Cement, Energy and Environment

11 Meeting the Quality and Sustainability Challenge (in Cement and Construction Industry) Dr S K Breja National Council for Cement and Building Materials, India Abstract Quality is pre-requisite to customer satisfaction; it is a competitive weapon. However, building quality into products and services, and controlling and managing quality, requires systems approach to management. Further, quality assurance requires the evidence of compliance to quality criteria, which is provided by certification and accreditation. International organization for Standardization (ISO) has published various standards for quality management and assurance, which are adopted all over the world. This paper discusses some important standards used by the quality control and independent laboratories in cement and construction sector, the sector which is facing innumerable challenges. Case of National Council for Cement and Building materials, country’s premier R&D and consultancy organization supporting quality efforts in this sector is discussed. Keywords: Quality; Construction; Quality management; Quality assurance; Accreditation 1.0 Introduction India ’s construction industry accounts for nearly 8% of the GDP. This industry - which is labour intensive and generates demand for skilled and semi-skilled labour force - is the second largest economic activity; first contributor being agriculture, of course. Construction activity plays a catalytic role in country’s economic growth and development. Demand for construction, and therefore cement and concrete, comes from the rapid scale of urbanization and infrastructural development in the country. Infrastructure sector is the key driver of growth of Indian economy. Government of India, in view of this, has launched different schemes such as: Housing for all, Swachh Bharat Mission, Bharat Nirman, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Various National Highway Expansion Schemes, Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Make in India, and many more, with the goal of “ Making New India ”. The infrastructural expansion is leading to increased demand for concrete, and to support the growing demand for concrete, demand and production of cement is increasing. It is only natural there are challenges also - relating to not only demand and supply - but also quality of cement and other construction materials, and durability of construction products. Identification and meeting of challenges is the only way to growth and prosperity. 2.0 Challenges faced by the Cement and Construction Industry in India India is the second largest producer of cement in the world, next only to China. The production of cement in India has already touched 280MTPA. Besides, there is additional requirement of other building materials such as bricks, aggregates, steel etc. Availability of natural aggregates, especially sand, is becoming scarce. Available limestone reserves for cement manufacture may not suffice for growing need. Therefore, cement and construction industry in India is facing challenges in terms of:  availability of construction materials;  availability of required design and engineering consultants and skilled manpower;  designing and building of durable structures;  standard of construction practices, and therefore  the overall quality of construction. For sustainable growth, Indian cement industry has to focus on resource conservation; it has to lower clinker factor, conserve energy and protect the environment. Cement production causes approximately 5% of global man-made CO 2 emissions. In this context, low carbon technology road map prepared by World Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) for Indian cement industry as part of Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) is notable. NCB has been actively associated with Indian industry members of the Global CSI, which has laid down following five levers for reducing emissions:  enhanced use of alternative fuel and raw materials;  higher thermal and electrical energy efficiency;  increased rates of blending leading to a reduction in clinker-to-cement ratio;