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May 2018 | Vol. 1 Issue. 1

FACTORS AFFECTING READY MIX CONCRETE


OPERATION
Arjunsinh Vaghela1, Dr. Devanshu Pandit2
1CEPT University, Ahmedabad
2Professor, CEPT University, Ahmedabad

concrete production is as high as 50%-60%. (Kulkarni,


Abstract
2012)
As usage of ready mix concrete increases in
2. Need for Study
construction industry, ready mix concrete
operations, which includes batching plant GROW PHASE (1) PHASE (2) PHASE (3)
operations, delivering process & pouring process TH CEMENT CEMENT CONSOLIDAT
becomes important for overall concrete operations. PATTE CONSUMPTI CONSUMPTI ION PHASE
This paper focuses on: Identifying factors which RN ON (10%) ON (50%) ACHIEVED
influences RMC operations. Factors categorized
NUMBERS NUMBERS AFTER
under 4 categories, questionnaire developed on
OF YEARS OF YEARS NUMBER OF
basis of these factors & opinion survey carried out
in construction industry, responses collected &
TAKEN TAKEN YEARS
analyzed. rapid 5 to 6 18 to 20 20 to 35
growth
Keyword: ready mix concrete, factors, productivity,
relative important index normal 10 to 11 30 to 35 35 to 40
1.Background growth

Construction industry is second largest sector in India slow 18 to 20 40 to 45 45 to 50


which comes after agriculture. Average projected growth
growth rate of construction industry of GDP is 9.1%
mentioned in the 12th five-year plan. (Five-year plan,
Table 1. Study Observation
Economic sectors, vol :2, GOI)

Before liberalization of Indian economy, construction


The actual start of commercial RMC in India can be
industry of India had been traditionally labor oriented
assumed from 1994 and it has already taken nearly 20
& highly fragmented nature of construction industry.
years (2014) to achieve 8.5% cement consumption. The
When liberalization started in 1989, it made way for
growth of RMC industry in last 3 to 4 years has been
large scale investments in construction industry in
comparatively slow due to overall depression in GDP
India. This led to mega projects getting compatible
and Economic growth in the country. So, RMC industry
with international standards & high-speed
in India is right now in the first phase of growth. (jain,
construction. The construction Industry started using
2002) Construction industry has to be 50%-70%
mechanization system in construction, as a part of this
mechanized in upcoming years to meet the deadlines
development ready mix concrete introduced in India.
of projects. Mechanization of construction will affect
(jain, 2002)
project cost, as capital investment is assumed to
Ready mix concrete production was commercially become higher. So, to get maximum performance &
introduced in 1993 in India. 15% of total production of minimum operation cost of machinery; machineries
concrete is ready mix concrete. In some major cities should be working at optimum level. There are many
like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, share of RMC in supply chain models developed by researchers for
RMC plants. Models are developed by considering
global scenario of industry. Thus, there is a need to

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May 2018 | Vol. 1 Issue. 1

study that whether these models are practically 3.PLANT


1. 2.
applicable in Indian scenario or not, and if the models MANAGERIAL OPERATIONAL
MACHINE 4.HUMAN
RELATED FACTOR
are applicable than what are the outcomes of it. FACTORS FACTORS
FACTORS

3. Factor Identification Selection of physical


Combination of
batching plant,
delivery route condition of
First of all, it should be considered that once water is of transit mixer delivery route
mixer pan &
transit mixer
added to dry materials of concrete, it only takes 2
traffic
hours (unless specific chemical retarder is added) to Availability of
condition on
age of transit
materials mixer
achieve final setting (hardened state). So, large orders delivery route
require strictly uninterrupted supply of concrete in Difficulty in
order to avoid dangerous construction joints. concrete
Capacity of
pouring (e.g.
transit mixer
Location,
Timely supply of concrete to site is one of the major height)
factors affecting concrete operations and productivity.
The RMC supplier’s aim should be, to provide ordered availability of
quantity spare parts
uninterrupted supply of concrete; but in general, it is
weather Inspection
not possible due to finite number of transit mixers condition intervals
available & a plant supplies to several sites on any maintenance
particular day. Even Variability in traffic condition is
Factors which are in bold letters are identified through
also a major factor affecting RMC supply process
literature review, remaining factors are identified after
(SHOU QING WANG, 2001). Weather is a major source
of productivity loss. While considering Indian Scenario, consulting experts. On basis of these factors an
most of construction activities are happening in the opinion survey questionnaire is developed. Purpose of
outskirts of the city or in remote locations where opinion survey is to find influence of each factor on
approach roads may not be developed. There are RMC operation productivity. Respondent asked to rate
some situations that affect performance or output; each factor on scale of 1 to 5, higher the number
“lack of availability of materials” (Ruwanpura E. c., higher the influence on RMC operation productivity.
2006) is one of these situations, which reduces RMC
production rate to nearly zero. This generally happens 4. Respondent’s Profile
in remote locations due to logistics problem. Sample size from formula for factorial analysis is 40,
Following factors identified through reviewing means at least 40 responses should be collected. Total
literature & consulting experts; and categorized under 46 responses are collected for factorial analysis. Out of
four categories as follows: 46 respondents 45.65% respondent have 0 – 5 years’
experience in field & 21.74% have experience of 5 – 10
years. 19.57% respondent have 10 – 20 years &
3.PLANT
1. 2.
MACHINE 4.HUMAN around 13% have experience of more 20%. out of 46
MANAGERIAL OPERATIONAL
FACTORS FACTORS
RELATED FACTOR respondents 67.39% are currently working on Bridge or
FACTORS
flyover or overhead metro projects. 17.39% working on
travelling residential or commercial projects & 15.22%
Location of age of batching Experience of
plant
speed of
plant plant manager respondents are working on Industrial projects. 32
transit mixer
respondents out of 46 are working in urban location &
Coordination
Number of Waiting time between people 14 respondents are working in rural/remote location.
transit mixer of transit Efficiency of involved in Which means almost 2/3rd respondent are from urban
engaged in mixer at RMC batching plant concrete
& 1/3rd respondent are from rural/remote area.
supply process plant production &
supply process
5. DATA VALIDATION
delivery time
waiting time
(e.g. Early
of transit
Output of misuse of time Cronbach’s alpha is a statistical method applied to
morning, late batching plant schedule
night, evening)
mixer at site check consistency of collected data, it states how
collected data closely related as a group. Here this
method applied on each group of factors. Results are
as follows:

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May 2018 | Vol. 1 Issue. 1

Factors Group Cronbach's Alpha Waiting time of transit mixer at


2.02 0.687
Managerial factors 0.991 RMC plant
Operational factors 0.612 Selection of delivery route of
1.04 0.683
Plant & machinery factors 0.713 transit mixer
Human factors 0.356 3.01 Age of batching plant 0.678
Various literature suggests various minimum value for Physical condition of delivery
2.04 0.674
α such as 0.6 and 0.7. except Human factors all other route
group fall under acceptance criteria.
3.06 Capacity of transit mixer 0.661
6.Relative Importance Index

FACTOR Difficulty in concrete pouring


FACTOR RII 2.06 0.652
NO (e.g. Location, height)

Delivery time (e.g. Early 3.08 Inspection intervals 0.639


1.03 0.904
morning, late night, evening) 1.05 Availability of materials 0.617
3.09 Maintenance 0.604
3.03 output of batching plant 0.9
3.07 Availability of spare parts 0.6
Waiting time of transit mixer at
2.03 0.896
site
6. Conclusion
2.07 Ordered quantity 0.891
Five out of top ten ranked factors, influencing time
duration of ready mix concrete operations, except
Number of transit mixer
1.02 0.891 order quantity & no of transit mixer engaged in supply
engaged in supply process
process. As mentioned in respondent profile 2/3rd
responses are from urban area projects, delivery time
2.05 Traffic on delivery route 0.887 in urban area is directly related to traffic on route,
which heavily influence the RMC transporting time &
truck returning time. As output of batching plant
Combination of batching plant,
3.04 0.887 increases it cut down processing time of batching &
mixer pan & transit mixer
Mixing, and increases discharging frequency of transit
mixers from plant. Waiting time of transit mixer at site
4.03 Misuse of time schedule 0.887 generally affected by difficulty/easiness of concrete
pouring process.

Coordination between people References


4.02 involved in concrete production 0.882 [1] Anil Sawhney, S. M. (1998). Construction project
& supply process
simulating using CYCLONE. journal of civil
engineering, 16-2 Anson 6.
4.01 Experience of plant manager 0.778 [2] Anson, M. L. (2004). Establish Concrete Placing
Rates Using Quality Control Records from Hong
3.05 Age of transit mixer 0.783 Kong Building Construction Projects. Journal of
1.01 Location of plant 0.761 Construction Engineering & Management, 216-
2.08 Weather condition 0.713 224.
[3] G, J. c. (1994). General purpose of simulation with
3.02 Efficiency of batching plant 0.704 stroboscope. Winter simulation conference.

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May 2018 | Vol. 1 Issue. 1

[4] jain, A. K. (2002). Ready mix concrete growth


prospects in India. 27th conference, our world in
concrete & structures.
[5] Kulkarni, V. (2012). Evolution of RMC in India.
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[7] Mohmmed Mar zouk, A. Y. (2013). A Simulation
Based Decision Tool for Transportation of Ready
Mix Concrete. International journal of
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[8] Ruwanpura, A. A. (2008). AN INTEGRATED CAD
AND SIMULATION MODEL FOR CONCRETE
OPERATIONS. Winter simulation conference.
[9] Ruwanpura, E. c. (2006, match 6th). Predicting
construction productivity using situation-based
simulation models. Retrieved from http://
cjec.nrc.ca.
[10]SHOU QING WANG, C. L. (2001). Scheduling the
Truck Mixer Arrival for a Ready Mixed Concrete
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[11]Wu, C. W. (2006). Integrating gag and CYCLONE to
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