The efficient and smart handling of waste will benefit society and spur economic growth.

Abhijeet N. Gawde, Head – Business Development & Marketing, Godrej Construction discusses Godrej’s sustainable practises and initiatives, emphasising a vast margin for improvement in the process and overall customer satisfaction. Godrej Construction decided to address this problem with a solution befitting the new age.

How does the concrete RMC market adhere to green certification and infrastructure project standards?
Globally, the construction sector is among the largest consumers of natural raw materials. Various industry reports indicate that concrete is the second most widely used substance on the planet, after water, for various infrastructure construction projects. For a sector vulnerable to raw material supply and cost fluctuation, it does make sense to focus on resource efficiency and the reuse of materials. Strict quality control checks must be done to allow only certified RMC manufacturers to supply the concrete materials. Ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants should be certified by the Quality Council of India (QCI) or the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This is necessary for sustainable construction practices.

We are committed to preserving the environment and aiming for more sustainable development. In line with our core values, Godrej Construction, a business of Godrej & Boyce, has implemented various initiatives across its lines of business, including the manufacturing and delivery of RMC. Our three RMC plants in the Mumbai-MMR and Pune regions have recently been commended with the GreenPro Certification by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). Godrej Construction would be the first in India to obtain this noteworthy certification for its RMC plants. Our Ready- mix Concrete (RMC) plant, Recycled Concrete Materials (RCM) plant, and the common areas of the Godrej Business District building in Mumbai are powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Godrej Construction is one of the first in the RMC industry to switch to 100 percent green energy.

To ensure that we deliver the desired quality of RMC consistently, our manufacturing and distribution processes are regularly audited and certified as per the approved processes through our Integrated Management System (IMS).

The Godrej RMC Plant operations comply with the government-recognised Quality Council of India (QCI) requirements. External audits of our RMC plants are performed regularly by authorised QCI auditors. Godrej Construction has received the ‘Green Pro’ certificate from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for their RMC products such as Enviro TUFF, Xtra TUFF, Easy TUFF, and other construction materials such as TUFF Blocks, AAC, recycled concrete blocks, and pavers, making them beneficial for use in green buildings.

We are currently working on limiting our carbon emissions by focusing our research expertise on manufacturing high-performance, low-carbon concrete. It encourages circular construction due to its low-carbon impact on the environment. Developing a sustainable building production system based on more energy-efficient technologies and alternative low-energy building materials is one of the feasible solutions to minimise net carbon emissions going forward.

What are the challenges faced by the customers for quality, reliability, and sustainability in RMC?
The construction industry, especially the materials segment, is plagued with issues such as improper understanding of customer requirements, subpar tracking of product delivery, and multiple follow-ups. These inconveniences lead to a preventable loss of man-hours, the rejection of concrete, and customer dissatisfaction. There is a vast margin for improvement in the process and overall customer satisfaction. Godrej Construction decided to address this problem with a solution befitting the new age.

Godrej Construction’s innovative “Godrej Go Tuff” mobile app for our Construction Materials line of business, the first of its kind, helps pave the way for future digitisation of the construction industry. With an easy login, placing an order, tracking the delivery, and making payments hassle-free, the “Godrej Go Tuff” app is intuitive and designed to minimise human error. The “Godrej Go Tuff” app eases the process of placing an order and enables you to better plan your concrete-related activities.

From on-site concrete-testing vans to the Godrej Go Tuff app, we provide unique and efficient services that ensure the highest product standards and customer satisfaction. The Concrete Testing Squad Van by Godrej Construction offers quality testing services at your worksite. It also provides unique and convenient on-site concrete trials, eliminating the need to travel and thereby saving time for customers and other concerned stakeholders.

Please elaborate on your green certification standards or policies. How are they assisting the projects in reducing emissions?
Godrej Construction’s (GC) processes are aligned with and linked to Godrej & Boyce’s (G&B) Good and Green Policy which aims to innovate for Good and Green Products (socially and environmentally beneficial products) to have one-third of the business portfolio revenues comprised of Good and/or Green Products and Services.

In India, concrete debris is a major waste stream in the overall construction and demolition (C&D) waste generated. In line with our core values, Godrej Construction has set up an automated Recycled Concrete Materials (RCM) manufacturing plant at Vikhroli, Mumbai. This industrial plant manufactures concrete blocks for walls and pavers using concrete debris recycled from demolished concrete structures from building and infrastructure projects, which would otherwise end up in overflowing city landfills. By implementing circular economy principles in our Construction Materials line of business, we have recycled over 28,000 metric tonnes of concrete debris. The recycled concrete materials from this plant are also used for constructing customised prefabricated concrete products such as box culverts, ducts, and drain covers, which are being used for major infrastructure projects in Mumbai.

AAC blocks, recycled concrete blocks, and pavers offered by Godrej Construction are IGBC Green Pro certified. The industry’s mindset needs to change towards cleaner production of raw materials and better circular construction methods to help reduce the energy intensity and environmental footprint of the construction sector. Implementing a robust strategic roadmap for reducing, reusing, and recycling C&D waste in new construction can help reduce the energy intensity and environmental footprint of the built environment. The efficient and smart handling of waste will benefit society and spur economic growth.

What innovations do you intend to implement in the coming years?
Recently, Godrej Construction has partnered with Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, an indigenous start-up founded by IIT-Madras alumni, to introduce and commercially deploy an innovative 3D construction printing (3DCP) technology in India. Construction 3D printing (3DCP) can enable the faster and more precise creation of complicated and bespoke structures and objects. 3DCP technology could optimise the design of buildings and infrastructure to use fewer raw materials while decreasing labour costs. Addressing the growing need for improving productivity and sustainability within the real estate and infrastructure sectors, Godrej Construction, in collaboration with Tvasta, developed a bus shelter using 3D printing technology. The bus shelter was 3D printed within 32 hours and assembled on site within 8 hours, thereby speeding up the construction process that would otherwise take weeks to execute using traditional construction methods. To promote the adoption of circular economy principles in the construction industry, Godrej Construction, along with Tvasta, has developed for the first time a very sustainable concrete mix design comprising approximately 30 percent recycled concrete aggregates (RCA), sourced from concrete debris recycled at the Godrej Recycled Concrete Plant in Vikhroli, Mumbai. In the future, Godrej Construction and Tvasta aim to pioneer the use of 3DCP technology to develop appropriate sustainable infrastructure projects, housing solutions, disaster relief structures, national defence- related applications, and other public amenities in India and globally.