Introduction
When it comes to constructional practices, there is not a fixed rule book to abide by. The solutions have to evolve, adapt and cater to the challenges one faces as per the project. In the recent past, ACC played a significant role in solving one of the construction challenge of the coveted project, Navi Mumbai International Airport. Every project comes packed with new challenges, which helps us push our boundaries and seek solutions that are customised for the task in hand. Navi Mumbai International Airport project was no different. However, with our newly launched product, ACC Thermofillcrete, a Ready Mix Concrete, providing specialized solution to this requirement became a lot easier. Many landmark projects across the country have opted for concrete with similar properties to meet specialised demands of customised applications.
Constructional Challenges & Solutions
With every constructional challenge, there comes scope for learning and growing. Since our industry is dynamic in nature and with every project, there comes a new challenge, we constantly seek innovative and customised solutions. One such challenge we faced during the construction process was laying underground high-tension electrical power conduits with a voltage of 220 KW. The heat generated from the high tension power cables and the inability of the conduits in dissipating heat caused overheating of the cables, which could affect the longevity of the cables. We came across another challenge while replacing the non-operating cables by breaking the concrete structure laid above the power conduits. It turned out to be a cumbersome and time-consuming task. Additionally, replacing the non- operative power cables by breaking concrete surfaces was again a tedious job to perform. To address these challenges, we required customised concrete which could reduce overheating and dissipate heat from the power conduits. Both excavatable and non-excavatable variants reduce overheating and increase heat dissipation, which prevents damage to power conduits. With these properties, our specialised concrete helped inunderground power transmission and duct insulation, therefore, protecting power conduits from damage. Moreover, shallow trenches ensure lower excavation cost, lower backfill and compaction cost; hence, cost-effective. To sum up, it is advised to use similar customised concrete solution for effective results.
We used 2000 Cu.M of ACC Ready Mix Thermofillcrete to solve these challenges and ensure smoother construction process. This product comes in 2 variants: Excavatable and Non-Excavatable concrete.
Better Building Practices
To ensure better constructional practices, here’s what you must keep in mind –
- For such projects, it is essential to use customised concrete with high thermal resistivity
- Choose excavatable or non-excavatable concrete as per your requirement
- While laying underground high-tension electrical power conduits, ensure that the concrete used causes no damage to the conduits
- Normal concrete does not dissipate heat. Therefore, in similar projects, opt for concrete, which reduces overheating and dissipates heat.
About ACC Ready Mix Concrete
ACC set up India’s first commercial Ready Mixed Concrete (RMX) plant in Mumbai in 1994. Ready Mixed Concrete is one of the largest manufacturers of RMX in India with about 85 modern plants in major cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Goa, Pune and Ahmedabad.
