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INSEE commences Portland Composite Cement in the South

12 Jul 2022

INSEE Cement has extended production of its Portland Composite Cement (PCC) to its Ruhunu Cement Plant, increasing production of the new SLS 1697 product to meet the growing demand of the local market. PCC is the result of years of research, and is a blended cement produced exclusively at the Puttalam integrated cement manufacturing facility earlier, to address the high carbon footprint of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), while also producing compressive strength equal to or beyond that of OPC at all ages.  “INSEE Cement introduced PCC for the first time to the local market last year as part of a two-pronged approach – to create value for our customers by augmenting the sustainability performance in their constructions, and also to steer Sri Lanka’s construction industry towards ambitious, globally benchmarked sustainable goals,” INSEE Cement Head of Products and Solutions Portfolio Dr. Moussa Baalbaki stated. “Globally, the use of composite cements from residential and commercial to large-scale infrastructure projects have demonstrated long-term performance enhancements, and have contributed to reduce the carbon footprint in construction. We are truly encouraged by the growing demand across the local market for PCC, and trust our production expansion to Galle is testimony to our commitment towards sustainable production practices.”  Engineered with INSEE’s trademarked SmartActTM Technology, PCC’s unique composition of multiple minerals addition undergoes a triple reaction consisting of hydration, pozzolanic, and nucleation that increases strength build-up at each level of maturity. The triple reaction also ensures optimum particle distribution and high packing density, resulting in lower permeability and durability of concrete suitable for all severe exposure conditions across Sri Lanka, especially coastal regions.  Impermeable concrete with less voids and percolated capillary pores effectively addresses the key challenges of rainwater penetration and ingress in concrete structures – a significant concern for homeowners in Sri Lanka today who are also steadily progressing towards the use and endorsement of PCC.  With the use of multiple silico-aluminate minerals such as slag and fly ash, PCC contributes to reducing carbon emissions both in production and construction practices, also making it a more environmentally friendly product than OPC. INSEE strengthened its commitment to reduce carbon emissions in cement production under the INSEE Sustainability Ambition 2030, a group-wide sustainability plan with key targets and actions to support the globally accepted 2 oC scenario, alongside the company’s increased use of by-products such as slag and fly ash replacing clinker in cement production.   Other well-received advantages of PCC include its lower heat of hydration that makes the product favourable for mass concreting in hot weather conditions, and its high chemical resistance that makes PCC suitable for long-term infrastructure development projects such as dams, bridges, roads, and other concrete elements.


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