UHPC offered significantly higher strength and durability while enabling slimmer, lighter structural designs, he said.It is also a green product as it uses less cement compared to normal RCC structures.
“India is poised to adopt the latest in the world of concrete, which includes Ultra-High-Performance Concrete,” he said. According to him, UHPC could play a major role in infrastructure projects such as bridges, flyovers, metro rail systems,industrial floors,precast elements and Bullet train projects where long service life and structural durability are critical. “Though UHPC cost may be high initially, there are many advantages.We can achieve longer life of say, 100 years of maintenance free structures” he added.
A major focus of his remarks was Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste recycling. Referring to recycling facilities in Chennai, he said demolished concrete could be processed into recycled aggregates and manufactured sand for reuse in construction projects.This will be circularity.
He pointed out that the recycled materials had already undergone testing by institutions such as IIT Madras,CBRI and that standards and approvals for usage were available.
However, he said that adoption remained limited because of industry hesitation and public perception. “The challenge is mindset,” he said, explaining that many home-buyers and builders still preferred virgin construction materials over recycled alternatives despite technical validation.They hold the key for success of this concept.
Ramanathan also warned of the long-term risks associated with poor-quality water usage in construction. According to him, water containing excessive salt content or improper pH (potential of hydrogen) levels could severely affect the durability of concrete structures and lead to corrosion and distress over time.He said there are several examples across India of pre mature deterioration of structures due the use of brackish or salty water during construction and these unfortunate structures are being demolished after due examination by experts.This situation can be avoided only by strict quality control at site. “Water is one of the five basic ingredients in concrete. Good quality water is a must”. Ramanathan said, adding that simple and basic testing procedures were often overlooked at project sites.