Cement, Energy and Environment

informed BSE. "This transaction will enable both Vicat and Sagar to better focus on their own strengths and strategies. We wish Vicat the best in all its endeavours," Srikanth Reddy, executive director, Sagar Cements said in the release. The transaction is the resul t of a strategic decision taken by both entities to enable each one focus on its own strengths and capabilities to create value and drive growth, it further said. This approval is subject to further approval of shareholders of SCL and other approvals, if any, f rom the regulatory authorities concerned, Sagar Cements said. Quality & Standards CEMENT QUALITY: MYTHS & REALITIES " The concrete is supposed to gain strength slowly for.many years for better durabil i t y" D.Sivagurunathan, Advisor- Technical, The India Cements Ltd. Globalisation has increased consumers' awareness and their preference for good quality products is increasing every day. But, rn the case of once-in-lifetime investment namely housing, many consumers' choice is unwittingly for inferior quality cement. This is because of the consumers' lack of knowledge and no serious efforts undertaken by producers to educate them. Some consumers perceive cement quality on the basis of the following myths: Myth-1: "Darker the colour, better is the quality" Black colour cement is believed to be good. There are different motives for different people to believe so. The consumer thinks that the darker concrete colour indicates the addition of more cement in it by the builder and feels assured about quality of concrete. The builder thinks that he can reduce cement content in concrete if it is darker and it will not I - Sagar Cements, which currently owns a similar capacity plant at Matampally in Nalgonda district in Telangana state, proposes to utilise sale proceeds partly towards purchase of capital equipment for the existing plant. The remaining sum will be deployed to fund organic and inorganic growth with the objective of playing a larger role in the cement industry in south India, the release said. Courtesy: The Financial Express, Hyderabad, 17.07.2014, Page. No. 11-12 . . rarse any susprcron rn the mind of consumer. The producer feels that the consumer is hood winked into buying his cement because of dark colour. Artificial colouring agents like rice-husk ash , cinder ash • carbon black etc are added to cement to create darker colour. What the consumer fails to note is that the dark colour for cement is artificial and the colour has nothing to do with the cement quality. On the other hand, the colouring agent can affect the cement quality. Even natural colouring agent like rron oxide in cement is not beneficial in strength development. Myth-2: "Shorter the sett ing time, better is t he quality" Lower Setting time is another cement characteristic attributed to good quality. The consumer is made to believe that lower setting time is better for cement quality. A section . of cement sales people complarn that the competi tors are able to sell more cement, by claiming their cement as quick-setting cement and hence their company should also produce such cement. Actually, high setting time is beneficial to user as he gets enough time to mix and pour concrete. Quick setting cement will allow very less time for mixing and pouring concrete. It 14