ACC-Ecocrete-01Anil-Banchhor-ACCAnil Banchhor, Chief Executive—Concrete Business, ACC Ltd

We understand that ACC’s “Ecocrete” replaces the use of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in concrete. Tell us why the use of OPC could be considered non-environment friendly.

The use of portland cement, an essential constituent of concrete, leads to the release of significant amount of CO2, a greenhouse gas. One tonne of portland cement clinker production is said to create approximately one tonne of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Environmental issues are playing an important role in the sustainable development of the cement and concrete industry. Thus, with the use of Ecocrete it is possible to reduce the CO2 emission in atmosphere towards eco-friendly construction technique.

Summarize how Ecocrete contributes towards green construction.

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world; it has always been associated with durability and strength and considered to be a utility construction material. However ACC Ecocrete has decided to break through the mould and introduce its customers, to its new brand of concrete which will not only bolster a structure but make it more durable and eco-friendly. As part of its endeavour to promote sustainable construction in the country, the company has developed this innovative concrete product.

Apart from being greener, what are the advantages of Ecocrete over conventional concrete, from a technical standpoint?

Besides promoting sustainable development, Ecocrete also increases resistance to sulphates, reduces chloride-ion penetration, and improves resistance to aggressive environments. It reduces the heat of hydration, provides excellent durability, and improves workability, pumpability and placeability during concrete pours. Additionally, it also reduces shrinkage, bleeding and promotes better shutter finish and aesthetics and segregation.

What are the typical application areas for Ecocrete?

ACC Ecocrete is an innovative concrete product available pan India. Ecocrete is very helpful to marine and coastal structures, dairy, fishing and meat industry structures. It is also used in industrial buildings and floors, cornice constructions, water and sewage treatments works, embankments, backfills, hydraulic fills, subgrade stabilization, pavement base, landfill covers, grouting and soil amendments.

We understand that ACC Concrete has a wide range of value-added concretes for specialized applications. How does Ecocrete complement the portfolio?

Yes, ACC offers a wide range of value added products to the smart home owners which are not only sustainable and affordable but also highly durable. Some of its value added products are:

Imprintcrete and Staincrete: Concrete need not always be mundane it can be printed or stamped for making decorative surfaces on porch, paving, footpath and walkways. Not only is it durable and impact resistant it is also weather-proof, making it easy and cheap to maintain.

Permecrete: This is a high performance concrete which is porous within its body to permit water drainage to lower surface, thus improving ground water table. It allows easy and swift drainage of water, the large pores present in the no-fines concrete allow easy drainage into the ground under appropriate conditions.

Thermocrete: This special composition increases the concrete’s resistance to sulphates, reduces chloride-ion penetration, and improves resistance to aggressive environments. This kind of arrangement keeps the building cool in summer and warm in winters.

Fixotile: Planned with a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach, it is prepared simply by mixing water. It takes barely 90 seconds to dry, allowing tiles to be easily set within that period of time. Fixotile is an easy to apply, quick fix for laying tiles or taking care of minor repairs, which customers can use on their own without any added cost of hiring labour.

Jet-setcrete: Jet-Setcrete is a concrete solution that is designed to gain ultra-high strength within few hours and with self-levelling features suitable for faster construction demand to achieve project completion within a short period of time.

Ecocrete on the other hand, is a cost effective concrete product, like any other concrete. It enables sustainable development without compromising on the durability of the traditional concrete.

How has been the market response to Ecocrete and how do you see the years ahead for the product?

Consumers are now more aware than ever on the need to use green products in their homes and this is driving the builders to use more sustainable products in their construction. These products offer a variety of benefits in terms of being more eco-friendly as well as easy to make using locally available materials. As a result the demand for green products like Ecocrete is going up and we expect it to grow exponentially in the foreseeable future. The production of Ecocrete in comparison to overall concrete products is close to 15 per cent as of now. We expect the proportion of Ecocrete to go up to 40 per cent.


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