Construction sector grows at 12.1 percent

The government's revised figures of economic growth during 2005-06, shows that the agriculture sector has actually grown by 3.9 percent against the earlier estimate of 2.3 percent. On the other hand, the manufacturing sector growth was 9 percent and not 9.4 as was estimated in February this year when the advance estimates were released.

Thus, the overall gross domestic product (GDP) growth was 8.4 percent during 2005-06, surpassing the 8.1 percent growth estimated by the Central Statistical Organisation in the advance estimates. In 2004-05, the economy registered a 7.5 percent growth in GDP.

As per the revised estimate, the economy grew 9.3 percent in the fourth quarter, as against 8.6 percent in the same quarter in the previous year. The third quarter GDP growth in 2005-06 was 7.5 percent.

While mining and quarrying recorded sharp decline to 0.9 percent growth (1 percent in advance estimate for 2005-06), as compared to 5.8 percent in 2004-05, the electricity, gas and water supply showed growth of 5.3 percent (5.4 percent in advance estimate), as compared to 4.3 percent in 2004-05
The construction sector maintained a strong growth rate at 12.1 percent during 2005-06 (12.1 percent in advance estimate) as against 12.5 percent recorded in the previous year

Trade, hotels, transport and communication sector recorded growth rate of 11.5 percent in 2005-06, as compared to 10.6 percent growth in the previous year. Financing, insurance, real estate and business services grew by 9.7 percent, as compared to 9.2 percent in the previous year.

- Business Line

After SEZs, Government plans MIRs

The government's focus on manufacturing as a whole marks a welcome change of attitude from a sector-specific, export-focused approach to industrial growth. Finance minister P Chindambaram is correct in saying that to achieve 10 percent growth, manufacturing should grow at 12 percent. To this end, the government has proposed five manufacturing investment regions (MIRs), akin to special economic zones. In order to avoid political controversy, states will frame laws concerned for MIRs. Industrial clusters are viable even in an age of scattered production, because infrastructure becomes easier to organise. Roads, power, ports and telecom would yield considerable direct and indirect benefit for every unit invested by them when the end user is clearly defined. The economies here can translate into lower raw material costs for industry. If infrastructure is developed as a private-public partnership, issues of operational upkeep will pose fewer difficulties. The same principle extends to social infrastructure, such as houses, schools and hospitals. Modern, capital-intensive manufacturing needs a reliable supply of skilled personnel, which would not be forthcoming in the absence of basic amenities. Some of India's top corporate houses realise the importance of investing in social infrastructure; their approach could extend to the rest of India Inc. Townships like Jamshedpur generate positive externalities over generations that traditional accounting mechanisms tend to overlook.

However, in setting up MIRs, issues of land acquisition need to be worked out threadbare. The central government should lay down uniform guidelines in this regard, spelling out means by which those who give up their land can be made stakeholders in a project. Uncertainty over land acquisition norms leads to social unrest, and cost and time overruns. The government appears keen on board-basing industrial growth so that it generates more visible employment benefits; therefore, it should ensure that states implement a fair, socially acceptable rehabilitation policy. Land acquisition should precede project implementation to minimise chaos. The creation of MIRs away from urban centres would ensure a more geographically even development of the economy. For India to be a serious emerging economy, its growth must be more broad-based than at present - a realisation that is reflected in the Eleventh Plan draft. The focus on manufacturing also suggests that leapfrog theorists - those who favoured an emphasis on services on the assumption that India had missed the manufacturing bus - no longer call the shots in policy-making, like they perhaps did in the late 90s. India needs both sectors to fire for it to be an elephant on the run.

- The Times of India

Power punch: 44,000 MW addition by 2007

Power consumers in India may get a much needed reprieve as the country moves to a total capacity addition of 44,000 MW against the targeted addition of 41,000 MW by the end of the 10th Plan.

Of the 44,000 MW, 21,230.16 MW would be generated by thermal plants. Nearly 10,174.10 MW and 2,620 MW would be generated by hydro and nuclear plants, respectively.

The central public sector undertakings will alone contribute 17,225 MW, followed by state sector (11,990.66 MW) and the private sector (4,898.6 MW).

Moreover, 5,000 MW each would be added by the captive power plants (CPPs) and non-conventional energy sources.

The power ministry has said that the capacity addition of 3,500 MW would be achieved on "best effort basis"

The ministry also hoped that these projects beat the deadline by one to two months.

- The Financial Express

MIDC, IL&FS to develop four SEZs

With India Inc. rushing in to build special economic zones across the country, state governments are waking up to the opportunity.

Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), the nodal agency for industrial development in the state, declared recently that it will develop and sell four SEZs in the sate in equal partnership with Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) at an investment of Rs 40 billion.

The joint venture will start out with Amravati, Butibori, Krushnoor and Latur where it will set up multipurpose, textile, pharmaceutical and agro SEZs in 1,450 hectares of land.

The land is available with MIDC and it has created basic infrastructure including roads and water supply.

MIDC is developing 15 SEZs. It has also lined up plans to develop 17 SEZs in partnership with private companies. So far, the central government has approved 11 SEZs by MIDC. For the projects, MIDC will contribute land and basic infrastructure and the private partners would bring the marketing expertise and skills in developing SEZs.

- Times of India

Two 1000 MW projects for Maharashtra

Tata Power Company (TPC) is planning to set up two new 1,000 MW imported coal-based projects near Rewas in Maharashtra. The state government has given approval for the first of the 1,000 MW plants and land acquisition has begun.

Environmental clearances for the two Rewas plants are also in place. The government is acquiring close to 1000 acres of land for both the plants. It will take up to three years for commissioning the plant from the time land acquisition is completed. The government expects to complete the acquisition process in the next five to six months.

- Business Standard

Schwing Stetter ties-up with Bharat Shell Limited

Schwing Stetter India Pvt. Ltd (SSIPL), a leading manufacturer in the ready mixed concrete (RMC) equipment industry and Bharat Shell Limited (BSL), manufacturers of quality industrial lubricants have entered a strategic tie-up to offer their customers high quality lubricants to enhance the life of the equipment. Bharat Shell will develop a superior grade of hydraulic oil, exclusively for Schwing Stetter's equipment for the Indian market.

The new grade hydraulic oil developed by Bharat Shell will be of superior specifications and standards. Extensive field-testing done on Schwing Stetter's equipment have revealed an enhanced performance by the products. The new grade hydraulic oil is expected to substantially enhance the machine life as compared to the regular oil.

Bharat Shell will supply the developed hydraulic oil for the first fill at Schwing Stetter's factory. The new product will also be marketed by Bharat Shell to all existing and new customers of SSIPL. Both companies will jointly educate all customers of SSIPL on the advantages of using Bharat Shell lubricants. Bharat Shell will also offer to the pump owners a unique condition monitoring service, which will help the customers to maintain their pump.

In accordance with the agreement, SSIPL will promote Bharat Shell on their products and also include the new lubricant in the recommended list, of heir product catalogue. The product will be stocked, displayed, distributed and sold by outlets of Bharat Shell to customers on demand.

-Press release from Schwing Stetter

Millau Viaduct exhibition held at Mumbai

An exhibition on the world's highest viaduct- the Millau viaduct - was held from June 14-17, 2006 at the Sir J.J. College of Architecture under the auspices of the Indo French Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and the French Trade Commission in Mumbai. The exhibition is a part of the series of exhibitions organised under the theme of 'France - India, Together for Technology' to increase awareness of the professional expertise and technological achievements of both the countries in order to boost Indo-French trade. The 'Millau Viaduct Exhibition' was inaugurated by Dr Vijay Khole, Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University and Dr Michel Virlogeux, one of the principal designers of the viaduct.

It took the French contractors and engineers just over three years to fulfil the challenge of building the highest bridge in the world connecting the north and south of Europe. Since December 17, 2004, motorists have been able to bypass Millau, the little town in the south of France and cross the Tarn Gorge over the highest motorway viaduct in the world.

The cable-stayed bridge's tallest pillar stands 343-m high, 19-m above the Eiffel Tower itself. Like the Parisian monument, this work of art's metal deck designed by English architect Lord Norman Foster was built by none other than Eiffel Construction. The substructure including the pylons are made of concrete. Although the viaduct only touches the Tarn valley at seven points, the entire steel structure weighs no less than 36,000 t. A total of 85,000 m3 of concrete has been used to build this 2,460-m long bridge.

The viaduct is equipped with a host of technological advances to make it as safe and pleasant as possible for the comfort of its users and the area's residents. Safety barriers specially designed to resist truck impacts, windbreaking screens and a video surveillance system coupled with an automatic accident detector system keeps the viaduct traffic moving smoothly.

The Millau Viaduct's sustainable development outlook guarantees it trouble-free operation for 120 years. Moreover, a stringent Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) has been in place right from the outset. The Eiffage group has been awarded the operation of the built-to-last viaduct under a 75-year concession agreement.

- French consulate press release

Conexpo-Con/Agg again earns top honours

The Conexpo-Con/Agg international exposition for the construction industries worldover has been named the largest trade show of any industry in the United States, for the third consecutive time. The last three editions of the triennial exhibition have earned the top spot for the years in which it was held - 1999, 2002 and now 2005.

The rankings are based on net square feet of exhibit space and are included in the 'Tradeshow Week 200' analysis of the largest 200 U.S. industry shows, conducted annually by Tradeshow Week magazine. Conexpo-Con/Agg 2005 set records for exhibit space and attendance - spanning more than 174,658 m2 of net exhibit space and more than 124,300 attendees.

Conexpo-Con/Agg attracts a global audience and has the support of leading industry organisations from around the world, making it the industry gathering place for the construction industries.

The Tradeshow Week analysis also noted that the show producer, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), ranked number three among show management organisations by net square feet of Tradeshow Week 200 shows and share of market. AEM owns or co-owns and produces several construction-related shows which are the leaders in their market segments.

- Conexpo-Con/Agg press release

New titles from ACI

The following titles are now available from the American Concrete Institute (ACI).

Seventh CANMET/ACI international conference on durability of concrete

These proceedings of the 'CANMET/ACI international conference on durability of concrete, held from May 28 - June 3, 2006 in Montreal, Canada, contain 50 papers related to concrete durability. The diverse papers in this publication include corrosion inhibitors for reinforced concrete; durability of concrete with recycled fine aggregate; and self-curing, shrinkage-free concrete, among others. The price is US$121.50 (ACI members US$73.00).

SP-235: Recent advances in concrete technology

These are proceedings of the 'Eighth CANMET/ACI international conference on recent advances in concrete technology' held from May 28 - June 2, 2006 in Montreal, Canada and contain 17 papers related to recent advances in concrete technology. Topics covered in this publication include self consolidating concrete, beneficial use of carbonation, radar tomography, and much more. The price is US$89.50 (ACI members US$53.00).

ACI 552R-06: Pervious concrete

This document provides technical information on pervious concrete's application, design methods, materials, properties, mixture proportioning, construction methods, testing and inspection. Additional topics include performance, limitations, potential applications and research needs. The price is US$49.50 (ACI members US$30.00).

Pervious concrete pavements

This publication is published by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA). It reviews the applications and engineering properties, including environmental benefits; structural properties; and durability of pervious concrete pavements. Both hydraulic and structural designs of pervious concrete pavements are discussed, as well as construction techniques. The price is US$25.00.

For more details, please contact:
American Concrete Institute
P.O. Box 9094
Farmington Hills,
MI 48333-9094
USA
Tel: +1-248-848-3800
E-mail: bkstore@concrete.org
Website: www.concrete.org

ACI honours Prof Mehta, Prof Swamy and Dr Ghosh

Prof P. Kumar Mehta, Prof R. Narayan Swamy and Dr S.K. Ghosh are well known amongst readers of ICJ as outstanding contributors to the Journal. In the recent past, these three individuals happened to be the ICJ's guest editors.

It gives us great pleasure to announce that the American Concrete Institute (ACI) has recently honoured all the three individuals. While Prof Mehta and Prof Swamy were elected as honorary members of ACI, Dr S K Ghosh was elected to the ACI Board of Direction for a three-year term.

Prof P. Kumar Mehta is professor emeritus in the civil engineering department at the University of California at Berkeley. A Fellow of the American Ceramic Society and the American Concrete Institute, he has received several awards, including ACI's Wason Medal for materials research, the CANMET/ACI award for outstanding contributions to research on performance of concrete in the marine environment, and the Mohan Malhotra Award for research on supplementary cementing materials, and ACI Construction Practice Award. He held the Roy Carlson Distinguished Professorship in Civil Engineering at Berkeley, and, upon his retirement, he received the highest campus honour, the Berkeley Citation, for exceptional contributions to his field and to the university. He holds nine patents in the area of cement concrete technology and is the author or co-author of nearly 250 scientific papers and four books including the well-known text book 'Concrete - Microstructure, properties and materials'. The honorary membership of ACI is given to Prof. Mehta for "dedicated teaching and research in concrete materials and technology that have resulted in increased use of supplementary cementitious materials, especially high-volume fly ash concrete; and for leading the concrete industry toward more sustainable concrete structures."

Prof R. Narayan Swamy is the professor emeritus, department of mechanical engineering, University of Sheffield, England. He has been involved in teaching, research and consultancy activities for over forty years. His research interests relate to construction materials and construction technology with special emphasis on concrete materials, concrete structures and their interactive performance in real environments. Professor Swamy has lectured extensively; and over 100 PhD students have completed their research training under him. He has published over 200 refereed papers in journals and conferences. He has received many research awards including the George Stephenson Gold Medal from ICE, UK, and the ACI/Concrete Research Council for advancement of concrete technology. Professor Swamy has edited many books and conference proceedings. He is the founding editor of the journal Cement and Concrete Composites. His current interests include the education and training of engineers, and holistic design of materials and structures in relation to environment, sustainability and durability. Prof. Swamy received the ACI honorary membership "for contribution to both structural and materials engineering through teaching and research for nearly 50 years; for supervising more than 100 PhD students and for extraordinary service to ACI, RILEM and the Concrete Society".

Dr S.K. Ghosh, President, S.K. Ghosh Associates, Inc., a structural seismic and code consulting firm in Northbrook, Illinois and Laguna Niguel, California, is known internationally for his work in earthquake engineering. Dr Ghosh has influenced seismic design provisions in the United States for many years by serving on or chairing numerous committees and advisory panels. He actively participates in the development of national design standards as a member of ACI Committee 318, Standard Building Code; ASCE Standards Committee on Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7); and the Board of Direction of the Building Seismic Safety Council. In addition to authoring many publications in the area of seismic design, he has investigated and reported on recent earthquakes including the Mexico earthquake of 1985, the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, the Northridge earthquake of 1994, the Kobe earthquake of 1995, the Kocaeli, Turkey earthquake of 1999 and the Bhuj, India earthquake of 2001.

Our hearty congratulations to Prof Mehta, Prof Swamy and Dr Ghosh!

- Concrete International

Mohan Jacob honoured

Mr Mohan A. Jacob, Secretary, ACI India Chapter, has been honoured by the American Concrete Institute for "his consistently outstanding devotion and involvement in the ACI India Chapter."

Mr Jacob has worked as a consultant for corporate contracting firms for the past 4 years including being involved in the premier construction project of a large nationalised bank in Mumbai, India. Prior to that, he was additional director general, Central Public Works Department, Government of India, where he was involved in the construction of buildings and bridges in India and Nepal for 37 years until his retirement in 2001.

He has been a member of ACI India Chapter since 1985 and a member of its board of directors since 1998. He is also honorary secretary and treasurer of the chapter and is involved in conducting technical seminars and helping to launch ACI certification courses in India.

Our hearty congratulations to Mr Jacob!

- Concrete International