Modelling of Mixtures Using Taguchi Method to Identify Properties of Self-Curing High Strength Concrete
Nagesh T. Suryawanshi and Sunil B. Takare
The conventional curing methods were found superficial and hence ineffective in case of high strength concrete. Super absorbent polymers are the new materials which could be effective for the internal curing of High Strength Concrete mixes (HSC). However, the self-curing of HSC produced using high reactive metakaolin has not yet been examined adequately. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanical properties of Metakaolin based high strength concrete in combination with Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP). In this study, the Taguchi experiment method is used to achieve the best possible combination of factors. The design of the experiment was prepared by determining control factors. The specimens like cubes, cylinders and beams were cast considering all combinations and cured under different curing conditions for a period of 28 days. Specimens were tested under the universal testing machine and the results obtained showed about 50-55% increase in compressive strength of the selfcuring mix than the conventional non self-curing mix. The obtained strength of the selfcuring concrete nearly equals the strength of moist-cured concrete. Hence, the study suggests that the Taguchi technique is the most appropriate method of mix optimisation and it certainly reduces the time and cost of experimentation. The multi-regression analysis also proposes equations which offer predicted values of all the mechanical properties. These values strongly correlate with the values found experimentally.
High Reactive Metakaolin; Super Absorbent Polymers; Universal Testing Machine; Taguchi Method
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Research Articles
Comparative Analysis of EPC Contract and HAM Contract Model for Highway Construction Project
Mohammad Aatif Mohammad Arif and A. S. Wayal
With an overall length of 5.89 million kilometers in 2019-20, India has the second biggest road network in the world & India has one of the most extensive public-private partnership (PPP) facilities in the world. The majority of highway projects are awarded under Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) and Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) contracts. The comparison of EPC and HAM modes of contract would help to understand which model of a contract is feasible in India and how HAM differs from EPC. This paper aims to compare various features of EPC and HAM in the Indian road sector. To understand the pros and cons as well as the risks associated with it from the perspective of the government and concessioners, this comparison is done. In comparison to the EPC model, HAM is a superior choice for a highway construction project. There are ongoing issues such as land acquisition and dispute settlement etc. in both cases. It is seen that HAM is also dealing with financial closing, bank guarantees, and GST-related issues. With a faster pace of contract award and the elimination of the flaws of previous contract models, HAM is expected to favor the road sector. Hence, PPP would boost India to the next stage of road infrastructure development in the coming years.
Pubic Private Partnership (PPP); Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM); Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC); Build Operate Transfer (BOT); Highway.
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Research Articles
Analysis of Critical Delay Factors Causing Cost Overrun in Private Projects and their Cost Minimization Strategies
Sharukh Saifi , Abhijit Rastogi, Virendra Kumar Paul and Devika Nayal
Delay and cost overrun are amongst the most concerning factors in the construction sector. Nearly every project in construction is impacted by certain factors of delay, these delay factors are either mitigated or accumulated to result in the delay of overall project duration and cost overrun. As there are enormous delay factors in construction so it is essential to find those factors which have a higher percentage of occurrence and impact. Also delay factors in any project caries with the typology of construction, type of contract, and project location. So the study focuses on the delay factors which are critical in private construction projects (primarily Housing) in India and the cost overrun resulting due to them. Data on delay factors are gathered using a questionnaire survey among clients, consultants, and contractors, whereas data on cost overrun due delay factors are obtained through 4 case studies majorly in and around Delhi NCR. The analysis of causes of cost overrun involves 33 common factors identified through the literature and primary data on these factors was collected through questionnaire and site study to validate the top 10 critical delay factors. The result of the study shows that deficiency in planning and scheduling of the project, Delay of financing and payments by the owner, Poor communication and coordination with other parties, Poor site management and supervision, Late Delivery of Material and equipment are the prominent delay factors encountered. RII for each delay factor is calculated and ranking for each delay factor is done for RII number against each parameter. The data on the direct cost of delay is calculated by considering the parameters of cost of labor, equipment/machinery, materials, and indirect cost is calculated by considering a multiplication factor. Also, the research tries to identify and analyze the mitigation measures for each delay factor through analysis of case studies which can be applied in other projects of the same category.
The Milieu in Infrastructure Projects from Contractors' Perspective
Anand Prakash and Milind Phadtare
The purpose of this paper is to understand – relationship development – in a local network of business and non-business actors named the milieu. Two cases from our cross-sectional qualitative data to emphasize the logical importance of milieu for contractors involved in the business of construction are reported here. It is suggested on the basis of case analysis that competitors should be included in the milieu and showcase how such a milieu can be used for decision-making in the theory and practice of project marketing. The paper suggest that relational development serves as a trigger for functional development rather than functional development being a trigger to relational development.
Effective Management of Dynamic Programming in Precast Industry
Urvashi Kshirsagar, M. P. Kadam, and S. M. Wayasal
The paper depicts a thorough study of dynamic programming and also its route optimizing technique. This technique is applied in the precast industry for delivering the precast items from the industry to an actual worksite. Various cities are taken into consideration where the industry delivers its precast items and the optimum route is found to reach the city. Once the route is optimized, transportation time and cost are also optimized. It should be noted that the cost for transportation may however increase or decrease depending on raw material procurement cost and fuel cost also.
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