Can you brief us about your company’s key solution offerings? 

Dextra Group is a manufacturing, freight forwarding, and trading company specialized in supplying the construction and industrial sectors. The company has been operational from 1983; and since then we have been involved in more than 10,000 major construction or industrial projects worldwide, providing us with unique global experience and expertise, which we continually spread through our network of affiliates and partnersin more than 55 countries. 

Our popular solutions include the following product families: 

• Concrete Reinforcement 
Well known for its mechanical splicing systems for reinforcing steel bars, the ISO-certified couplers are used every day in high-rise buildings and concrete structures worldwide and have been accredited by major independent regulatory bodies in all continents.

• Engineered Bar Systems
Thanks to our ISO and ASME quality certifications, we are able to control and maintain a high level of quality in our entire bar components and systems and guarantee full compliance with the project specifications and customer satisfaction from design stage to delivery and installation.
• Ground Engineering 

We have developed a unique range of high-performance ground engineering systems composed of both steel and composite materials (FRP), suitable for a variety of applications in ground anchoring, soil stabilisation, excavation support and deep foundation. 

Which construction engineering trends are impacting your kind of businesses? 

Rising Material Costs: This is one specific concern we are witnessing and this trend does not seem to move away for quite some time now. This presents a continuous challenge especially for a small scale or medium scale company for which liquidity or reserves is no less than privilege. This necessitates detailed reviews of every aspects of running business and attempts are made to save every single penny. 

One of the promising ways of this cost cutting measures calls for technological upgrades, automation techniques but again, in view of high base cost and requirement of skilled workforce this needs to justified by the volume of the business under consideration. 

The good part at Dextra is, there is continuous thrust to make our work force more efficient and productive by imparting various training, using state-of-the-art technologies, design software and tools, and realising the importance of digital acceleration, especially in this pandemic time.

As far India is concerned, the overall outlook for construction industry looks positive. There are many major infrastructure projects like HSR, metros, bridges, smart cities, expressways etc., either in pipeline or are already at execution level. We are all seeing willingness from government to build modern, safer, more efficient, and more effective nation and we are happy to contribute our best in this noble cause. 

What are the advanced solutions being used in construction materials for better performance? 

One specific solution, I wish to highlight here is our offering in Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP). Conventionally, we are all well versed with usage of FRP in temporary applications. For example, Dextra has introduced Soft-eyes facilitating penetration of TBMs through retaining walls, 20 years ago. But Dextra is also making sincere attempts to demonstrate the benefits of FRP components even in permanent applications. Like, for example FRP rockbolts replacing steel rockbolts in tunnels or caverns. 

It is lighter yet stronger than steel, it’s non-corrosive and nonconductive; it allows effective design optimisation and assures much simplified installations at site. 

Dextra has recently introduced DURABAR – Composite Fiberglass (GFRP) Rebar ideal for flat work / slab on grade. This is sustainable material, with significantly less energy required and CO2 emission, both at production stage and for its transportation and installation. 

What are your offerings in terms of advanced solutions and technologies for building construction? 

I take this opportunity to explain our offerings in Precast connections. Our Groutec coupler is a mechanical splicing system with one threaded end specially designed for the connection of precast concrete elements. It is designed and manufactured in compliance with Eurocode 2, BS 8110, ACI 318, IBC and AASHTO. 

It could be used with non-shrink grout easily available from major manufacturers. Typically, the rebar connected on threaded side and the cavity side are of the same diameter. However, Groutec could also be used to make a transition between rebar of different sizes. 

Thanks to increasing awareness and realisation of benefits of Precast construction method in Indian market in recent years, we see many good infrastructure projects preferring this method of construction. Some of the projects where Dextra has supplied Groutec coupler include high rise buildings, mass housing projects, pipe rack supports of process plants, Data centres etc. Another important component which deserve due attention is Headed Bars which is our proposed solution for congestion. This is made of an anchor plate that is fixed to the end of reinforcement bar. This is very much compatible with standard Dextra couplers and requires the same bar end preparation as that of coupler. This could be used as main reinforcement assuring better anchorage effectiveness (lower bearing stress and less slip) especially on large diameter bars or also as a transverse reinforcement (shear reinforcement in slabs and footings).

• Project engineering
Over the years, Dextra has provided not only standard “off the shelf” solutions, but also many customised and optimised solutions to meet specific project or customer requirements. Our engineering teams guide customers through the selection of the optimum solution (eg. product characteristics, dimensions, performance, installation, etc.). To complete our offer, our teams can provide complete project drawings for customer’s consideration.

• CAD and BIM support 
For consultants and designers looking forward to integrate our solutions in their construction drawings Dextra’s BIM team offers software tools for Tekla Structures, Revit 2017 and AutoCAD. Beyond just blocks and drawings, Dextra’s BIM components include smart attributes which guide the user through the whole process in a quick and effective way. 

What are the recent projects executed by your company? 

I am happy to share that for more than 3 decades, Dextra is one active contributor to the growth story of Infrastructure industry. You name the segment like buildings, urban railways, bridges and viaducts, airports, marine ports, stadiums, nuclear plants and dams; you will find some or other Dextra component giving its reliable service to the satisfaction of our reputed customers.