CEE Oct-Dec 2002

the neighbouring countries where Indian fi rms were involved would nlso require this. It \\uS also felt that in the domestic market there was a need for availability of high qual ity cements and avoid inferior grade of mortar and concrete in construction to rule out distress and failure of structures. While the panel agreed to the need for alignment of Indian standard with EN standard, there was a consensus this should be we ll planned and consider all attendant implications o f such a decision. The pane l di scussed various aspects to achieve total alignment and t he ro II owing v ie w po int ~ emerged: I) The methods unlikely to affect the values specified in th e Indian standard specification should be cons idered for alignment like determination of com press ive strength, se tting time. etc, and ge nerat ion of adequate data should be backed with co-operative testing data. 2) To a li g n setting time and compressive strength with EN, changes in product specificat ion will be necessary. To arrive at new specifications, adeq uate data on a national level through extens ive co-operative studi es will have to be generated. This wo uld at the outset require identification or an appropriate sand source to suit EN standard. 3) If the present sou rce of Ind ian standard sand is accepted for EN s tanda rds. the co-relat ion would requ ire extensive test data to establish ready availability. 4) Avai labi lity or eq uipment and ra\\ mate ri a l to meet EN s tand ards will be a pri mary req uisite. 5) Hence, NCB would propose: a) A testing plan for cements of different grades collected from cl ifferent so urces as per both (i) EN standard and (ii ) Indian s tanda rd with respect to compressive s trengt h. setting time and soundness. b) Identify indigenous source of sand equivalent to EN standards and generate data for test ing in va riou s labs as per NCB's proposed plan. Status and Progress of AliKning 111£/ianStandard with EN Standard 23" 1 Septemher: 1993 - 3" 1 meeting The Cement and Conc rete secti onal commi ttee agreed to align Ind ian Standard with corresponding ISO I EN standard and prepa re to gene rate data for compressive strength test and other requirements of testing plan. 2I" Fehruary 1995 - -1'" Meeting 1\ panel was con s titut ed to establish a proper testing plan and budget the expenditure. Standard sand and compaction methodology for testing as per EN standard were considered most important. Hence, thi s panel wa s to examine t he ava ilable so urce of sand to uninterruptedly cater to testing labs and also examine process facilities in T/\MIN to supply such standard sand . NCB was made responsible to work out a detailed testing plan, co-ope rative testing of diffe rent grades of OPC in six cement labs. / '' ./1/c~}' 1996 - 5'" Meeting The change form Lei ghton Buzzard sand to conventional sand was agreed but after 7 - 8 years some back-up R&D work was yet found essenti a l to es tabli sh a standard sand for EN standa rd and es tabli s h TAM IN sand as a substitute supplier. 27'" Februrw~v 1997- 6'" Meeting. 27'" May 1998 - 7'" Meeting The panel members we re adv ised to v is it T/\M IN to understand the avai lable fac ilities. Th e commi ttee concurred that T/\MIN should send a team to study 43 the process of quality control of standard sand adopted by Belgium, U. K. and Ge rmany and submit a report on grading reso urces and plan day to day operations. 5'" May 1999 - 8'" :\lceting. !-I'" Ju(v 1999 - 9'" Meeling The Ministry orMines. Govt. or Tami lNadu were advised to reserve the earmarked sources for standard sand. 1\ team was formed to vis it TAM IN works to eva luate the exercise and discuss with TAMIN officials. }''A ugusl 2000 - 10'" Meeting, 7' 1 ' March 2002-1 !'" Meeting The process or the pane l constituted to prepare a draft to harmonize Indian standard with EN standard to address the following: I) Specification for cement 2) Standard sand 3) Testing of equipment 4) Methods of testing for cement and Pozzolana 5) Specification of Pozzolanic material and slag 6) Methods for sampling of cement NCB ' s exte nsive he lp was sought ro draft these revisions and priority assigned to : I) Spcci fication of standard sand 2) Method of chemical testi ng of cement 3) Method o f physical testing of cemen t 3) What is EN stwnlard '! EEC (Eu ropean Eco nomi c Comm unity) agreed to create a si ngle standard to market goods and services for the European market - the largest consumer ma rket in the world. -1) EN sta11dard fo rma tion uml De t'l!!opmenta/ process EU delegated the task to CEN (Eur opea n Commu nity for standardisation ) to produce a new s tanclarrl co ll aborat ing with standardisation bodies of EU and EFT/\ countries. Simi larly, the standardisation work initiated by