably facilitate further growth in the economy and the construction equipment industry.” Jasmeet Singh, head - corporate communications and corporate relations, JCB India, states, “We feel the future prospects are also strong for the backhoe loader, as every construction site requires a general-purpose machine, which is not only versatile but is also mobile. The significant outlay announced by the Government in Union Budget 2018 for creating physical infrastructure in education, health, link roads and affordable housing will continue to boost the demand for backhoe loaders. Rural roads also present significant opportunities for this segment, followed by areas such as sea ports and airports.” In fact, every OEM in this industry is pinning their hopes on a better future in terms of roads and other infrastructure development in India. Nischal Mehrotra, director - sales & marketing, Liugong India, suggests, “The year 2018 started on positive note. With more and more projects being awarded under the roads segment and the Government’s vision of constructing 48 kms per day, this segment has been a key driver. Furthermore, by 2020, the ports handling capacity is slated to exceed 3,000 MTPA, coal output is projected to touch 1 billion tonnes and the cement industry is expected
46 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
to see 600 million tonnes. Not to forget, the road segment, which is slated to grow further.” Explaining how the Government of India programmes are supporting their cause, Ajay Aneja, brand leader, CASE India, offers, “As part of the Government’s Make in India policy, CASE Construction has had a boost in manufacturing in India. We are also exporting and using India as a manufacturing hub. We see a lot of support from the government on this front.” Indian entrepreneurs with their penchant for research & development (R&D) are making use of these opportunities. Manish Arora, business head, Mahindra Construction Equipment, points out, “Mahindra and Mahindra, with its strong R&D department of over 2,000 engineers and its decades of experience in engineering products that last long
PRODUCTIVITY, RELIABILITY AND PROFITABILITY CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY DECIDING FACTORS FOR BUYING THE EQUIPMENT. JASMEET SINGH
JCB offers customer-centric apps and advanced telematics technology in the form of Livelink.
WHEEL & BACKHOE LOADERS
OUR WHEEL LOADERS HAVE THREE WORKING MODES, THEREBY GIVING OPTIONS TO OPERATORS. NISCHAL MEHROTRA
and provide great value, has attained a feat of developing a truly Made in India backhoe loader without any overseas collaboration. Mahindra & Mahindra’s engineers have studied all the applications of construction machinery in India and designed the Mahindra EarthMaster to meet the toughest duty needs of Indian contractors.” EVOLVING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS Although wheel & backhoe loaders continue to be some of the most common construction equipment, the business requirements of the customers using them have evolved over the years and, more importantly, this evolution is now gathering pace. As Singh puts it, “Productivity, reliability and profitability continue to be the primary deciding factors for buying the equipment for customers; however, safety and
WE WILL BE MAKING MORE ATTACHMENTS FOR OUR BACKHOE LOADERS TO ENABLE THEM TO CARRY OUT NEWER Liugong’s range of wheel loaders has AC cabins with ROPS/FOPS mobility engineering.
APPLICATIONS. MANISH ARORA Mahindra is making newer attachments including various buckets for specific applications.
48 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
WHEEL & BACKHOE LOADERS
THERE ARE SOME STATES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE MADE IT MANDATORY TO HAVE TELEMATICS IN CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. AJAY ANEJA Schwing Stetter’s automatic levelling system for the loader bucket enables easy loading.
WE HAVE A FAILSAFE SYSTEM FOR THE ENGINE IGNITION ONLY WHEN THE GEARS ARE NOT ENGAGED. VG SAKTHIKUMAR operator comfort are also becoming critical parameters in the overall buying decision.” He adds that, “JCB has also taken cognizance of evolving customer needs and has come up with solutions pertaining to reduced cost of operation, enhance reliability, performance, ease of use, safety, serviceability and design in its new ecoXcellence range of backhoe loaders.” On the other hand, Krishnan suggests, “Demand for wheel loaders grew steadily over the past five years, and we are seeing growing demand for larger classes of equipment. With Volvo CE, our customers can do more with their equipment and downtime is minimised. Our lower fuel consumption improves cost efficiency and means work environments are cleaner.” Speaking of the dynamics of demand, Surat Mehta, head - SDLG business in India, says, “There will always be de-
50 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
mand for backhoe loaders in India but, certainly, our feeling is that for general construction in particular, users will start to look to wheel loaders over backhoe loaders. Our wheel loaders provide ease of operation, reduced noise levels, comfortable cabs and ergonomically-designed controls, all of which help reduce fatigue and enhance productivity.” Safety, security and operational convenience are some of the other evolving requirements. VG Sakthikumar, MD, Schwing Stetter Sales and Services, suggests that, “In recent times, safety has become one of the prime requirements for all equipment owners. In view of this, we have introduced a failsafe system for the engine ignition only when the gears are not engaged. This is achieved by using proximity sensors in the drivetrain. Another feature is the automatic levelling system for the loader bucket. This feature enables the operator to make the bucket easy for loading in the horizontal position.” While safety and security are driven by the new regulations being put in place and are further being improvised from time-to-time, the need to appreciate operational efficiencies and operator comfort is something most OEMs have recently been concentrating on. Mehrotra states, “Our entire range of wheel loaders has AC cabins with ROPS/ FOPS mobility engineering. The newly-designed cabins allow the operators to work for long hours without fatigue. Furthermore, our wheel loaders have three working modes, thereby giving options to operators to use the mode as per the application.” Explaining the multipurpose utility of Mahindra backhoe loaders, Arora claims, “We have a large set of attachments for our customers to choose from. We will also be making some more attachments for our backhoe loaders to enable them to carry out varied and newer applications, thus mak-
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WHEEL & BACKHOE LOADERS
OUR WHEEL LOADERS PROVIDE EASE OF OPERATION, REDUCED NOISE LEVELS, COMFORTABLE CABS, ETC. SURAT MEHTA
SDLG has developed features that help reduce operator fatigue and enhance productivity.
ing them a truly versatile machine. The range of attachments includes a host of various buckets for specific applications. Other applications include earth drills, rock breaker, jib crane, forklift, pole erector, among others.” BRUSH WITH LATEST TECHNOLOGIES The best example of how OEMs have responded to the latest customer requirements with technological advances is the real-time systems with which they help customer operators. Modern-day operators need more assured operational performance around safety, security and operation diagnostics. Customers, on their part, are keen to manage the performance of their equipment or network of equipment on service, safety and security parameters through real-time alerts. Most OEMs have therefore developed such tracking systems to assist in this purpose. Explaining how such advanced product offerings are being developed, Singh professes, “At JCB, we continually innovate to ensure that our customers receive the best-in-class equipment. The latest from JCB is the innovative and intelligent range of machines that exhibit a blend of technology and digital innovation. We have stepped up our offerings to provide the latest solutions based on the evolving customer trends through customer-centric apps and by integrating Internet of Things through our advanced telematics technology, Livelink.” He further says, “With the advent of digital technologies, users can now control their entire fleet in real-time and all the critical machine information is available on their smart devices in the form of digital applications.”
52 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
Volvo CE’s CareTrack claims to be a telematics system that gives equipment owners access to a wide range of machine monitoring information that can help save time and money. Krishnan explains the role that the telematics offered in their range of equipment plays. “The system generates a wide range of reports with data on aspects such as fuel consumption, operational hours, geographical location and more. CareTrack allows owners to tap into a wealth of actionable data including fuel consumption, idle time, machine location, fluid levels and service alerts. With the time and labour savings CareTrack offers, customers say they view it as an investment rather than extra costs,” he confesses. These changes are truly paving the way. Aneja agrees that technological advancement is the need of the hour. He says, “Telematics provides real-time access to machines and results in enhancing performance and efficiency of machines. An Asset Monitoring System lends the freedom of machine monitoring and remote diagnostics alerts at the click of a button on a mobile or desktop computer. In fact, there are some states in the country that have made it mandatory to have telematics in construction equipment.” Given such developments, wheel & backhoe loaders will only prove more useful to customers in future. Also, going forward, these loader systems will find application in many industries, but construction and mining remain the two main user segments. With the heightened road construction activity, development of tier-II cities and the backing of the Government’s Smart Cities programme, India is going to be the market to watch for wheel & backhoe loaders. In fact, the Make in India initiative could well provide an impetus to OEMs to further their ambitions of reaching global markets through exports from India. All in all, this industry seems to be on the right path to growth.
TUNNEL VENTILATION SYSTEMS
TUNNEL TACTICS
Besides tunnel engineering, there are myriad kinds of systems created only for these marvels. Ventilation systems are just one. BY BINDU GOPAL RAO
T
unnel ventilation is critical across various verticals. Infrastructure players who build tunnels are required to ensure an adequate air quality, control the spread of smoke in case of fire, or reduce temperatures to acceptable limits. The function of the ventilation relates to the type of tunnel in question. Vehicular tunnels (road, rail and metro) generally require high air quality during normal operation and smoke control in case of fire, while cable tunnels require cooling, smoke control and a certain amount of air exchange. Mine tunnels and station tunnels also require adequate ventilation for physiological, cooling and smoke control requirements. Tunnels are constructed to ease the transportation of people and materials rapidly, smoothly and in a shorter time than going around via a longer and usually steeper land route. Tunnels have been in existence for centuries. It is
54 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
however only in more recent times that comfort, safety and enhanced traveler experience have become aspects of tunnel design, construction and operation. THE SPECIFICS Ventilation systems for tunnels are designed based on the type of tunnel, its application, length and safety aspects. There are broadly three types of tunnel ventilation systems. “Longitudinal systems where a series of cylindrical jet fans draw air into the tunnel and exhaust them on the other side. The system is ductless. This type of ventilation best serves unidirectional and shorter length tunnels within one kilometre. This system offers relatively good ventilation with medium safety and smoke dilution in case of a fire within the tunnel. Semi Transverse where a large civil or mechanical duct and powerful fans are together combined used to draw
TUNNEL VENTILATION SYSTEMS
BECAUSE COOL SOIL OR WATER CAN ABSORB WASTE HEAT MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN CAN HOT AIR, GROUND-SOURCE SYSTEMS CAN SLASH THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY USED. CHANDRASHEKAR HARIHARAN
A workman works on a system.
56 CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018
in fresh air, transport it along the tunnel length and distribute it evenly. This system helps to draw in fresh air and dilute pollutants. In case of a fire, the same system is used to exhaust smoke and heat by immediately reversing the fans and quickly bringing relief to any person trapped inside the tunnel. This system is common in bi directional and longer tunnels. Transverse is the most sophisticated of all Tunnel Ventilation Systems. Transversal ventilation uses separate air ducts to introduce set flow rates of fresh air along the tunnel length and extract the flue air from inside the tunnel. The system ensures comfort safety and efficiency to the tunnel users along its complete length. It is an expensive solution due to the high civil work costs and large mechanical systems installed. Its cost of operation is also high but efficient fans reduce that cost. This ventilation system is normally used in long bi-directional tunnels with high traffic levels and high percentage of heavy goods vehicles transit.
TUNNEL VENTILATION SYSTEMS
New kinds of blowers keep ventilation going for miles in a tunnel.
The 9 km long Chenani-Nashri tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is a recent example of Transverse Tunnel Ventilation,” says Vikram Murthy, National President Elect ISHRAE (Indian Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers). GOING GREEN India has set up very straight forward green guidelines that any architect, builder, or electrical engineer can understand. Despite many setbacks the industry has seen on acceptance in the market place, some environmentalists continue to predict positive ripple effects from technological efficiency. Biodiversity Conservation India Limited (BCIL) headquartered in the fast growing high-tech city of Bangalore, opposes pumping energy into more urban glass towers. During the boom of the early 2000s, he says, “People weren’t conscious at all of energy consumption. Dr. Chandrasekhar Hariharan, CEO, BCIL, says, “Zed Collective installed in 2008 a first-of-its-kind earth tunnel ventilation [ETV] system for a residential apartment, and combined ground-heat, evaporation cooling and a network of hot-air release systems in the building that hosts 72 apartments. The ETV system takes advantage of the relatively constant, moderate temperatures and tremendous mass of the deep soil around and below a building. Using thermo-dynamically based mechanisms like those of an air conditioner, these systems transfer heat from the earth into a building or, in summer mode,
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A long view of a tunnel in the Himalayas.
move heat out of the building into the earth. In a closedloop system, heat moves with an anti-freeze solution that is pumped through horizontal or vertical pipes buried in the earth. In an open-loop system, groundwater or surface water is used to deliver or remove heat before being returned to the earth. Because cool soil or water can absorb waste heat more efficiently than can hot air, ground-source systems can slash the amount of energy used for air-conditioning. They have been popular for years in northern and central Europe, where their capacity for efficient heating is more important than their cooling capability.” To date, it has the largest fully earth tunnel ventilated air-conditioning system in the world. One room in each residence (the master bedroom,
TUNNEL VENTILATION SYSTEMS
Ventilation systems take up plenty of space place in terms of coolers and blowers.
naturally) is maintained at or below 75 with air cooled by circulation through “earth tunnels”. No compressor-driven air-conditioning is used; the only operating energy used is for fans. At night, the system is aided by a mechanism that cools water by radiating heat to the night sky, then stores the water and circulates it through the geothermal conduits the next day ahead of the cooled air. During execution of the project, workers dug over a 12 ft.-deep and 5 ft-wide set of channels around and under the apartment building. They excavated nearly 1200 cubic meter of earth and buried a network of five kilometres of pipes inside the earth! That was before they started construction on the cluster of 72 flats that are distinctly defined to be sustainable and green. SAFETY MATTERS The system safety of a tunnel ventilation system is a func-
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tion of the detailed engineering specification of the mechanical and civil system design, the components robustness, reliability and installed redundancy in control systems. There are reputed internationally experienced tunnel design consultants and manufacturers who provide such fail safe systems across the world and in India. Codes and Standards developed internationally are adopted in India. Testing, commissioning and continuous maintenance ensure compliance and safety. As far as safety is concerned the ventilation systems come into play as they are essential to maintaining clean air, ensure carbon dioxide levels are under control and vehicular emissions are absorbed. For instance on the Chenani-Nashri tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, ABB has designed, engineered and supplied low harmonics variable speed drive (VSD) system for tunnel ventilation. NEW VISTAS Transverse tunnel ventilation is not common in India because tunnel lengths are typically within a kilometer. The advent of long tunnels has brought transverse tunnel ventilation applications to India this year as described earlier in the particular example of the J & K Tunnel. BCIL’s unique low-cost, low-maintenance, low-energy-use airconditioning system is quietly making history in a picturesque setting of a low-rise apartment block in Yelahanka, to the north of Bangalore. This set of apartments has no ‘sick building syndrome’ that comes from regular AC’s that circulate stale air through the hours of use with only 8% fresh air intake. The ETV system works on 100% fresh air
TUNNEL VENTILATION SYSTEMS
TRANSVERSE IS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED. IT USES SEPARATE AIR DUCTS TO INTRODUCE There are several vendors who offer innovation tunnel ventilation systems in India alone.
24x7 with energy costs that are 30% of a regular AC. The 4-floor apartment block looks like any other, but the rooms are warm in winter, and cool in summer; the system uses the night air to cool your rooms, and the hot afternoon air for heat exchange. “This blend of 3 natural low-energy systems is the very first of its kind in the world,” says Anup Naik, a senior architect at BCIL. “Besides, this is the largest earth tunnel ventilation system reported so far.” The benefit for the resident families is obvious: at a fraction of the cost of regular air-conditioning, you get the comfort of cooled and warmed rooms, depending on the time and season of year. This natural AC system is ozone-friendly and 100% CFC- and HCFC-free. TECH TALK As far as technology is concerned almost all international technologies are available in India. “Specifically, advance EC Fans for energy efficiency, reliable and fast acting dampers, actuator systems, digitally programmed and controlled operating systems, giant tunnel boring systems, civil and mechanical strengthening techniques applied to tunnels being
FLOW RATES OF FRESH AIR. VIKRAM MURTHY constructed in India. All these ensure high reliability and easy monitoring of the system on a continuous cycle,” says Murthy. The design of BCIL Collective also helped significantly with passive design elements that helped heat escape, and created a double skin for the building that prevented heat ingress. “Not a single brick, clay tile or block was used because such blocks use precious food-giving topsoil, and consumes high energy in manufacture. The building used an energy-efficient variant of concrete blocks that offered ‘coolth’ [as against warmth] to a house. In regular homes, every summer has the inside of your home than it is outside. That’s because of the heat that conventional concrete blocks trap in your rooms,” says Hariharan. Tunnels are a fascinating aspect of civil and mechanical design that have delighted users through the ages. They save costly fossil fuel and offer quick access to remote and distant locations. Safe and reliable ventilation combined with innovative and brilliant lighting systems offer an enhanced experience for users of modern tunnels, India’s tunnel design and execution capability is on par with the world’s best.
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HIGH-SPEED RAIL
BITE THE BULLET
India’s need for a high-speed rail network is apparent, and the Government is spearheading the initiative, despite the many challenges that stand in the way of implementation. BY MITALEE KURDEKAR
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HIGH-SPEED RAIL
C
onsidering the huge capital commitment that High-speed Rail (HSR) projects call for, it is natural for anyone to question the need for such a high-cost mode of travel in a developing economy like India. In fact, such questions were raised soon after the Government announced its intent and plans to go ahead with such projects almost five years ago. In answer, the benefits of HSR speak for themselves. For starters, HSR has proved be an energy-efficient alternative per passenger kilometre when compared with other modes of travel. In addition, if one considers longer term economic benefits, then payback on the initial capital outlay for HSR is significant. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Government has already announced HSR infrastructure projects to link major metropolitan cities and a few other metro cities along the way or in close proximity. The ambitious plan set to unfold during the course of next 5-10 years will fulfil the dream and promise of the Late Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of providing the nation with better connectivity through the diamond quadrilateral. Another big plus arising from the implementation of HSR in India is that it will catapult India in terms of use of green technologies, in keeping with the need for environmental protection and an environmentally-friendly approach towards infrastructure development in general, and urban mobility in particular, again when compared with other modes of travel in a swiftly developing economy such as India. THE NEED FOR SPEED With India on the verge of an economic explosion, transportation/ travel of goods & passengers is an important economic activity. In this context, HSR offers obvious benefits. It is said to be the most energy-efficient and less environmentally polluting mode of transport, both in terms of goods & passengers. Currently, India imports almost 80% of its oil requirement, which is mostly consumed as fuel in road, rail and air transportation. On the other hand, HSR uses energy-efficient resources like water, nuclear energy etc. and, in some cases, even the latest technologies such as maglev or magnetic levitation or electromagnetic propulsion systems. Greenhouse emissions are one of the lowest in the case of HSR. Hence, both economically and environmentally, HSR makes the most sense for India. Explaining the need to opt for HSR, Alain Spohr, MD, India & South Asia, Alstom, says, “Faster trains are essential to strengthen the fundamentals of the country’s growth. The Indian Railways has embarked on an ambitious project to de-
CONSTRUCTION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2018 63
HIGH-SPEED RAIL
HSR would reduce travel time and improve comfort for passengers in India.
THE PRESENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT NEED A MAJOR UPGRADE TO SUPPORT HIGH-SPEED RAIL. ALAIN SPOHR velop high-speed rail. The present infrastructure and equipment need a major upgrade to support high-speed rail.” “India has 25,000 kms of electrified broad-gauged tracks (out of 67,000 kms of rail network). They can be used to run high-speed freight and passenger trains. HSR works at an average speed of around 250 kmph (with the most extreme speed of 320 kmph), which is perfect for a distance up to 800 kms,” Spohr suggests. Also, land requirements for HSR projects are the least when compared to highways or motorways in terms of number of passengers or goods tonnage transported per hour. In the Indian context, this is a big plus in terms of connecting mega cities and metros where such railway lines are lifted on elevated corridors. China has proved this point rather well. In addition, such HSR corridors would help in reducing the congestion of megacities by minimising the influx of people from neighbouring cities and towns, without
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compromising on economic growth of the nation and economic development of its people. HSR will also reduce the wastage of resources arising from traffic congestions and fuel losses. Overall, for India, HSR makes huge economic sense. It is truly an attractive travel option that would reduce travel time and improve comfort for passengers. As Hardeep Singh, director of rail, Egis in India, points out, “HSR would play a vital role to shorten long distances. As compared to air trips, HSR is more convenient in terms of space, speed and time. HSR corridors will also help in the development of surrounding areas. Also, HSR corridors will reduce the burden on currently operated corridors as passengers will be diverted towards the dedicated corridors of HSR. If we consider examples of developed economies – like Japan, USA, UK and many European countries – where it is currently operational, HSR has clearly added value in the development of cities.” CHALLENGING JOURNEY However, the implementation of HSR is no easy task. The biggest challenge in India is the political will that is required for such pivotal decision-making in a democratic political system involving multiple parties. Issues of huge capital outlay, starving the population of scarce resources, and other concerns about viability have been regularly brought up. These are issues that the Government is tackling by seeking a consensus within the political system, hence they may take time to resolve. And time is of the essence. Drawing attention to some of these challenges, Dr VK Gahlot, urban transport engineer, Public Works Department, Government of Rajasthan, states, “There are plenty of challenges including alignment selection, network expansion, land acquisi-
HIGH-SPEED RAIL
tion, integration with the existing rail network, safety, signalling and human resource development for the successful operation and maintenance after commissioning of the HSR project.” As Spohr professes, “We need to study feasibility and business propositions that depend on a lot of factors. India has a broad-gauge network, while HSR networks in other countries are standard gauge. This is an issue. Additionally, challenges in land acquisition, environmental clearances and pricing will be debated a lot.” While operational challenges can be overcome, land acquisition issues are unique in a democratic country, and Indian developers have experienced these with most major infrastructure projects. Assessment of economic & financial viability and the risks associated with such projects are another key challenge for the planners and executors of HSR projects. Dr Gahlot explains, “Transport planning mainly depends upon transit demand estimates, and the economic and social importance of the connecting cities. These days, any vulnerability to natural disasters and calamities is given due importance while selecting alignments.” The governments have to step in from time to time with policy support and alignment of policy framework to ensure implementation with minimum disruptions and problems. IMPORT OF TECHNOLOGY Unlike China, which encouraged technology access through licencing for local manufacture of HSR components, India has adopted the route of importing requisite technology through collaborations, funding support and Make in India programmes. Many countries like Japan, Germany, South Korea and China have adapted to Maglev Train systems. In fact, China has started building new metro lines using Maglev technology to increase the speed of these trains. Earlier in 2016, India’s Railway Minister had suggested that six global companies have expressed interest with the Indian Railways to build tracks to test high-speed rail systems.
THE BEST TECHNOLOGY FOR INDIA WOULD BE ONE WHICH PROVIDES MAXIMUM TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND MAXIMUM INTEROPERABILITY. HARDEEP SINGH Despite this, India has been cautious in making its technology choice for HSR. Much like China, it is keen to have interoperability of these trains between multiple public as well as private players. This will provide Indian operators much required flexibility and also buying power. India is also interested in magnetic attraction technology instead of magnetic repulsion, which somewhat reduces the maximum speed, but is more cost-effective. Singh of Egis says, “The best technology chosen for India would be one which provides maximum technology transfer and maximum interoperability. It should be a means that doesn’t restrict open competition for system providers and the same train can be run on all HSR corridors.” After a long wait and initial feasibility study conducted along with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2013, India has finally taken up the HSR project for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor. A foundation stone was recently laid for this project, indicating that things are looking up for the country’s HSR outlook. India has been cautious in making its technology choice for HSR.
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HIGH-SPEED RAIL
HSR is said to be the most energy-efficient mode of transport, both in terms of goods & passengers.
THE PPP MODEL IS THE MOST VIABLE OPTION TO MAKE THE HSR MISSION SUCCESSFUL IN THE LONG-TERM. DR VK GAHLOT Most of the 508 kms of this corridor’s length would be elevated, except for a short stretch of 21 kms between Thane and Virar that is meant to be underground – of which 7 kms would be under the Thane Creek. The agreement with JICA states that signalling equipment and power systems for this project would be imported. As per the plan, initially, a total of 24 high-speed trains would be imported from Japan and the rest of the trains would be manufactured in India. This will support the Make in India programme and also provide India with manufacturing capabilities. If this project turns out to be on similar lines as the Suzuki car model, this could well lead to a low-cost option for subsequent exports to regional markets. Alstom, for instance, is positively considering the opportunity in India. They are developing ultra-modern maintenance depots at Saharanpur and Nagpur. These, along with the plant in Madhepura and the control centre in Bengaluru, will create a complete ecosystem for manufacturing, monitoring and maintaining India’s most-powerful freight trains, says Spohr.
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MONEY MATTERS In terms of financing models, India is looking at many options and alternatives like foreign funding support, loans for adopting technologies and funding through multilateral agencies, besides committing its own planned spend. There is also a good response for selective private funding support through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. On the subject, Dr Gahlot offers, “High-speed railway system development, implementation and operation projects can be undertaken as public sector transport development in view of the nature of its characteristics as one of the public land transport services. Looking to the metro rail experience in the country, the PPP model is the most viable option to make the HSR mission successful in the long-term.” JICA has committed to finance 85% of the total cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor HSR project, estimated to cost around $ 17 billion. The state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat would finance the remaining 15% cost component. The terms for financing the project provided by JICA are seemingly attractive. The loan is provided at an interest cost of mere 0.1% with a moratorium of 15 years and further repayment period of 50 years. With this beginning, there would be other multilateral agencies who could come forward to fund other HSR corridors, hopefully on more competitive financing terms. Considering the Indian project pie is attractive with five more corridors of the Diamond Quadrilateral Plan on the table, this is a good sign for better financial co-operation between India and such agencies. ON THE RIGHT TRACK While India still has a long way to go as far as HSR is concerned, Spohr of Alstom is optimistic when he suggests, “There are ample opportunities for HSR in India. The longterm advantages of HSR network are plenty. It can induce more competition with other modes of transport, redistribute population into smaller cities and towns, change travel behaviour and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.” “Apart from the currently under-construction Ahmedabad-Mumbai HSR corridor, the Government has already planned for diamond quadrilateral HSR corridors, which are Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai and Delhi-Kolkata, for which studies are on. Apart from this, Delhi-ChandigarhAmritsar is also planned for semi-HSR operation. Many states are also working on studies for different corridors like Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru,” Singh points out. Plans are certainly on the right track, and if all goes well, India should soon have a robust HSR network in play.
INTERVIEW
CHANGES IN THE AIR
Sunil MK, head of Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Autodesk India, on the value addition that Autodesk BIM 360 lends to constructing a vast and ambitious airport project. BY JAYASHREE MENDES
What are some of the solutions that Autodesk BIM 360 brings to an infrastructure like an airport? Building and designing an airport necessitates collaboration between numerous teams with a wide range of skillsets generally coming from various locations. This requires well-established strategies and methodical use of tools and technologies for a successful delivery of a large-scale project. Autodesk BIM 360, a project delivery and construction management software, improves construction project delivery by supporting informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. From design collaboration, documentation and reviews, to pre-construction, and through quality and safety and operations, BIM 360 connects the people, data and workflows on every project. While globally, there are many airport infrastructure projects (such as Istanbul Airport ) that have used BIM for endto-end project delivery, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will be the first to do so in India. Many countries in-
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cluding US, UK, Germany, Singapore, and UAE have mandated BIM in buildings and infrastructure projects which has led to better construction efficiency, lower cost and lesser negative impact on the environment. Hence adoption of Autodesk BIM 360 software will ensure faster and better project delivery, higher quality, reduced cost, improved safety and lesser impact on environment. To state an example: In 2017, San Francisco’s $2.4 billion International airport project utilised Autodesk BIM360 to enable effective collaboration between more than 200 architects, engineers, and builders from Woods Bagot, HKS Architects, Gensler, and numerous core trades and consultants on this design-build project. What are some of the unique aspects of Terminal 2 and one which Autodesk will aid in facilitating those plans? KIA’s mega T2 project will be built in phases with Phase 1, covering 255,000m2, expected to be operational by March
INTERVIEW
AUTODESK BIM 360 ENSURES BETTER PROJECT DELIVERY, QUALITY, REDUCED COST, AND IMPROVED SAFETY. SUNIL MK
BIM model-based approach aids a faster construction pace with coordinated project timelines and effective collaboration.
31, 2021. The first phase of this terminal will cater to 25 million passengers per annum (MPPA), while the second phase of Terminal 2 – still in planning stage - will be built for an additional 20MPPA. Once operational, the combined capacity of both terminals will be 70MPPA. KIA has an aggressive timeline to follow on this project, hence it becomes important for KIA to track the progress in accomplishing strategic and operational goals in terms of value and time management. Through this project KIA is not just creating a new terminal, but also value for people. Hence, Autodesk BIM 360 becomes an essential tool for delivering this super megaproject, efficiently. As a single cloud platform, BIM 360 will support informed decision-making through the project lifecycle. With hundreds of people working on the site each day, communication at scale is key. BIM 360 will enable all the parties to review the master model, see each other’s concerns; clashing elements; inaccurate or missing design elements; and critical zones both for coordination and installation. Considering that Autodesk has vast experience in gigantic projects across the world, what are some of the challenges usually faced in a project such as BIAL’s Terminal 2? Any airport project poses challenges given the need for added security, the need to report precise building location for the oversight of regulators, and the need to minimise inconvenience to travelers. Airport Terminals are complicated facilities, with very dense mechanical and electrical scope.
Designing and building such massive infrastructure projects require a complex coordination because the efforts of many subcontractors must be integrated. Everyone—from the architect, contractor, and subcontractor to the owner and facility manager, must be in complete agreement— from the submittal stage all the way to delivery, installation, and operation. If something goes wrong at even a single point of the workflow, there’s the potential for a domino effect that can jeopardize the entire timeline and budget. BIM model-based approach aids a faster construction pace with coordinated project timelines and effective collaboration around a central model. For the BIAL Terminal 2, BIM 360 will improve project delivery by supporting informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. From design collaboration, documentation and reviews, to pre-construction and operations, it will connect the people, data and workflows. In today’s times, how are numerous developers looking at adopting BIM so as to ensure that new buildings offer better construction efficiency, lower cost and lesser negative impact on the environment? Confi¬dence in achieving real benefi¬ts through BIM adoption may be the most signi¬ficant factor for BIM adoption by developers. The movement of design and planning to 3D models is well underway and gaining steam in the architectural, engineering, and construction industries, owing to the tangible bottom-line returns from streamlined workflows. The model-based approach enabled by BIM increases efficiency within individual organisations and truly enhances the overall project delivery. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers the advantage of time and budget savings for building and infrastructure projects.
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PRESENTS
8TH ANNUAL
C E L E B R AT I N G E X C E L L E N C E POWERED BY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
PLATINUM PARTNERS
LUXURY PARTNER
KNOWLEDGE PARTNER
Authorized Partner Infinity Cars
SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 | MUMBAI For sponsorships, contact: Bibhor Srivastava, +91 98204 39239, bibhor@itp.com Indrajeet Saoji, +91 93202 85997, indrajeet.saoji@itp.com MAGAZINE PARTNERS
AN EVENT BY
GRAND JURY 2018
Anuj Puri, Chairman, ANAROCK Property Consultants
Arvind Nandan, Executive Director - Research, Knight Frank (India)
Niranjan Hiranandani Founder & CMD, Hiranandani Communities
Pankaj Dharkar, Founder Pankaj Dharkar & Associates
Ashish Rakheja, Managing Partner, Aeon Integrated Building Design Consultants LLP
Barun Pal Chowdhury Director (Design & Build), Shapoorji Pallonji and Company
Rajeev Antony MD, Schüco India
Ramesh Nair CEO & Country Head, JLL India
Gyan Madhani, Chairman, BAI Mumbai Centre
Jayanand Potdar President, Real Estate Development, Reliance Industries
Reza Kabul, Principal Architect, ARK
Sanjay Dutt, MD & CEO, Tata Housing & TRIL
Jayant Mhaiskar, VC & MD, MEP Infra
Jayanth Jain, CEO, GM Modular
Sarosh Bala, VP, Projects, EPC Academy, Reliance Industries
Kshitish Nadgauda, Senior VP | MD - Asia, Louis Berger
Mahesh A, Director, Meinhardt Façade
Manoj Nainani, Director Specialised Engineering, Egis India
Tikam Jain, President & Group Head, Procurement, Lodha Developers
Vinod Rohira, MD, Commercial Real Estate & REIT, K Raheja Corp
Sanjay Patil, Director, Construction School, RICS
Ninad Tipnis, Principal Architect, JTCPL Designs
KR Suresh, Regional Director, Axis Façade Consulting
Vivek Bhole, Principal Architect, Vivek Bhole Architects
Parvez Amin, President, Jaquar Group
CONSUMER CONNECT
Magnetic Bearing Centrifugal Chiller Inverter Duct Indoor Unit
Greenovation by LG Greenovation stands for Green + Innovation. It is dedicated towards providing the planet with an energy saving and Green commercial air-conditioning systems. Committed to delivering nothing less than excellence, LG commercial air-conditioning systems are the best for all sectors including offices, hospitality, healthcare, education, residential, factories, retail and others. Discover the perfect air-conditioning solution for your needs with a wide range of LG commercial air-conditioning systems. The new range of LG commercial air conditioning systems are:
1. VRF Systems 1.1. Full Inverter VRF systems - Top discharge/Side discharge/ Water-cooled 1.2. Hydrokit - for Hot water generation upto 800 C with VRF systems 2. Light Commercial Systems 2.1. Full Inverter Ducted units 2.2. Inverter Cassette units 2.3. Inverter Floor standing units 2.4. Inverter Rooftop units 3. Chillers 3.1. Magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers (260 RT to 2200 RT) 3.2. Air bearing centrifugal chillers (100 RT to 300 RT) 3.3. Centrifugal chillers (200 RT to 3000 RT) 3.4. Screw chillers - Air cooled / Water cooled (75 RT to 500 RT) 3.5. Inverter Scroll chillers - Air cooled (20 RT to 180 RT) Application Across Industries In here, we are going to talk about the application of these new systems across some sectors.
Hydrokit Multi V (VRF) System
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LG Commercial Air-conditioning systems & the Health sector When it comes to health, there’s nothing more important as each life counts. Proper air-conditioning system is not just responsible for comfort and clean air, but also delivers therapeutic benefits to patients. Certain patients like those with cardiac issue feel warmer than others due to improper blood circulation. Patients with other health problems too face temperature issues and Commercial airconditioning make sure that optimum temperature is maintained for the comfort of the patients.
CONSUMER CONNECT
The VÖGELE pavers: Super 1400 & Super 1403 for Indian market The Super 1400 and Super 1403 from the world market leaderVÖGELE, have been designed and adopted for the Indian market and at the same time they meet our global standards of Innovation, Technology, Expertise and Focus on operators. Both the machines are driven by a powerful and efficient 6-cylinder, 112kW Cummins diesel engine. The 220-litre fuel tank is amply dimensioned, so that there is no need to refuel, even when the machines are operated for long periods. The ergonomic and fit-forpurpose ErgoBasic operating concept provides an optimum overview while ensuring a high level of operating comfort for the paver and screed. The simple maintenance with easy access to all vital service points on the machine is another typical VÖGELE feature. Delivering a powerful drive when maximum performance is called for, these Universal Class pavers are exceedingly flexible in everyday operation.With its high tractive power, the wheeled SUPER 1403 perfectly combines outstanding paving performance with maximum mobility when travelling. A central advantage of the SUPER 1403 is its wheeled undercarriage with separate hydraulic drives and optional drive of two front wheels (6x4), which lends the machine outstanding manœuvrability. Combined with the bogie-mounted front wheels that maintain constant ground contact, the wheeled paver also achieves excellent traction. With the state-of-the-art AB 480 TV Extending Screed with optional electric heating the paver lays down high-quality surfaces in widths from 2.55m to 4.8m and ranging up to 6m with bolt-on extensions. Similarly the long and powerful crawler tracks with accurate steering and large ground contact deliver maximum tractive effort, allowing the SUPER 1400 paver to advance well at a constant speed even when operating on difficult terrain. When combined with the state-of-the-art AB 480 TV Extending Screed with optional electric heating, the paver can lay down high-quality surfaces in widths from 2.55m to 4.8m and ranging up to 7.3m with bolt-on extensions. The maximum laydown rate for both the machines is 600t/h.
A continuous flow of mix is the key to ensure uninterrupted and high-quality paving. That is why we attach such importance to professional material management when designing our pavers. The paver comes with a high-performance hydraulic system. The hydraulics provides an accurate drive for the material handling systems, thus ensuring an optimal head of mix in front of the screed at all times. The large and sturdy material hopper holds 13t. With the help of low and wide hopper sides, feeding the paver with mix is a fast and easy process.The large oscillating push-rollers ensure convenient and shock-free docking of feed vehicles even in curves. In line with the ErgoBasic operating concept, VÖGELE have also developed Niveltronic Basic, a system for Automated Grade and Slope Control. It is completely integrated into the machine control system and therefore perfectly adapted to these paver models. Another outstanding aspect of Niveltronic Basic is its particularly simple and intuitive handling, a feature which makes it easy even for less experienced operators to learn their way around the system. This creates ideal conditions for the paver to work true to line and level on any base. Each side of the screed is operated by a separate compact and exceedingly robust Niveltronic Basic remote control unit. The System for Automated Grade and Slope Control can be simultaneously connected to two grade sensors and a slope sensor. The type of sensor used is detected automatically. The kind of reference – ground, tensioned wire or transverse slope – can be easily set on the remote control unit. The remote control unit comes with all the functions required for high-precision grade and slope control. Clear symbols allow the machine to be operated intuitively. With its compact dimensions and superb manœuvrability, both Super 1400 and Super 1403 cover a range of applications that spans everything from winding city streets to motorways.. For further information, contact: sales.india@wirtgen-group.com
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INTERVIEW
SMART MOVES Sunil Khatwani, VPresident & business head, system airconditioning division, LG Electronics India, on how the company is leading in technology. LG Electronics has designed HVAC products that reduce energy consumption. Could you expound? In 2018, LG has embarked on the journey of GREENOVATION i.e. green, innovative products in the commercial air conditioning space. The latest introductions are: *High energy efficiency VRF systems *Inverter ducted units (high static): 5.5 TR to 11.0 TR - an energy efficient ducted split system with low noise levels & green gas. *Inverter ducted units (low static): lowest height of only 190 mm- up to 2.0 TR with low noise levels & green gas. *Inverter cassette units, Inverter floor standing units & Inverter rooftop units with a green gas. *Magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers (oil free) - 260 TR to 2200 TR with a green gas - World-class energy efficiency (COP up to 7.0) with lower footprint, noise levels. *Air bearing centrifugal chillers (oil free) - 100 TR to 300 TR with a green gas (a technological innovation by LG). World class energy efficiency (COP up to 6.4) with lower footprint, lower noise levels and performance. *Inverter scroll chillers (air cooled) - 20 TR-180 TR (green gas). Multiple variations of HVACs from LG are entering the market. Do tell us about the innovations available in India. We have introduced unique products. Some of them are: a) Hydrokit : This can provide water up to 800 C, when used with a VRF system. Using this kit, we can provide simultaneous heating, cooling and hot water generation. b) Low static ducted: The height of these units is only 190mm and are suited for residences, hotels, office, etc. (c) Magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller : This has a capacity range of 260 tons to 2,200 tons. The key benefits are: Low power consumption at full and part loads; Oil free - longer life, increased reliability & consistent performance over time; Low noise levels; and precision temperature control. (d) Air bearing centrifugal chiller: This is another innovative product from LG with a range of 100 TR to 300 TR. This is
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an oil-free chiller with benefits like lower power consumption, higher reliability, compact size and lower noise levels. What are your strategies to stay ahead of the competition? We work to exceed expectations. Some examples are: a. VRF systems: We have launched Multi V IV VRF systems that are energy efficient, coupled with ‘Ocean Black fin’ coating on the coil to give the highest corrosion resistance. The Hydrokit can be connected to the VRF systems for generating hot water. Water-cooled VRF systems are provided with shell and coil condensers. b. Chillers: Magnetic and Air bearing centrifugal chillers in addition to single stage and 2 stage centrifugal chillers. How are you addressing project execution of HVAC solutions between vendors and users/developers? Companies are focussed on sales and service. Installation is left to dealers. This is the pain point. We have structured ourselves differently. LG has created a separate projects vertical to handle direct projects as well as monitor projects handled by partners. The projects team includes senior personnel with MEP experience. This assures the clients about quality and timeliness. After sales service is a separate vertical. What would be some of the measures you would like the government to implement to help the HVAC industry? We are thankful to the Government for their push towards energy efficiency. Some measures that they can implement to help the Indian HVAC industry are: Commence process of revamping standards for ducted split units and packaged units. Absence of these revised standards is hurting users; speed up the process of establishing Indian standards for VRF systems and chillers; consider energy efficient technologies and green gases in all government projects; reward energy efficient buildings annually; and prevent dumping of HVAC products that are either manufactured in or re-routed, from countries that have a FTA with India.
INTERVIEW
COVERING ALL BASES Ashok Kumar Bhaiya, CMD, Aludecor, speaks about their latest offerings such as affordable fireretardant ACPs that are helping them stand apart. What are Aludecor’s latest product innovations and solutions in line with the emerging trends? One of the latest trends in Aluminium Composite Panels (ACPs) today is avoiding silicone sealants for filling up the grooves. Aludecor’s latest product innovation consists of three assembly systems that offer new possibilities and solutions: the Pressure Equalised (PER) system, the Hanging Rainscreen (HR) system, and the Male-Female Rainscreen (MFR) system. With PER, the same colour of the ACP can be maintained through the grooves and across the façade as the same coloured ACP strips are used in the grooves. This type of cladding also protects the walls from any kind of damage due to adverse weather conditions. The other two systems by Aludecor give ventilated façades,
viz. the HR and the MFR. When these are clubbed with insulation materials, they help save energy by 30% at least. Given that fire accidents are a serious – and increasing – cause for concern, please tell us how Aludecor’s indigenously-developed 3mm fire-retardant ACPs aim to address the issue. What are the product’s unique features? Earlier fire-safe ACPs were available only in 4mm for highpriced projects. With a vision to create a fire-safe society, we have come up with affordable fire-safe ACPs in 3mm as 80% of the ACP market in India belongs to 3mm ACPs. The unique feature of Aludecor’s 3mm fire-retardant ACPs is that it resists fire upto two hours, does not produce flaming droplets and does not emit toxic fumes as well.
Aditya, the first solar-powered ferrry, Vaikom.
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INTERVIEW
The Hanging Rainscreen system.
The Adobe office, Bengaluru.
Aludecor’s PER system.
Modern’s modular kitchen, Kochi.
The 3mm FR variant has been launched in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai & Kolkata, so far. What has the reception been like in these cities, and what plans do you have to take the product to other markets? The product has been well accepted by all dealers and fabricators across the cities. We have planned to aggressively market the product and make the product widely available to accomplish our motive towards a fire-safe society. India has always been a price-sensitive market. How are you ensuring afforability of your products without compromising on the quality and safety aspects? With the help of our cutting-edge technology and welltrained workers, we achieve a high level of production efficiency. This allows us to offer our ACPs at a fairly affordable price. However, our ACPs come at a slightly higher cost compared to other ACP brands. But in the long run, using our ACP invariably proves to be much more profitable owing to its quality. No one in our country is as equipped as we are and it gives us pride to state the salient features of our manufacturing process:
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The Male-Female Rainscreen system.
♦ We introduced the double-coat, double-bake line in India ♦ We have a well-equipped pre-treatment line ♦ We are the only company to have an in-house palletising unit to produce the mineral core for fire-retardant ACPs ♦ We are the only company to have an in-house fire-testing lab, and a baby line (a miniature lamination line to test fire-retardant products) ♦ And we have four lamination lines to meet ever-growing demands With a growing focus on sustainability, how are your products and solutions geared to support this endeavour? Our ACPs are coated with lead-free paint and, thus, eliminate the possibility of lead poisoning. We manufacture our ACPs with fully recyclable products like virgin aluminium alloy that help buildings qualify for LEED credits – MR 4.1, MR 4.2, and ID 1.1 to 1.4. Natural products like Copper Composite Panel and Zinc Composite Panel give clean runoff in rainwater harvesting. Moreover, the CCM has the Cu+ certification from the International Copper Association for being anti-microbial.
INTERVIEW
MATERIALS SCIENCE
Sarat Chandak, CEO, RAK Ceramics, on how the company has grown steadily with new range of products and emerging novel materials and designs. BY JAYASHREE MENDES
You have a vast footprint around the world. Could you tell us about that? We have two kinds of operations: manufacturing and commercial. With nearly 33 offices across the world, we have a presence in Europe, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, and other GCC countries as well as, India, Australia and New Zealand, Singapore, among others. Most of the commercial operations are regional offices. When it comes to manufacturing we do have manufacturing set up in Ras-al-Khaimah, (UAE) which is our group headquarters, India (Samalkot), Bangladesh and Iran. As a strategy, we have acquired capacity in India and commissioned a plant last year for ceramics. We’ve invested in greenfield joint venture in Morbi and that is expected to be commissioned by the year-end. In India, we manufacture in Morbi as well as Kakinada (Samalkot) How has RAK Ceramics grown in the last year or so? The Indian operation has seen a top line growth of 17% in 2017.
We did see a slight setback in 2015 and 2016, due to management changes, but all that is behind us now. Together, both the plants will help us double capacity from 8 million m2 to 16 million m2 by end of 2018. How do you look at designs in this competitive market? Be it across tiles or floors or bathware, we draw inspirations from customers based out of 166 countries. We have a diverse offering that helps us move in the right direction while meeting demand in India, which is even more diverse. For a city like Mumbai, we draw inspiration from Italian or European culture. We have invested largely in a design lab and have an R&D facility in our headquarters and all manufacturing units avail benefits from that. In the last 27 years, RAK Ceramics has consistently delivered unique designs and it’s not hard for us to handle them. We have a global presence and that enables us to serve a diverse pool of customers and geographies, such as India.
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INTERVIEW
In terms of materials, are you experimenting with new kinds across segments? We do use some of our in-house patented formulas to control cost, but at the same time build what customers want. So there is an ongoing process of R&D besides involvement of our raw material vendors to partner in our efforts in our centralised laboratory at the HQ jointly. We make use of our mother facilities located in Ras-al-Khaimah, and draw benefits from there. We do fulfil local requirements through sourcing alternative materials, engaging institutions, etc. For instance, we have initiated project for energy efficient (Green Building) Surfaces with CEPT Ahmedabad recently. Recently we launched a waterless urinal with “Diaphragm Technology” that does not require any liquid or gel and instead notifies the attendant when to change the diaphragm.
WE HAVE INVESTED IN A DESIGN LAB AND HAVE AN R&D FACILITY AND ALL MANUFACTURING UNITS AVAIL BENEFITS FROM THAT. SARAT CHANDAK How important is retail to you? We shifted our focus to Tier II and Tier III markets after building 14 Company Display Centres in India. When you have a large population, one cannot stay exclusive. So we are moving to newer cities. There are three store formats we work with our Channel Partners (RAK Select, RAK Privilege, and RAK Exclusive) and would like to see them in most geographies. We have close to 200-odd outlets across formats made in the last eighteen months. The middle and lower middle-class products’ segment has grown close to 100% over one-and-a-half years and that has given us an impetus to invest in capacity.
Cabinate Cistern & DAZZLE WB.
UNI 3
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Besides low replacement cycles, what are some of the challenges you face in India and what are the measures taken by you to reach your target audiences? India has a low replacement cycle, but as an economy we are still emerging. With a customer pool of 1.3 billion, there are plenty of opportunities in the Indian market. The large government expenditure on “Infrastructure and Mission of Housing for All” will overall drive the economy and businesses. The fact that we have three display centres in Mumbai alone, should spell how serious we are about gaining ground. We work closely with the real estate sector, infrastructure and Government. In another move, we want to be closer to the customer and that is one of the reasons for setting up the plant at Morbi. The Kakinada (Samalkot) plant compels us to spend on logistics and it is not easy to be closer to all customers across all states. The new plant is highly advanced and is a modern plant. We also export our products to other markets and the added capacity will offer us an advantage.