6. Nov-Dec 2010

PANCHAKANYA GROUP
INFOCUS
7 questions to ask before using
Ready Mix Concrete
Text: Ar. Bansri Pandey
Concrete is the largest consumed material in the
world after water. As of a 2006 study conducted by
United States Geographic Service, about 7.5 cubic
kilometres of concrete is made each year – more
than one cubic meter for every person on Earth.
To meet this large demand of concrete, it needs to
be produced in bulk. Thus, taking the advantage of
scale and efficiency of mechanical mixing. Ready
Mix Concrete was patented in 1903 in Germany. But
due to the lack of transporting means, the concept
was not sufficiently exploited till 1926 when the
first transit-mixer was born. The first delivery of
ready mix concrete was made in1931 in Baltimore.
“We have always been the pioneers for
introducing the innovative construction
materials in Nepal.” Says Mr. Pradeep
Kumar Shrestha, the MD of Panchakanya
Group, “People used to organize parties and
cook food too at home. But these days, they
go to a hotel and order a ready catering
service for a hassle free and quality
service, for which they are even ready to
pay a little extra. Ready mix concrete too is
at this stage.”
The initial production plant setups used difficult
production systems with a lot of manual labour.
But after 1934, scientific controlled production
systems were introduced. At these plants, the
cement was delivered in bulk containers which were
lifted off the delivery lorries and emptied into bins
by opening a gate at the bottom of the container.
Long, high conveyors were used to elevate the
aggregate to a height that allowed them to be
stored above the weight scales and to be gravity fed
as required. All materials were brought to hopper,
from the weigh-hopper to mixer and from mixer to
delivery vehicle. Computers and electronics were
used to control each step of production.
The acceptance and growth of Ready Mix Concrete
from 1950 onwards was remarkable in UK and USA.
Nepal too took a leap into this growing industry four
years ago when Panchakanya Group introduced
Ready Mix Concrete for Kathmandu.
Ready Mix Concrete has its benefits as well as
limitations. It is mostly preferred over on-site
concrete mixing because of the precision of the
mixture and reduced work site confusion. However,
using a pre-determined concrete mixture reduces
flexibility to manage site conditions and resources.
Thus, before we form our own conclusions, let
understand this new technology of the concrete
industry, with the following 7 questions:8
November-December 2010
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