GR Infra: Using Fly Ash, Plastic & Recycled Aggregates in Road Construction
GR Infra is leading the way in sustainable road construction by incorporating eco-friendly materials like fly ash, plastic, and recycled aggregates, while leveraging advanced technologies for efficient project execution.
Atasi Das - Assistant Vice President, GR Infraprojects
To what extent is India’s infra construction industry adopting smart and sustainable road construction practices?
Our industry is fast adapting to the new technologies and advanced infrastructure solutions. In the recent past, many companies started investing in R&D in this sector to utilize the waste resources in a sustainable manner, for example, using municipal solid waste, C&D waste, slag waste, sugarcane waste, and byproducts like plastic, slag and flyash. Industry, academia and research institutions need to collaborate on developing smart and sustainable road construction solutions.
What initiatives is GR Infra taking to prioritize use of eco-friendly materials such as plastic, fly ash, and recycled aggregates in road projects? What advancements are being made in recycling such materials and in soil stabilization techniques?
To meet the Prime Minister’s vision of India becoming a net zero country, our primary focus as an infrastructure company is on using only sustainable construction materials and following the best construction practices to conserve the natural resources.
We are using eco-friendly materials like fly-ash / pond ash in road embankment and in concrete works, and plastic waste in bituminous works. We are also using the existing road materials by recycling them into different pavement layers and in concreting works. Apart from these, we have also used sugarcane molasses as partial bitumen replacement and slag aggregates in road construction.
The use of these materials requires proper testing and performance evaluation prior to large-scale implementation. In our Gujarat project, we have successfully used slag aggregates in the construction of granular layers.
Slag aggregates require washing prior to their use as the aggregates surface has deposits of calcium oxide. For using molasses, the hot mix plant has to be modified. Recycling of aggregates requires high-tech machineries so that the aggregate quality is not affected during reclamation. We are now focusing on the use of GFRP materials as replacement of steel.
It is our responsibility to safeguard natural resources for our future generations and are therefore making every effort in utilizing different types of waste materials in road construction.
What new technologies is GR Infra adopting for enhancing project planning, execution, and monitoring?
Information Technology has changed the way infrastructure is being developed by putting construction on a fast-track mode. With the use of LiDAR and Drone technologies, we are able to demarcate the land and can reconcile the material lying anywhere on the project site. We can have accurate images of the project site and accordingly execute and monitor our work.
The LiDAR survey provides precise details of each and every highway element. These visual records help us assess work quality, identify deviations from the original plans, and make informed decisions promptly to keep projects on schedule. AI is also going to revolutionize highway construction. With the MOBA GPS system installed in our machineries, we can track our fleet on real-time basis; this has inhibited thefts and their illegal usage.
What support are the OEMs providing you in completing projects on time and within the budget?
Mechanized machines of the OEMs have enabled us to have precise control over material usage, ensure quality construction, reduce wastage of raw materials, increase operational efficiency for higher productivity, improve safety, and enjoy cost savings as work can now be done in lesser time.
The manufacturers are giving us timely support in the form of training our operators and technicians on the upgraded features of their machines. They listen to our needs and upgrade the machines accordingly so that we are benefited not only in terms of cost but also in saving the country’s valuable natural resources.
What sustainable construction practices does GR Infra follow?
Our aim is to adopt sustainable and environment friendly technologies in terms of design, materials and construction methodologies. We are investing a lot in R&D and in waste material management.
We also need to save water and promote use of solar energy in the construction sector. We need to collaborate with smart technology providers of AI, BIM, and IoT to enhance our construction activities. We have to educate and train people and push some hard policies for sustainable development of the country’s infrastructure.
