GR Infraprojects - Atasi Das
Using low carbon emitting synthetic materials and recycling waste will be a welcome move towards decarbonization of the construction industry.

GR Infraprojects - Atasi Das, Assistant Vice President

The major components that produce the oxides of carbon in the construction industry are cement and bitumen. For infrastructure development, usage of cement is inevitable, be it buildings, metro rails, tunnels, airports, highways, or any under or above ground structure. The manufacturing of cement itself produces a large amount of carbon dioxide. For flexible and semi-rigid pavement construction, bitumen is required for the wearing, base, and intermediate courses of pavement layers. The heating of bitumen in the plant during construction releases carbon monoxide.

GR Infraprojects - Atasi Das

Extracting, Recycling, Reusing Bitumen
As a contractor in the roads and highways industry, our focus is on the best utilization of existing bituminous materials that have been excavated from hundreds of kilometers of sections of the project corridors, where RE walls are constructed on the existing 2-lane or 4-lane highways at the time of upgradation, and during widening (4 or 6-laning). Instead of burying the “black gold” or the “bitumen” underneath, the bitumen is extracted and recycled into the new bituminous courses, and the granular materials are recycled in the new granular layers. This helps reduce the carbon emission during mining of aggregates.

We have successfully completed a few projects; one of them is in the Bihar State in which we utilized 60% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) material, leading to 50% reduction of fresh bitumen and 60% reduction of fresh aggregates in the bituminous layers.

GR Infraprojects - Atasi DasPanoramic View of RAP Material Stockyard

Other strategies
  • Using synthetic materials like geogrids, geocells, geotextiles, etc. for multi-faceted usage in slope stabilization, ground improvement, stabilization, pavement reinforcement, etc. in order to reduce consumption of natural resources like stones, aggregates, bitumen, cement, and steel, which lead to carbon emissions one way or the other.
  • The highway industry is now looking for alternatives to bitumen & steel, as the manufacturing process of bitumen & steel also emits carbon monoxides. Options include using a bamboo crash barrier instead of a metal crash barriers, GFRP Bars (Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer) replacing steel in non-critical structures and Bio-Bitumen for partial replacement of bitumen.
  • Since waste management is important for decarbonization, contractors can use rejected materials from RE wall blocks and paver blocks for embankment protection. We are using rejected RE blocks for slope protection purpose to promote zero waste management as shown in the image below.
  • We are using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) materials in the construction of embankments, granular layers, etc. Waste from the tyre industry is being utilized as Crumb Rubber in the modification of bitumen for improved properties. Waste plastic utilization in bituminous wearing course has started after it was made mandatory by NHAI.
GR Infraprojects - Atasi DasIn the left: View of GFRP Bars as a substitute for Steel

Carbon reduction schemes: pros & cons
Awarding carbon credits has proved to be very effective in European countries for promoting emission reduction. In India, there is no policy yet, but a government body is working towards preparing some schemes in which all the stakeholders will be accountable and responsible for regularly monitoring the exact amount of materials being put into a project and the amount of carbon that each material emits directly or indirectly and compare that with other materials of similar cost. Finally, the incentive shall be based on the overall reduction compared to the initial proposal.

Since there is no policy for carbon credits in India, the Environment Ministry will be responsible for mandating such schemes and for monitoring projects. It will work in conjunction with related ministries for smooth workflow. Monetary benefits provided for reducing carbon emission will promote the scheme within the construction industry, which will then be quick to adopt the schemes.

GR Infraprojects - Atasi Das

The main issue while adopting decarbonization schemes is that the new design or construction strategy may have a longer time requirement as compared to the initial proposal. Since there is no relaxation or extension of the time clause, the stakeholders or the implementation agencies will take a backfoot in the fast-paced construction world. Approval from an authority or consultant will become a tedious job and the project may be unnecessarily penalized.
Bauer Engineering India - Offering Global Standard Modern Solutions & Expertise in Deep Foundation Projects
As a premium foundation equipment manufacturer and foundation specialist, we are offering project owners and contractors high-tech equipment and leveraging our global standard technical expertise in the field of deep foundation construction to

Read more ...

Kobelco: Growing the Indian Market
Kobelco is bringing significant changes to the Indian market and shaping the mindset of buyers. It is delivering exceptional value to customers in terms of durability and longevity of its machines, and through constant efforts supported by R&D to enhance

Read more ...

CriticaLog: Offering Technology-Powered Solutions & Services
In-house developed ERP, hubs, resources, innovative solutions including drones, and an end-to-end supply chain, are mitigating the challenges in handling critical and sensitive products of various industries, informs Sujoy Guha, CEO, CriticaLog India

Read more ...

CJ Darcl Logistics - Forward-Thinking Approach Driving Success
Embracing a phygitally-driven marketing approach, CJ Darcl Logistics seamlessly integrates physical and digital channels, to establish a unified and strong brand presence. The company is also actively embracing eco-friendly initiatives and investing in green

Read more ...

Trimurti Staying Ahead of the Curve
By closely monitoring market trends, focusing on sustainability, and pursuing product and market expansion, providing a range of tailored solutions to meet diverse application across construction and real estate projects, Trimurti is well-equipped to meet

Read more ...

Revolutionizing High-Rise Construction With Precast Concrete Technology
Precast concrete, with its myriad benefits, is revolutionizing the way tall buildings are erected. Suhas Mohol, Managing Director, StruEngineers India, (a 100% subsidiary of StruSoft AB, Sweden) discusses the applications, advantages, and the growing

Read more ...

Welded Wire Mesh: A Growing Industry
Weldmesh Manufacturer’s Association has been helping the welded wire mesh industry of India to grow in terms of volumes, quality, and consistency, while expanding its application areas, and cutting down production cost. Zakir Ahmed, Secretary, WMA

Read more ...

Ashoka Buildcon - Satish Parakh
The Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative (SBCI) of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reported that 30-40% of global energy demand is from the construction industry, which is expected to grow at an average rate of 1.5 to 3.4%

Read more ...

Patel Engineering - Kavita Shirvaikar
Industry associations should bring together construction companies, professionals, and stakeholders to form working groups and share knowledge on emission measurement and reduction initiatives. Engaging with government bodies responsible for climate

Read more ...

Volvo CE India - Dimitrov Krishnan
We are encouraged by the Government’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions and are committed to support the same through our sustainability ambition. We have established a strategy with targets and aspirations in three key areas where we can

Read more ...

Tata Hitachi - Sandeep Singh
With a target of Net Zero emissions by 2070 taken by the Government of India, reducing the use of fossil fuels in CE machinery is both a major challenge and an opportunity. Tata Hitachi has identified various projects to be taken up for electrification of different

Read more ...

Beca - Sujatha Manoj
The Construction Industry, as one of the largest contributors of global carbon emissions, can also play a significant role in reducing the emissions. Intelligent sourcing of materials, use of alternate and less carbon emitting materials in construction, or

Read more ...

Master Builders Solutions - Nilotpol KAR
India is the second largest cement producer and consumer in the world after China. The cement industry is conducting extensive research to reduce CO2 emissions. Only conventional technical progress such as thermal efficiency, fuel switching, and

Read more ...

Wirtgen India - Ramesh Palagiri
Sustainable solutions and technologies are firmly anchored in all corporate processes of the Wirtgen Group. The future of road construction must be made smarter and safer and, above all, must maintain a consistent focus on sustainability. This is the

Read more ...

Ammann India - Anand Sundaresan
Ammann is committed to all environmentally friendly initiatives. The Ammann Group has already created a road map for the ESG initiatives, not only in the product manufactured by us but also in all its manufacturing facilities to be environmentally friendly

Read more ...

DB RRTS Operations India - Kumar Keshav
India has set ambitious target to achieve net-zero by 2070. Around 40% of the carbon footprint is generated by construction and buildings together due to various processes like lighting, cooling, and heating of building materials. In the journey to net-zero

Read more ...

ACE - Sorab Agarwal
Reducing emissions and saving the environment is the way forward and the whole world is adopting these measures at a good pace. Going forward, artificial intelligence will also have a major role in the way machines are built and operated; they will incorporate

Read more ...

Puzzolana - Abhijeet Pai
All our plants are designed for automation to ensure effective operation and to reduce power consumption & carbon emission. We are aligned with India’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 and are approaching the concept of decarbonization

Read more ...

Egis - Sandeep Gulati
The construction industry faces several issues when transitioning to low-carbon construction methods. The contractors may lack awareness and understanding of low-carbon construction methods, technologies, and best practices, which can hinder

Read more ...