Page 6 - ICJ-August-2020

editorial

Dear Readers,
We are pleased to bring to you our trilogy edition on Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste. This edition includes research and
practice papers providing a ringside view of developments on this theme across geographies and the possibilities it holds. This
edition has been guest edited by Dr. Sivakumar Kandasami.
Dr. Sivakumar Kandasami is a trained concrete technologist with the Construction Division of Larsen & Toubro. His Ph.D. work at the
University of Dundee, UK was on concrete durability and his expertise is frequently sought for mega projects designed to last an
intended service life. He takes keen interest in developing robust solutions for concreting challenges at site, involves in R&D efforts
within Larsen & Toubro and regularly reviews manuscripts for scholarly journals.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), UK awarded him the MCR PRIZE 2012 for the best paper published in the Magazine of
Concrete Research. He is an Editorial Board member of Construction Materials (ICE, UK) and Journal of Testing and Evaluation
(ASTM, USA). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Concrete Technology (UK) and the Institution of Engineers (India).
Production Editor
Indian Concrete Journal

quality demolition arisings. Moreover, demolition practices
and processing techniques vary across geographies and
transporting long distance is expensive and detrimental to the
cause of sustainability, unless we see electrical trucks on roads.
Interestingly this opinion piece gives a snapshot of an extensive
laboratory research programme involving 1400 concrete
specimens made of RCA sourced from more than 40 years plus
demolition arisings. Such a comprehensive study brings out the
stark contrast between research and reality; the need for further
research remains and a desired change in approach towards
structural design is apparently becoming even more important.
Dear Colleagues,
The leader paper of this issue, written by Kshemendra Nath and
Greetings to all readers and believe you are staying safe and Bhatiani (2020), grapples with the ever-increasing generation of
healthy amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. Welcome to another C&D waste from urbanisation and industrialisation of cities in
special edition on Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste, India. Getting proper statistical data and diligently compiling
comprising invited papers from authors based in India, UK, them in a readable format is a huge ask, and the effort of the
Norway, Finland, Germany, and China. Such a diverse spread authors in superbly collating them deserves commendation. For
of contributions shows the constant reinvention happening example, a systematic assessment of C&D waste generation in
continually across the world and the consequent opening of Goa is given in detail. Such a carefully compiled dataset is useful
new vistas for application of C&D waste. I sincerely thank all the for policy planners to make an informed judgement. Various
authors for audaciously seeing possibilities in an edgy terrain business models and policy enablers make for interesting
and hopefully this issue will help in better sensemaking on the reading. This paper adds to relentless efforts in various media
portent of things to come. I am therefore excited to introduce to wean away bloated bureaucracies from rigidly held stances
the contents of this issue which can hopefully drive genuine impeding use of RCA.
conversation between stakeholders.
Like India, in neighbouring China the construction industry is
The point of view by Goodier and Dodds (2020) gives a global highly active leading to scarcity of natural mineral sources. Their
perspective on the use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) Government policy which prohibits mining of natural resources
towards better sustainability whilst pointing out the existing and indiscriminate burying in landfill of C&D waste generated
limitations on its use, in part imposed by prevailing international from earthquakes, is a major driver to find new pathways. This
design standards which are not fit for purpose. Development has prompted widespread use of RCA and the paper by Zhao
of consensus-based standards lag while the technology et. al. (2020) details a bold approach of its use in a structural
moves forward at a rapid pace. The promising viability of engineering application. By use of extensive instrumentation
using RCA in sustainable infrastructure projects requires best in a real structure i.e. installation of strain gauges in few slabs,
practice guidelines and a complimentary support derived beams, columns made of RCA, the authors have provided
from timely revision of existing standards and specifications. authoritative findings on real-time use of RCA. Notably,
This is especially required in instances, where there is a capping of the RCA replacement at 50%, is suggested for
need to separate good quality structural concrete from low satisfactory performance of concretes. An extension of this work

4 The IndIan ConCreTe Journal | augusT 2020