Construction Review Issue 19-Year-2013
•
1 like•931 views
Page 1 story on current affairs-Industry; finance and infrastructure. Page 5-Story feature on RBI's cut into repo rate. Page 7-In-Person Interview with Umesh Rao, Founder & CEO, Vector Projects. Page 9-International Project Focus- Absolute Towers in Toronto featuring architects Ma Yansong, Youke Hayano and Dang Qun, MAD Principals & Director of Absolute Tower Project.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to Construction Review Issue 19-Year-2013
Similar to Construction Review Issue 19-Year-2013 (20)
More from Remona Divekar
More from Remona Divekar (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Construction Review Issue 19-Year-2013
- 1. May 13 - 19, 2013 An MMR, Braj Binani Group Publication VOLUME 2 Subbarao speculates ‘no housing price fizz’ Duvvuri Subbarao, the Reserve B a n k o f I n d i a G o v e r n o r, h a s proclaimed that there is no housing price bubble building up in India. He made the statement in a post-policy conference call with analysts. The governor expects liquidity conditions to be less uneasy over the next few months due to the winding down of the government’s cash balances as well as the narrowing gap between deposit and credit rates. He said the apex bank’s open market operations (OMOs) were not the preferred tool to inject liquidity, but all options will be used to actively manage the cash situation. However, he affirmed that liquidity is expected to be in deficit mode over the next few months, and that the apex bank would prefer it to be in deficit as there are upside risks to inflation. The RBI chief, in a teleconference with analysts, also stated that the RBI does not intervene in forex markets to manage liquidity. The RBI does not have a target for consumer price index inflation, he said, but added that the apex bank considers both wholesale and consumer inflation while framing policies. Welcoming the RBI decision to cut key policy rates by 0.25 per cent, the real estate sector maintained that there is need for further reduction so that the interest cost to builders and home buyers falls considerably. Lalit Kumar Jain, Chairman, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (Credai) said, “We sincerely hope that the RBI will keep up the trend of repo rate cut and facilitate a fall in interest rates so that EMI burden on common house buyer gets reduced considerably.” l Issue No. 19 l May 13 - 19, 2013 l 1 Price : Rs. 100 Seven industrial cities under DMIC may attract $100 b stake Over the next thirty years, industrial cities to be developed as part of the DMIC project are likely to attract investment of nearly $90-100 billion, Parliament was informed last week. Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, D. Purandeswari, said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, “It is expected that the development of industrial cities with world-class infrastructure would attract an estimated investment of almost $90-100 billion over the next thirty years.” During the first phase of DelhiMumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, the Centre has approved financial aid of Rs 17,500 crore at an average of Rs 2,500 crore per city (subject to a ceiling of Rs 3,000 crore per city) for the development of seven industrial cities. The seven cities include DadriNoida-Ghaziabad Investment Region, Manesar-Bawal Investment Region, Khushkhera-Bhiwadi- Neemrana Investment Region and AhmedabadDholera Investment Region. The minister also said the project would generate employment for over 2.8 crore people. She added, “The employment needed to create the estimated value of output as per perspective plan of the DMIC is estimated to be 9.1 million in 2020, 17.5 million in 2030 and 28.7 million in 2040.” Further, she said the process of land acquisition is in progress in Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and master planning has commenced in Uttar Pradesh. “The contribution of the state government will be in the form of land. The cities would be launched with the development of townships of 25-50 sq. km which are envisaged to be completed by 2019,” she said. Three airports, in Rajasthan and Gujarat, are also proposed under the DMIC project. The DMIC is aimed at creating mega industrial infrastructure along the Delhi-Mumbai Rail Freight Corridor, which is under implementation. Japan is offering financial and technical assistance for the project which will cover seven states totalling 1,483 km.
- 2. cement May 13 - 19, 2013 Import: Cement, Cement Products & Building Materials Date mport Items/ Products I 01/09/12 03/09/12 04/09/12 05/09/12 05/09/12 08/09/12 10/09/12 10/09/12 13/09/12 13/09/12 13/09/12 14/09/12 14/09/12 15/09/12 18/09/12 24/09/12 24/09/12 Port Code Foreign Port Total 843709286 8126579754 Total 1544667 112349091 Total 515257.76 44684241 Bentone, Ceramic etc CERAMIC MUM USA 41590 11895881 FRICTION PARTICLE CHN NETHERLANDS 9600 405887 GARNET MUM TOGO 1000 97195 CERAMIC BLANKET JNP CHINA 570351 35645596 CERAMIC FIBER JNP CHINA 4060 1120278 CERAMIC CHN JAPAN 500 664707 CERAMIC CHN JAPAN 600 182584 CERAMIC FIBER TUG JAPAN 300 49123 CERAMIC FIBER TUG JAPAN 203 29474 CERAMIC PAT U K 500 385517 CERAMIC JNP GERMANY 37776 2498555 CERAMIC FIBER JNP CHINA 169351 14594602 CERAMIC FIBER MUM GERMANY 58 34640 CERAMIC AHM CHINA 157898 24369221.51 CERAMIC JNP SINGAPORE 721 189902 CERAMIC JNP SINGAPORE 1098 160249 CERAMIC JNP FRANCE 2139 555903 CERAMIC JNP FRANCE 615 171034 CERAMIC FIBER JNP VIETNAM 3744 835486 BENTONE (CLAY) JNP TAIWAN 1 100 BENTONE (CLAY) JNP TAIWAN 1 377 CERAMIC FIBER JNP SRI LANKA 11692 4244936 CERAMIC JNP GERMANY 46343 7000530 CERAMIC TUG NETHERLANDS 66180 9628184 CERAMIC FIBER JNP CHINA 3552 250872 CERAMIC FIBER JNP INDONESIA 88 8166 BENTONE (CLAY) JNP USA 14662.76 3607888 CERAMIC FIBER BAN U K 27 139547 CERAMIC FIBER JNP USA 591 198879 CERAMIC CHN KOREA 51931 26445934 CERAMIC FIBER JNP CHINA 4750 1279780 01/09/12 04/09/12 04/09/12 06/09/12 06/09/12 06/09/12 10/09/12 11/09/12 11/09/12 12/09/12 14/09/12 17/09/12 17/09/12 20/09/12 21/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 79882848 Manganese oxides MANGANESE DIOXIDE CHN BELGIUM 4800 2034342 MANGANESE DIOXIDE JNP U K 1304 418719 MANGANESE (OXIDE ACTIVATED) BAN GERMANY 2 3821 MANGANESE DIOXIDE MUM JAPAN 16000 7958261 MANGANESE DIOXIDE HYD USA 1322.76 494851 MANGANESE OXIDE ACTIVATED BAN GERMANY 35 44374 MANGANESE DIOXIDE MUM CHINA 477500 39606419 MANGANOUS MANGANIC OXIDE MUM BELGIUM 26400 4403131 MANGANOUS MANGANIC OXIDE KOL CHINA 10000 135466 04/09/12 05/09/12 05/09/12 06/09/12 06/09/12 07/09/12 07/09/12 07/09/12 07/09/12 10/09/12 10/09/12 10/09/12 10/09/12 11/09/12 13/09/12 13/09/12 13/09/12 13/09/12 17/09/12 18/09/12 18/09/12 21/09/12 25/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 27/09/12 28/09/12 28/09/12 28/09/12 29/09/12 29/09/12 1502229 Iron oxides and hydroxides IRON OXIDE JNP NETHERLANDS 900 84846 IRON OXIDE CHN GERMANY 20000 1141492 IRON OXIDE KOL CHINA 857831 58502003 MAGNETITE /IRON OXIDE JNP KOREA 32000 2969595 IRON OXIDES CHN COLOMBIA 5000 506235 IRON OXIDE CHN COLOMBIA 18000 1643556 RED IRON OXIDE JNP USA 4128 1750754 RED IRON OXIDE JNP USA 4128 1750754 IRON OXIDE JNP ITALY 1900 1542068 IRON OXIDE MUM U K 100 77106 IRON OXIDE CHN GERMANY 280056 25882839 FERRIC OXIDE KOL AUSTRIA 68000 1996115 FERRIC OXIDE KOL TAIWAN 40000 786386 IRON OXIDE PAT ITALY 2400 449555 MAGNETITE /IRON OXIDE PAT SWEDEN 5000 218283 IRON OXIDE JNP SINGAPORE 2000 182486 MAGNETITE /IRON OXIDE TUG KOREA 115499 6736054 MICRONISED RED SYNTHETIC IRON OXIDE JNP SINGAPORE 2000 182486 FERRIC OXIDE JNP TAIWAN 40000 750523 FERRIC OXIDE KOL JAPAN 44225 4672564 BROWN IRON OXIDE CHN U K 1500 523391 01/09/12 07/09/12 13/09/12 12/09/12 14/09/12 21/09/12 21/09/12 03/09/12 26/09/12 Total Natural calcium phosphates, aluminium phosphates etc. NATURAL GROUNDED CALCIUM PHOSPHATE MUN PAKISTAN 300000 2220823 ROCK PHOSPHATE COC PAKISTAN 25000 144796 CALCIUM PHOSPHATE BAR NETHERLANDS 20000 280376 JORDAN ROCK PHOSPHATE KAK JORDAN 18800000 177941127 ROCK PHOSPHATE VIZ SENEGAL 33000000 341436384 ROCK PHOSPHATE TUT MOROCCO 145000000 1648085148 ROCK PHOSPHATE PAR PERU 58739000 470078250 TOGO ORIGIN ROCK PHOSPHATE PAR TOGO 19110000 227924244 ROCK PHOSPHATE TUT JORDAN 137050000 1299564966 ROCK PHOSPHATE KAN EGYPT 4500000 34668688 MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE CHN CHINA 2000 156663 ROCK PHOSPHATE MAL EGYPT 51585000 331903830 ROCK PHOSPHATE PAR PERU 59911000 482993134 ROCK PHOSPHATE VIZ TOGO 30000000 342151622 BENEFICIATED PHOSPHATE PAR MOROCCO 59236000 565097024 JORDAN ROCK PHOSPHATE KAN JORDAN 119450000 1102436616 ROCK PHOSPHATE TUT EGYPT 26403786 182554554.3 ROCK PHOSPHATE VIZ ISRAEL 34167000 341509314 PHOSPHATE ALUMINE CHN SENEGAL 500 6637 TOGO ORIGIN ROCK PHOSPHATE PAR TOGO 19110000 227924244 ROCK PHOSPHATE MUM NAURU 27300000 347501314 01/09/12 03/09/12 03/09/12 04/09/12 10/09/12 10/09/12 11/09/12 11/09/12 11/09/12 13/09/12 13/09/12 18/09/12 18/09/12 18/09/12 20/09/12 21/09/12 21/09/12 21/09/12 28/09/12 29/09/12 29/09/12 Value (Rs) Natural graphite & its Forms GRAPHITE JNP MADAGASCAR 20000 1460495 GRAPHITE CHN SWEDEN 540 108307 NATURAL CRYSTALLINE GRAPHITE JNP GERMANY 3000 551761 GRAPHITE DEL CHINA 5 428 SYNTHETIC GRAPHITE DEL CHINA 11 6971 AMORPHOUS GRAPHITE KOL CHINA 440000 10443259 NATURAL GRAPHITE AHM USA 91 46549 NATURAL GRAPHITE TUG USA 9072 970263 GRAPHITE POWDER JNP JAPAN 300 298879 GRAPHITE POWDER JNP JAPAN 200 199253 GRAPHITE POWDER JNP JAPAN 200 199253 GRAPHITE JNP GERMANY 3000 786601 GRAPHITE POWDER BAN CZECH. 210 113189 NATURAL GRAPHITE POWDER KOL CHINA 169000 11381342 GRAFITE GRAFLAKE JNP BRAZIL 63000 5580232 GRAPHITE CHN CZECH. 600 178772 NATURAL FLAKY GRAPHITE VIZ CHINA 793000 47557294 01/09/12 03/09/12 06/09/12 07/09/12 10/09/12 11/09/12 12/09/12 12/09/12 14/09/12 18/09/12 18/09/12 18/09/12 20/09/12 20/09/12 24/09/12 24/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 27/09/12 27/09/12 28/09/12 Qty (Kgs) Total 1201922.76 146691027.5 Ceramic CERAMIC JNP CHINA 19201 1465945 SANITARYWARE URINAL JNP GERMANY 11044 1110931 CERAMIC PLANTERS JNP CHINA 79030 7058486 CERAMIC JNP ITALY 2831 375416 CERAMIC KOL FRANCE 600 318163 MADE OF CERAMIC JNP GERMANY 843 635306 CERAMICS BAN USA 124000 82834 CERAMIC FIBER MUM CHINA 171155 11347213 CERAMIC FIBER AHM CHINA 10080 805094 CERAMIC CARTRIDGE (SANITARY WARE) JNP SPAIN 297 443198 CERAMICS / DISPLAY GOODS JNP CHINA 17814 1416072 SANITARY WARE JNP CHINA 611 31698 CERAMIC JNP THAILAND 6915 992844 CERAMIC - BALL HYD SINGAPORE 1 11401 SPARE PARTS OF CERAMIC MACHINERY AHM ITALY 50 13283 CERAMIC JNP MALAYSIA 738 46795 CERAMIC MUG JNP MALAYSIA 10344 434079 CERAMIC DISKS (SANITARY FITTING) JNP THAILAND 1 653 CIF Rate 73.02 200.57 183.92 85.6 633.73 23.7 511.53 106.95 996.26 996.27 996.27 262.2 539 67.3 88.58 297.95 60.0 53.2 7.4 5.79 14.02 9.5 10.35 11.4 8 11.93 9.5 7.7 78.33 6.4 8.06 11.41 9.54 9.2 6.91 10 13.27 11.93 12.73 9.6 94.27 57.1 68.2 92.8 101.25 91.31 424.1 424.1 811.6 771.06 92.4 29.4 19.66 187.31 43.66 91.24 58.3 91.24 18.76 105.7 348.93 72.7 423.82 321.1 1910.5 497.4 374.1 1267.83 82.9 166.8 13.55 86.7 286.0 42.28 97.2 62.5 275.93 1329.41 304.31 163.74 145.19 771.03 66.1 86.2 597.2 154.3 263.39 145.95 259.89 278.1 223.2 100 377 363.1 151.1 145.5 70.6 92.8 246.1 5168.41 336.5 509.3 269.43 Date mport Items/ Products I 26/09/12 28/09/12 29/09/12 29/09/12 JNP MUN JNP KOL Qty (Kgs) Value (Rs) CIF Rate JAPAN CHINA THAILAND FRANCE 19000 2886107 223 400 2879536 7131720 31199 230779 151.6 2.5 139.9 576.95 Total 3361285 36862645 11.0 01/09/12 03/09/12 10/09/12 11/09/12 12/09/12 18/09/12 21/09/12 22/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 27/09/12 27/09/12 27/09/12 27/09/12 Articles of plaster or of compositions based MADA PLASTER BOARDS MUN S. ARABIA 105410 909576 GYPSUM PLASTER CHN U K 27408 563387 GYPSUM WALL CHN S. ARABIA 39400 371456 PLASTER BOARD JNP SPAIN 49127 681319 GYPSUM PLASTER VIZ PAKISTAN 422938.5 3915433.37 GYPSUM PLASTER JNP UAE 350334 4144297 GYPSUM CEILING TILES JNP CHINA 21000 170702 PLASTER CHN THAILAND 664568 6419268 GYPSUM PLASTER JNP UAE 122733 1175991 PAPER GYPSUM BOARD CHN CHINA 17590 119813 GYPSUM CENTRE PANELS KOL MALAYSIA 51417 715574 BRAND GYPSUM CHN THAILAND 994400 9207885 PVC GYPSUM TILES JNP CHINA 525741 8015431 GYPSUM TILES SIZE JNP CHINA 64500 820659 05/09/12 07/09/12 10/09/12 10/09/12 10/09/12 18/09/12 19/09/12 20/09/12 22/09/12 27/09/12 28/09/12 28/09/12 28/09/12 29/09/12 Total 05/09/12 12/09/12 24/09/12 26/09/12 Total Total Total Limestone flux; limestone and other calcareous stones LIMESTONE IN BULK TUT PHILIPPINES LIME STONE IN BULK TUT UAE NATURAL LIMESTONE POWDER GRADE 3 CHN VIETNAM LIMESTONE CHN OMAN LIME STONE BAN TURKEY LIME STONE TUT EGYPT LIME STONE IN BULK CHN OMAN LIME STONE LUMPS CHN EGYPT LIMESTONE IN BULK TUT PHILIPPINES LIME STONE IN BULK PAR UAE LIMESTONE POWDER CHN MALAYSIA NATURAL LIME STONE POWDER CHN MALAYSIA LIME STONE POWDER JNP VIETNAM LIME STONE POWDER JNP EGYPT LIMESTONE POWDER CHN EGYPT 04/09/12 06/09/12 06/09/12 07/09/12 07/09/12 11/09/12 11/09/12 11/09/12 13/09/12 15/09/12 18/09/12 18/09/12 19/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 26/09/12 27/09/12 28/09/12 28/09/12 35463004 698754982 68300 1926396.33 Gypsum; Anhydrite; Plasters GYPSUM POWDER COC UAE 250000 1193887 GYPSUM POWDER GRADE COC IRAN 94000 375099 GYPSUM CEMENT CHN USA 20000 698624 PLASTER OF PARIS (GYPSUM) JNP THAILAND 133960 1371055 GYPSUM POWDER TUT IRAN 107800 420328.96 FOAMED PLASTER CHN U K 100 1832 HYDRACAST PROTOCAST HYD FRANCE 1700 194684 PLASTER - CRYSTACAL HI DRIED & BAGGED CHN U K 8000 137429 GYPSUM CHN U K 1000 13117 PLASTER OF PARIS CHN ITALY 5000 311081 PLASTER OF PARIS (GYPSUM) TUT MALAYSIA 25000 347170.5 WHITE PLASTER JNP ITALY 1158 22138 NATURAL GYPSUM (IN BULK) VIZ OMAN 78138050 137313021.6 PLASTER TUG CHINA 20000 840078 NATURAL GYPSUM PLASTER VIZ THAILAND 81404000 130249734 PLASTER CHN CHINA 48000 980847 GYPSUM POWDER JNP IRAN 1211000 3830398 PLASTER OF PARIS VIZ THAILAND 583000 5687401 NORMAL GYPSUM PLASTER JNP IRAN 443000 1471224 NATURAL GYPSUM (IN BULK) JNP IRAN 3797470 14455426 GYPSUM DEL KENYA 5 335 GYPSUM POWDER TUT S. ARABIA 48000 221763.71 04/09/12 10/09/12 11/09/12 15/09/12 17/09/12 21/09/12 22/09/12 22/09/12 24/09/12 24/09/12 25/09/12 25/09/12 26/09/12 27/09/12 29/09/12 37230791.37 Granite, sandstone or building stone ROUGH GRANITE BLOCK JNP ITALY 10000 331758 ROUGH GRANITE BLOCK JNP BRAZIL 28000 991715 SAND & STONES CHN CHINA 3900 94008 ROUGH GRANITE BLOCKS TUT FINLAND 26400 508915.33 03/09/12 05/09/12 05/09/12 06/09/12 07/09/12 12/09/12 12/09/12 12/09/12 13/09/12 15/09/12 15/09/12 15/09/12 17/09/12 19/09/12 20/09/12 21/09/12 22/09/12 22/09/12 24/09/12 26/09/12 28/09/12 28/09/12 3456566.5 Marble or Building stone ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN CHINA 42000 779436 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN UAE 111000 2118573 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN IRAN 554000 10725330 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN PAKISTAN 22000 416262 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN SPAIN 883000 17938220 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS JNP CHINA 74000 1636755 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN ITALY 738000 12113382 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS TUG GREECE 360000 8170185 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS JNP PORTUGAL 77000 1626091 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN PAKISTAN 26000 466887 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN EGYPT 722000 13597933 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN TURKEY 11067000 219446376 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS MUN EGYPT 509000 4403757 ROUGH MARBLE BLOCKS TUG ITALY 20278004 405315795 Total Total 8.63 20.56 9.43 13.9 9.3 11.8 8.13 9.7 9.6 6.81 13.9 9.3 15.2 12.7 10.8 18.56 19.09 19.4 18.92 20.3 22.12 16.4 22.7 21.12 17.96 18.8 19.8 8.7 20.0 19.7 33.18 35.42 24.1 19.3 28.2 4.78 3.99 34.93 10.2 3.9 18.32 114.52 17.18 13.12 62.22 13.89 19.1 1.8 42 1.6 20.43 3.2 9.8 3.3 3.8 67 4.62 166340243 300136673.7 1.8 1000000 124340000 162000 50801000 19100 3982220 46707000 418000 4000000 359624000 1777000 9286000 704000 150000 200000 1373180.85 156869985.7 1048281 57414782 1738790 14054374.77 57361095.46 1424097 6047880 455815468 8156966 33010721 4849460 808147 1138261 1.37 1.3 6.47 1.13 91.0 3.5 1.2 3.41 1.51 1.3 4.6 3.6 6.9 5.39 5.69 603170320 801111489.8 1.3 Ash & Carbonate SODIUM CARBONATE DENSE TIR GERMANY 500000 7204961 SODA ASH HYD ROMANIA 500000 7780556 SODIUM CARBONATE LIGHT (SODA ASH) CHN BULGARIA 3591000 54293082 SODIUM BI CARBONATE JNP U K 11000 315013 SODIUM BI CARBONATE JNP USA 1404 351839 SODA ASH KOL TURKEY 8018000 122149606 SODIUM CARBONATE LIGHT JNP FRANCE 6250 142378 SODIUM CARBONATE LIGHT JNP FRANCE 13750 313233 SODA ASH LIGHT MUN CHINA 1445000 21360969 SODA ASH LON KENYA 495000 6804267 SODA ASH CHN GERMANY 260000 3763321 SODIUM BI CARBONATE KOL CHINA 821000 11168027 SODA ASH LIGHT COC ROMANIA 1887000 30083334 SODA ASH HYD S. AFRICA 1000000 14937006 SODIUM CARBONATE DENSE TIR BULGARIA 9645000 139806637 SODIUM CARBONATE DENSE TIR ITALY 2500000 36153581 SODIUM BI CARBONATE JNP TURKEY 250000 3285668 SODA ASH HYD ROMANIA 350000 5329622 SODA ASH LIGHT VIZ CHINA 17952521 253128898.5 SODA ASH LIGHT JNP TURKEY 3047000 45345795 122.0 76.3 100.6 89.3 132.6 530.27 753.6 0.7 66.3 79.9 1492.25 79.5 51.9 143.6 11401 265.66 63.41 41.96 653 Port Code Foreign Port ALUMINA BALL CERAMIC BALL POLISHED PROCELAIN CERAMIC ARTICALS CERAMIC 2 52293925 763717793.5 14.41 15.56 15.1 28.64 250.6 15.2 22.78 22.78 14.8 13.75 14.47 13.6 15.9 14.94 14.5 14.5 13.14 15.23 14.1 14.9 14.6 BUILDING MATERIALS Weekly prices: 10.04.2013 Product/Items Weekly Average BRICKS(1000 Pc) - CLOSE DELHI Awwal (Haryana) Awwal (UP) Doyam (Haryana) Doyam (UP) Lal Peti (Red) 4550 4500 4400 4350 4150 POP(20 Kg) - CLOSE DELHI JK Lakshmi(20 Kg) JK Lakshmi(25 Kg) Sakrani (ISI) 136 155 155 Product/Items Weekly Average CEMENT(50 Kg) - CLOSE DELHI ACC Ambuja Binani (43 Grade) Binani (PPC) JK Lakshmi (PPC) JK Super (43 Grade) JK Super (PPC) Shriram Nirman 265 265 273 256 272 260 250 260 KOLKATA ACC UltraTech 345 355 Product/Items Weekly Average RODI STONES & SAND (300 Sqft) - CLOSE DELHI Badarpur-Bold Badarpur-Fine Chips Blue Chips White Sand(Sonepat) Stone Dust(Haryana) Stone Dust(Rajasthan) 10500 9700 11300 10500 5400 11700 10800
- 3. POWER May 13 - 19, 2013 An innovative model for accelerated hydropower development The time-tested ‘7M MODEL is being devised ’ based on planning, execution and operation of mega hydro-electric projects (Part 2 - Continued from last issue) investment and time, hydro projects which involve lesser risk element and entail lesser capital investment can be considered for development in the private sector. The public sector can take up (a) multipurpose projects (b) projects sector participation for accelerated development of hydropower projects, keeping pace with quality and time. A clear road map needs to be drawn, particularly for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Public Private Partnership Financial issues The 7M Model resolves the financial issues pertaining to the issues shown in Fig 6 in the following way: Need of creation of fund for hydropower development The cost of report preparation would be recovered from the developer to whom the project is allotted. It is essential to have investment attracting concession agreement that may attract big private players in hydropower development. With a view to bring in additional private investment in the hydel sector, there would be a greater emphasis to take up schemes through joint ventures between PSUs/SEBs and domestic and foreign private enterprises. Heavy construction cost of roads & bridges in inaccessible projects sites The cost of access roads should not be included in the project cost, as development of hydro projects triggers economic and commercial activities around the project site and results in economic benefit to the state. At present, the cost of road development is borne by hydroelectric projects which increases the construction cost of the project and thereby high tariff. Off-loading of expenses on security There is also a need to off-load indirect cost components on hydro projects. Many hydro projects are located in troubled areas and infested by militancy and terrorist activities. However, the recurring expenditure incurred on security, once a project goes on stream, could be charged on the project developer. As law and order is responsibility of the state, the cost of security may be borne by the state/Centre. involving interstate issues and inter-state river systems (c) projects involving cooperation with neighbouring countries and (d) projects for complementary peaking with regional benefits (e) projects in the north-eastern region, etc. Inter-state disputes Unfortunately, inter-state disputes over sharing of river water have become almost unresolvable. Due to such problems, it is becoming difficult to finalise downstream discharge during a lean period making operation of a multipurpose reservoir complex. If all major rivers are made national sources and its water is distributed by the Centre keeping the requirement of states in mind, the time may be saved. Private land acquisition The land acquisition for hydroelectric projects is a timeconsuming process. The work of land identification, its physical verification and preparing papers for private land acquisition is cumbersome. This not only involves time, but it becomes almost impossible to predict when possession of private land can be obtained and at what cost. Law & order, militancy problems Since hydroelectric projects provide 12 per cent free power to the state, the royalty on quarry material can be exempted. Exemption of custom duty for hydro projects Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) There is relief in custom duty for imported equipment and machinery for mega projects. For all hydroelectric projects the custom duty may be exempted for imported equipment and machinery. Policy issue The audacious and effective policy is required for accelerating hydropower development. Hence, the 7M Model undertakes policies in the following way. No delay in clearances It will be desirable to have a single window dispensation/authority so that a project is cleared without many hassles. The Ministry of Power may have a set- up for hydro projects cleared from all angles. Selection of project developer The selection of project developer is an important issue. Since hydropower projects involve huge Dearth of competent indigenous construction agencies There is a dearth of competent contracting agencies having sufficient technical, managerial construction and financial resources required for undertaking mega hydroelectric projects. This is due to absence of construction market in the near past, large enough to develop such competent contracting agencies. Adequate experienced construction manpower (technical and managerial) Most hydroelectric projects are constructed in hills or on foothills which may be affected with law & order and militancy problems. The local administration may come forward for protecting and encouraging agencies involved in activities for construction of the hydroelectric project. Royalty physical implementation of new technology at the site. The Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) of Project Affected People (PAP) is another major issue affecting smooth execution of hydroelectric projects, particularly wherein submergence areas, the number of project-affected people are large. Therefore, hydroelectric developing agencies may keep provision of suitable employment for project affected families in its R&R plan. Encouragement of public and private sector participation in hydropower development With a view to tap hydropower potential, huge investment is required. In this context, bridging the gap in availability of funds and requirement of funds has become critical and consequently, large projects are being undertaken in different segments of the sector -- generation, transmission and distribution. Hence, there is urgent need of public and private (PPP) hydro projects so that their financial closure is achieved at the earliest possible. Technical knowledge development While awarding contracts to foreign agencies, it should be ensured that transfer of technology programme forms part of agreement so that engineers can get training for new technologies, make themselves aware about new developments and see Due to thrust on short term targets, practically there was no development in the hydropower sector, barring CPSUs during ‘80s and ‘90s, due to which an entire generation of engineers in this sector has gone without work experience and now when work has picked up, suitably experienced technical and managerial manpower at senior level is not available adequately, and there is much poaching of manpower at senior level. 7M Model The 7M Model is a well-knit structure, which would ensure timely 3 and successful completion of hydroelectrical project involving various aspects on technical, financial, infrastructure and policy matters. It can definitely play a lead role for setting up of blue print towards accelerated harnessing of hydropower potential and make up the loss occurred so far. To summarise, the role of every ‘M’ is being indicated in succeeding paragraphs. Master planning/ project planning The first and foremost ‘M’ of 7M Model ‘Master Planning’ specifically focuses planning issues covering technical, infrastructural, financial and policy aspects of the Model. More specifically, the Model envisages the following under master planning/ project planning: Reliable, realistic and bankable Detailed Project Report (DPR). Squeezing gestation period between DPR stage and tendering stage (including award of work) by accelerating start of pre-construction activities. Resolution of inter-state disputes within the DPR stage only. Set up single window clearance for hydro projects within six months of the submission of proposal. Selection of project developer i.e. private developer or government agency as applicable. Capacity building for development of competent indigenous agencies and manpower, including technical knowledge development Address to clear and community oriented R&R policy. (contd. on pg. 11)
- 4. ENVIRONMENT May 13 - 19, 2013 4 Artificial grass for perfect lawn! The all-purpose eco-friendly product is fast gaining popularity and increasingly used around homes, residential complexes, sports stadiums and so on People who live in bungalows and apartments always wish to have a perfect lawn around and inside their home with no need for its maintenance. Some are afraid that harmful chemicals sprayed on the lawn may harm their child or pet. However, they needn’t have to worry about it anymore! that, it will leave no muddy patches or muddy paws after your dog or cat is back home from your wet courtyard. Countless benefits Apart from giving out an aesthetic look, artificial grass is best suited for people who suffer from plant- related respiratory or physical allergies. Since artificial grass doesn’t include any pollens or any other natural element, it does not affect allergy in any way, making it very easy to install around swimming pools, or even around a flowerbed. Commercial businesses also enjoy a lot of benefits from artificial grass. When it comes to maintenance, natural grass lawn is way too difficult to maintain as it requires a dedicated Maintenance of any product, if more than its cost, actually makes it difficult to sustain. Especially in case of grass which is an essential part of any building’s landscape. Maintenance of natural grass is Because artificial synthetic grass, a product that is manufactured using synthetic fibres, has been one of the best alternatives for an easy maintenance-free garden. The artificial grass is virtually indistinguishable from natural grass when viewed from any distance. As a result of its versatility, bewitching looks and other advantages, artificial grass is fast growing in popularity and is being increasingly used around homes, residential complexes, sports stadiums and so on. Hygienic and clean Synthetic grass replicates natural grass that provides a more hygienic and clean environment. From being low on maintenance, it reduces your time and effort in watering, mowing, fertilising and cleaning up the lawns. The grass is also an eco-friendly solution and avoids usage of water on the lawns. The turf also acts as an illuminator and brightens up the dull space around your homes. With easy installation, the turf can be easily planted in balconies as well and is also pet friendly. The major advantage of artificial grass is both time- consuming and costly. Artificial grass is most relaxing on maintenance. The environmentfriendly product not only beautifies your home, but is also easy on your pocket! Gaurav Saraf Joint Managing Director, Square Foot worker who can water, trim, clean and mow to keep it looking fresh, tidy and clean. In contrast, maintaining an artificial grass lawn is much easier and doesn’t require any maintenance worker as such. Artificial grass is best suited when installed around a parking lot of a business establishment. Artificial grass is also suited for playgrounds where it acts like a natural padding. It provides a softer landing ground for children and protection from rocks, sand that lie on the ground. Fresh and harmless Friendly with pets and children Resistance to high and low temperature Cool surface No watering required, saving water No mowing, no sound pollution No pesticides o r f e r t i l i s e r s ; harmless to all Always looks fresh and fantastic No maintenance required Nature friendly Artificial grass is an addition to commitment towards environmental friendly products. As compared to natural grass, artificial grass saves thousands of litres of water used to maintain a garden as well as it does not need any pesticide or weedicide -- eliminating chemical usage at home. This also contributes towards Leed points for the same. Saint-Gobain initiative in renewable energy An early glimpse into the 2013 Annual Energy Outlook from the US Energy Information Administration reveals that increased generation from renewable energy is expected to account for 32 per cent of the overall domestic growth in electricity generation from 2011 to 2040. With this insight and reports of global growth forecasts in renewable energy from both financial and market analysts in mind, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics announced on April 30, its strategic initiatives for composite bearings applications in renewable energy markets. The Bearings & Tolerance Rings Group at Saint-Gobain designs composite bearings solutions that withstand harsh vibration, improve efficiency, extend performance and reduce operational downtime in both solar energy and wind turbine applications. As part of its strategic focus in renewable energy markets, SaintGobain has added the design engineering expertise of Industrial Global Market Manager, Edward Rumble to its team. With his extensive design and engineering experience, Rumble will lead the increasing efforts to develop the next generation of composite bearings for solar and wind applications. “Renewable energy, fuelled by innovative solar and wind turbine technologies, will prove to be the future of sustainable power generation”, said Rumble. “To help today’s and tomorrow’s leaders in renewable energy production, we are committed to partnering with OEMs to deliver innovative solutions that enhance efficiency in solar and wind applications.” For the solar market, SaintGobain manufactures an innovative, maintenance-free composite bearing. Proprietary fluoro polymer compounds in SOLGLIDE® composite bearings increase the long-term operational efficiency of solar equipment, reduce energy usage and decrease longterm costs. SOLGLIDE® composite bearings are specifically designed for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants, applied at pivot points in all major tracking systems. Rumble and his team of design engineering experts are currently working on innovative composite configurations for bearings that offer even greater performance for large scale CSP projects. For the wind turbine market, 2013 will see the introduction of a series of composite bearings solutions from Saint-Gobain. “Our application engineering teams are currently developing the next generation of composite bearings technology for wind turbine applications”, said Rumble. The composite bearings will be able to withstand the harsh vibrations that occur in wind turbine applications while reducing operational downtime. “This is the next step for Saint-Gobain in offering solutions that enhance the production of renewable energy”. E f f o r t s w i t h i n t h e o p er a t i o n of Saint-Gobain are also making significant strides in sustainability. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognised SaintGobain with the 2013 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award for Continued Leadership in Energy Conservation for the third consecutive year. Over the last year, the company achieved energy savings of 3 per cent, equating to avoiding more than 82 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
- 5. REAL ESTATE May 13 - 19, 2013 Facilitating effective monetary policies The Reserve Bank of India cut the repo rate by 25 basis points bps. This juggling act by RBI announcement has garnered mixed reviews from the industry. An initiative of the balancing act has only got tougher in the last few years as GDP growth has fallen below potential, but inflation has remained stubbornly high The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently cut the repo rate by 25 basis points bps. The repo rate, the rate at which the RBI lends to banks, is cut to 7.25 per cent, from 7.5 per cent earlier. All other rates such as the reverse repo, the rate which the RBI pays banks for depositing excess funds, the penal interest rate and the bank rate, fall by similar amount. The Cash Reserve Ratio, the proportion of deposits to be kept with the RBI is left unchanged at 4 per cent. The reverse repo is the rate at which the apex bank mops up funds from banks. The funds are for the short term in both the instances. The Reserve Bank of India is cautious while reducing the key policy rates on account of the inflationary pressure and the current account deficit. Thus it has cut the repo rate by 25 basis points for the third time since January to 7.25 per cent. It has kept the cash reserve ratio unchanged at 4 per cent. “We welcome the repo rate cut by the RBI. However, the real estate sector requires more such incentives. To revive investments in the sector, we hope the apex bank would continue monetary easing in coming months and would further reduce the rates,” remarked Sachin Sandhir, Managing Director, Rics South Asia. A balancing act The RBI maintained that the room for further rate cuts is limited because headline inflation remains above its threshold. Extreme caution is, therefore, evident from the RBI’s statement in its economy review that room for the rate cut is very limited and that policy could be calibrated in either direction, depending on the behaviour of risks to inflation. “I believe that the room for aggressive rate cuts will remain limited until inflation comes down to around 5 per cent on a sustainable basis. If this is to be achieved, the RBI cannot play a lone hand and will require, among other things, the support of a restrictive fiscal policy and removal of supply-side bottlenecks,” said the RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao who quoted in his annual monetary policy statement. He further stated, “With upside risks to inflation still significant in the near term in view of sectorial demand supply imbalances, ongoing correction in administered prices and pressures stemming from minimum support price increases, monetary policy cannot afford to lower its guard against the possibility of resurgence of inflation pressures.” At present, the economy’s growth is trailing its potential and this trend is unlikely to change (growth potential is estimated around 7per cent) in 201314. But WPI inflation has surprised on the downside. And for the first time in the last three years, the RBI is projecting average inflation (5.5 per cent) below GDP growth (5.7 per cent). Against this backdrop, it makes sense to utilise whatever little room for the rate cuts exists by frontloading them. Need for further reduction Hailing the repo rate cut by 25 basis points, realtors’ apex body Credai called for continuing the trend by the Reserve Bank of India to pave the way for easy financing of the housing industry. Welcoming the RBI decision to cut key policy rates by 0.25 per cent, the real estate sector said 5 “The third round of reduction in the repo rates during the year that currently stands at 7.25 per cent is a positive move for home buyers. In the wake of slow economic growth WPI inflation around 5.5 per cent. The RBI aims to bring down WPI inflation to 5.0 per cent by March 2014. With continued high CPI inflation and upside risks to WPI inflation remaining significant, the RBI sees little space for further rate cuts in 2013-14. Money supply (M3) growth expected to be around 13 per cent. Positive move Sachin Sandhir, MD, Rics South Asia C. Shekhar Reddy, National President, Credai Lalit Kumar Jain, Chairman, Credai Sanjay Dutt, Exec. MD, South Asia, C&W Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII Vivek Talwar, MD, Nitco Ltd. Arun Kumar, MD, Casa Grande Duvvuri Subbarao, RBI Governor there is a need for further reduction so that the interest cost to builders and home buyers falls considerably. “We sincerely hope that the RBI will keep up the trend of repo rate cut and facilitate a fall in interest rates so that the EMI burden on common house buyer gets reduced considerably,” said Lalit Kumar Jain, Chairman of Credai & CMD Kumar Urban Development Ltd (Kul). He also stressed the need for the RBI formulating a special policy for the housing industry with focus on affordable housing and quick and equally affordable financing of such projects. The Credai National President C. Shekar Reddy, said, “We seek indulgence of the RBI and the Finance Ministry to stimulate supply and demand in the housing sector.” Appreciating the Finance Ministry’s initiatives to encourage financing of projects held up for want of funds, he quoted, “It is time for all of us to move further and look at the real estate industry as a whole.” Referring to the RBI concern over supply chain constraints, Reddy also stated that the real estate industry could contribute to the improvement of the situation as over 200 industries can have the benefit of a chain reaction. He reiterated that the Credai demand is for a supply-driven economy, rather than a supply-constrained policy. Trade analysts believe that the 25 bps cut in the repo rate will not immediately translate into a proportionate reduction in lending rates. Subdued deposit mobilisation and high credit-deposit ratio will constrain the ability of banks to cut deposit and lending rates across the board. Banks are likely to cut lending rates gradually, and selectively, for some portfolios. The median base rate of 10 banks is reduced by only 20 bps in 2012-13, even though the RBI had reduced the repo rate and the CRR by 100 bps and 75 bps, respectively, during this period. Citing the relatively lower risk in the residential real estate segment, the RBI proposes to carve out a separate subsector, Commercial Real Estate (CRE) – the remaining residential housing, within the CRE sector, with relatively less stringent regulations on risk-weights and provisioning. This would be a positive measure for developers engaged in residential real estate projects. Lowering repo rate by 25 bps will for sure help the real estate sector. This rate reduction will aid in infusing more liquidity in the system which is most sort in the real estate sector. and low investments, even a minor reduction in interest rates by 25 basis points is optimistic for the sector, though it may not lead to a big resurgence as the structural inefficiencies in infrastructure and policy remains,” asserted Sanjay Dutt, Executive Managing Director, South Asia, Cushman & Wakefield. Echoing similar optimistic sentiments, Arun Kumar, Founder & Managing Director, Casa Grande Pvt Ltd, stated, “The reduction in the repo rate might lead to cut down the interest rate for buyers and cost of borrowing for real estate developers. With income tax benefit announced in the recent budget, and the rate reduction demand for homes would increase. We are happy with the RBI taking steps for easing of liquidity. ” Aggregate deposits and non-food credit of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) are projected to grow in 201314 by 14.0 per cent and 15.0 per cent respectively. FIIs allowed to hedge their currency risk by using exchange traded currency futures in domestic exchanges, draft guidelines to be issued by the end of July 2013. Falls short of expectations “A rate cut of 25 basis points, while welcome, falls short of CII’s expectation of a 50 bps cut in policy rates which was crucial under the current economic conditions. A 50 bps cut in policy rates would have provided a strong boost to the economy and made a significant impact on investor sentiment,” explains Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII. An aggressive monetary policy stance at the present juncture should not be perceived as overly accommodative, especially when growth is touching new lows. Past experience also shows that the economy has responded favourably to the cuts in policy rates, said Banerjee said. A cut in the repo rate should have been accompanied by a cut in CRR which would have facilitated effective monetary transmission at a time when liquidity conditions are tight. Vivek Talwar, MD, Nitco Ltd, welcomed this move. He said, “The move will bring in the positive sentiments in the market and will help in giving a comfort level to buyers as it will allow banks to cut down interest rate and pass on benefits to end-users.” Key highlights The repo rate cut by 25 bps to 7.25 per cent, consequently the reverse repo rate stands at 6.25 per cent while the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate is now 8.25 per cent. The cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks maintained at 4.0 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL). The RBI projects GDP growth for 2013-14 at 5.7 per cent and average Loan limits’ eligibility The RBI has proposed to enhance loan limits’ eligibility for classification under priority sector advances for certain segments: Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs) in the services sector – Rs 20 million to Rs 50 million per borrower. Loans to dealers/sellers of products classified as indirect finance to agriculture – Rs 10 million to Rs 50 million per borrower. Pledge loans given to either individual farmers or firms engaged in agriculture and allied activities – Rs 2.5 to Rs 5 million. In addition, the RBI has proposed to restrict the facility of advances against the security of gold coins per customer to gold coins weighing up to 50 gm. Detailed guidelines will be issued by May-end 2013.
- 6. PROJECTS UPDATE May 13 - 19, 2013 6 Mumbai’s Metro rail service Viability Gap Funding of Rs 1,458 cr okayed likely by Sept: Chavan for Hyd Metro T h e fir st p ha se o f Vers ov aAndheri-Ghatkopar Metro Rail service is likely to commence by September this year and the entire phase will be operational by the year-end, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in Mumbai. “We will start full passenger service by September and the entire stretch (11.4 kilometres VersovaAndheri-Ghatkopar corridor) by December,” said Chavan after flagging off the first safety trial run of the Mumbai Metro. The trials would continue for the next few months in order to secure certification from the commissioner, Railway Safety. Chavan said the process of obtaining all other mandatory safety certifications is underway, adding that the service will be functional once these certifications are received. He also said that the work on Navi Mumbai Metro project has also begun, adding that the project worth Rs 5,500 crore will be thrown open to the public this year. The first phase, Versova to Saki Naka, will have seven stations. The Mumbai Metro transit system under construction is designed to reduce traffic congestion in the city. The first phase of the Mumbai Metro project is being constructed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Reliance Infrastructure under public-private participation (PPP) mode. A government-appointed committee headed by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Secretary Arvind Mayaram has approved Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs 1,458 crore for development of Hyderabad Metro Rail. “The Empowered Committee headed by the DEA Secretary has accorded final approval for Viability Gap Funding of Rs 1,458 crore (12.35 per cent of total project cost of Rs 11,814 crore) under the VGF scheme to the project from the government of Andhra Pradesh for development of Hyderabad Metro Rail on DBFOT One more bridge planned over Yamuna to link Delhi, Noida With a daily traffic volume of more than 1.5 lakh vehicles proving too much for the two connecting routes between Noida and Delhi, the Noida Authority is looking to construct another six-lane bridge across the Yamuna. The new bridge, officials said, will run parallel to the Kalindi Kunj bridge near Okhla Barrage and will benefit commuters travelling between Delhi, Noida and Faridabad. Senior Noida authority officials confirmed that Pune-based Central Power Water Research Station (CPWRS) has been handed the charge of conducting a feasibility study of the proposed bridge. CPWRS is studying the project site and the final model for the project is expected to be ready in a couple of months. The construction will be completed in two years after work begins, said the officials. “During peak hours, there are jams on DND flyway and Kalindi Kunj bridge. The existing bridge has two lanes on either side, and is clearly insufficient to deal with a traffic volume of close to 1.5 lakh vehicles per day,” said an official. The proposed bridge will be 575 metres long and have three lanes on either side. “The project is expected to cost around Rs 300 crore and has already been incorporated in the Noida Master Plan 2031. A central verge and pedestrian pathways will be constructed on the new bridge,” said an official. Shell inks deal for port services at LNG terminal in AP Following the submission of the draft environmental impact assessment report and the signing of the Port Services Agreement, Shell and Kakinada Seaports maintain they have achieved two important milestones towards implementing the Andhra LNG import terminal project. The draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the proposed development of the Andhra LNG terminal at the Kakinada deep water port was recently submitted to the State Pollution Control Board in Kakinada. On April 11, Shell and Kakinada Seaports (KSPL) signed the port services agreement, setting out the commercial arrangements underlying the development and operation of the required port facilities for the entire duration of the project. In a statement, Roger Bounds, Shell Vice-President Global LNG, said the Kakinada project would benefit from Shell’s presence in several existing and planned LNG supply projects, and would help ensure diversity and security of supply to Andhra Pradesh. He added that Shell is looking forward to the imminent public hearing on the site following the submission of the draft EIA. Yasmine Hilton, Chairman of Shell Companies in India, added that India is an important market for LNG and the states of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh are key markets for gas in India. Following Shell’s Hazira terminal on the west coast in Gujarat, Shell is keen to set up an LNG receiving terminal on the east coast in Andhra Pradesh. Hilton added that this would be the first floating and storage regassification unit in India with Shell’s partners. The project, which was conceived by Shell and its partners in 2011, is nearing fruition, said the company. The project will be the first LNG import terminal on the East Coast, and the terminal will start with a capacity of up to 5 million tons a year, expandable to over 10 mt a year. (toll) basis,” said the Finance Ministry in a statement. VGF is typically provided in competitively bid projects. Under VGF, the Central government meets up to 20 per cent of capital cost of a project being implemented in public private partnership (PPP) mode by a Central ministry, state government, statutory entity or a local body. The state government, sponsoring ministry or the project authority can pitch in with another 20 per cent of the project cost to make the projects even more attractive for investors. No rebid for mega projects abandoned by GVK, GMR Stuck with two mega projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore abandoned by GVK and GMR, the ministry may not go for rebidding but end up offering both to the next highest bidder. Infrastructure players may not be interested. Industry members say the projects would make sense if cost increase is factored in. Then, there is the question of whether the premiums quoted at that time are still viable in the current financial scenario. The Highways Ministry is also working on GMR’s proposal to defer payment of the Rs 636 crore annual premium it had promised for the KishangarhAhmedabad project. Aware that companies are facing financial stress, the ministry is considering extending this step to all existing but stalled projects as well as future projects. In case GMR still doesn’t agree to return to the project, it may offer this project to the secondhighest bidder. “We have to evaluate whether it is still feasible to accept the project,” said the ministry official. “The proposal is interesting but we have to take into account the cost escalation and see if the premium we offered would still be viable for us. It also depends on whether they ask us to pay the same premium offered by the highest bidder,” said an official from a leading infrastructure firm under condition of anonymity. “We are also interested in the option to adjust the claims due to us from the NHAI against the premium we are supposed to pay them,” he added. Companies such as Reliance Infra, HCC and L&T were in the race to pick up the Rs 7,700 crore KishangarhAhmedabad and the Rs 3,000 crore Shivpuri-Dewas projects. While GMR is in talks with the NHAI on a possible return to the project, government officials say that GVK might not be too keen. “This is why we are considering giving it to the bidder with the second highest premium and if they too would not be interested, then to the third highest bidder and so on,” added the official. NHAI to expedite East-West corridor project in Assam Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to expedite the completion of the much-delayed East-West Corridor road project in the state. The project got delayed due to multiple reasons like insurgency, bad weather, delays in land acquisition, etc. leading to cost escalation as well. “The progress on the East-West Corridor is slow. It requires periodic review, evaluation, monitoring and assessment from time to time to pursue matters to their logical conclusions,” said Gogoi. The scheduled completion date of the 670-km stretch of the East-West Corridor project, which lies in Assam, has now been fixed for December 2014. So far 431 km of the corridor in Nagaon-Daboka-Lanka-Udali section has been completed, while another 63 km length is likely to be ready by mid this year. The physical progress of the construction of the bridge over river Brahmaputra in Guwahati is around 60 per cent complete. The 3,300 km long four-lane East-West Corridor starts from Porbandar in Gujarat and ends at Silchar in Assam and passes through Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
- 7. IN PERSON May 13 - 19, 2013 ‘We’re one-stop solution for interior design and fit-outs’ Which projects in India and abroad have benefited from Vector’s services? Having a large portfolio in banking and IT clients, some of the major beneficiaries of Vector Projects’ include - 3i Infotech, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Accenture, Australian Consulate General, Axis Bank Ltd, Saraswat Bank, Bajaj Auto Ltd., Bombay Stock Exchange, British Deputy High Commission, Cognizant Technology Solutions Ltd., Cox & Kings, DOW Chemical International Ltd., Edelweiss Capital Ltd., Franklin Templeton Ltd., HSBC, ICICI Bank, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., ITC, L’Oreal India Pvt Ltd., Marks & Spencer Reliance India Pvt. Ltd., Lodha Group, TAJ Hotels, TCS, Tata Motors, to name just a few. We acknowledge our esteem clients entrusting us in sharing our expertise that lies in offering services in the area of end-to-end interior turnkey solutions comprising installation of electrical, HVAC, BMS systems, data cabling and networking, providing world-class modular workstations, partitions and chairs. The company’s turnkey solutions have been instrumental in gaining them esteemed clientele which spans across different sectors such as banking, financial services, real estate, retail, IT and hospitality. Explain with few examples the turnkey solutions offered in these projects Turnkey, as the name suggests, incorporates end-to-end works within a project. A bare shell or greenfield site is turned into a fully functional office as per the client’s requirements and handed over to the client. The solutions include, but are not limited, to civil, interiors and modular furniture, HVAC, electrical services, networking, BMS services, carpentry works, plumbing and loose furniture. For instance, in 2009 Vector was awarded the prestigious project of Saraswat Bank Bhawan, their corporate office at Prabhadevi in Mumbai. This project accounted for complete turnkey solutions that involved usage of hi-tech AV and security equipment where our company was also responsible for creation of the complete external façade and glazing of the eight-storey building. The size of the office was eightstorey, with two basement levels in a prime location of Mumbai. The quality and finishes of the project are one of the finest with the use of Italian furniture which included appropriate and quality sourcing of international products. Additionally, Vector has also executed over 20 projects for Saraswat Vector Projects (I) Pvt Ltd, established in 2001, is a turnkey solution provider to residential and commercial space that also boasts of an in-house design team comprising architects and interior designers who specialise in offering complete solutions to corporate offices and residential spaces. It also offers interior fit-outs, including modular workstations and chairs. How does the team work, their strategy, technology, business plan, their projects, etc. Numerous such questions arise when we emphasise the words turnkey solutions, end-to-end data and voice networking company. Remona Divekar interviews Umesh Rao , Founder & CEO Vector Projects (I) Pvt Ltd. Excerpts: Bank pan India. This project also involved setting up branch offices for Saraswat Bank besides their corporate office in Mumbai. In the banking sector, Vector Projects has to its credit the execution of over 30 branches for TJSB and over 50 branches for IndusInd Bank Financial services: We have clients such as Edelweiss, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan and others. To give an example, one of the projects we have recently executed is a 1, 40,000 sq. ft. project for Edelweiss at Kalina in Mumbai as the main contractor for doing civil and interior works. The design is a blend of contemporary design in line with international standards exuding class and style through artwork, choice of materials and finishes. The office has generic floor plans with adjustable wall partitions and cabins uniformly placed around the periphery. The executive dining room has elegant woodwork on walls and a sliding partition which makes the space adaptable for different purposes. Retail: In this segment, for example, Marks & Spencer is one of our clients in the retail sector for whom we have executed projects at Raipur and Chennai. Currently, we are in execution stages for their project at Viviana Mall in Thane (formerly known as Vivacity). This is their third project Vector is ACC Cement House executing after Raipur and Chennai. The size of the store is nearly 20,000 sq. ft. spread across two floors, touted to be one of the largest stores Marks & Spencer has set-up in India so far. Vector is the turnkey fit-out specialist Marks & Spencer. IT: Cognizant Technology has been a repeat client for us over the past seven years. We have worked with them in over 12 projects. The recently completed project is their facilities at Pune, 2.5 lakh sq. ft, themed around modern and contemporary background, and at Bengaluru, 2.5 lakh sq. ft. project based on hi-tech yet Indian in theme. Currently we are working with them for another turnkey project at Airoli near Mumbai, spanning about 3 lakh sq. ft. on design and build like the previous two. This project will have mix theme similar to Bengaluru and Pune. The designs reflect the young India and leaders of tomorrow with a wellrounded blend of Indian culture. Commercial set-up: The ACC Cement House building located in South Mumbai is one of the prime heritage buildings in the locality. The project involved transforming their corporate headquarters which were almost 70 years old, into an energyefficient green building while retaining the graceful façade. This unique project required us to transform the Cement House into an 7 Saraswat Bank HO, Mumbai: The size of the office panning eight storeys and two basement levels, along with the prime location of Prabhadevi were one of the major challenges involved with the project. Technologywise how has Artmatrix helped Vector projects to gain added advantage when it comes to project co-ordination activity, and thus impart a value-add to architects and PMC involved? Artmatrix was founded in the year 2005 in Malaysia in order to tap the Malaysian expertise and quality in furniture manufacturing by giving it a global presence. We are a leading brand in Malaysia in modular furniture and chairs. The brand has a strong presence in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and India, along with a string of showrooms in these regions. Artmatrix offers a wide spectrum of work stations ranging from tile-based, panel-based, pole- Saraswat Bank HO energy-efficient, environment-friendly building. Its attractive refurbished façade now houses an ultramodern office equipped with space-saving modular workstations, access control and intelligent lighting with motion and light sensors, waste management systems and water saving devices set amid greenery and a central atrium that further expands the sense of light and space. How was your experience in the execution of different projects? What were the challenges involved and how did you overcome them? Each project is unique in terms of the nature of work and so are the learnings. Listed below are a few experiences in execution of some of our premier projects. ACC Cement House, Mumbai: The major challenge in the ACC Cement House project was the location of the building which is situated near the Churchgate Railway Station. This is one of the busiest roads in the area with less holding space and holding time for materials used for construction. Also, since the building was already occupied, it was a challenge to work without disturbing the occupants. In April 2010, Cement House received the Gold Shield from the Indian Green Buildings Council in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design under New Construction & Major Renovation category. It is the first old building to be awarded Green building status. based to desk-based systems. All the workstations are ergonomically designed and provide technicalities for any industry requirements. Artmatrix also has a range of task chairs, executive chairs, sit-outs, lounge chairs and cafeteria chairs. Storage cabinets, stationary accessories, computer accessories and wire management accessories are its other offerings. With the ISO 14000 certification and the Green Environmental Choice Certification of Australia (Geca) under its banner, Artmatrix is ensuring its commitment towards creating ‘green’ environments. Accredited and certified by Geca Australia for environmental-friendly furniture, Artmatrix manufactures quality workstations and chairs at an affordable price to Indian consumers. This has been an added advantage as the co-ordination, scheduling, managing and installation of the modular furniture are all in-house. Also, the service guarantee provided by Vector adds credibility to the brand’s presence in India. What is the product line-up for Indian market, unlike other countries? Who is your target audience in India? All the products manufactured by Artmatrix are available in India through Vector Projects. Our recent launch is the I-beam leg for workstations, conference tables, etc. Our target audience would involve any corporate looking at a one-stop solution for interior design and fit-outs. The same would apply to residential projects as well. What are the company’s future plans? Which segment are they particularly targeting? With a strong focus on international standards of execution and quality, Vector Projects is looking at integrating processes and products for the Indian market. With a strong foothold in the commercial design space, we are now expanding in the residential sector providing one-stop interior solutions, including customised furniture and modular kitchens. With state-of-the-art manufacturing facility of over 32,000 sq. ft. in Mumbai, Vector Projects aims to meet all its clients’ requirement with a quick turnaround time. Vector House
- 8. EQUIPMENT May 13 - 19, 2013 Doosan launches PA508ATC water well compressor Doosan Infracore India, a leading player in the construction & mining equipment industry, has introduced PA508ATC air compressor to the Indian deep water well market, adding another variant to the existing portfolio. India built Doosan portable compressors are known for their reliability and performance. For the first time in India, Doosan through its indigenous technology introduces its own engine and values the customers’ voice by offering one-stop solution for service and customer support. Being a long-term and well-known brand in portable air compressors, Doosan serves the extensive market conditions of construction, industries, mining, explorations, oil and natural gas, and so on through a wide range of compressor models available globally. Doosan Infracore India, moving a step ahead in compressor market, has now introduced the new model PA508ATC that gives free air delivery of 1300 CFM with rated operating pressure at 335 PSI extensively for water well and oil and natural gas fields, drilling and exploration. Mr. Ramana, Director-Sales, Doosan Infracore India said, “Doosan compressors are made from India’s finest and powerful technology and the new Water Well Compressor PA508ATC comes with highly reliable and efficient airend & engine, especially designed for tough weather conditions in India. “As the market is moving up with higher capacity compressors, we have introduced this model well suited for rigorous drilling applications, keeping in mind, low fuel consumption and optimum output delivery. With over 100 years of leadership and trust, Doosan portable power offers reliable air power to our customers backed up with world-class customer service.” He also added, “Diligent planning has gone into making this compressor and we foresee the demand for higher capacity in Water Well segment. This is a great opportunity to address the market keeping the brand promise and drive for the best in quality, reliability, durability, through these innovative products backed by our industry-leading service and customer support. “Doosan is a company where construction and mining companies across the globe have relied upon for 100 years. Even after so many years of being a recognizable name, it still retains these attributes along with new product innovation and continued focus on the customer delight to drive the future. Known for Gomaco’s GHP-2800 Slipform Paver Gomaco featured a wide range of concrete paving equipment and new paving concepts at Bauma 2013, including G+ Connect™, a system of unlimited possibilities designed specifically for maximum paver performance and ultimate rideability. The company also introduced their new T/C-5600 four-track texture/cure machine, and all the machines in the stand featured its proprietary G+® operating system. All of this and more was on display in Gomaco’s stand at Bauma 2013 in Munich, Germany. The GHP-2800 with G+ Connect made its international debut at Bauma 2013. G+ Connect is the company’s new, proprietary CAN-based network on Gomaco products that allows fast, two-way communication between all accessories and the exclusive G+ controller. Its proprietary G+ Connect is a closed-loop control system for both the electronics and hydraulics on Gomaco pavers. The closedloop system between the paver’s valves and various sensors means unparalleled accuracy. The sensored feedback ensures tighter, faster, and more accurate machine corrections. G+ Connect utilises a Can (Controller Area Network) network allowing all of the components of the system to easily communicate with each other for precision setup and paving. At the heart of G+ Connect is the G+ control system and the company’s new paving software. The G+ control system has been programmed to operate in the world’s major languages to accommodate the customer’s choices. The operator can easily toggle between English and another language on the G+ screen while paving or troubleshooting. A ‘run’ screen on the control panel illustrates the various aspects of the paver. It includes leg positioning, paving speed and percentage of drive, steering, travel information, grade information, deviation meters, and more. Newly designed icons and color graphics make it easy to understand and easy to identify the targeted functions. G+ now features a detailed fault history with a time stamp date and information to track when a fault occurred. G+ Connect allows all the components of a Gomaco paver to be easily interfaced. Simply ‘connect’ the 3D stringless control system, IDBI, tie bar inserter (TBI), power transition adjustors (PTA), Gomaco Smoothness Indicator (GSI®) and more, and then pave the project with ease and accuracy. All of the software for the G+ control system has been designed in-house by the company’s own control specialists who understand concrete paving. The company also introduced its newest texture/cure machine, the T/C-5600 which features four crawler tracks, the exclusive G+® control system, and widths up to 17 meters. The all-new four-track design with 90 degree turn capability allows easy width changes and easy transport, while G+ provides electronic-overhydraulic steering and grade control for ultimate accuracy. The magic behind the easy width changes is the T/C -5600’s new walking end car with cure tank. The frame sections can be added or removed by turning the machine’s tracks 90 degrees and walking the end car with attached cure tank to the required width. The frame inserts are available in 1.2 meter, 2.4 meter, and 3.7 meter lengths. The frame design has the structural integrity to go up to 17 meters wide. The new T/C-5600 offers unparalleled tining depth accuracy with the all new Gomaco Tracer Texture Control. A sonic sensor traces the slab with the transverse travel of the tining broom. The tining depth is controlled by hydraulic height adjustment on the broom carriage. The two working together provide accurate tining depth, eliminate rail adjustments, and also eliminate the need for a power transition adjustor (PTA). Tracer Texture Control also works with transition adjustments required for longitudinal tining. W ith G+ Connect on-board, the new T/C-5600 can operate on stringline for steering and grade control or use other control methods available from the Gomaco sensor library, or 3D stringless control. G+ control allows easy changing of travel modes, switching from operational to transport. The Gomaco 4400 barrier paver was built specifically for Europeanstyle barrier projects and was on display in the show stand. The machine’s symmetrical design, alltrack steering, glide control console which slides from side-to-side, and minimal set-up changes for switching profiles from left-side to right-side, make the 4400 the ideal for barrier. It has the new Gomaco Barrier Hook-and-Go mold mounting system to quickly mount barrier molds up to 1,000 millimeters tall on either side of the machine. A standard side mount is available for larger barrier. P R O D U C T profile Tamco switchgear wins $85 m order in Qatar L&T’s Malaysia-based switchgear subsidiary, Tamco Switchgear, won its largest single order from Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) -- the sole distributor of water and electricity in Qatar. Tamco will manufacture and supply 11kV Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBs) over a two-year period to distribution stations across Qatar. Tamco, market leaders in the medium voltage category in Malaysia, won the order for indoor switchgear panels against international competitors, including Korean and European firms. S. C. Bhargava, Chairman, Tamco Switchgear & Senior Vice President & Head of L&T Electrical & Automation, said, “We have had split orders for many projects in Qatar in the past. This complete order has come as a testimonial of the customer’s confidence in our medium voltage capability to meet the demands of large scale projects.” He added that KAHRAMAA conforms to the highest local and international health, safety and environmental standards. Tamco has supplied switchgear panels to many prestigious projects and national assets in Qatar, including Lusail utility tunnels, Lekhwiya sports stadium, Khalifa stadium, Khalifa sports city, Asean Games Village, 8 innovative solutions and extraordinary service, the company provides the superior product as always.” Fr o m c o m p r e h e n s i v e r a n g e of air compressors, water well compressors and lighting systems to the rugged and reliable light compaction equipment, Doosan provides solutions to fit customers’ need. By understanding that running a successful business takes more than powerful equipment, Doosan portable power has partnered with an experienced dealer network across India to benefit the customer in every step of the way. The Gomaco barrier mold itself is designed for proper vibration and consolidation of material, with the Gomaco-exclusive trailing stainless steel for superior finishing. The versatile Commander III and GT-3600 were also featured in the Gomaco stand. They are capable of slipforming the unique profiles demanded around the world, including irrigation canals, waterways and channels, cattle barn flooring, European-style step barrier, pathways, flat slabs up to six meters wide, and more. Gomaco Corporation is the worldwide leader in concrete construction equipment with headquarters in Ida Grove, Iowa, USA. The company equipment will slipform concrete streets and highways, airport runways, curb and gutter, sidewalks and recreational trails, safety barrier, bridge parapet, and irrigation canals. Support equipment includes grade trimmers, concrete placers, concrete placer/spreaders, and texturing and curing machines. The company also offers equipment to finish flat slabs, bridges, and slopes. Gomaco will consult on unique concrete paving applications and equipment needs. Products are offered through a worldwide distributor network for local sales, parts and service expertise. Qatar Foundation, Doha west sewage water treatment plant, etc. Tamco Switchgear Malaysia offers electrical distribution and control solutions in the medium and low voltage range to industries and utilities in South-East Asia, Middle East, Africa and Australia, with manufacturing facilities in Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. A part of L&T Electrical & Automation, Tamco is a multi-ethnic organisation that strives for business excellence and customer satisfaction through its indigenous technology and focus on quality and after-sales service. Larsen & Toubro is a $13.5 billion technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services conglomerate, with global operations. It is ranked 4th in the global list of Green companies in the industrial sector, and ranked the world’s 9th Most Innovative Company.
- 9. real estate May 13 - 19, 2013 Absolute Towers – in sync with nature & human body Fondly dubbed the Marilyn Monroe towers by local residents, the Absolute Towers, just west of Toronto, parallel the twisting fluidity of natural lines found in life Top of Parapet Throughout the process of urbanisation, skyscrapers have been symbols of technological bravado, prime capitals and societal projections of wealth and prosperity. This limited framework for skyscrapers often results in solutions limited by homogenous, linear structures and degenerative duplication in business districts across the globe. Forced into an unnatural state of conformity, metropolitan life is negatively affected by these u n c h e c k e d , e f f i c i e n c y- c e n t r i c development practices. Without a challenge to the status quo, our cities will continue to lack the cohesion of life 175.550 m 8.400 3rd Floor 18.875 Ground Floor Parking -18.875 m Level 6 157.850 m 149.450 157.850 175.550 Top of Parapet 8.400 m Ground Floor as implied by the term: Forest. A forest is a thriving ecosystem wherein every organism survives only in a state of symbiosis. New ambitions nurtured in a changing global consciousness challenge the aging pattern of last century’s d e v e l o pm e n t a nd fa v o u r fre s h thoughtful, inspiring and eloquent solutions for tomorrow’s high-rises. in reverence to the principle street intersection at its peak. By maximising the viewing potentials inside and out, creating a wonderful medium for social interaction throughout the balconies, and connecting the city dwellers with naturalistic design principles, Mississauga is infused with a new character. In harmony with nature Twisting fluidity What lies in the future of our cities? How should one grasp the concept of emerging high-density cities? How can city dwellers be immersed with an enriching experience of nature when its presence steadily diminishes in the face of the ever- intensifying concrete inundation? Faced with these challenges, future high-rise buildings need to catalyse a higher level of complexity in our cities for the sake of harmonious civilisation. Fo n d l y d u b b e d t h e M a r i l y n Monroe towers by local residents, the Absolute Towers parallel the twisting fluidity or natural lines found in life. This activation of flow forms an organic punctuation in the landscape and a desire for an urban acknowledgement of enthusiasm. Here, we thrive to challenge the sustenance of commonplace boxy skyscrapers. Our ambition was to provide each resident a unique experience of the city, a heterarchitical distribution. Continuous balconies widen individual viewing angles and promote community at the micro scale of a single floor. At the macro, the cadence of the floors rising into the sky echo the modular rhythms of the human experience, yet emphasises the movement of an adoring figure. We hope this building can wake up metropolitans’ desires towards nature, such as sun and wind, and certainly, human bodies. 9 Delicate and human Like other suburbs in North America, Mississauga, near Toronto, has been quickly developing into an independent, urbanised area. Yet, the cityscape lacked a unique character. In response, we wanted to add something naturalistic, delicate and human in contrast to the backdrop of listless, boxy buildings. Sited at the junction of two main streets (Hurantario and Burnhamthorpe), the Absolute Towers gracefully bear their landmark status and act as a gateway to the city beyond. As a residential landmark that strives for more than simple efficiency, the buildings provide residents an emotional connection to their hometown and neighbours. Eschewing the tradition of accentuated verticality in high-rises, the Absolute Towers choose not to emphasise vertical lines. Instead, the design features a smooth, unbroken balcony that wraps each floor of the building. In addition, at each successive level, the floor plate rotates in a range of one to eight degrees affording breathtaking panoramas of the Mississauga skyline concluding In place of the basic, functional logic of an aging modernism, the current trend of sustainable design is reminiscent of the sudden rise in the glass-faced boxy buildings of the past century. Sustainability, in concept, is often unfortunately simplified to the lowest common denominator. If we limit the scope of sustainable ecology to energy savings, it will become merely a demand for comfort while the yearning of a return to nature is ignored. This design practice remains the axiom of the industrial revolution, m a n c o n t r o l s n a t u r e . We f e e l sustainability is a much greater concept which can guide a new culture of design resulting in real change. Fo r i n s t a n c e , i n t r a d i t i o n a l Chinese gardens, building and nature elements are integrated to create a spiritual and poetic environment fostering great literature, poem and music, or simply life and philosophy. Our approach, ergo, is to create a balanced environment that evokes the feeling of exploring nature while simultaneously a responsive model for the development of urban space in harmony with nature -- a sustainable architecture in modern concept. Real sustainability results in a harmonious civilisation. This is the biggest challenge of our time. How do we rebuild urban environments with life and emotion where people are connected and respected? Dynamically fluid-shaped towers The torsional form of the towers is underpinned with a surprisingly simple and inexpensive structural solution. The two residential towers are supported by a grid of concrete load bearing walls. The bearing walls extend and contract in response to the sectional fluctuation created by the rotation of the floors while the balconies consist of cantilevered concrete slabs. In order to ensure the elegant edge profiles are as thin as possible, there is a thermal break in the slabs at the exterior glazing such that the insulation need not wrap the entirety of the balconies. Meanwhile, the dynamically fluidshaping of the towers, naturally aerodynamic, adeptly handles wind loading and ensures comfort throughout all the balconies. Besides providing every resident with a nice exterior place to enjoy views of Mississauga, the balconies naturally shade the interior from the summer sun while soaking in the winter sun, reducing air conditioning costs. Ma Yansong, Yosuke Hayano and Dang Qun MAD Principals and Directors of the Absolute Towers project
- 10. technology May 13 - 19, 2013 Powering presence - AC motors The induction motor has emerged as the most versatile of the AC motors with wide applications in industry, including the construction industry Lift, shift, pump, drive, blow, drill, AC motors do all that and perform a myriad other tasks in industrial, domestic and commercial applications. The induction motor also has other wide applications in industry, including powering machine tools, pumps, fans, compressors and a variety of industrial equipment. Electric motors convert electrical energy to mechanical energy, which may then be used to drive a variety of equipment ranging from household appliances in our homes to machine tools in factories and agricultural pumps in farms. Quite simply, therefore, whether your facility is a manufacturing unit, a commercial complex or a building, you cannot afford to neglect the proper upkeep of the silent workhorse – the induction motor. All-round drive In the modern industries majority of the drives use induction motors, both small and big. The preference for use of induction motors is because of the fact that they are robust in construction, easy in maintenance, reliable in operation and above all cost effective when compared to other drives. During operation, problems do arise in case of induction motors due to variety of reasons. Minor problems can be rectified with minimum loss of production time. However, if the problems are major in nature, then they involve heavy expenditure by way of repairs, affecting the user’s process and production. The problem in the motor may be due to unusual service conditions, inadequate protection, incorrect application or shortcomings in their maintenance schedule. Amongst these, it is the maintenance aspect that requires maximum attention. Maintenance important Induction motors, when cleaned regularly, lubricated correctly and maintained properly, will give troublefree service for greater part of their useful life and in many cases will outlast the machinery they are driving. Proper maintenance is all the more important in the present-day context, because the present-day motors are much smaller and lighter than motors built only a few years ago. They are precisely designed to exact ratings and are the result of new higher quality materials, improved manufacturing techniques and computer derived optimum designs. Hence any lapse in the proper maintenance of the motors is prone to affect the performance of the motors. A good maintenance programme, conscientiously drawn up or carried out, will often locate the problems before they develop into breakdowns or cause serious damage to the machine. Types of failures Before going into details of maintenance schedule, it is pertinent to know the nature of failures. An analysis of the nature of failures in induction motors has shown that a majority of failures are on account of insulation failure, which is the root cause of around 60 per cent of the total failure About 60 per cent of the total failures may be attributed to the failure of insulation. Breakdown of insulation due to contamination Many insulation failures are caused by contamination of endwindings or overhangs by oil/grease, pulverised fuel ash, residues from fuel gases. They may get deposited on the windings of even the totally enclosed motors. In addition, the pulverised fuel ash will behave as an extremely good conductor and is likely to cause failure to earth when the motors are started after a shutdown for some days. Dirt, grease, dust, etc. reduce the insulation levels of windings and absorb moisture, which may produce grounds or shorts in the windings. In addition, build-up of these foreign particles reduces ventilation and produces higher operating temperatures. Fine carbon dust finds its way into the most inaccessible places and it is difficult to remove this dust particularly in slipring motors. Flashover between slipring due to carbon dust is quite common. It may be easy to clean the slipring but it is very difficult to remove carbon from inaccessible places like slipring leads, rotor windings, etc. Acids or alkalies and their fumes attack the insulations and particularly attack their structural strengths. When this strength is reduced to a certain point, no reclamation of the winding will be possible. Failure due to vibration/ endwinding movement Insulation breakdown in quite a few cases results because of winding movement during starting or because of heavy vibrations in the stator. Excessive vibration tends to produce structural insulation failure. The insulation is weakened, banding, blocking, wedging and typing become loose and coils are allowed to vibrate. The movement causes insulation to flake and wear and eventually failures will occur. In early stages dipping in varnish and baking will tighten all insulation but in final stages complete rewinding may be necessary. Starters From a practical point of view, however, a motor would be quite useless without a convenient means of controlling its operation. Motor controllers provide the means to control motors over a wide range of desired operating parameters. These range from simple toggle switches to complex systems consisting of such components as relays, timers, switches, pushbuttons etc. Whether a controller is used to control a single motor or a number of motors the final objective, however, is the same --- to control some operation(s) of an electric motor. M o d e r n motor controls have evolved to incorporate electronic devices, programmable logic and other advanced technologies that offer high level precision control of motor operations. Motor starter The term motor starter often used in the electrical industry means practically the same thing as ‘controller.’ A motor starter is the simplest form of controller and is capable of starting and stopping the motor. It also provides overload protection. Manual starters A manual starter, as the name implies, is one which is operated by a manual input at the handle or pushbutton, and which, through a system of mechanical linkage, operates the contact mechanism to make the necessary connections to start the motor. It also incorporates a thermal unit and direct-acting overload mechanism to provide motor running overload protection. A manual starter is essentially an on-off switch with overload relays. Manual starters find application in such duties as small machine tools, fans, blowers, pumps, compressors, and conveyors. Their simple mechanism makes for low cost. Manual starters do not provide protection against low voltage conditions. Their contacts do not open in the event of a power failure which causes the motor to start when the power returns. This is not always a disadvantage, however, as in the case of starters applied to motors that should run continuously. Fractional-horsepower manual starters are available in single- and two-pole versions. They are used to control motors rated l hp and less on 120 or 240 V systems and incorporate a thermal trip mechanism which disconnects the motor from the supply in the event of a serious overload. The starter unit is a compact construction which makes it possible to mount it directly on the driven machinery and in various other applications where space is limited. 10 On the oil immersed drum types, the following would make for good general upkeep. Connections: Check for tightness, tighten loose connections. Contacts: Observe wear on removable contact tips. Replace when two-thirds worn. Oil: Replacement is necessary when oil becomes dirty or carbonised. General: Check all parts for general cleanliness. Check that there are no obstructions to free movement of moving parts. The safe, reliable and efficient operation of any industrial equipment, system or process requires a range of maintenance inputs. These can be broadly classified as follows: It may be readily appreciated from the above that the final objective of all scheduled maintenance activity is the prevention of the occurrence of a n y ev en t t h a t c o u l d w a r r a n t t h e d e p l oy m e n t of b r e ak d ow n maintenance measures. In other words, the occurrence of any event that necessitates t h e d e p l oy m e n t of b r e ak d ow n maintenance measures can very often be traced to deficiencies in any one or more of the scheduled maintenance work. Before the company proceeds to further explore the specific maintenance requirements of electric motors and associated equipment, let us understand the co-relation between the maintenance inputs and the constituents of each of them. Routine maintenance It involves lubrication and proactive repair. Corrective maintenance: It includes adjustment or calibration of equipment. It improves performance and results from preventive or predictive maintenance. Preventive maintenance: It predicts potential problems by sensing and monitoring operations of equipment and also diagnoses undesirable trends. Breakdown maintenance: It includes repair of equipment after it has failed. Ensuring proper maintenance: Proper maintenance of a piece of electrical equipment involves planning, inspecting, clearing, adjustment, renewing, testing, repairing, etc of the electrical equipment and its accessories. It requires that the concerned maintenance staff is suitably trained on the job and has demonstrable skill in maintenance analysis and troubleshooting. In addition, the maintenance staff must have undergone proper safety training in order to be able to discharge their duties in a safe manner without endangering plant and personnel. The aim of maintenance work should be to prevent trouble rather than to allow it to happen and then deal with it. It is therefore imperative that such maintenance tasks such as cleansing, lubrication, and inspection are carried out regularly in accordance with a suitable planned schedule. Such a planned course of action will enable the maintenance staff to deal with potential sources of trouble much in advance of actual damage or malfunctioning of the motor. Additionally, proper records kept of such trouble also help in presenting a comprehensive picture of the type of maintenance work for future reference. Upkeep of manual starters Manual motor starters that employ toggle switches with quick make and break mechanism are practically maintenance-free apart from periodic checking for tightness of connections and ensuring that heaters for overload relay are tight. Vivek Dev An Electrical Engineer and a freelance writer
- 11. INTERNATIONAL NEWS May 13 - 19, 2013 Qatar Cement to rule local market Qatar Cement remains the main player in the field of cement, lime and sand in Qatar with a capacity of approximately 4.5 million tons per year, and a market share of approximately 70 per cent, reports CNBC Arabia. It plans to launch an international tender for the establishment of a new factory for the production of cement Indonesia: solid performance for cement makers in Q1 A number of listed cement makers continued solid performances in the first quarter of the year. The performance of PT Semen Indonesia Tbk (SMGR) and PT Indocement Tunggal Prakasa Tbk (INTP) scored positive results. Net income first quarters of 2013 the two companies that grew above 10 per cent. However, net profit of PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk (SMCB) decreases. The growth of cement performance is in line with expectations and market consensus. with a designed capacity of 7,500 tons of clinker per day to be placed at the output end of the year 2015, bringing with it the company’s production to 6.6 million tons annually. Net income has reached 22 per cent-23 per cet of the total target in 2013 at an estimated cost of the project to be Rs 300. Cement performance in the first three months of this year have risen due to the increasing demand for cement. Data Indonesian Cement Producers Association (ASI) record cement demand rose 8.6% nationally to 13.6 million tons in the period. 11 Thailand’s SCG starts work on Java cement unit Thailand’s SCG has commenced work on its cement factory in West Java with the appointment of a contractor to build the plant. The company said it had appointed a subsidiary of Anhui Conch Cement Company to build the cement factory in Sukabumi. According to the report, SCG, through its wholly-owned Indonesian subsidiary Semen Jawa, will purchase machinery and equipment and obtain engineering and construction services for the cement factory from Anhui Conch Design & Research Institute of Building Material. “Apart from their professional construction and service, we are confident in the state-of-the-art technology Conch offers, particularly in engineering and design, with an environment-friendly focus,” said Nantapong Chantrakul, PresidentDirector of Semen Jawa. No part of the contents of Construction Industry Review, in abridged or unabridged form, can be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor. CIR does not accept any responsibility for statements and opinions expressed by the authors. Editor : Bina Verma Editorial Team: Dilip Phansalkar, Paresh Parmar Designer: Rajen Mistry Business Team: Rajendra Sadhale (9321490697), Milind Joglekar (9833357005), Shantanu Baraskar (9820904795), Seema Kohli (9820904931) Email: contact@konstructionreview.com, editor@mmronline.com BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW ! Contact:Rajendra Sadhale, Sales Head (Construction Industry Review, Minerals & Metals Review, Foundry Review) Asian Industry & Information Services Pvt. Ltd. Handfone: 932149 0697 / 810 8288333 an innovative model (Contd. from pg. 3) Money The second ‘M’ i.e. ‘Money’ is a fluid in which other ‘M’s are supposed to swim and act as a facilitator. It focuses on the following: The creation of special-purpose funding vehicle, ‘Corpus Fund’. Investment attracting concession agreements to attract big private players in hydropower development. A clear road map for encouragement of Public Private Partnership (PPP). Exclusion of cost of access roads from project cost, as development of hydro projects triggers economic and commercial activities around project site and results in economic benefit to the state. The cost of security may be borne by the state/Centre in troubled areas and infested by militancy and terrorist activities. Exemption of royalty on construction materials, since hydroelectric projects provide 12 per cent free power to the state. Relaxation in custom duty for imported equipment and machinery for mega projects. Manpower The third ‘M’ i.e. ‘Manpower’ is truly responsible for transforming plans into action for speedier and quality construction. Adequate manpower equipped with the latest knowhow and technology from project management level to grassroot level determines the fate of implementation of activities as envisaged. Machinery/material The fourth ‘M’ i.e. ‘Machinery/ Material’ implies the placement of Use of latest art of technology Construction of roads, bridges and contractor facilities Continuous monitoring construction management technique and construction technology. The continuous monitoring of all activities pertaining to planning, design and construction is required for meeting the scheduled target on day-to- day basis. Mid-course correction ‘Right machinery at right place’. Rightful selection of state-of-the-art equipment which would suit the construction methodology capable of executing an activity within the stipulated time frame governs the implementation in an intended manner. To quote, about 80m excavation below river bed under upstream coffer dam of Punatsangchhu-I hydro electric project for arresting seepage in the construction pit of the main dam can only be handled with the latest stateof-the-art technology machinery i.e. rock cutters mounted on giant cranes by constructing plastic concrete cutoff-wall. The status of equipment i.e. its age/ usage is also an important factor which determines efficiency of execution of an activity, therefore the supply of brand new equipment adequate for mobilisation by the developer on behalf of contracting agency prior to award of works can resolve this issue to reasonable extent. The fourth ‘M’ further emphasises on detailed planning and identification of the availability of construction material prior to construction and supply of construction material to contracting agency Moment The fifth ‘M’ i.e. ‘Manpower’ is truly responsible for transforming plans into action for speedier and quality construction adequate manpower equipped with the latest knowhow and technology. It focuses on pre-construction activities to be completed prior to the award of works, and construction of roads and bridges may be done and paved by the project developer prior to inviting tenders and start of main civil works. Monitoring The sixth ‘M’ i.e. ‘Monitoring’ is truly responsible for squeezing construction time with appropriate The seventh ‘M’ i.e. ‘Mid-course correction’ is truly responsible for the following: Review of project implementation responsive to geological surprises, without a moment’s hesitation. The availability of alternatives in respect of design and technology during construction stage may serve as additional tool for mid-course correction. Project optimisation based on concurrent geological findings. To illustrate, the 7M principle is being applied during finalisation of power house location of Punatsangchhu-I H.E Project in the complex heterogeneous geology. The alternate locations are being shown in the Fig. 7, 8, 9, 10 as below: Fig 7: Alternative powerhouse Fig 8: Alternative powerhouse location Fig 9: Alternative powerhouse location Fig 10: Final location vis-a-vis shear zone The final location of major caverns i.e. powerhouse/transformer hall/ downstream surge caverns are suitably located on the basis of optimised geological findings and geotechnical investigations revealing the two shear zones in the vicinity of structures, even during construction of main components i.e Mat, Cat and other access tunnel. Need for comprehensive policy framework The principles of 7M Model in accelerating hydropower development could be used as a whole. There is urgent need of a comprehensive policy framework on active implementation of 7M Model for tapping hydropower resources. The Model is time-tested which reflects a success story in execution and commissioning of mega hydroelectric projects i.e. Tala hydroelectric project (1,020 mw). The mega hydroelectric projects in the pipeline -- Punatsangchhu-I (1,200 mw) and Punatsangchhu-II (1,020 mw) which are targeted to be completed as scheduled are following the similar principles of 7M Model. It is the key to successful and accelerated execution of hydropower projects, specifically in rugged terrain of the Himalayas and is surely the right path towards compensating for the time already lost towards achieving the goal for realisation of hydropower potential. (Concluded) Anupam Mishra Addl. General Manager Amit Gupta Dy. Chief Engineer & Rajat Jain, Engineer, WAPCOS Limited