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All is not well with RMC<br><i><u>And therein is a message for suppliers</i></u>
By Prof B P Nansi
If you ask those who are connected with construction industry, say like cement people, designers, RMC manufacturers, builders, supervisors, etc., then the general view is that the RMC saves site space, there is no wastage of aggregate etc and that RMC is a good thing to have. But all is not well with RMC.
Ask users. I spoke to some leading and prominent users of ready mixed concrete (RMC) and asked what their experience was. The feedback is not entirely complimentary. Some users did say that RMC was a good thing to have, but there are some who have a different experience. And therein is a message for RMC suppliers.
Here are the details.
Delivery not on time
Delivery is not on time. The supply is not regular and so the site people have to wait. That hurts the progress and the schedule. A user said that you give them the whole schedule and they agree, but the supply timing will be at their discretion!
Supply not continuous
The supply is not continuous. Due to interruptions in the supply, the pump that places the concrete in to the formwork chokes up.
Short supply
RMC does not arrive in the ordered quantity. It is short. So you plan for an entire slab, but you cannot execute. The placing gets disturbed.
Concrete piracy
This is what a user said. "The transit mixer starts for my site, but, on the way, the truck is diverted elsewhere and somebody else gets my goods". What does the legitimate user do then?
Mixing is improper
The concrete mixing takes place in transit. The supplier has to ensure about the start of the process so that the mixing is proper when the concrete reaches the site. That is not always happening.
Strength of concrete
Cube strength is not available as per the order.
Slump-workability-
Workability is not maintained. At least two users told that water is added on the way to destination, to make the concrete 'fluid'. The concrete does no meet the quality requirement in the first place and unethical practice is followed.
Also, workability is not consistent. Remember that the concrete is to be pumped. So the slump should be consistent.
Indian Summer ignored
Suppliers do not take summer precautions. Concrete properties are sensitive to ambient temperatures. The concrete must not be exposed to a temperature above 30 deg C. Indian summer is hot and, at least this year, temperatures have soared to much above 30 deg C.
What precautions should be taken? The mixer drum should be covered with wet Hessian cloth while on it is on the way to delivery site. The Hessian must be kept wet till the drum is emptied. The same precaution is also required for the concrete pumps and the delivery pipes.
Suppliers do not do that. This writer has seen RMC transit mixer in Mumbai May scorching sun, revolving and travelling to some construction site, without any cooling!
Poor staffing
The poverty is in the qualifications of the staff involved in the manufacture. The knowledge of concrete technology is inadequate.
Why do you not set your own RMC plant?
This was the PM's logical question to one user. Why do you not set your own RMC plant?
To set up an RMC plant, you need a large consumption of concrete." We do not have that big requirement. But, we have a requirement that is too high for the conventional, slow, rotary, mixer. So what do we do? We have to go for the RMC supply".
Remember, that is a distressed buy!
Then how does that work for RMC supply?
There are two kinds of buyers: Quality-conscious and the 'KKDD' type.
For the former, the quality, the schedule, the specifications etc are vital. The user will expect that suppliers meet them. That is not the case with the 'KKDD' user. For him the work philosophy is: Kuchh bhi Karke De Do. (Do anything, but deliver the product). Whatever comes, whenever comes is OK; as long as it comes.
The message
RMC is the thing. With increasing construction and a need for the faster construction, more RMC will be used. Besides, the RMC is a solution for the metros where space is congested. Take for example the famous JJ Flyover in Mumbai. Unlike a flyover at a highway junction, away from the city, the JJ Flyover is in the midst of residential chawls, shops, hospital, mosque, bazaars and traffic. And the length needed a huge quantity.
But that is only the beginning. Can we ignore the quality and healthy practices? Build for a concrete future that is full of RMC. Now is the time. And that is the message.
[The writer, BE (Mech), MS (USA), retired from Tata Consulting Engineers, Mumbai, after 21 years of service, working on different aspects of Project Management. At present he offers Training and Consultancy Services in Project Management and Quality Management, and is a visiting faculty in Management Institutes in Mumbai. Prof Nansi can be contacted at bp.nansi@projectsmonitor.com]
All is not well with RMC<br><i><u>And therein is a message for suppliers</i></u>
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