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INDiA’S LOGiSTiCS iNFRASTRUCTURE: IS iT ADEQUATE TO MEET GROWTH ASPiRATiONS? GDP revival, ramp-up in transport infrastructure and e-commerce penetration coupled with exports will definitely boost transport and logistics sector
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The EPC Player
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IL&FS: financing infrastructure Ram Walase, CEO, IL&FS, shares how to handle infrastructure projects
The Big Project
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16 India’s logistics infrastructure: Is it
CONTENTS
adequate to meet growth aspirations?
A report on India’s first private greenfield airport, operational under India’s greenfield airport policy
A detailed analysis on the past, present and future of India’s transport and logistics sector
Feature
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PPP model for development of greenfield airports A feature article on why the prospects for greenfield airport infrastructure look better than ever before
Green Buildings
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Smart sustainable airport designs A project review on Vadodara Airport, India’s first 4-Star Griha accredited airport
Technology
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Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport takes off
Perfect climate to keep airport running An analysis on why energy efficiency along with passenger comfort are important factors to run an airport
Special report
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Ports and shipping industry making waves A report on ports and shipping industry and how India opens up bright prospects for the sector
Feature
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How are buildings made earthquake proof A report on earthquake-resistant residential buildings and how to build them
Expert Column
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Aseismic designing of buildings An article about the building principles one should consider while designing earthquake-resistant buildings
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Promotional Feature
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H&K India’s ‘Make-in-India’ programme completes 30 years Architectural lighting from K-LITE
News Update
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Real Estate
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Infrastructure
Equipment
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Editorial
A ‘good’ beginning
As the Narendra Modi-led government marks its first year in office, India Inc has hailed the government’s performance in past one year. Terming the government’s pro-industry label as “pure rhetoric”, Dr Jyotsna Suri, President, FICCI, said that no government at the centre has worked so hard in one year to reverse the spiral of negativity and brought in policies that will spur demand and growth in the very near future.
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Almost echoing Dr. Suri’s voice, Sumit Mazumder, President, CII, said that in one year, the government has improved the economic situation dramatically as a result of which all major macroeconomic indicators are in sound territory. Inflation has declined, fiscal consolidation is better than targeted, the current account deficit stands compressed, and the exchange rate graph has smoothened out. This provides a huge boost to consumers and investors’ confidence in the economic management of the country. Apart from taking steps towards improving economic situation, the government is creating enough room to improve the country’s physical infrastructure. It announced resumption of work on 16 stalled projects. The government has announced some major ambitious infrastructure projects that can change the shape of the nation in near future. These projects include 100 smart cities, Clean India, and road construction target of 30 km a day in 2 years. It also plans to build 350 railway bridges and level crossings to enhance efficacy of surface transport. India is one of the most attractive logistics markets in the world. However, inefficiencies in logistics infrastructure cost the Indian economy an extra $45 billion, about 4.3 per cent of the GDP, every year. This time we have discussed whether the existing logistics infrastructure is adequate to meet growth aspirations. About 95 per cent by volume and 70 per cent by value of the country’s international trade is carried on through maritime transport. The ports and shipping sector has an immense direct and indirect positive impact on most other manufacturing and ancillary industries, besides its huge dependence on infrastructure and services sectors in an economy. Here, we have discussed various policies affecting the ports and shipping industry as well as its future. We have also taken a closer look on why PPP model for development of Greenfield airports is a success story. The issue also highlights ongoing activities in airports and aviation space. Hope you’ll enjoy reading this issue as always. We are keen to hear your comments. Please write to us at editor@aceupdate.com
Printed and published by Subhajit Roy on behalf of I-Tech Media Pvt Ltd. and printed at Print, Process Offset Printers, B-23, Royal Industrial Estate, 5-B, Wadala, Mumbai-400031 and published from I-Tech Media Pvt Ltd. 1, Gayatri, Karumari Amman, Chheda Nagar, Chembur (West), Mumbai - 400089. Editor: Subhajit Roy All rights reserved. While all efforts are made to ensure that the information published is correct, ACE Update holds no responsibility for any unlikely errors that might occur. The information on products and services / technology on offer is being provided for the reference of readers. However, readers are cautioned to make inquiries and take their decisions on purchase or investment after consulting experts on the subject. ACE Update holds no responsibility for any decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Tel.: +91-22-32682214/15, +91-9821667357
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Equipment Chola partners with Escorts to provide construction equipment loans of agri machinery, construction and material handling equipment, railway equipment and auto components.
Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited (Chola) has announced a strategic tie up with Escorts Limited for retail finance of construction equipment products. Chola is one of the leading NBFCs in the vehicle finance business and provides loans for the purchase of commercial vehicles across 530-plus cities and towns across India. Whereas Escorts is a manufacturer
JCB announced $1 mn diggers donation for Nepal JCB moved to support the relief effort in earthquake-hit Nepal with the donation of diggers and electrical power generators worth around $1 million. “Ten backhoe loaders were made available immediately to the Nepalese Army and are now at work in the areas worst hit by the disaster which has left more than 5,000 people dead and 10,000 injured,” JCB said issuing a statement. JCB Chairman Lord Bamford comments, “It is shocking to see the devastation caused by this earthquake and the resulting widespread damage and destruction. On behalf of JCB, I express my heartfelt condolences to everyone affected by this natural disaster. JCB will continue to help the Nepalese Government in very possible way.” JCB supplied the backhoes through its dealer, MAW Enterprises Pvt Ltd, in Nepal. “The electrical power generators are also en route from JCB India’s factory in Delhi to help stricken communities caught up in the quake,” it said.
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Vellayan Subbiah, Managing Director of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited, says, “The tie-up with Escorts draws out mutual synergies with Chola being able to offer financing options over a wider range of products to its customers, and Escorts standing to gain from our pan-India presence and access to over 5 lakh customers. We see Escorts as a natural partner and look forward to this tie up translating into a long standing partnership.” Sunil Saksena, Chief Executive Officer, Escorts Limited, Construction Equipment Division, says, “This strategic tie-up will enable Escorts and Chola expand reach to the customer, give him one stop solution. This will draw the best both Chola and Escorts have to offer and increase our customer base.”
GRT inks multi-million dollar road equipment deal with Wirtgen Global Road Technology (GRT) India has announced that it has finalised the largest purchase of cold recycling equipment, individual order ever seen in India. The purchase was made from Wirtgen Germany, through its Indian subsidiary Wirtgen India and the equipment will be used to deliver on its multi-million dollar program of new-generation road works in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The purchase includes three Wirtgen WR240 road stabilisers; three Streaumaster automated spreaders, three 20MT pad foot rollers, and three 10MT pad foot rollers. “The order win not only enables GRT to effectively deliver on its extensive infrastructure program in India but also will also confirms the Australian road construction and maintenance giant’s commitment in helping the country resolve its chronic infrastructure woes,” the company said. GRT is working on projects with the public and private sector in India valued at more than ` 250 crore. The projects feature GRT’s proprietary polymer technology include construction expressway’s using Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) technology. Ben James, Chief Executive Officer, GRT said, “The equipment will enable us to deliver the scale and the scope of work in short timeframes that has never before seen in India. This is the first time that this advanced technology and its techniques are employed which will bring about a revolution in the way road infrastructure is built in the country. I can assure you that soon India will have long lasting and pothole free roadways.”
Real Estate Centum Learning forays into construction sector After successfully venturing into 20 industry sectors, Centum Learning now announces its entry into the building and construction sector. Considering the demand for the skilled workforce in the building and construction sector, Centum Learning is now offering employability programmes to individuals in the same. Centum Learning subject matter experts in collaboration with sector skills council shall establish Centres of Excellence (CoE) which are the hub for innovation and excellence in the sector. Over the years, Centum Learning has established multiple CoEs across sectors like telecom, retail, aviation, banking and many more. These CoEs have provided leadership and enabled sharing of best practices for learning and development initiatives. Centum Learning will be offering courses in masonry, shuttering carpentry, site engineering, welding, fabrication, highway technology, automobile
Nitesh Estates enters pune
The Koregaon Park shopping mall can accommodate 130 retail stores, an extensive food court and can house around 1,000 cars in the parking space. The mall already has a PVR cinema with 7 screens and Spar supermarket. Ashwini Kumar, Executive Director and COO, Nitesh Estates said, “Koregaon Park shopping mall is undergoing a refurbishment and will soon sport a new food court in addition to fine dining restaurants. The changes will take place while the mall remains operational.” Nitesh Estates plans to bring their legacy of design driven and cutting edge facades fashioned by one of the best architects for the mall makeover.”
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Under this initiative, Centum Learning has collaborated with Department of Industries, Government of Bihar to provide up-skilling programmes to youth of Bihar across 5 districts namely Gaya, Madhubani, Patna, Muzaffarpur and Purnia. As a part of this initiative, Centum Learning will train close to 1,000 candidates under two trades sheet metal fabrication and screen printing. Candidates will be facilitated with placement or self-entrepreneurship assistances upon successful completion of the course. Under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), Centum Learning will be training over 8,000 urban poor youth in telecom, construction, ICT, automobile and healthcare sectors across various districts of Madhya Pradesh.
Lafarge launches ‘Housing Microfinance Academy’ in India
Nitesh Estates has announced its entry into the Pune market with the acquisition of 1 million sq. ft., the Koregaon Park Plaza Centre an A grade shopping mall, spread over 6 acres in prime upscale locale of Koregaon in Pune. With this acquisition the Nitesh Estates shopping mall portfolio is now 2.2 million sq. ft.
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maintenance, air conditioning and refrigeration. These training programmes would be highly customised to suit the needs of the job market.
ENGINEERING
Building materials major Lafarge has recently launched the Indian chapter of ‘Housing Microfinance Academy’ in Mumbai. Introduced in 2014, the academy will enhance availability of housing credits for the low-to-middle income segment and promote the exchange of information about potential product design, provide funding support and construction designs. The ‘Housing Microfinance Academy’ initiative was launched in partnership with International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. As part of this association, Lafarge and IFC are organising workshop sessions of the Housing Microfinance Academy across the globe; which started with Kenya last year. There are plans to have these academies in more countries in the coming months. François Perrot, Director Affordable Housing, Lafarge, and Friedemann Roy, Global Product Lead Housing Finance-IFC inaugurated the Housing Microfinance Academy in Mumbai. Speaking on the occasion, François Perrot, Director Affordable Housing, Lafarge, stated, “Microfinance has to be regarded as a business in order to be sustainable; while also creating a positive social impact. Lafarge’s Housing Microfinance model is tailored to local conditions and has been successfully implemented to date in more than 10 countries. As an involved actor, Lafarge plays two critical roles; namely, providing construction technical assistance to the low-income borrowers and connecting them to our network of reliable building materials retailers. Lafarge’s technical support and network with material supplying retailers help reduce the risk for microfinance organisations.”
Infra Criticism of new road transport & safety bill not founded on reasoning: Nitin Gadkari Defending the proposed provisions of Road Transport and Safety Bill, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, said that it does not violate the rights of the states and that the criticism from state governments and transporters is not well reasoned. “The criticism of the new Road Transport and Safety Bill 2015, in a section of stakeholders, is not founded on reasoning,” said Mr Gadkari while addressing the inaugural session of the National Convention of Transporters in New Delhi. “The Bill ensures to adopt those standards and practices which provide safety on roads, development of better services to road-users and generation of more employment,” he added. Mr Gadkari said that the new Bill does not violate the rights of the states. “As regards Inter-State contract carriage permits, these are envisaged to be issued by the National Transport Authority and the revenues due to
each state would be transferred to concerned state on the analogy of National Permit System for goods carriers,” he said. The Minister also said the quantum of fines in the case of law offenders has been brought down from the amount in the earlier draft in view of the paying capacity of the people, except in cases of very serious offence. Mr Gadkari, underscoring the urgency to make transport sector more modernised and investment friendly, urged the transporters to take initiatives to develop state-ofthe-art facilities for improving driving skill along with pollution certification and fitness test of vehicles. Addressing the concern of the transporters in respect of road toll, the Minister said that abolition of toll is not possible though relaxation in this regard may be considered.
GMR’s Kakinada SEZ to set up industrial park for Chinese eqpt
Mumbai Metro 3 gets 31 bids from 9 consortiums
Kakinada SEZ Pvt. Ltd. (KSEZ), a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited, has signed a MoU with Guizhou International Investment Corporation (GIIC) - a consortium of three leading Chinese manufacturing companies to set up industrial park for the high end Chinese equipment manufacturing companies.
In all 31 bids from 9 consortiums have been received by the MMRC for the 7 packages. There are 4 bidders each for the first four packages and there are 5, 7 and 3 bidders for the next three packages respectively.
Chinese companies from power equipment, electronics, wind and solar energy, smart technologies, etc., are planning to set up their manufacturing units in Kakinada SEZ. GIIC will invest $ 500 mn in developing the infrastructure and various facilities of the industrial park, which would house leading Chinese manufacturing industries. These Chinese companies would additionally invest $ 2-3 bn in setting up their operations over next 5 years. GIIC plans to set up 2,000 acres industrial park in Kakinada SEZ for the Chinese highend equipment manufacturing companies.
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The 33.5-km long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 corridor project has received an overwhelming response from national and international companies.
“The response shown is very encouraging,” said Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC, which is the nodal agency for the project. “The response also indicates the kind of confidence bidders have in the government and its agency. The Metro-3 corridor will certainly reduce the congestion in the suburban railway and avoid unfortunate loss of life due to congestion. It is high time we respected human life.” The consortiums that filed the 31 bids are: • AFCONS Infrastructure Ltd./Kyivmetrobud • Continental Engineering Corporation/ITD Cementation India Ltd/Tata Projects Ltd • DOGUS/SOMA • IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Ltd/China Railway 25th Bureau Group Co. Ltd. • J. Kumar Infraprojects Ltd/China Railway No.3 Engineering Group Co. Ltd. • Larsen & Toubro Ltd/Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. Ltd. • OSJC Moscow Metrostroy/Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd. • Pratibha Industries Ltd/Guandong Yuantian Engineering Co. • Unity Infraprojects Ltd/IVRCL Ltd/China Railway Tunnel Group Co. Ltd.
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The EPC Player II Interview
IL&FS: financing infrastructure
“IL&FS would be uniquely positioned to harness opportunities in structuring, mobilisation and management of both equity and debt linked assets in the infrastructure sector,� says Ram Walase, CEO, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. (IL&FS) Over the past 25 years, IL&FS Group has pioneered the concept of public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements for infrastructure in India and implemented projects in almost all infrastructure sectors such as telecom, power, roads ports, industrial parks, water supply, power, airports, sanitation, education and urban development. In an exclusive interview with ACE Update, Ram Walase talk about overall infrastructure industry and how to handle infrastructure projects. Since IL&FS started its journey in 1987, a lot has changed in the infrastructure segment in India. How has the infrastructure sector evolved since then?
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In the pre-liberalization era, the commercial development of infrastructure assets was an unknown concept in the Indian context. It has taken a lot of capacity building amongst the stakeholders including governments, financial sector, developers and more recently fund managers and investments banks to reach the current state of the infrastructure industry. Over the past 25 years, IL&FS has played a pioneering role in policy advisory, project financing and implementation of infrastructure projects through PPPs in almost every infrastructure sub-sector. Some of our projects have created new standards for scale, quality and upkeep of the infrastructure in India.
Over the years, the industry has witnessed a few stray instances of opposition to pay user fees or tolls, but in general the public has come to appreciate the quality and scale of infrastructure projects under PPPs. The infrastructure PPPs have been substantially leveraged assets and the banks and financial institutions have played a significant role in extending credit to the sector. Consequently, in the last few years, they have suffered on account of the inadequate performance of the sector. We believe this difficult credit period will pass as the sector picks up and the banks learn from their experiences and improve credit their review mechanisms.
Interview II The EPC Player There is still a large gap in demand and supply of infrastructure. There can be many models of infrastructure implementation to meet this demand, but the PPPs cannot be ignored for their role in setting up new benchmarks for quality and scale, mobilising private capital and motivating professional expertise in delivering innovation in the sector. What are the trends and opportunities in the infrastructure market? The PPPs had slowed down in the recent past, and the limited availability of new equity and bank credit for the sector had accentuated the problems for the sector. The new government understands that the growth of infrastructure would need to be a precursor to the success of programmes such as ‘Make in India’ and to the growth of other sectors. We believe that the government will make concerted long-range efforts to boost infrastructure growth. Of the estimated $1-1.5 trillion investment requirements in the sector over the next 5 years, almost 50 per cent is expected to be mobilised through private sector with a large part of this going to the traditional PPP favourites such as energy, transport and logistics and telecom. With appropriate policy initiatives, the relatively new sectors such as railways, defence and security infrastructure (shipbuilding etc.) and subsidised housing for urban poor, government employees and security forces could witness rapid growth. Now that the Cabinet has approved a central outlay of ` 98,000 crore to execute the Smart Cities and AMRUT mission. How do you look at this opportunity? India is rapidly urbanising and the pace of urbanisation will only increase as more jobs will be created in services and manufacturing. The two programmes announced by the government will provide a substantial opportunity for the infrastructure players. Since states and urban local bodies (ULBs) are expected to mobilise matching resources ranging from 50-66 per cent of
IL&FS is also an investment company with significant and controlling interest in financial services space? What are the criteria you look before you decide to finance any project? Yes, we do operate across the spectrum of financial services, including structured and project finance, debt syndication, private equity, infrastructure debt fund and other pooled debt facilities. The inhouse implementation experiences help us in assessing the project risks thoroughly and structure our financing products more efficiently.
the respective project costs, these two programmes would create an estimated investment of about ` 2 lakh crore into urban areas over the next 5 years. In addition, some private investments would be mobilised by states and urban local bodies through PPPs – though PPPs in the urban infrastructure have been limited, primarily on account of difficulties in spatially spread projects in the old or sometimes encroached upon urban areas and lack of bankable earmarked revenue streams with ULBs. These new programmes aim to enhance competitive spirit amongst the cities and hopefully they would promote more innovation and PPPs in urban infrastructure. In the immediate future, we foresee PPPs in waste management, urban transport and housing. In the long run, PPPs could play a larger role in O&M of urban utilities, government buildings, housing stock and in provisioning of city services on the lines of passport seva kendras.
Adequate mitigation of contractual risks in the concession agreements, adequacy of project revenues, charge on project assets, escrow mechanisms for ring fencing of project cash flows, acceptable asset cover and top-up collaterals and commitments from the promoters are some of the primary criteria for debt investments. In case of equities, in addition to all or some of the above, the minority protection rights, exit mechanisms and a say in governance and management of the projects or companies play a crucial role in the investment decisions.
How do you approach when you handle an infrastructure project? IL&FS has over the years internalised the process of conceptualisation to commissioning and O&M of infrastructure assets. We pay substantial attention to project structuring to ensure that the risks are distributed to the partners best placed to handle them. Our financial services team actively contributes this process so that the projects under consideration pass bankability tests even before we bid for them.
Where should you position IL&FS in the current infrastructure market? Given its experience, IL&FS could continue to play pioneering private partner’s role in emerging sectors such as smart cities through pilots like GIFT City and expand its presence in the existing sectors such as transportation. As the portfolios in the individual sub-sectors mature, it would create opportunities for value unlocking for the group and thus releasing more capital for growth of the emerging subsectors.
Project execution teams are manned by passionate project managers and engineers with adequate empowerment to deliver projects to the desired cost, quality and timeframes. They are provided with additional support in terms of conflict resolution and stakeholder management and in handling environmental and social risks.
In the financial services, apart from its presence in proprietary investments and private equity fund management, IL&FS has been inventive in debt distribution, municipal debt financing and other structured debt products. As the debt markets in India develop and new models of infrastructure financing emerge, IL&FS would be uniquely positioned to harness opportunities in structuring, mobilisation and management of both equity and debt linked assets in the infrastructure sector. n
Given the varied nature of the sector, the pilot or first project in every subsector provides unique experiences and thus enabling new learning’s and strengthening the collective capability of the IL&FS group.
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logistics II Cover Story
India’s logistics infrastructure: Is it adequate to meet growth aspirations? GDP revival, ramp-up in transport infrastructure and e-commerce penetration coupled with exports will definitely boost transport and logistics sector The future of the transport and logistics industry in India is wellplaced to meet growth aspirations. The Emerging Market Survey, 2013, conducted by Transport Intelligence (Ti) ranks India as the second most attractive logistics market in the future after China. Led by GDP revival, ramp-up in transport infrastructure and e-commerce penetration, India’s logistics sector is already witnessing accelerated growth. Road ahead India is a tipping point with respect to manufacturing and service. “With the government’s push for “Make in India”, the manufacturing sector is poised to change,” says Rahul Mathur, Vice President - Operation, ColdEX. “Along with that, the push for better connectivity means that the logistics infrastructure market is ready for an accelerated growth rate. Indians are the
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largest car buyer groups and coupled with the rising ability to pay, along with the need for better services, the logistics service market is looking for an accelerated growth.” Gautam Dembla, Director and CEO, Spear Logistics, believes that building of dedicated rail freight corridors should promote efficient haulage of containerised cargo by rail. Setting up of various industrial corridors along the dedicated freight route will metamorphose the contract logistics business as well – from small warehouses spread across the country to large, global-size warehouses concentrated in a few hubs. The spurt in e-commerce is also helping the logistics footprint boost, and one can imagine the kind of reach this would require to service customers in various nooks and corner of the country.
Cover Story II logistics “Domestic consumption coupled with exports will definitely augment corresponding activity in transport and logistics sector,” adds Mr Mathur. High demand: an opportunity or a challenge As per a McKinsey study, inefficiencies in logistics infrastructure cost the Indian economy an extra $45 billion, about 4.3 per cent of the GDP, every year. It warns that a 2.5 times growth in freight traffic demand by 2020 (compared with 2010 levels) will put further stress on India’s infrastructure. Such high demand prospects can be an opportunity or a challenge for logistics industry players in India. Just think, 10-15 years back there was no concept of BOT or PPP model of infrastructure. It was the government who decided what to build, where to build and how to build. Today private players are taking that part of what, where and how to build through PPP. As the logistics infrastructure bottleneck intensifies, private players will be ready to take risks and reap profits.
should focus to ensure a much more balanced and economical mix of transportation modes. In India, inter-regional transfer is happening mostly by road and rail. India has also a vast network of rivers. “Interlinking of rivers or something on those lines can greatly reduce the cost of logistics which will then lead to a further cycle of growth leading to infrastructure development leading to growth,” explains Mr Mathur. “It will also reduce the load on existing networks. Highspeed dedicated rail corridors, separately for freight and people, can greatly improve transportation times.” It is surprising that a vehicle has to wait at inter-state borders for clearance given the complex tax regime. GST implementation is another matter of great importance for this country. The turnaround times have to reduce considerably and efficiency on account of multi modal transport availability coupled with simplified tax regime will only help in a balanced and economical development.
“I see it more of an opportunity than a challenge (initial roadblocks to new opportunities),” says Mr Mathur. “High demand, therefore, can be an opportunity and the policy framework can only help in fostering it. The only challenge would the ease with which all this can be executed within the timeframes.”
Mr Dembla feels that India’s logistics hubs need to be better formed and connected with their consumption centres. “Just by having a good port or airport and non-existent roads to access them defeats the purpose,” he opines. “We increasingly see that access to and from cities which are huge consumption centres by themselves are a major bottleneck.”
India continuingly has been dropped on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI). The time has come India
He puts own some ideas as to how India should ensure a much more balanced and economical mix of transportation modes. His
logistics II Cover Story
An ideal situation would be to have adequate infrastructure capacity riding on which the various modes could form a logistics chain for seamless flow of goods and services.
Gautam Dembla, Director and CEO, Spear Logistics
four-point guidelines are: l Improve physical infrastructure and transportation capacityrelated constraints by enhancing terminal and route infrastructure for various modes of transport. l Develop Dedicated Freight Corridors and improving rolling stock quality and quantity to enhance rail transportation usage. l Develop new air cargo hubs near major airports for proper handling of perishable and fragile commodities. l Streamline processes across government bodies, thereby reducing stoppages and touch points of cargo movements and increase speed. Adopting coordinated approach A large part of the logistics network that India needs has yet to be built. To achieve that, India needs to adopt a coordinated approach that aligns the development of each transport mode. According to Mr Mathur, “The land bill reforms have to fructify so that one has access to creating the logistics network in parts that still remain underdeveloped.”
In addition, India’s economy is a factor of the road and transportation network. Out of 4,245,429 km of total road network about 47,900 km of National Highways is 4 lanes or 6 lanes. Hence, India needs to convert existing NH to 8 lane, which is an imminent task. “We feel that there has to be a common platform between integrated projects where in various ministries come under one roof to ensure that inter-modal network in strengthened and projects are approved and monitored,” explains Mr Mathur. According to Mr Dembla, “Logistics infrastructure covering road, rail, waterways and air network forms the backbone of the economy. An ideal situation would be to have adequate infrastructure capacity riding on which the various modes could form a logistics chain for seamless flow of goods and services.” In India, however, we always play catch up and never really do. By the time we have the infrastructure in place, it is time to expand it further. “Our quadrilaterals in most high economic zones are already choked,” opines Mr Dembla. “We need to think and plan ahead, much ahead.” He also talks about couple of priorities that take the sector forward. These are: l An industry status and an integrated policy, including separate regulatory authority for the logistics sector l Increased focus on multimodal transportation: The country’s network of roads, rail and waterways will be insufficient as freight movement is set to increase about threefold. Since a large part of India’s future logistics network is still to be built, some thought needs to be given to the interim. Interconnectivity among different modes needs to be made better. l Develop special warehousing zones which are well-connected to business and consumption centres. l Long-term planning and financing for the sector Increase rail’s share The share of India’s freight transported by rail would decline to 25 per cent, from the current 36 per cent. By contrast, rail accounts for almost 50 per cent of freight movement in China and the United States. No doubt India needs to increase rail’s share to its freight. “Dedicated high-speed freight corridors can help railways get back it share of freight,” explains Mr Mathur. “Also other methods of double stack containerisation movement can help improve utilisations and freight share. Modes need not be competitive with each other, but they can also be collaborative (trucks piggyback on wagons). However, with new initiatives taken by the Railway Minister to start the Logistics Corporation as a joint venture or a publicprivate partnership across 28 cities should take care of many bottlenecks. According to Mr Dembla, “What is crucial is the coordination that needs to happen among various departments such as the metropolitan, state and highways authorities to have access to and from rail terminals. Till we do not have coordination with the various departments we cannot expect this trend to change.” We all hope that railway will play a key role in India’s growth story in next decade. n
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The Big Project II Airport
The airport will now become India’s first private greenfield airport, operational under India’s greenfield airport policy
Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport takes off Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd. (BAPL) announced that Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted the “Aerodrome License” to its Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport (KNI Airport) in DurgapurAndal region in West Bengal on April 24, 2015. Having obtained this final approval from the authority of Indian Civil Aviation, the airport will now become India’s first operational private greenfield airport under the country’s Greenfield Airport Policy. It is noteworthy to mention that this “Aerodrome License” will further influence the decision makers of India’s major airline operators, those which were already considering including KNI Airport as a promising location in their respective route planning maps. The country will soon witness the airport commercially operating and improving air connectivity across West Bengal and pan-India. The 650-acre airport is the centre piece of the 10,000 crore. Aerotropolis, currently in the making, the first ofits-kind infrastructure development in India and also 6th such infra project in the world. Partha Ghosh, Managing Director, Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd., further commented, “A special mention is a must for our partner Changi Airports International which has shown utmost confidence in our vision and supported us throughout our journey with its technical expertise. We hope to create a benchmark in terms of operational excellence and today’s DGCA’s license is a
step forward towards the commencement of operations from the airport at the earliest.” This airport will fill in the missing link that, until now, had isolated Asansol-Durgapur region from the hub-bub of an emerging economy increasingly based on speed, agility and longdistance connectivity. Planned economic activities in the airport– region will generate thousands of jobs along with a demand for contemporary social and housing infrastructure, which the surrounding township being built by BAPL aims to provide. “This is a momentous occasion for the entire team of BAPL,” adds Mr Ghosh. The dream of flying from Durgapur will soon be realised as we have progressed significantly in the course of our discussions with national air carriers. It is the support of the government and the people of Bengal which has given us the impetus to dream higher and eventually fly.” The license authorises the aerodrome to be used as regular place of landing and departure to all persons on equal terms and conditions for operation by aircraft requiring specifications of runway and associated facilities equal to or less than those indicated in the aerodrome manual, subject to the conditions as contained in the schedule-1 and for period as shown in schedule-II hereto. n
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Airport II Feature
PPP for development of Greenfield airports – the success story With the new ministry helming at the centre, the prospects for innovation and improvement for greenfield airport infrastructure look better than ever before The overwhelming response of International Terminal 2 of CSIA Mumbai Airport has brought back the topic of public-private partnership in airport infrastructure. Even GMR have implemented dramatic improvements in airport infrastructure in Delhi Airport. These two airports have dramatically transformed the passenger experience and delivered a massive dividend to the stateowned Airports Authority of India (AAI). With the new ministry helming at the centre, the prospects for innovation and improvement looks better than ever before. Even traffic growth has made a significant contribution to local and national economies. This improved airport infrastructure has put India into a brighter limelight in the global market.
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However, there are some major issues to be addressed as the charges on airlines and passengers are increasing. And growing uncertainty about the economic regulatory framework and operating challenges in the aviation industry have made some investors wary. India and PPP airports In India, there are four major PPP airports: Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Delhi and Hyderabad are operated by GMR-led consortia, whereas Mumbai and Bengaluru are operated by GVK-led consortia. These four airports accounted for 53 per cent of total passenger traffic handled by Indian airports in FY2014. Under the PPP concession agreements, the airport operators have to pay a share of
gross revenue to the state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI). The specific share varies by airport to airport. Since FY2007, AAI has received a massive dividend of $1.72 billion from these four private metro airports. Even the annual amount received by the AAI has been growing rapidly each year. In FY2014, AAI received close to $460 million which goes directly to the AAI’s bottom line. Although AAI incurs no expenses in relation to the PPP airports, the authority reported a profit of around just 135 million in FY2014. AAI earned 60 per cent of this profit from air-navigation services and not by airport operations. If the PPP airport revenue and air navigation services are removed, AAI’s business model is unviable.
Feature II Airport Upgrading airport infrastructure to global level While talking about upgrading airport infrastructure to global level, Mr Rao says private and PPP airport models will be the way forward and the government should make policies to promote private investment in new airport projects. In order to attract private capital, a transparent and equitable economic regulatory framework must be defined.
infrastructure • Tax reform for sustainable growth in aviation sector • Support mechanism during the project lifecycle, including project development, project implementation and operations. The four private metro airports handle around 15 per cent more passengers than all the AAI airports combined. Interestingly, their non-aero revenue is about three times as much and the gap is increasing. These private airports are achieving strong revenue growth due to a combination of increased traffic, higher aeronautical charges and the development of non-aeronautical revenue opportunities. In the past, AAI has poorly leveraged these opportunities.
PPP: only way to boost India’s airport infrastructure With infrastructure constraints as one of the biggest obstacles to the growth of Indian civil aviation, a good deal has already been invested in airport development. “The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry’s Vision 2020 plan stresses a need to develop the country’s infrastructure,” says I. Prabhakara Rao, CEO, Delhi International Airport (P) Limited (DIAL). “It has a particular focus on well-equipped, user-friendly airports to handle as many as 280 million passengers per year.” The country’s plans to develop and modernise airports in secondary cities are yet to pick up momentum. PPP models will be instrumental in timely completion and realisation of these projects provided the government makes some remarkable improvement in policies. Mr Rao has nicely outlined some important policies: • Regulatory framework to ensure economic viability • Ecosystem to provide low-cost, longterm funding for development of
The government needs to create an ecosystem to provide low-cost, long-term funding for development of infrastructure. The responsibility dop4esnt end there, the government should also ensure fair of return on equity. The sustainability depends upon the fair rate of return on equity and security deposits from the commercialisation of land.
Challenges to overcome AAI was planning to award PPP concessions at an additional six airports, for long. However, its lack of commercial orientation is hurting the economies of key cities and destinations in the country – such as Chennai, Kolkata and Goa – due to its inactivity in terms of attracting passenger and cargo services. Due to a lack of preparedness with respect to the concession agreement and the revenue sharing and tariff structure framework, the tender process has been stalled for several months.
According to Mr Rao, here are some of most important policies government should concentrate on: • Inter-Ministerial Group on Aviation (IMGA): Establish an IMGA to facilitate faster decision making across government ministries like home, defence, finance, tourism, environment for improved coordination and faster decision making to bring efficiency in the whole value chain. • Enhance Regional Connectivity: Focus on enhancing regional connectivity to have an equitable development of air connectivity across the country.
The first wave of PPP airports has been definitely a success story; however, there are so many lessons to be learned. AAI should try to improve areas like economic regulation, land monetisation, management of project costs and at a broader level creating a more predictable operating environment on issues such as bilateral policy, airspace efficiency and airline viability.
Way ahead Continuing the government’s high pitch for public private partnership (PPP), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced developing of new airports in smaller cities and towns under PPP. India plans to build 200 lowcost airports in the next 20 years to connect Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
Some experts even feel there is an urgent need of corporatisation of AAI. Given the increasing complexity of the AAI’s role and the need to enhance organisational capabilities, it is desirable that AAI move towards a corporate structure in the near future.
The aviation industry presently supports about 0.5 per cent of the India’s GDP, and the potential is massive. The aviation sector is likely to see investments totalling $1.5 billion by 2020.
Then there is increased charges which has been a contentious issue for PPP airlines. For example, on some domestic sectors about 17 per cent of the average gross fare now consists of taxes and fees, of which 10-12 is related to airport charges.
If proposed Essential Air Services Fund (EASF) by the Ministry of Civil Aviation is established as quickly as possible, Indian airports would be the world’s envy. n
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Green Buildings II Project Review
Smart sustainable airport designs India as a country is passing through a transition and there has been a lot of infrastructure growth to be visualised as a phase of evolution from developing into a developed nation. A lot of talks have been going on in the recent past to upgrade our towns and cities into smart cities and adopt strategies of a sustainable development for an overall futuristic growth.
consultancy and financial management for varied spectrum of projects of national and international significance. The architects have set an archetype for the next generation.
Designing energy efficient terminals that have a long lasting effect on the environment and passengers alike is the definition for new age terminal designs, a sphere which intersects with the criteria for sustainable development. The large expansive public concourse within an airport terminal assists to alleviate a passenger’s sense of being crowded while still accommodating the flow of arrival, departing and connecting passengers.
Vadodara airport: First 4-Star Griha accredited airport in India The new terminal building at Vadodara airport is designed to accommodate a capacity of 700 passengers per hour with an area of 17,500 sq. m. Inspired by the body and wings of airplanes, the building creates a bold, sweeping form and identity and has one continuous aerodynamic metal skin. With focused design philosophy to increase the efficiency of resources, architect has envisioned the terminal as green building, built at a cost of ` 135 crore. It is a Brownfield development with acute city side land constraints.
Creative Group, an architecture firm, in practice for almost half a century, setting up a tone to cater for not just design but also including a broad base in structural
“We have attempted to create a sleek and contemporary building that reflects the age in which it was built and the age it shall dwell through. The sweeping curves deliver
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Vadodara Airport Terminal
a sense of elegant boldness and clarity. Much like the profile of the building the interior spaces are maintained as column free space and conceived as a single entity visual to make the circulation hassle-free,� explains Prof. Charanjit S Shah, Founding Principal, Creative Group. Design intent For the first time in India, an Airport has been accredited with a 4-Star Griha Rating managed by Airports Authority of India. The terminal has been designed in a way that active and passive strategies of sustainability have been amalgamated to conceive a terminal which is hyper-environmental. It was difficult for the architects to be able to expand the existing facilities due to lack of availability of land on the city side. But, keeping the constraints in mind, the architects were able to progress with the city side development in a rather holistic manner. The arching envelope of the building is insulated with double skin galvanised metal sheet, one of the major factors that plays a
Project Review II Green Buildings
“A built form should not be treated as a dead mass of brick and concrete, but as a living organism which breathes and is embodied with the natural environment”
role in maintaining moderate temperate in the terminal without much energy consumption. Aside from the exterior play, a local flavour has also been infused into the terminal via the art effect used on the interior walls and through the inner water body channels that are not only alluring to the human eye but also maintain a cool atmosphere.
side, as big as 18 metres, thus respecting the solar movement and avoiding the low harsh sun. On the North-east and North-west, as well as on the South-East and SouthWest, glazing has been avoided and solid insulating walls have been incorporated such that there is no penetrating heat from the sun, neither from North-East nor from South-West.
Strategies for sustainability The terminal has a continuous overhang on the South-South West and North-North West
Diffused skylights in the roof maximise the daylight whilst a solid mass of AAC blocks used in the external wall protects from the West Sun. “We were also conscious in discouraging the cutting of trees and almost all existing tress have been left untouched,” further elaborates Prof. Shah. All active strategies of sustainability have been utilised in terms of equipment such as light sensors etc, so as to conserve energy intelligently. Similarly, water has been conserved as recycled water for flushing, HVAC and gardening shall be used besides the use of rainwater harvesting within the premises.
L-R: Prabhpreet Shah, Executive Director; Prof (Ar) Charanjit Shah, Founding Principal; and Ar Gurpreet Shah, Principal Architect
Non conventional energy resources This is the first time in any of the airport terminals that the parking shall have car park areas covered in steel frame along with solar voltaic panels so that the energy thus produced can be used for all common areas, the general lighting and also as protection from the heat of the sun for the car parking areas. Besides this, the terminal also has solar streetlights and solar traffic markers to optimise the consumption from the main grid. During construction An attempt has been made in Airport Authority of India, to integrate all mandatory requirements of a green building into the main manual of the contract, so that during construction, minimum standards of health, safety, quality control and hygiene could be maintained at the work site and the labour camps. Top soil: The top soil has been duly maintained and it has been strictly observed that the same be reused for landscaping at the time of the city side development.
Stepped water body channels to enliven the environment and achieve moderate temperature
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Green Buildings II Project Review Soil erosion: During the construction, it was mandatory to observe that there should be no soil erosion and proper watering be done, of the surrounding and dug up portion during the summers and windy days. All mechanical equipment and vehicles, particularly their tyres and bodies, be properly cleaned and washed before and after operation at the site. Silt or settlement tank is maintained to conserve soil and avoid any soil erosion. Safety measures: All safety measures in respect of maintaining minimum standards of safety equipment are being used by the skilled and unskilled labour besides use of billboards and alarm systems within the site. Labour camp: It has been realised that the labour camps are mostly neglected. But, as per the green norms, the labour camps on the terminal site have mandatory pure drinking water and sewerage facilities thus maintaining the standards of comfort and hygiene. Initially, the architects did face a lot of resistance on all these matters of maintaining minimum standards but gradually, these factors were integrated and disciplined into the day to day working on the site. Steel applicability The terminal stands on a pile foundation with R.C.C. columns and tubular steel structure in the super structure. A tubular steel truss with large span structure along with plate portal creates a large cantilever of 16-metre on the curb side. The complexity of the tubular steel structure lies in its engineering innovation by creating such large span cantilever at the mezzanine level without a balancing supporting floor in the rear. Tubular trusses in larger diameter of pipes are commonly available and bending of such pipes is being done locally as we are fully equipped with the construction technology and methodology. The steel structure is enveloped with double seamed roofing profile. “We have used polycarbonate sheets for the roofing to provide natural, glare free north light. The interface between roofing, steel structure, skylights and wall panelling has been resolved professionally with proper flashings and overlappings so as to avoid any leakages,” explains Prabhpreet Shah, Executive Director, Creative Group.
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“To achieve the best output, green building strategies should merge into the very nerves of the concept design itself and should not be treated as an add-on for making the alternatives, even in such mega projects,” comments Ar Gurpreet Shah, Principal Architect, Creative Group. Raipur airport: The Avian Named as the Swami Vivekananda airport, the terminal accommodates 8,17,600 domestic and international passengers. The integrated terminal is an elegant modern structure defined by a high-tech aerodynamic building offering a smooth transition to its passengers from the flight to the city with a total area of 19,000 sq. m. and a peak hour capacity of 750 passengers per hour, with a total project cost of ` 150 crore. Its organic form deriving its genesis from an “Avian” is conceived with a sliced dome at the centre and multiple wings elevating the roof profile towards the sky. The slicing of the roof profile maximises the daylight, while emitting light in the sky making it visible at night. Sustainability Pioneer in designing sustainable airports, the architects have carefully planned and implemented various active and passive green measures, making use of the best available resources. Retention of storm water and rainwater harvesting recharges ground water, to ensure judicious and energy efficient functioning of the terminal. A high thermal mass structure, with highly insulated walls and roof, ensure the Raipur Airport
building is further cooled down and shaded with trees. A double insulating glass unit, provided on the South-West, south-East and north-East not only ensures an insulated envelope but also preventing air leakages in the building. A natural glare free light is emitted on the South-East and SouthWest facades. Provision of overhangs, roof projections and fins prohibit sun and glare penetration into the building. The “Green Ground Parking” uses grass track pavers for car park area facilitating ground water recharge and reducing heat Island Effect creates a pleasant micro climate around the terminal building city side. Achieving 43 per cent reduction in water consumption, the terminal building complies with the ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Codes) for attaining the energy savings. The airport terminal is equipped with T5 light fittings with automatic perimeter light sensing controls. All thermal insulants and refrigerants are endowed with substances with zero ozone depleting potential (OPD). Courtyard landscaped with native tribal art The sunken landscaped court encompassing a central garden forms an exceptionally delightful feature of the terminal structure. Adorned with an array of historic Bastar art sculptures, the architects patronised the age old regional art of Chhattisgarh, lending a sense of pride and individuality to the terminal. Visible from the mezzanine and security check areas, the courtyard serves to segregate the security areas and the hold spaces.
Project Review II Green Buildings to provide less heat gain and maximum light penetration is being adopted on air side as well as city side.
Chennai Airport
The “Avian” has been able to achieve the status of “Best Regional Airport” by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, representing itself as a distinguished blend of aesthetics and sustainability. Chennai airport: Architect’s vision and engineering innovation The Chennai Airport was a globally won design competition by the Creative Group. The plan for Chennai airport has been carved from the architect’s inception of intelligent planning, efficient zoning and sustainable building strategies. The terminal buildings, designed in H- shape, follow the minimum travel distance of a passenger. The Chennai Airport showcases the engineering innovation through an architect’s vision in terms of achieving the largest cantilever as well as using large diameter if circular pipes for the first time in this part of the continent. The thinnest precast hollow steam cured RCC Girders have been innovated and used for the first time in India, through this airport terminal. By scooping out the redundant mass of the terminal, the architects have infused a green spine with vertical gardens. “The lush vertical gardens are visible throughout the terminal creating a unique dialogue between interior and exterior spaces and man’s relationship to earth and air travel,” says Prabhpreet Shah. “Thereby it not only permits maximum flow of natural light but breaks the monotony and tension inside the airport. It is a design stroke creating seven visible facets connecting the two worlds of infrastructure and nature.”
“The terminal’s orientation according to the sun movement plays a major role in ensuring energy efficiency. Facing South, the city-side is shaded with a 24-metre long cantilever, one of the largest in India. With the principle of minimising heat gain and maximising day lighting, the project used a double skin glazing on both its airside and city side,” says Ar. Gurpreet Shah. Retention of storm water and rainwater harvesting recharges ground water, to ensure judicious and energy efficient functioning of the terminal. Achieving 43 per cent reduction in water consumption, the terminal building complies with the ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Codes) for attaining the energy savings. Abiding by the energy saving scheme the airport terminal is equipped with T5 light fittings with automatic perimeter light sensing controls. All thermal insulants and refrigerants are endowed with substances with zero Ozone depleting potential (OPD).
Emerging from these Gardens is an 800-metre long Elliptical Bridge/Arrival Tube connecting the Air side with the city side. A flyover serving as a connection between the vehicular traffic spanning approximately 1.2 km, uses steam cured Hollow box beams (400 mm thick) making it a wafer thin flyover and visual delight. Saving magnanimous space, the flyover is an excellent example of multiple uses within a single space.
The terminal has been constructed by use of recycled local materials – flyash in concrete and materials such as AAC blocks minimising heat gains in the building. The terminal is clad with double insulated glass that maximises daylight into the terminal. In addition to which, the terminal building incorporates structural glazing 24 mm thick double insulated glazing unit with a 12 mm air gap. TRESPA Cladding, a recyclable material with 60 per cent of its renewable constituents is another remarkable material adorning the elevation of the terminal.
Steel as a building material enabled the architect to deliver unrivalled sustainability performance. The building’s steel structure rises from a curved roof to form a natural lit, column free terminal with highly insulative transparent glass curtain walls that create a feeling of spaciousness. The great cantilevered curve of the front (landslide) roof structure is supported on large, paired “V” positioned full height columns. Skylights follow the geometry of the trusses, further opening the structural framework to allow natural light to permeate the terminal. Its superior strength-to-weight ratio means a little steel goes a long way, giving architects complete flexibility to achieve their most ambitious design.
The Chennai airport has received various awards like “Outstanding Concrete Structure” by ICI (TNCC) and UltraTech, “Award for Architecture” by AICA and “Special Mention Award” by Engineering Watch.
Intelligently designed, a conscious effort has been compassed to provide shade to external walls from strong sun by the 30-metre high trussed roof. The roof is also been insulated by the use of Kalzip aluminium roofing system designed and installed to withstand the expansion and contraction forces resulting from a temperature ranging from 5 to 45 C. Double skin glass with specification
“With its unique stature and unmatched grandeur, the Terminal serves as a precious gem for setting an example of technological advancement for the country. Thus, Chennai airport withstands as a living showcase of various architectural and structural art pieces,” concludes Prof Charanjit Shah. n
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HVAC II Technology
Perfect climate to keep airport running Passenger comfort along with energy costs is an important factor to run an airport today Airports are places where there will be large gatherings of people around the clock. Hence, indoor air quality plays an important role in comfort and productivity besides safeguarding health of the passengers. Airport ventilation and cooling Airport ventilation and cooling are vitally important to keep an airport running. The cost of ownership is something every airport in India would strive to keep at minimal levels to attain profitability. Sudarshan Ananth, Territory Vice President and Business Head - HVAC & Transport, India Climate Business Unit, Ingersoll Rand explains that their new range of product in applied and unitary streams continue to deliver best-in-class experience in terms of safety, energy efficiency and comfort to airport operators and passengers. Trane, an Ingersoll Rand brand, is one of the leading global providers of indoor comfort
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systems and solutions for commercial, residential and industrial applications. While talking as to how Trane helps airports in achieving energy efficiency, Mr Ananth says, “Trane AHU provides a clean air and maintains the necessary Indoor air quality requirements. Using its integrated solutions approach, Trane helps reduce energy use and costs while meeting high levels of comfort and performance critical to business operations of its customers.” Airports tend to have a heavy skew on large latent loads surge due to passenger transits, which needs an intelligent HVAC controls to be integrated with HVAC system to regulate the airflow and maintain comfortable temperature at all times. Trane also helps meet both the tangible and intangible requirements of the operators as well as the passengers.
Danfoss also plays a pivotal role by reducing the energy costs for airport entities across India. “Solutions from our power electronics portfolio such as the variable frequency drives, which essentially are retrofitted in air conditioning(air handling units) and baggage conveyors systems have a positive impact on the energy savings hugely,” says Kamal Singh,
The trends in HVAC for airport sector industry is achieving better energy efficiency, maintaining a high reliability and accuracy in the temperature and humidity parameters. Sudarshan Ananth, Territory Vice President and Business Head - HVAC & Transport, India Climate Business Unit, Ingersoll Rand
Technology II HVAC Vice President - Power Electronics Division, Danfoss India. “Danfoss is a major enabler in the energy-efficiency story of various airports across India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and Hyderabad.” Demand for HVAC products Airports Authority of India reports that nearly 25 per cent of existing capacity will get added over next 4 -5 years in terms of aircraft movements, passengers and freight at all Indian airports, respectively. “With new greenfield airports being planned in major cities, there is a continuous capacity expansion needed to achieve such a high growth rates,” says Mr Ananth. “The trends in HVAC for airport sector industry is achieving better energy efficiency, maintaining a high reliability and accuracy in the temperature and humidity parameters.” According to Mr Singh, “While the current demand is stable, with a large number of airports scheduled to be in the pipeline, we are well positioned to supply for the impending demand. We already have superior drives such as FC 102 and FC 101 which can help reduce energy consumption at these upcoming facilities considerably.” The industry is witnessing fresh impetus from the Indian government in this sector with their plans to connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities by upgrading many of the airstrips. “There will significant need for next generation HVAC system that can address the needs of the passengers and operators in terms of delivering reliable energy efficiency and comfort at optimised operating cost for decades,” adds Mr Ananth. Essential products and solutions for airport ventilation and cooling
While the current demand is stable, with a large number of airports scheduled to be in the pipeline, we are well positioned to supply for the impending demand. Kamal Singh, Vice President - Power Electronics Division, Danfoss India.
Danfoss rules the industry with its most befitting products like variable frequency drives FC 102 and FC 101 which enable considerable energy savings and precision temperature control for the halls and rooms in the airports. The drives primarily control the operation of air handling units (AHUs), pumps, cooling towers and other ventilation systems in the airport, improving travellers’ comfort and save energy to the tune of 20-25 per cent.
and security of travellers. This is ensured by providing the C-1 category of electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters in these drives which reduce signals and improve reliability. Since airport has multi-zone environment that covers passenger, cargo and airplanes with associated equipment, providing safe, comfortable and efficient solutions that covers all three zones requires precise understanding of deliverable expected in each case. Even the product solutions should be fire retardant and accident proofed. “From services perspective, key challenge that must be addressed is quick responsiveness, especially airport cooling while providing maintenance in high secure areas,” explains Mr Ananth. “Trane scores high points on all these counts in airport infrastructure whether in delivering safe and efficient products or in providing quick response to service requirement of heating, ventilation and cooling.”
Then there is Trane, one of the world’s largest independent HVAC companies with over century long experience in delivering world-class products and services to some of best airports in the world. “We understand the importance associated with critical conditions of airport ventilation,” adds Mr Ananth. He also talk about controlling humidity at the airports. “There is much more than temperature in HVAC,” opines Mr Ananth. “The most important part of the HVAC is maintaining the humidity and indoor air quality. Humidity in the airport should be maintained at an optimal level to be comfortable for the passengers. Increase or decrease in humidity beyond the specified level can cause health hazards.”
Indian airports against best of the world There are very few airports from India enlisted in SKYTRAX’s ranking of world best airports. However, Mr Singh seems very optimistic about the future of Indian airports. He opines, “The general view is that Indian airports are only functional and hence lack aesthetic appeal. Owing to the high operational and ownership costs, airports struggle to invest in other areas that position it among top global airports. With more energy savings and low cost of ownership which can be achieved through automated technologies, Indian airports will be better equipped to match global standards set by their foreign counterparts.”
Trane controls can monitor the indoor air quality with appropriate sensors and recommend the necessary actions. The amount of fresh air that gets circulated inside the airport reduces the concentration of carbon dioxide. Trane sensors can accurately sense this and keep providing optimal fresh air. Challenges in airport infrastructure Some of the concerns of stakeholders in this space when it comes to HVAC, include high system reliability, minimum interference with voice and data communication systems, effective integration into the building automation system (BAS) and maximum energy savings. The system reliability is ensured by the IP55 enclosure solution of these drives which means there is minimal contact with dust and moisture in the air – one of the commonest causes of drives failing.
In the past, travelling by plane was considered a luxury and lacked economy of scale in terms of passenger footfalls or air cargo movement. With recent development in economy and trade, flying and use of airport infrastructure has become a necessary catalyst for faster people and goods connect hence has seen multifold increase in its usage. Mr Ananth belives that with more airports under modernisation, in next couple of years, India will boast of half a dozen worldclass airports. India is catching up very fast — Delhi, Mumbai and Bangaluru Airports have already achieved global recognition and benchmark for their infrastructure. n
According to Mr Singh, “Minimum interference with the airport’s voice and data communications is vital for the safety
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Ports & Shipping II Special report
Image courtesy: Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd.
Ports and shipping industry making waves With a vast stretch of coastline, India opens up bright prospects for the shipping and ports sector. More than 90 per cent of India’s international trade volumes are carried through the sea route, making ports one of the most critical components of India’s freight value chain. In order to ensure the sector’s all round robust and integrated growth, the government is also planning to evolve a model of port-based development by facilitating modernisation of existing
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ports as well as development of world-class ports. The focus With a vast stretch of coastline measuring 7,517 km, India opens up bright prospects for the shipping and ports sector. “India’s 13 major ports and 187 minor and intermediate ports together serve 90 per cent of the
The growing external trade will only make our ports and shipping become busier and should also aim to become better. Anil Yendluri, Director and CEO, Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd.
Special report II Ports & Shipping nation’s maritime trade reflecting the heightened importance of this sector in India’s international trade,” says Vijay Kalantri, Chairman and Managing Director, Dighi Port Ltd. “The government has taken many measures to improve the efficiency of operations through mechanisation, deepening of draft and speedy evacuation. Two new major ports are being set up in Durgarajapatnam and Sagar in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal respectively under PPP mode in addition to the existing 13 ports.” Ports and shipping have been constantly playing a vital role ever since civilisation began trade and commerce across oceans, and its future is poised to grow as the economy has picked up pace. “The Foreign Trade Policy for 2015-20 targets to double exports to $900 billion by the turn of this decade,” explains Anil Yendluri, Director and CEO, Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. “The growing external trade will only make our ports and shipping become busier and should also aim to become better. Also, the government envisages that our ports transform into world-class facilities suited to meet the requirements of the future economy of India.” With India’s renewed focus on positioning itself as the global trade hub, ports and the shipping industry will play a very critical role to support our economies growth in coming years. With coastal shipping gaining preference for servicing over 7,000 km of India’s coastline as an alternative for road and rail, as a medium of transportation, the shipping industry is poised for a major growth in coming years for the economy. According to Adarsh Hegde, Executive Director, Allcargo Logistics, “With newer ports being operational both private as well as public, India’s overall capacity is also increasing day by day and competition among ports for attracting domestic as well as international cargo has led to adaptation of efficiency in service delivery as well as global benchmarks, in the way our economy managed EXIM.” These are all positive variables which are laying foundation for a more vibrant and fastpaced economic growth driven by ports and the shipping industry. India and handling large ships In shipping , the bigger the vessel, the lower
the freight cost for exporters and importers. However, it seems Indian ports aren’t ready to welcome big ships yet. Cargo ships are getting bigger to handle larger volumes from Asia, particularly China, to Europe and the US. “The container ship CSCL Globe is a mammoth ship and at present over 100 mega ships with carrying capacity of over 15,000 boxes on board sail the oceans,” describes Mr Kalantri. “Indian ports are equipped to handle vessels such as CSCL Globe, which is 1,313-feet long, 192-feet wide and 100-feet deep (with capacity of 19,100 containers). The average ship size handled at Indian ports is of a capacity of around 5,000 boxes. This is enough for now but as volumes increase multi-fold in future, ports need to be ready.” Size matters. Size helps in achieving economies of scale, time advantage and energy efficiency. According to Mr Yendluri, “Indian ports, no doubt, are bracing up their infrastructure and capacity to accommodate large vessels, be they cape-size bulkers or E-class container ships. New ports too are being developed at shores endowed with natural deep draft. Krishnapatnam Port has been in the forefront in handling bigger vessels efficiently and is already called the ‘home for capes.’”
final destinations through the hinterland. Even infrastructure for both major and non-major ports has attracted significant investment in recent years, augmenting overall port capacity to 1.3 billion tonnes. “The government policies and reforms focused on economic growth will have a ripple effect on supporting sectors, and this will boost the morale of investors, both native and foreign,” adds Mr Yendluri. “Strengthening of trade and fiscal regime, therefore, peps up equity and accelerates infrastructure and capacity building. This applies even to projects earmarked in the Maritime Agenda 2020.”
It’s no secret that in today’s world of constant EXIM trade, markets and consumers devoid of boundaries, larger ships are very important not only for creating cost efficiency but also to reach more markets in lesser amount of time. “ Developed economies of Singapore, Dubai and also to a major extent China have already initiated infrastructure across their ports to support this development,” explains Mr Hegde. “India is realising the demand and has already initiated in a gradual way, structure changes both in terms of infrastructure and policy to receive larger sized ships into its ports. As our economy moves into faster gear this change will be more prominent and will eventually match global standards as well.”
As our economy moves into faster gear this change will be more prominent and will eventually match global standards as well.
Government policies to keep the momentum Infrastructure development is critical to efficient port operations and growth of the hinterland. In recent years, the government has laid great emphasis on strengthening port infrastructure to ensure smooth movement of cargo from the ports to their
Adarsh Hegde, Executive Director, Allcargo Logistics
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Ports & Shipping II Special report Along with challenges, there are opportunities too. “Every country or an economy, especially a democracy like India, goes through these delays in terms of implementation of key reforms,” says Mr Hegde. “In the zeal to grow, we also need to focus on environmental preservations, national security concerns and plans as well as development of each and every citizen of our country.” He believes that once this foundation is laid, our growth in the future will be more seamless and sure. Thus these challenges are a must to create a path of future growth. These delays are more of a deliberation and an exercise towards consensus, as to where we are heading as country.
Dighi Port
No doubt the government is doing something right — easing outdated policies pertaining to the ports sector and bringing in amendments like corporatisation, 100 per cent FDI through automatic route and tax holiday. “These will help ports create capacities and improve efficiency, revenue generation and overall competitiveness,” explaisn Mr Yendluri. “Service tax on construction and capacity addition at the ports should be waived. Long-term, lowcost funds should be made available for the port.” According to Mr Hegde, “The momentum should be defined keeping in mind where we foresee our economy and EXIM trade moving in coming decades. Port capacity expansion is inevitable to support over 5 per cent GDP growth, but it should also be complemented with support infrastructure such as road and rail connectivity to these ports, making it more each for cargo to reach and exit our ports.”
The average ship size handled at Indian ports is of a capacity of around 5,000 boxes. This is enough for now but as volumes increase multi-fold in future, ports need to be ready. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman and Managing Director, Dighi Port Ltd.
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The government should make India competitive in terms of doing business overall and keep logistics costs to its minimum, which will eventually propel us to the next level as a global trade hub. Challenges affecting overall growth Greenfield non-major ports planned by the state governments have been delayed on account of slow land acquisition, security and environment clearances. “Greenfield port projects are usually in remote locations and considerable government support is required to create basic infrastructure for site access,” says Mr Kalantri. “The developers of port projects often need to address the supply of manpower and their housing and infrastructure for habitation. Some of the challenges faced in respect of existing ports include inadequate road networks within port area, inefficiency due to poor hinterland connectivity through rail, road, highways, coastal shipping and inland waterways, inadequate navigational aids, facilities and IT systems, insufficient dredging capacity and lack of technical expertise.” Port projects have a long gestation period and so greenfield ports face the challenge of sustained private financing for a considerable period of time coupled with the risk of sunk investment and deferred cost recovery and revenue. As mentioned, large number of clearances and procedures are delaying the projects. We should relook at all the existing policies and procedures and simplify them.
Preferred mode of port development Over the last decade our country went through a rough time in all aspects of our growth, and PPP projects have been a feasible mode of development. However, given the capital-intensive nature of port projects and the risk of long construction and payback period, equity contributions were relatively slow during the global economic slowdown. According to Mr Yendluri, “The scenario could change for the better towards the penultimate period of the 12th Five-Year Plan. The government have to play a proactive role in the matter, ease the procedure and help attract cheaper and long-term foreign investments into this sector.” Although the critical projects within our country, including the ones driven by the PPP model, witnessed considerable setback, the sentiment is drastically changing now. “With a decisive government at the centre, with more focus on driving proactive economic initiatives, transparent policy making, focus on manufacturing and more seamless taxation, the market opportunity will again get a new fillip,” expects Mr Hegde. “This will again drive the renewed interest of investors and thus rejig the PPP model.” It is estimated that India needs in excess of over $500 billion over the next decade to build infrastructure, PPP model is still the best way forward for our economy. The opportunity for India is here to stay. It’s just a matter of time of witnessing the results. n
Earthquake II Feature
JCB Machine helping in the quake zone
Image Courtesy: JCB
How are buildings made earthquake proof There is no 100 per cent earthquake-proof residential building, but the impact can be minimised Look at the Mount Everest, which tells how beautiful the nature can be. The same nature, however, has rocked the scenic mountain country with a magnitude-7.3 earthquake, killing more than 8,000 people and injuring more than 17,800. About 600,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in that quake. Two quakes, a week apart, ripped Nepal to debris and several Indian states and cities felt the impact. In some places, there were even incidents of damage to old structures and ill-planned buildings. These recent earthquakes have made home owners and prospective buyers wonder about the earthquake-resistance factors in Indian real estate. India and earthquake-proof buildings More than 54 per cent of the Indian landmass is prone to earthquake. The reason for this high amount of exposure is the increasing intensity at which the Indian pelagic plate is driving into mainland Asia. The United Nations and World Bank estimate that by 2050, more than 200 million Indian homes would have experiences earthquakes and storms. The most vulnerable cities are Srinagar and Guwahati, which have been categorised under “very severe intensity” zones. Apart from these two, 36 other Indian cities have been identified to be vulnerable to earthquakes. These include Kolkata, Dhanbad, Patna, Dehradun, Jalandhar, Jamnagar, Surat, Pune, Mangalore, Kochi, Trivandrum,
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Chennai, Vijayawada, Jabalpur and Bhubaneswar, among others. Some of these are also among the most important and highly populated cities of the country. Minimising impact No one can make structures “earthquake proof” but certainly can make them better to withstand the impact and help us avoid the morbid situations. “Adverse impact of the earthquakes can never be fully eliminated but can certainly be minimised to great extent,” says Dr PR Swarup, Director General, Construction Industry Development Council. “A simple analogy is to use a raincoat or an umbrella to avoid getting overtly wet. It is an essential requirement that any structure, leave alone the buildings, need to be conceived, designed, constructed to withstand all kind of loads, and the resultant stresses and strains.” Earthquake-proof buildings Earthquake-proof buildings have deep strong base and are lighter in loads than traditional constructions. Special beaming and bracing make them resistant to the kinds of sideways movements that are experienced in the event of an earthquake. “Construction techniques adopted are of extreme importance and faulty execution in spite of excellent design could mar the objectives,” adds Mr Swarup. “To employ and engage skill trained, tested, and certified work persons and qualified engineering staff is the third essential requirement”
Feature II Earthquake
Top 20 Cities for Number of Fatalities The ranking by research group GeoHazards International, considering building frailty and rescue and medical care abilities of local authorities. The results are based upon a 6.0 level quake. 1. Kathmandu, Nepal, population 1 million and growing; possible 69,000 deaths 2. Istanbul, Turkey, population 10 million; possible 55,000 deaths 3. Delhi, India, population 14 million; possible 38,000 deaths 4. Quito, Ecuador, population 1.8 million; possible deaths 15.000; volcanoes are an even bigger threat here 5. Manila, Philippines, 1.6 million population; possible 13,000 deaths 6. Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Pakistan, population 1 million; possible 12,500 deaths 7. San Salvador, El Savador, population, 2.2 million; 11,500 possible deaths 8. Mexico City, Mexico, 2.2 million people; possible 11,500 fatalities 9. Izmir, Turkey, 3.5 million people; possible 11,500 fatalities 10. Jakarta, Indonesia, 18.4 million (and expected to hit 24 million by 2025); an estimated 11,000 fatalities 11. Tokyo, Japan, (has been struck by quakes in 1703,1782, 1812, 1855, 1923) estimated 9,000 fatalities 12. Mumbai, India, estimated 8,000 fatalities 13. Guayaquil,
Ecuador,
estimated
4,300
Indonesia,
estimated
3,600
fatalities 14. Bandung, fatalities 15. Santiago, Chile, estimated 2,700 fatalities 16. Tashkent,
Uzbekistan,
estimated
2,500
fatalities 17. Tijuana, Mexico, estimated 1,800 fatalities 18. Nagoya, Japan, estimated 900 fatalities 19. Antofagasta, Chile, estimated 800 fatalities 20. Kobem Japan, estimated 300 fatalities
Structures — whether earthquake resistant or not — are like human body which needs regular check-up. This is true for structures too. “Checking the defects periodically and resorting to effective retrofitting is therefore the fourth essentiality,” says Mr Swarup. Design principles To make a structure earthquake resistant, there are various concepts used around the globe: • Base Isolation System: This separates the foundation of a building from the actual structure. It uses rubber bearings which act as seismic isolators during a tremor. If earthquake occurs, only the foundation will slide, but the actual construction will stay intact. The rubber bearings also absorbs shake and cut down the intensity of the impact. • Dampers: Like the big shock absorbers in vehicles, they dissipate the total energy across the base of the building and keep the top structure safe. These are generally used in high-rise buildings and for retrofitting older buildings. • Levitation: When an earthquake strikes, levitation engineering lifts the building which is built on a deflated air bag. When an earthquake strikes, the air bags pump up and build air space of a few centimetres between the house and the ground, reducing earthquake impact. Although there is no 100 per cent earthquake-proof residential building, the best that can be achieved is a standardised level of earthquake resistance. Most Indian buildings can sustain 4.0-magnitude earthquake. If the quake registers 9.0 on the Richter scale, very few would exist. Builders’ responsibility in earthquake-resistance properties Builders are the creator of buildings and play an important role in constructing earthquake-resistant properties. For example, Mumbai comes under the seismic zone 3 category and needs to have buildings that can withstand an earthquake of higher magnitude. It means that the building should be sturdy enough to bear the shock of earthquake. Builders like Marathon has adopted shear wall technology for all its highrise buildings. Also, all the beam columns junction are specially designed to take horizontal forces during earthquakes. The structure should be stiff so that there is minimum sway in the building . Mayur Shah, Managing Director, Marathon Group, shares how a builder can contribute towards building earthquake resistance properties. He lists out some important procedures laid down by the authorities: • Before starting with construction of the structure, the building should conduct soil testing and carry out detailed research analysis on the required strength of the structure. • They should use lightweight materials, such as air-entrapped blocks for walling, floors, walls and partitions can be very helpful in such cases. In order to make the structure durable and strong, Kalpataru Ltd., a leading premium real estate company in India, uses chilled concrete for foundations which reduces shrinkage and increases the speed of casting. Most of its buildings are constructed as monolithic RCC structures using imported aluminium formwork. Eco-friendly materials like flyash and GGBS are added to concrete to increase durability and strength of the RCC structure. n
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Earthquake II Experts Column
The building principles one should consider while designing earthquake-resistant buildings
Aseismic designing of buildings Aseismic designing refers to the specialised construction of buildings in such a way that they will not be damaged by earthquake. Falling blocks of buildings that collapse during earthquake account for almost all the casualties. Therefore, if it is only possible to see that our dwellings remain unscathed when the earthquake vibrations pass through them at their base. This will provide the only way to survive the disaster which cannot be prevented or predicted either because of its complexity. And, fortunately, it is indeed possible to construct our houses that will withstand the tremors without failing. Interestingly, such life-saving civil engineering techniques were available even in the 1930s in Quetta, then in undivided India. Dr W.D. West, a geologist at Geological Survey of India, who investigated the Quetta earthquake of 1935, had shown that the railway bungalow on the Lytton Road that was built to be earthquake-resistant survived without any damage (Fig. 1) while the Dak Bungalow, hardly 50 metres away which wasn’t built using special techniques, collapsed completely. In two major earthquakes in the recent years, lack of appropriate construction of buildings had led to heavy death tolls. In Latur (Killari) earthquake (Magnitude 6.2) of September 30, 1993, more than 10,000 people in several villages in interior Maharashtra reportedly died because of very poor construction of their houses using rock boulders and only mud. At least this region was not known to be seismic, with its location in Zone 1 of the Seismic Zone Map of India. But during the stronger Bhuj earthquake (magnitude nearly 8) of January 26, 2001, in Kuchch, about 25,000 people lost their life, again due to weak buildings that had only mud as the binder though good rock (sandstone) was used. For all that, Bhuj was known to be highly seismic since the first earthquake map was presented by Dr West in 1935. Only a RCC house in old Bhuj and another RCC high water tank in Morvi had survived. In contrast, the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh on May 22, 1997, led to the loss of only 59 lives because the houses in the city were constructed
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better, even if not employing special designs in all of them. Thus the message is very clear: only good construction, preferably adopting the prescribed building codes, will ensure the safety of buildings during an earthquake. The proper design There are two important considerations in designing earthquakeresistant buildings. First, each building should be made to behave as a ‘monolith’ – a single entity – with all its parts acting in unison when set up in motion during an earthquake. Second, the buildings should be constructed in such a way that they will not vibrate with the same natural periods (T) as those of the earthquake likely to occur in the area. This is because it has been found that the damage to the building will be total if the two natural periods are the same because of ‘resonance’. The first objective can be met by tying up all the parts of the buildings in each floor by steel cross-bracing. Thin steel liner plates of appropriate width and thickness can be placed diagonally over the floors, walls and roofs to introduce the requisite degree of flexibility to the structure and enable it to respond to the earthquake vibrations with all the parts pulling together without snapping in the middle. The second objective calls for some studies to understand the behaviour of different types of buildings and also the earthquakes that are likely to occur in the area. The natural periods of the buildings can be measured either from laboratory models or by physically shaking some buildings using a ‘building vibrator’. These vibrators carry huge weights — split into two — that move in opposite directions and can be set up in old buildings to provide horizontal north-south, horizontal east-west and up-anddown motions which can be recorded. These will give a range of likely natural periods of such buildings. The natural periods of the likely earthquakes can be understood from the ‘seismograms’ – instrumental records of past earthquakes.
Experts Column II Earthquake top-heavy after absorbing water. Corrugated tin roofs tend to slide down, injuring those who run out. Ornamental appendages and cantilever projections disturb the loading of the buildings and need to be avoided. The foundation of buildings should be deep enough and on one type of hard rock preferably. Sandy soils that are wet, like the beach sands in Mumbai, amplify the vibrations of large earthquakes and so are not considered good.
Fig. 1
Once these two natural periods are known, it should then be possible to plan the ‘live load’ and ‘dead load’ in the buildings in such a way that they will oscillate with natural periods that are different from those of the probable earthquakes so that the phenomenon of ‘resonance’ does not occur. The actual construction When it comes to actual construction, it is needless to emphasise that all the materials used should be of very good quality. Reinforced concrete buildings and the steel-framed ones have been found to be strong and flexible. Masonry walls should have bricks or dimension stones of high quality and good cement mortar has to be used. Tiled roofs are not desirable since the tiles become
In India, the Bureau of Standards has laid down appropriate building codes for earthquake-resistant construction elaborately. Some of these are IS-1893-1984, 2001 and IS-4326-1976 and 2001. These are formulated by a panel of experts drawn from different disciplines and reviewed and revised periodically. These are published in government publications and reasonably priced. It is absolutely essential to follow these standard specifications if the buildings have to survive earthquakes. This special designing may involve an additional expenditure of 5-10 per cent of the total cost which is well worth incurring considering that it provides the only escape route from the disaster. Likewise, existing buildings can also be suitably seismically strengthened using ‘retrofitting’ methods which incorporate the same principles of aseismic designing. n Authored by— V. Subramanyan Former Professor of Geology, IIT Bombay
Advertorial
Glass Wall Systems: marvelling JW Marriott Kolkata
Harish Gupta, Vice PresidentArchitecture, Glass Wall Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd JW Marriott Kolkata, currently under construction, is a 5-star business boutique hotel located in Rajarhaat. The highlight of this architectural marvel is the entrance lobby which is a very large free-flowing space on the ground floor. The lobby is a triple height structure and the freeflowing space is enclosed with a mesh of rectangular tubes (diagrid) which is glazed with laminated double glass units. The intent of the designers is to have a minimalistic support frame for the entire 2,000 sq. m of the diagrid faรงade, and so there is no structural member supporting this faรงade. While the span is very large, yet the intent was to have as less frame element as possible with a very high-performance, acoustic insulated faรงade. Glass Wall has taken a lot of challenging projects in its career of 12 years as faรงade contractors and the diagrid being executed for JW Marriot is one such challenging project. What is attractive about the structure is the simplicity in form yet it needs a highly complex engineering and expert execution. The diagrid is designed as a mesh of tubular profile which curves in 3 dimension. It is 12-metre high and does not have any intermediate support.
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The mesh forms node joints on the entire surface with 6 glasses meeting at every node. Each glass is a laminated double glass unit. Each glass is angled to the adjacent glass as the diagrid is curving in three dimensions. This makes each node very complex and needs high precision designing, fabrication and execution.
Advertorial
Designing the fabrication drawing was a challenge as it needed a good understanding of the challenges to be faced by the execution team. So the designing was fine tuned to suit a realistic execution methodology. Considering that there are more than 1,000 different sizes of glass the precision required is the highest at every level of its construction.
and pressure plate and caping to ensure that the structure will not leak as this is a high premium area of the hotel.
According to Harish Gupta, Vice President-Architecture, Glass Wall Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd., “The biggest task in the construction was the location of each node to the accuracy of a millimetre without any
reference point in 3D due to absence of any floor slab except the ground floor. This was meticulously planned out at design stage and executed at site by highly qualified engineers and the survey team by use of latest in laser survey techniques.� The high-performance glass is fitted in conventional stick system with triple silicone barrier
The structure is tested with water pressure before the final caping, which is done to seal the glass joints with pressure plate. The design has been implemented as conceptualised by the designers, and this is the strength of Glass Wall Systems which the company has achieved with years of experience on every project. n
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Promotional Feature
H&K India’s ‘Make-in-India’ programme completes 30 years Transforming India’s steel industry since 1985 1991: First ‘stop-start’ shear in India at DSP, SAIL 1991: First ‘stop-start’ crop shear in India at DSP, SAIL 1992: First grip tilters in India at Kalyani Steels 1992: First Thermex System at DSP, SAIL 1992: First bundling-binding systems (2 nos.) at DSP, SAIL 1993: First trough tilter at Kalyani Steels, Pune 1994: First Thermex System for 25-40 mm at Bhilai Steel Plant, SAIL 2000: First Thermex System for secondary sector mill 2009: 100 Thermex Systems Milestone reached 2014: First 4-strand slit Thermex Pipe commissioned. R. S. Chavan presents Mr Markan with H&K India’s 30th Year message with a smiling Ms Radhika Markan in the background
also awarded to H&K India the tender for introducing the world’s leading QST technology, Thermex, for higher sizes of rebars at the Merchant Bar Mill of its Bhilai Steel Plant. H&K India did not disappoint; it commissioned the plant in 1994 much ahead of the scheduled completion date. The company also boasted notable achievements in the secondary rolling mill industry and quickly found success in manufacturing special equipment for rolling mills. It introduced the unique grip and trough tilters at Kalyani Steels for rolling of alloy steel bars. “The trough tilter built by H&K India is only the third of its type in the world,” the company said. H&K India Chairman Mr Markan with some of the earliest adopters of Thermex technology in Western India
16th May 2015. It all started 30 years ago, to the day. A small-built man started his ‘Make-in-India’ mission from a 10x10ft room armed with nothing but ` 10,000/- and inexhaustible determination. His mission, better known as H&K Rolling Mill Engineers Pvt. Ltd., (H&K India) was to soon become the trendsetter in India’s steel industry. Raj Kumar Markan founded H&K India on 16th May 1985, in collaboration with Hoestemberghe & Kluetsch Gmbh, (H&K Germany), with the specific aim to introduce relevant and modern technologies to the Indian steel industry. Thus started a 30-year journey dotted with many firsts. India’s first ‘stop-start’ shear, first Crop Shear, and first Thermex quenching and self-tempering (QST) system were introduced by H&K India at Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) of SAIL, when it won the global tender for Merchant Mill Modernisation of the plant in 1989. H&K India became the first amongst all DSP global contractors to commission the plant as per schedule in March 1992. Mr Markan’s astute engineering and sheer grit so impressed SAIL that it
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H&K India’s single biggest ‘Make-in-India’ contribution has been the introduction of Thermex. At a time when the standard Indian practice was to use low-strength Cold Twisted Deformed (CTD) bars that were less ductile and very unsuitable to seismic India, H&K India revolutionised the steel industry by introducing the concept of QST. Thermex QST bars met all requirements of civil construction – yield strength ranging from 500 MPa or more, toughness, high elongation value and ductility – suitable for seismic India, weldability and excellent bend properties. The introduction of Thermex QST bars ended the 30-year reign of the less-ductile, lowstrength CTD bars in India. Recalling the three-decade run of his company, H&K India Chairman, Mr Markan, noted, “It all started at a chance meeting with Wolfgang KLUETSCH at Hotel Oberoi, Mumbai, in 1982. Mr KLUETSCH was then the Owner and Managing Director of H&K Germany. On his way to Australia he stopped over in India as he was studying the Indian market for H&K Germany’s specialised rolling mill machinery. We met many more times in Germany and subsequently in 1985 H&K India was born with Mr. KLUETSCH as its first Chairman.”
Promotional Feature
Speaking from Germany, Mr KLUETSCH stated, “I am very proud that the seed planted by us in 1985 has today become a big tree which bears fruit. I extend my heartiest congratulations to the entire team of H&K India. Although I have retired some years ago, I do keep in touch with Mr Markan and his daughter, Radhika Markan, on a regular basis and they keep me informed about the company’s activities and growth. They make me proud by keeping the flag of H&K flying so high. I offer my best wishes to them for the years ahead.”
The workers have no role to play other than to ensure the water is turned on.”
Inventor of Thermex and Technical Consultant to H&K India, Franz TAMM also sent his congratulations from Germany. “I am delighted to note the success H&K India and Thermex have had in the Indian market. In every country it is very difficult to overcome old traditions, or to change the established procedures and methods. When Thermex was introduced in India, it was so new, unique and revolutionary that it came to be resisted. But the H&K Indian team persisted and soon an awareness campaign was launched. India is exposed to earthquakes because 60 per cent of it falls under the high seismic hazard category. For high seismic zones, ductility of rebars was the key property and not the yield strength, and this was highlighted to the engineering fraternity. Today ductile Thermex rebars are popular in India. Such success is testimony of H&K India’s determination to its cause. I wish them many more successful years ahead.”
“Our innovations in Thermex continue unabated. At SAIL which was our first order, we had introduced Thermex Version1. At present, we are manufacturing Thermex Version3. More significantly, we have successfully developed and commissioned the country’s first ‘Made in India’ 4-strand slit quenching pipe at Mahalaxmi TMT Pvt. Ltd. in Wardha, Maharashtra. We have the capability to manufacture and commission 2-slit, 3-slit and 4-slit Thermex quenching systems for varying sizes, speeds and temperatures.”
According to H&K India, “The world’s leading QST technology, Thermex, is in great demand in India. The beauty of Thermex is its simplicity. Each Thermex system is engineered to suit the rolling mill’s specific parameters. It takes just one billet/bar to commission the system and achieve the desired results and properties. The Thermex technology is very precise, besides being worker-friendly.
“We have had a good 30-year run and we have been able to achieve this success because our partners stood by us. The Indian steel industry welcomed our new technologies and whole-heartedly backed us in our mission to raise Indian rebar standards to new heights. My company and I are thankful for their support and hope that they may continue to bless us for the future,” Mr Markan concludes. n
Mr Markan added, “This explains why H&K India has been able to successfully commission Thermex Technology in the Indian region with over 200 orders Thermex has proven its front runner status in the world for thermo-processed or QST technologies. Today approximately 60 per cent of rebars produced in India are Thermex rebars.”
For 4-slit quenching at Mahalaxmi Wardha, the H&K India team led by Mr Markan undertook the entire engineering and manufacturing process in India, including equipment design, raw material procurement, machining, assembly, testing, and erection and commissioning in less than 4 months. It took less than 4 hours for successful commissioning of the Thermex 4-strand slit quenching equipment at Mahalaxmi Wardha.
Volvo CE delivers 100th EC 210 Excavator to Dilip Buildcon Volvo EC210B Hydraulic Excavator is manufactured at Bengaluru facility of the Volvo Construction Equipment. V Chandrasekhar, General Manager, Volvo Construction Equipment; Navin Bhandari, Chairman and MD, Navin Infrasolutions Pvt Ltd.; and Surat Mehta, Business Head-North, Volvo Construction Equipment handed over the keys to Mr. Suryavanshi at their Bhopal office. “We are very pleased to handover the 100th Volvo 20 ton Crawler Excavator to the biggest customer of Volvo Construction Equipment, India,” said Dimitrov Krishnan, Vice President, Volvo Construction Equipment, India commenting on the occasion. Recently at a function organised at Dilip Buildcon Ltd., Volvo Construction Equipment has handed over the 100th EC 210 Crawler Excavator in their company to Dilip Suryavanshi, Chairman and Managing Director, and Devendra Jain, Director and CEO of Dilip Buildcon Ltd.
Dilip Buildcon Ltd has around 150 machines from the Volvo Group and is one of the biggest customers of Volvo CE. Almost the complete range of machines from Crawler Excavators namely EC 210, EC 240, EC290, motor graders-G930 and various other road machinery is the part of their fleet.
Dilip Buildcon Ltd is a trendsetter in the infrastructure and irrigation industry in terms of quality deliverables and before-time completion of projects. Bharat Singh, President, Karan Suryavanshi and Guarav Tiwari, AGM-Mechanical were also present at the occasion.
The event ended with a vote of thanks by Surat Mehta and assurance to Dilip Buildcon for best of support, and expressed desire of VCE to achieve many such milestones in coming times with Dilip Buildcon Ltd. n
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Promotional Feature
Polar lighting poles
Architectural lighting from K-LITE K-LITE Industries an ISO company, manufacturing indoor and outdoor luminaires have launched a new series of LED architectural lighting. Being a trendsetter in outdoor lighting and inspired by the “Make in India� vision, K-LITE, through its innovative outlook have showcased an all new product portfolio under Architectural Lighting. The application includes facade lighting, pathway lighting, in-ground luminaire, uplighter, up-down lighting, billboard lighting, vertical light bars, wall washers, area lighting poles and above all popular sleek polar lighting solutions. The solutions offered are backed by extensive understanding of illumination in urban spaces and the expertise gained over a period of three decades. The fixtures are designed to provide value technology, ideally suited to Indian conditions. The LEDs used comply to LM 80 testing requirements and from internationally reputed makes such as Nichia / CREE. The luminaires are RoHS,
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Area lighitng pole
LM 79 and CE certification compliant. According to K-LITE, the luminaire efficacy (lumens per watt) is much above 100 for all luminaires. Varied optical options for lighting distribution and correlated colour temperature (CCT) for cool white, neutral white or warm white are available to suit specific requirements. The outstanding item of the series viz., the sleek polar lighting solutions is a contemporary design that is both
Aston
timeless and unique in its impression. Compact without visible mounting equipment and optimised integration, polar lighting is in perfect continuity with the geometric lines of the square column. These assemblies are ideal for surroundings of contemporary architectural constructions. n For all enquiries contact sales@klite.in or visit www.klite.in. Tele: +91-9500079797, +91-4426257710
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Top Architects Architectural Products Contact : 022-32682214/15 ads@aceupdate.com
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Event
Concrete Show India 2015 paves way for infrastructure industry
UBM India successfully concluded the Concrete Show India 2015 held from 7th to 9th May having over 150 exhibitors from across 10 countries and 5000 trade visitors, amidst an industry showcase of products, solutions and services at the trade fair at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The event had a grandeur opening with the special address given by S.M. Ramchandani, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd. (MSRDC) and participation from government officials, leading associations, industry professionals and domain experts. Some of the key Industry speakers at the conference included Surya Prakash, President, Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India), Vinay Gupta, CEO, Tandon Consultants Pvt Ltd., Dr Himanshu Raje, Director, Raje Structural Consultants Pvt Ltd, J P Rao, Director Corporate Marketing Strategy, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co Ltd, Dr Michael Tholen, Managing Director, American Concrete Institute Professional
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Development, ACI University, Mr Cyrus Dordi, Consultant, Ambuja Cement Ltd., Dr Gopal Rai, Joint Secretary, Institute of Bridge Engineers(IIBE), CEO-Dhirendra Group of Companies, Pranav Desai, Head Product Development and Management, Lafarge India Pvt Ltd. The conference also saw delegates from renowned companies s like ACC, Bharat Hosiery, BSBK Pvt Ltd., Hess, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., JSW Cement, Leela Tata Realty, Louis Berger, Magicrete Precast, Polygon Chemicals Pvt Ltd., Raheja Engineering, Relcon Infraprojects Ltd., Roop Telsonic Untrasonix Ltd., Spancrete, Tata Steel, Tekla India Pvt Ltd. amongst others. On second day the event experienced eminent speakers at Bridges India which included Subhash Joglekar, Vice President, Stup Consultants Ltd, V N Heggade, Sr Vice President (Projects) and Member, Board of Management, Gammon India Ltd, D A Bhide, Vice President (Design), IRB Infrastructure Ltd, P Niranjana, Head Nuclear and Special Bridges, L & T Ltd.
Technology showcase was at its best with innovations from companies like Toyota Forms India Pvt. Ltd., Ashtech, Hess Concrete Machinery India Pvt. Ltd., JSW Cement Limited, RMC Readymix (India), Godrej, Apollo Infratech Private Limited, Hyundai Aluminum Co. Ltd., Tata, Reliance Industries Ltd. The Innovation Corner, Interactive zone, and Concrete Man were some highlights of the event. The viewer’s choice which was an innovative product was won by Ashtech. Surya Prakash, President, Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India), said “Cement and concrete industry in India is poised for a definite growth. The recent five year plan emphasises more on infrastructure as it is the basic requirement for development of any sector. With the increasing demand of concrete, raw material required which is river sand has become very expensive. In order to meet the demand supply gap manufactures should device new methods of production like recycling ceramic waste, stone dust, coconut shell, rice husk etc.” n
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