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LAWN AND LAWN MAKING

CONCRETE NEW TECHNOLOGIES

March-April’ 2014Vol- 4 Issu- 5

VISAKHA VISION

Dear Readers,

It is the time that our tradition invites the freshness into our lives, the time that the year changes by bringing in new harvests, the time we celebrate for love, joy, happiness and prosperity in the disguise of various names like Ugadi, Vishu, Baisakhi, Rongali Bihu, Gudi Pawda, Punthadu, Sajibu Nongma Panba, Navreh, Maha Vishuva Sankranti, Cheti Chand, Bishu, Chaitra Pratipada, Jude-Sheetal. We are all a family despite the differences in language and tradition and I wish you all a happy new year.

Amidst these joys of celebrating Ugadi, the state of Andhra Pradesh is now facing the division into Telangaana and Seemandhra. We have lived united in peace and I request that we part in peace. It is time we realize that any division will effect only administration and economy and not the emotional attachment of people in the regions. This is the time to take an initiative to grow, build and bring meaning to each passing day.

Thank You.

K. S. ChandranBullettin editor

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Chairman B. RAJA SRINIVASCell.No.98497 09999E-Mail : [email protected] K. RAMA KRISHNA RAOCell.No.98480 37477E-Mail : [email protected] P. VENKATA RAMANACell.No.98481 20452E-Mail: [email protected]. V. V. S. NARAYANACell.No.98481 30272E- Mail : [email protected]. SRINIVASA RAOCell No.98491 27011E-Mail : [email protected]. Secretary P. KOTESWARA RAOCell.No.99086 00005E-Mail : [email protected],Treasurer B. SRINIVASA RAOCell.No.98481 22825E-Mail: [email protected] Secretaries P. RAMA KRISHNACell:98484 14051E-Mail : [email protected]. SHIVANANDCell: 99633 22000E-Mail: [email protected]. S. R. K. RAJU (SAI)Cell.No.98481 85679E-Mail : [email protected] MembersP. R. K. RAJUCell: 98490 01119E-Mail: [email protected]. V. R. RAJU (Ramesh)Cell: 95506 33399E-Mail : [email protected] N. SIVAJICell : 98481 97643E-Mail : [email protected]. GOVINDA RAJUCell: 98485-21789E-Mail: [email protected]. Vijay Kumar Cell : 94406-15989 E-mail. [email protected]. SREERAMA MURTHY CELL: 98493-75078 E-Mail. [email protected] Immediate Past ChairmanM. V. V. SATYANARAYANACell.No.96666 66600E-Mail : [email protected]

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A lawn is an area where grass is grown as a green carpet for a landscape and is the basic feature of any garden. It serves to enhance the beauty of the garden, be it larger or smaller. Proper lawn maintenance plays a crucial part in any landscape design. A beautiful well maintained lawn can make the entire landscape look good, whereas a lawn that is not maintained can completely ruin it’s beauty. The lawn not only harmonizes with a decor of the drawing room, but also sets of a suitable background for a specimen tree or a shrub, as well as for colourful beds and borders. The position of the lawn largely depends upon the layout of the garden in relation to the house. In general lawn should be wide open with access to direct sunshine, especially in front of a rockery and a water pool.

LAWN AND LAWN MAKING

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lawn making

Site and Soil

After choosing the site, the next important factor for consideration is the size and shape of the lawn. The preparation of site includes digging, leveling and enriching the soil with organic manures or by amending with fertile soil. If the soil is very heavy, coarse sand may be added by removing subsoil to a depth of 20 cm. The ideal soil pH should be 5.0 to 5.6. If it is very acidic 500 g/m2 lime should be added and to clayey loam or alkaline soil gypsum of the same quantity may be added. Provision of drainage for excess rain water should be made if the ground is not sloppy.

Levelling

The site should be thoroughly levelled with spade, pebbles and weeds are hand picked. The soil is rolled with a roller. Weeds especially nut grass should not be allowed to grow and should be removed with roots for at least 2 to 3 times.

Methods of lawn making

Seeding

The most popular grass suitable for seeding is “Doob” grass (Cynodon dactylon). It has the fast spreading mat forming habit, radially forms roots at the nodes, the foliage is dark green, narrow with parallel vines. A lawn from seed is thought of only when grass roots are not available. About 30 kg of seed is required for planting one hectare. The soil should be reduced to fine tilth and given a light rolling. The site should be divided into suitable small squares or rectangles, the seeds are mixed with double the quantity of finely sieved soil and should be rolled again and watered liberally with rose can. The seeds take four to five weeks for germination. Care should be taken not to flood the site. For the first

few times, the grasses are cut with a scythe. Lawn mower may be used for easy maintenance and for its spreading.

Cynodon dactylon

Turfing

The turfs are nothing but pieces of earth with compact grasses on them. These turfs should be cut uniformly in squares from a place where the grass is short, compact and free from weeds. These turfs should be placed on the prepared ground site, side by side and beaten down flat with a turf beater. The cavities in between should be filled with fine soil. The entire turfed area should be rolled and watered liberally. This is the most expensive way of lawn making.

Turf plastering

The doob grass can be procured in large quantities free from weeds and chopped properly into small bits of 5-7 cm long. Two baskets of chopped grass pieces should be mixed well with one basket each of garden soil and fresh cow dung and a shovel full of wood ash with required quantity of water to form a thick pasty substance. This mixture is then spread uniformly on the surface of a previously wetted perfectly leveled ground to a thickness of at least 2.5cm and watering should be done with a rose can. The next day, ground should be rolled and the grass should be allowed to spread. The grass will shoot up in a fortnight. To start with, cut with a scythe and after three months, use the lawn mower.

Dibbling roots

This is the cheapest but time consuming method. Small pieces of grass roots should be dibbled 10 – 15 cm apart in a leveled ground when it is wet after rain. The roots spread and grow underground in the course of

six months making a fairly compact lawn by frequent mowing, rolling and watering.

After Care: It includes rolling, mowing, watering and restoration of patchy places, which should be done regularly.

1.Fertilizing the lawn thrice a year is adequate to maintain rich greenness. Application of urea or ammonium sulphate at the rate of 1 kg / 50 sq. m during February - March, June - July and October - November is quite beneficial. At times well decomposed compost at 10 kg / 10 sq. m area will be sufficient as top dressing.

2.Weeds should be removed as soon as they appear, otherwise they spread, seed multiply and overpower the grass. Fill the gaps with grass roots and fine soil. In the absence of rain, watering is done regularly at weekly intervals.

3.A mower should not be employed until a firm green sword has been formed. The grass is first cut with sickle and the surface is then rolled. Heavy roller should be used frequently but not when the ground is either too wet or dry.

4.Mowing should be done at brief intervals and never allow to produce seed stalks. Avoid cutting the grass too short as this can damage the grass, inhibit a deeper root system from setting up and give rise to weeds. Different grasses have different heights at which they can grow best, so make sure you enquire about this from the vendor or your landscaping company. The ideal height of most grasses is 3 to 4 inches. Removing more than one-third of the grass leaf in a single cutting is not recommended. Mow only on dry grass and not when the grass is wet. Make sure you mower’s

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BOTANICAL NAME

Cynodon dactylon

Stenotaphrum secundatum

Sporobolus tremulus

Poa annua

Pennisetum clandestinum

Zoisia japonica

Z. matrella

Z. tenuifolia

Cynodon sp.

Cynodon sp.

Festuca sp.

Paspalum vaginatum

COMMON NAME

Hariyali (or) Arugu (or) Doob grass

St. Augustine grass or Buffalo grass

Chain grass (or) Upparugu

Annual blue grass

Kikuyu grass

Japan grass

Manila grass

Korean grass or velvet grass or carpet grass

Bermuda grass (or) Hyderabad grass

Dwarf Bermuda

Fescue grass

Paspalum grass

TEXTURE

Medium fine

Coarse texture

Fine

Medium fine

Rough

Coarse

Medium

Fine

Fine

Medium

Coarse

Medium

SITUATION

Suitable for open sunny location; drought resistantSuitable for shady situation; requires frequent wateringSuitable for saline soils and open sunny locationsSuitable for acid soils and suitable for higher elevationsGrow well in acids soils, suitable for higher elevations.Suitable for poor sandy soil; open sunny situation, slow in growthSuitable for open sunny situationSuitable for open sunny situationSuitable for open sunny situation, needs mowingSuitable for open sunny situationShade tolerant, survive on inferior soilsSuitable for open sunny situation

LAWN GRASS SPECIES

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blade is a new and sharp before starting a fresh moving session. To ensure smoothness make sure you change the mower’s oil once or twice during mowing season.

5.Once in a year rake the lawn before rain and top dress with rich mixture of decomposed manure and soil. This will accelerate the grass with new vigorous growth.

6.The best time to water the lawn would be during the early hours of morning. Watering during this time will allow the water to reach the roots without evaporating. Mid afternoons may lead to water getting evaporated soon and watering at night times can give rise to the possibilities of diseases. While watering, care should be taken to spread the water homogeneously across the lawn

without over flooding or missing certain areas/spots. If the lawn is placed on heavy slopes make sure that the water does not run-off. Several applications of water would be necessary for such surfaces to ensure adequate penetration.

Astro Turf

It is a synthetic lawn popularly used in developed countries in roof gardens as well as in play grounds. It dispenses the normal maintenance usually required for normal lawns. Constant sprinkling of water is one of the prime requisite to bind the synthetic fibre to provide a surface akin to a lawn carpet.

A spacious lawn though beautiful will often be monotonous. So, to break the monotony, some beautiful tree or shrub is recommended as single specimen in the lawn.

Plants suitable for planting in lawns as single specimen

Trees:

1.Amherstia nobilis2.Callistemon lanceolatus3.Magmolia grandiflora4.Cupresses macrocarpa5.Pinus longifolia6.Thuja orientalis7.Araucaria excelsa

Shrubs and creepers:

1.Agave americana2.Furcraea gigantea3.Musa superba4.Bougainvillea spectabilis5.Cestrum nocturnum6.Dombeya spectabilis7.Hibiscus species

PROBLEMS IN A LAWN

PLANT PROTECTION

Stenotaphrum secundatum

Bermuda grass

Pennisetum clandestinum

Fescue grass Paspalum vaginatum

Zoysia japonica

SYMPTOMS

Form small mounds around the entrance to their nests

Eat away grass stems near the surface of the soil causing dead spots

Eat away the roots of grasses creating brownish dead patches

Suck the juice from grass blades causing stripped white, then yellow and finally brown leaves.

Affect the roots, lawn takes a bleached out appearance

CONTROL

Apply Lindane 1.3 % dust



Spray Dimethoate 2 ml/l

Apply Furadan 40 g /sq.m

PEST

White ants

Cut worms

Grubs

Leafhoppers

Nematodes

Problem

Chlorosis

Dog urine

Fertilizer burn

Improper mowing

Improper watering

Symptoms

Grass turns yellow with the deficiency of magnesium and iron

Dead grass in the lawn

Grass browns especially in hot weather

Lawns cut too closely turn yellowish and often look diseased or dried

Light sprinkling encourages shallow roots. Over watering causes diseases

CONTROL

Iron: Spray Ferrous sulphate 25 g dissolved in 10 litres of water per 100 sq. metre.

Magnesium: Spray Magnesium sulphate 100 g in 10 litres of water per 100 sq. metre.

Re-plant grass in a circular manner

Drench the lawn in injured areas to leach excess fertilizers deep into the soil.

Mow enough to remove not more than 1/3rd height of the grass at a time. Keep mower blades sharp.

Water the lawn to wet the soil about10 to 15 cm depth.

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There are four ways to plant a new lawn: seed, sod, sprigs, plugs. Seed is the traditional way, and has the advantage of relatively low cost. If you’re planting a large area seed is probably the way to go. Over the last three decades of so, turf grass sod has become widely available. Somewhere, somehow, most grasses are available as sod. Sod is a good choice when the planting area is smaller, or where time or resources to nurse a seedbed until germination. Think of sprigs and plugs as pieces of sod: they’re essentially the same as sod, but divided into smaller units. Plugs are actually small squares of sod, and sprigs are pieces of mature lawn grass that can form roots and grow. There are a few lawn grasses, such as hybrid Bermuda, St. Augustine, and some zoysia varieties, that are available only as sod, plugs, or sprigs.

Here are brief descriptions of the different kinds of lawn grasses. The kinds that you can plant as seed include bahia, bent, Bermuda, blue grama, buffalo, centipede, fescue (all kinds), bluegrass, ryegrass (both annual and perennial), and some zoysias.

Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum) is a tough, coarse grass that is popular in the Southeast as a low maintenance and generally low quality lawn. It is drought and shade tolerant, but requires frequent mowing. Improved varieties such as ‘Pensacola’ are more cold-tolerant and somewhat more attractive. Seashore paspalum (P. vaginatum) has a fine-textured leaf blade, but is most notable for its tolerance of salty soil and water.

Bent grass, creeping (Agrostis stolonifera) is a fine-textured perennial grass that forms a soft, tightly-knit turf. A favorite for golf course putting greens in northern regions. Top varieties include ‘Penneagle’, ‘Penncross’, and ‘Seaside’.

Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is the most important lawn grass of the Sun Belt. It has all the essential characteristics a lawn needs for those regions—heat and drought tolerance

primarily. The very aggressiveness of Bermuda is also it’s key disadvantage. When creeping Bermuda invades flower beds and ground cover, it’s called “devil grass” by frustrated gardeners. Bermuda grass is tough and fast growing enough to be one of the most popular grasses for sports fields. It’s good for pet owners for the same reasons: damage from whatever cause will repair quickly. Bermuda tolerates little shade and will thin quickly in shade; and it becomes dormant and brown through cool seasons. There are many varieties of Bermuda grass. Common Bermuda or “Arizona common” is widely available. It’s a relatively coarse-bladed form. Medium textured varieties available as seed include ‘Cheyenne’, ‘Guymon’, ‘Jackpot’, ‘NuMex Sahara’, ‘Sonesta’, ‘Sundevil’, ‘U3’, and ‘Yuma’. The softest and finest blade Bermuda—the kinds used for southern and tropical golf greens—are hybrids that are available as sod only. These include ‘Tifgreen’, ‘Tiflawn’, ‘Tifway’.

Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) is a North American native grass that is well suited to the northern plains. Like Bermuda grass, it grows best in summer and is drought tolerant. But unlike Bermuda grass, it is very cold hardy and able to survive a North Dakota winter. Blue grama spreads slightly, but ultimately produces a clumpy, uneven lawn. Mowing it 3 or 4 times a year will make it more lawn like.

Buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) is, like blue grama, a North American native grass, a once dominate grass of the vast American short-grass prairie. For obvious reasons, it makes good sense as a lawn grass in much of the low-rainfall West. The look is similar to Bermuda: slightly blue-green in the summer, then straw brown through winter. Several improved varieties are available; some sod only. The best seed varieties are ‘Cody’ and ‘Tatanka’. A close runner-up is ‘Topgun’. Top varieties to grow from sod are ‘609’, ‘Prairie’, and ‘Stampede’.

Centipede grass’s (Eremochloa ophiuroides) prime virtue is its ability to survive and even thrive in acidic, poor soils. Because temperatures below 5°F kill centipede grass, only gardeners in the southeastern United States (and parts of Hawaii) grow it. A warm season grass, it turns brown in hot and dry weather, and is quick to enter dormancy in fall.

Fescue, fine- or needle-leaved. There are three types: chewings fescue (Festuca rubra commutata), creeping red fescue (F. rubra), and hard fescue (F. longifolia). Chewings fescue is desirable in low maintenance situations. It is particularly tolerant of sandy, acidic, and infertile soils. Hard fescue is very cold hardy and low maintenance. A naturally short grass, it requires less frequent mowing. Creeping red fescue is used most widely. All three are often mixed with Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, adding greater shade and drought tolerance. Named varieties include ‘Aurora’, ‘Bighorn’, ‘Claudia’, ‘Flyer’, ‘Ensylva’, ‘Longfellow,’ ‘Marker’, ‘Medallion’, ‘Reliant’, ‘Salem’, ‘Scaldis’, ‘Shademaster’, ‘Spartan’, and ‘Victory’.

Fescue, tall or broad-leaved (Festuca arundinacea). Traditional varieties, such as ‘Kentucky 31’ and ‘Alta’, are tough and coarse-bladed pasture grass. But now many improved varieties are available that nearly match Kentucky bluegrass in look and feel. Tall fescues are more heat and drought tolerant compared to fine fescues. Varieties to look for include ‘Amigo’, ‘Avanti’, ‘Aztec’, ‘Bonsai’, ‘Cimarron’, ‘Cochise’, ‘Crewcut’, ‘Crossfire’, ‘Duster’, ‘Guardian’, ‘Monarch’, ‘Ninja’, ‘Pixie’, Rebel Jr.’, ‘Shenandoah,’ ‘Tomahawk’, ‘Tribute’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Virtue’, and ‘Wrangler’. Some—such as ‘Rebel III’, ‘Earth Save’, ‘Shenandoah’, ‘Titan II’, and ‘Tarheel’—are endowed with natural pest repellents, called endophytes.

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). By far the most popular type of lawn grass for most of the northern half of the country. It is also planted further south,

lawn making


usually in areas with significant coastal influence, such as coastal southern California. It grows there, but long term survival is rare. Notably, it does not thrive in the Pacific Northwest, west of the Cascade Mountains. Cold-hardy, soft-textured, attractive dark green color. Look for named varieties—such as ‘A-34’, ‘America’, ‘Asset’, ‘Blacksburg’, ‘Blue Star’, ‘Chateau’, ‘Classic’, ‘Eclipse’, ‘Glade’, Julia’, ‘Loft’s 1757’, ‘Midnight’, and ‘Princeton 104’—on seed label.

Ryegrass, annual (Lolium multiflorum). Annual ryegrass has one redeeming virtue: its low cost. For that reason it is often used to overseed dormant warm-seasons grasses in southern regions. Because it prefers cool temperatures, most will die out of a warm-season lawn once hot summer days arrive.

Ryegrass, perennial (Lolium perenne). The best varieties of perennial ryegrass have a desirable fine, soft texture, and dark green color of Kentucky bluegrass. While occasionally used alone, they are most often combined with Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescues. Look for varieties such as ‘Commander’, ‘Dimension’, ‘Manhattan II’, ‘Palmer’, ‘Pennant’, ‘Pick 715’, ‘Riviera’, ‘Saturn’, ‘SR-4000’, and ‘SR-4100’. ‘Manhattan II’ is notable for being endowed with natural pest repellents, called endophytes.

Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) is a native of South African sand dunes and is well adapted to similar environments in the United States It is noted for its tolerance of salty soil and irrigation water. It can survive on ocean water, and is well suited to partially recycled gray water. Its look and feel is similar to Bermuda grass, and it similarly spreads with both above- and below-ground runners. It is planted by sprigs, plugs, or sod.

St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is one of the most important grasses of the South and West. It’s fast-growing, deep-rooted, and coarse-textured with broad, blunt-tipped blades. It is a spreading grass via above-ground runners. Seed of this grass is

not available; plant it from sprigs, plugs, or sod only. Top varieties are ‘DelMar’, ‘Floralawn’, and ‘Jade’.

Zoysia grass (Zoysia species) is often touted as a miracle grass, and while many of the claims of its virtues are true, there are also drawbacks. Three species available: Japanese lawn grass (Z. japonica), Manila grass (Z. matrella), and Korean grass (Z. tenuifolia). Korean grass is more a ground cover than lawn grass. It’s wiry but fine-textured and creates interesting mounds as it grows. Only Japanese lawngrass is available as seed. While tough and resilient once established, it is notorious for its poor germination, short green season, and long dormant season. The newest varieties ‘Zen 300’ and ‘Zenith’, improve upon all three traits. Hulled and treated seed germinate in 2 weeks and can make a lawn in 2 months. The color of Japanese lawngrass is similar to bluegrass, but blades are much stiffer. Vegetative selections of Japanese lawngrass include ‘Meyer’ and ‘El Toro’. Manila grass has stiff and flat leaves with a fine texture and deep green color. It makes a high quality lawn in tropical areas, but is planted from sprigs, plugs, or sod only. Other zoysias to plant in the same way include ‘Cashmere’, ‘De Anza’, ‘Emerald’, and ‘Victoria’.

Tips on Cutting and Lawn Care

Lawn should be properly taken good cared of all year round although growing grass on your lawn give you the feel of nature and outdoors in your own home. Anything that is green is refreshing to the eyes. Grass needs watering, mowing and even feeding. Cutting and lawn care vary depending on the season and climate per country. For UAE, there are only two seasons – summer and winter, and sometimes is extremely hot or cold. This type of weather condition affects the growth of your grass.

Here are some basic tips on cutting and lawn care to maintain grass:

1. Mowing. Grass grows really fast, especially in certain weather conditions. Learn to mow your grass properly to make your lawn healthy. Like most plant, grasses will branch out and be denser when crown of the tip of the leaves are cut. This will fill your lawn area. The length of cut does matter. If the season or weather is hot, it is advised to just cut your grass a little. However, if the weather is cooler, you can cut the grass a little more. In summer, the grass grows quicker which may require additional schedules for mowing.

2. Watering. Watering your lawn is very important aside from cutting and lawn care. Grass needs water to grow healthy and green. However, watering also needs better timing depending on the climate. Summer will make the dirt dry and the plants thirsty. Additional watering schedule and increase in the amount of water is needed. For winter, grasses may not need too much watering. This will leave your lawn damp most of the time and this will not be helpful to the grass’ health. Overwatering will leave your lawn wet, which can develop fungi and other diseases. The best way to check is the need of your grass for water is by looking at it. If the grasses are dry and yellowing, water them. If the grasses are moist, let it be.

3. Feeding. Fertilizing your lawn will surely make your grass healthier. Feed your lawn with fertilizers, but be careful in using this. Make sure that you read and understand the directions in the fertilizer’s label to maintain lawn care. Over feeding can slow the growth of the grass and can also cause fungi. There are feeds that are especially made for certain seasons and weather conditions. Be sure to check on these provisions in the feeds’ packaging. Another way to fertilize the grass is by leaving some of the cut-out leaves from mowing on the lawn. Grasses are great organic fertilizers after decomposing.

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Investigations into Hollywood actor Paul Walker’s fatal car crash revealed that his Porche’s 9-year old tyres had contributed to the accident.

The ‘Fast and the Furious’ actor’s Porsche Carrera GT was travelling at around 150 km/ hour when it crashed and burst into flames. Tyres are often an ignored part of the car. For many, the responsibilities toward the tyres end with regular pressure checks.

“More than 80 per cent of the accidents that happen are attributed to bad tyres,” says auto expert Tutu Dhawan. Tyres are your car’s point of contact with the road, so its importance can’t possibly be stressed upon enough. From accelerating to braking to manoeuvring, the tyres play a pivotal role.

“Rubber starts deteriorating from day one, from the time of manufacture, even before you’ve started driving. Even if it looks good from outside, an old tyre may burst as it starts

disintegrating from the inside,” Mr Dhawan says. In high performance cars like the Audis and BMWs of the world, the tyres start deteriorating faster than the mass segment cars, he says. For high-performance cars tyres should be changed after 2-3 years and for mass segment cars after 3-4 years, he adds.

Highway or long-distance driving with old tyres at high-speeds is even more dangerous than inter-city driving. “The tyres won’t go flat. With the heat generated at high speed on highways, they would just blow out,” he says.

If your tyres are more than five years old then never hit the highway with them, cautions Mr Dhawan, recalling a personal experience where his tyres blew out when “they otherwise looked perfectly fine from the outside”.

Of course, wear and tear also depends on kilometres run, weather, terrain and driving style among other factors.

car tyres


WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR CAR TYRES SERIOUSLY


GALLERY

General Body on the Process of Election

Dr M.Ramesh Prof head Civil Engineering Gitam College Addressing the gathering

Election Committee (from left) Sri V.Kanthi Sekhar, Sri NVS Murthy, Sri MVS Sarma

Past Chairman Sri MVV Satyanarayana Appreciating the Executive Committee for their achievemts on VLT and Bulk water charges

Secretary P.Koteswara Rao Garu Presenting Annual Report

Past Chairman Sri K.S.Chandran inducting the New Executive Committee

Hon Secretary Assisting Election Committee for Scrutiny of application

Election Committee Appraising the Members on Bye-Laws

gallery

committee


G. VIJAYA KUMARCOMMITTEE MEMBER

N.SIVAJICOMMITTEE MEMBER

P.R.K. RAJUCOMMITTEE MEMBER

K.V.R. RAJU (RAMESH)COMMITTEE MEMBER

P. RAMA KRISHNAJOINT SECRETARY

B.SRINIVAS RAOTREASURER

P. KOTESWARA RAOHON.SECRETARY

D. SRINIVASA RAOVICE-PRESIDENT

B. RAJA SRINIVASCHAIRMAN

K. RAMA KRISHNA RAOPRESIDENT

P.VENKATA RAMANAVICE-PRESIDENT

G. V.V.S. NARAYANAVICE-PRESIDENT

CH.GOVINDA RAJUCOMMITTEE MEMBER

K. S. V. SREERAMA MURTYCOMMITTEE MEMBER

M.V.V. SATYANARAYANAIMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN

A.SHIVANANDJOINT SECRETARY

K.S.R.K. RAJU (SAI)JOINT SECRETARY

EXCUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR 2014-2015

India’s GDP grew by 5 percent in the financial year 2012-13, lowest in the last decade. It seems the 2008 recession still looms large on our daily lives. While a common man cannot do much about macroeconomic indicators, it is time to revisit, learn and imbibe timeless personal finance lessons from the maestro to overcome financial shocks in life.

Inspired from most admired finance guru in the world, we recommend five most important personal finance tips for everyone:

1. SPEND WISELY

If you buy things you don’t need, you will soon sell things you need.- Warren Buffett

All of us suffer from the urge to splurge and we justify our spending using the pretext of special occasions, peer pressure, lifestyle, family, emotions and even smart decisions. Most marketing companies understand this urge and try to exploit it by making offers that give consumers the false notion of having made the right decision. Unhealthy

carbonated drinks are sold with promises of happiness, adventure, youthfulness, etc. Take the example of the current EMI options on expensive smartphones.

When one could do with a Rs. 15,000 phone (within budget), the EMI option gives a false sense of smart decision and instead makes you buy a Rs. 35,000 phone (overstretched budget). Spending wisely is not being stingy but being smart and aware. Every rupee spent on unnecessary urges contributes to lost wealth.

WARREN BUFFET TIPS

warren tips


What you should do: Always ask these questions: Do I really need this? Am I overspending? Can I save some money without compromising on the value I want from a particular product/service? Encourage your family members to follow this path.

Lesson: Rule No. 1 : Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget Rule No.1 - Warren Buffett

2. SAVING: SAVE FOR THE UNEXPECTED

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. - Warren Buffett

All of us know that saving is important for a better future. But it is alarming to observe that most of us do not even save enough for emergencies. This happens due to our myopic view about personal finance.

Instant gratification today matters more than saving for tomorrow. In fact, saving is perceived as sacrifice by people.

What you should do: Follow “pay yourself first” principle. Set aside money for your future goals (and risk) as soon as you receive your monthly paycheck. Take professional advice to know where and how much you should invest for achieving goals.

Lesson: Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving. - Warren Buffett

3. THINK LONG-TERM AND BE PATIENT

“No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.” - Warren Buffett

Money is part of nature, it doesn’t grow overnight. However, we overestimate money we can make in a year and underestimate what we can

make in 10 years. People make money by staying invested for the long-term and without doing much “dancing in and dancing out” i.e. changing portfolios frequently.

Investors around the world believe in the India story in the long-term. You can benefit from India’s growth only if you invest for long-term and not panic seeing short-term fluctuations.

What you should do: Make a diversified portfolio based on your risk appetite and financial goals. Pick right financial instruments recommended by your financial advisor and invest regularly and persistently for the long term (8-10 years).

Lesson: Life is like a snowball. The important thing is finding wet snow (opportunities) and a really long hill (long term). - Warren Buffett

4. BORROWING: LIMIT WHAT YOU BORROW

You will not become rich by living on borrowed money (credit cards, loans). People initially think that borrowing is manageable. But our country is full of examples when managing debt becomes overwhelming. Borrowing should never be done without an objective assessment of future cash flow and other financial needs. One needs to have a solid plan to pay the debt back and not become its lifetime slave. A debt-free life is the best life.

What you should do: Start with thinking that borrowing money is not an option. Shift to using debit card (in-hand money) from credit card. Negotiate your interest rates with the banks and re-finance (early phase) if necessary. Objectively assess inflation rates, income growth, sources of income, assets to pledge, etc, while planning long-term borrowing.

Lesson: I’ve seen more people fail because of liquor and leverage -

leverage being borrowed money. You really don’t need leverage in this world much. If you’re smart, you’re going to make a lot of money without borrowing. - Warren Buffett

5. RISK

Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing. - Warren Buffett

Everyone wants to make money and we all want it quick. We go for investments which promise high returns. But we fail to objectively analyze the associated higher rate of risk. Trying to hit a six on every ball with your hard-earned money is nothing short of gambling. This happens because we are greedy, don’t read fine prints of financial instruments and don’t understand their investment objective. Our financial planning is vague and is done in a random fashion which leaves us susceptible to risk.

What you should do: Understand the objective of various financial instruments and asset classes.

Consult professional advisors to understand the investment pyramid, develop an investment strategy, review regularly and diversify.

Lesson: Investing without knowing increases risk. However, instead of shying away from investing one should acquire knowledge to get it right.

ArthaYantra.com provides personal financial advice online.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV Profit is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article.

warren tips


Subhadragroup

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Fax : +91 891 3098457. Email : [email protected] www.subhadragroup.in

We, Subhadra Group, would like to express our heartfelt

thanks for your continuous support all through these years

and helping us grow to what we are now. Without you and

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Subhadra R & AC Engineers

Subhadra Engineering Pvt. Ltd

Subhadra Engineering Projects

Subhadragroup

Designm

ouse 9885974411

A L L P O W E R & S E C U R I T Y

S E R V I C E S U N D E R O N E R O O F

� Entire range of Residential, Commercial and Industrial electrical products � Access control

� Refrigeration and Air conditioning products & systems � Fire, CCTV and public address system

� EPABX � Home & office automation � Home theaters

# 45-57-21/1, Near Narsimha Nagar Rythu Bazar, Narsimha Nagar, NH5, Visakhapatnam - 530 024.

Tel : +91 891-2722552, 2722551, 2540676, 88972 24466, 98661 92229.

Fax : +91 891 3098457. Email : [email protected] www.subhadragroup.in

We, Subhadra Group, would like to express our heartfelt

thanks for your continuous support all through these years

and helping us grow to what we are now. Without you and

your team's support this would not have been possible at all.

As you are already aware, we have been in the process of

developing India's first of its kind concept showroom for all

building needs related to electrical, air conditioning, safety &

security, home automation and custom built home theatres.

All under one roof!

Demo Home Theater Demo Bedroom & AC

A one-stop solution with functionally working & live

display of products catering to residential,

commercial & industrial segments!

Now, we have completed the showroom and are ready for a launch in your august presence.

Subhadra Engineering Agencies

Subhadra R & AC Engineers

Subhadra Engineering Pvt. Ltd

Subhadra Engineering Projects

TRANSITION INCONCRETE TECHNOLOGYAdding fly ash in concrete is not an option but a mandatory need in durability point of view where cost effectiveness is unasked for bonus. Thrust given by ‘Advanced Concrete Technology’ on packing effect, densification, pore refinement and refined micro-structure; all could be served by fly ash as a single input, in order to render ‘sustainable high performance’. The rule of game is to identify right quality of fly ash and adding the same in the righteous way by which fly ash performs better than OPC, of course in association with OPC. Stupendous engineering performance of Nano Concrete is one classic example of this marvelous performance of fly ash.

Dr. Mrs. N BhanumathiMr. N Kalidas

concrete technology


Primitive concrete:

Concrete means the combined product of cement-sand –stone that attains rock-like mass through the binding strength rendered by hydrated cement. The old school of thought advocated that concrete attains strength due to stone. Role of sand is to fill the gaps among the stones and, Cement binds the stone-sand matrix. Hence considerable discussion was there on type of coarse aggregate. The importance of cement chemistry was hardly realised in those days limiting knowledge to its role as binder. There were limited mix proportions randomly in practice in volume ratio such as:

1:4:8 for lean concrete for non-structural application

1:3:6 also for non-structural application

1:2:4 for M15 – for nominal structural application

1:1.5:3 for M20 – for high end structural application

1:1:2 for high very superior structural applications

River sand was used as fine aggregate and 20mm was only the coarse aggregate. In this approach cement consumption was more without rendering commensurate strength as explained further.

During course of grinding cement particles attain electric charge. Upon added with water, some portion of cement gets coagulated by adherence of cement to water droplets forming as spheroids. Portion of water entrapped in spheroids do get into hydration chemistry whereas balance of water evaporates, leaving hollow in the spheroids. This means cement of its total input is not available to render its role of binding the fine and coarse aggregate together. More over portion of water gets entrapped among

Adding fly ash in concrete is not an option but a mandatory need in durability point of view where cost effectiveness is unasked for bonus. Thrust given by ‘Advanced Concrete Technology’ on packing effect, densification, pore refinement and refined micro-structure; all could be served by fly ash as a single input, in order to render ‘sustainable high performance’.

The rule of game is to identify right quality of fly ash and adding the same in the righteous way by which fly ash performs better than OPC, of course in association with OPC. Stupendous engineering performance of Nano Concrete is one classic example of this marvelous performance of fly ash. cement particles is unavailable for rendering workability, summoning for further water. Concrete technologists realised the need of packing at this juncture that has given credence to the use of graded aggregate.

Graded Aggregates and Mix Design:

When there are different sizes of particles in sand and stone, attainment of compaction got improved reducing the voids considerably increasing the density of concrete. This is where the principles of mix design attained significance towards better densification and strength. Thus prescriptive mix designs became bygone-practice and performing mix designs have emerged as advancement based on bulk density and specific gravity of inputs, in addition to their particle-size distribution curve. In the process emerged the specification of zones for sand and adding 10-12 mm as coarse aggregate. Designed-mix concrete attains better workability for same water-cement ratio or, by reducing water for same workability, attains better strengths.

However, in the light of scarcity for sand and stone resulting in erratic supplies of aggregates, construction industry is forced to compromise by accepting

them in as in where in condition without choice to insist on specification. Thus mix designs have been proved as fallacy since the field practices go at a tangent to the disciplines of mix design. This has forced large construction houses and mega projects to set up their own aggregate manufacturing facilities. In order to enhance the impact of packing effect, vibration is deployed as a means of compaction. Water is added to concrete to attain workability. Since the significance of reducing water at the time of concrete-preparation is realised, low slump concretes were aimed and the hassles of compaction due to low water input was compensated by deploying vibrators. But irrational application of vibration do cause segregation, bring out the cement paste to the surface, opening chances for plastic shrinkage cracks. Moreover, matrix or concrete is deprived off cement as binder. Immense pollution due to inefficient engines driven by diesel and/or kerosene is the fallout of this practice.

Concrete with admixtures:

Despite of maximizing availability of cement for binding the aggregate, practice of mix design could not avoid formation of micro spheroids so much so the porosity of concrete. With the advent of admixtures this issue has been addressed. When admixture is added, it causes repulsion among cement particles, preventing them to adhere to water droplets by which the formation of spheroids is prevented and entrapment of water is avoided. This means cement is totally available for binding activity and water, entrapped in spheroids, could be made available for workability.

High performance concretes:

With the advent of superplasticisers, reduction in water and increase in workability made concretes with phenomenal improvement in strengths, proving it plausible to manufacture concrete of M50 and above.

concrete technology


To achieve this, coarse aggregate of 20 mm is avoided and 10-12 mm is only used. Higher the grade of concrete more the cement input. With increase in cement-input heat of hydration is increased on one hand and surplus lime is increased on the other. While the former has caused micro cracks within the concrete-matrix due to thermal stresses, the latter has caused to leaching out of lime solution leading to develop porosity. This has diminished the life of concrete and questioned its durability.

Here came the realization about ‘sustainable high performance’ that in turn emphasized the need for high cementitious content rather than high cement content. This means, OPC has to be reduced but needs to be associated with commensurate quantity of cement-like materials. In this practice of using multiple inputs, mix designs are prescribed in weight ratios.

Complementary Cement Materials (CCM):

CCMs are those inputs which have moderate or no heat of hydration but do render hydrated mineralogy akin to that of OPC by availing lime released out of OPC-hydration. Most of the CCMs such as fly ash, Ground Granulated Blast furnace Slag (GGBS), silica fume, rice husk ash (RHA) are industrial byproducts, except metakaoline that is processed out of natural mineral.

By addition of CCM not only lime and heat during OPC-hydration is reduced, but the surplus lime is converted to strength rendering hydrated mineralogy, which otherwise would have leached out, contributing for pore refinement and micro-densification of concrete. The result is durability enhancement.

Fly Ash

Holistic Performance of Fly Ash for Durability Advocated by INSWAREB

Coarse cement such as 33 Gr

Reduce surplus

lime

Chemical admixtures

Holistic performance of Fly ash for durability enhancement of concrete

Densify matrix

Impermeability & protection to reinforcement

Densify transition

zone

No Solution

Cool the aggregates

Reduce heat of

hydration

Fly ash and GGBS as popular CCMs:In terms of lime absorption and heat emission, relatively class F fly ash is better choice in comparison to GGBS. Moreover, fly ash is available with ultrafine particle size of one-μ to facilitate intense chemistry. In other words, while fly ash is added, it performs holistically in reducing heat of hydration, reducing water to binder ratio, development of secondary mineralogy; all contributing to refinement of transition zone and micro-matrix of concrete. In other dimension, fly ash addresses the vagaries resulting out of sacrificing mix design due to rapid changes in aggregate quality at site.

Awareness on transition zone in modern concrete:

In concrete, surplus water laden with dissolved lime tends to settle around coarse aggregate due to differential densities. This zone between coarse aggregate and cement paste is called as transition zone which is the weak zone of total concrete matrix and,

one of the main causes for effecting durability. Higher the size of coarse aggregate greater is the transition (weak) zone. Due to this fact, aggregate size is confined to not more than 12 mm in HPC.

Self Compacting Concrete (SCC):

Further advancements over last one decade have given scope for SCC which addresses various issues of concrete preparation and placement in one go:

n SCC facilitates to use fly ash both as CCM and also as micro aggregate.

n Due to use of fly ash, OPC content is lowered to around 200 kg/cu.m rendering minimum strength of M35 that can be enhanced to as high as M80 with marginal increase in OPC input.

n Coarse aggregate size is confined to 12 mm and below.

n Use of admixture is inevitable that, in turn, controls water to binder ratio, making the concrete self-compacting and self-propagating.

n Self-compacted SCC is better than that of vibrated control concrete in microstructure point of view. Hence use of vibrator is redundant, preventing considerable pollution.

n SCC can penetrate to any invisible pocket and most ideal for concreting piles even in hostile soil conditions.

No-Aggregate or Nano Concrete (NAC):

The recent development in the arena of concrete is ‘Nano Concrete’ that dispenses away the use of both fine and coarse aggregate. The total aggregate is replaced by fly ash which plays the role of micro-aggregate in addition to its performance as

concrete technology


‘pozzolan’ to the extent of reactive portion. NAC renders more than 2.5 times of strength against control concrete with same OPC content, despite reduction in density of set concrete by 25%. With cement content of 340 kg/cu.m strengths have been achieved at 60-80 MPa. Micro structure studies have shown up best formation of ceramic-like matrix, registering coulomb values at 27 to 300 under rapid chloride penetration test.

Field demonstrations have been conducted by executing good number of live structures. However, this concrete is being subjected for further structural research before released to market for commercial adoption.

Conclusion:

The subject of concrete which was merely confined to the mixing and placement of three ingredients viz cement-sand-stone is enlarged to a great dimension through constant research and advanced studies. Contractors and builders need to get exposed to this modern science.

Contractors and builders tend to save cement as economic approach but, adding commensurate quantity of fly ash protects the richness of mixes and improves the quality of mortar or concrete with better durability.

Scientific rationale and due supervision are essential for resorting to such blends.

While the world is progressing with high performance structures such as Petronas Towers (Malaysia) and Burj Khalifa (Dubai), practice of concrete technology at many construction sites in India is still slogging with very primitive approaches. It does not cost too high to practice advancements in concrete technology but it renders too much of value addition to the structure with improved life cycle cost. Judicious use of CCM and chemical admixtures would make the concrete more durable, cost effective and sustainable with long life; all serving the need of the millennium ie., green technology with least carbon foot print.

concrete technology


Sree Vishnu ElectricalsP.N.V.L. Deepak

We Deals all Electricals

NAMASTEMCB Distribution Board

cell: 9848055869, 9246672100 Ph: 0891-6523111

#31-32-81, Shop No. 25&26,R.K.Arcade, Opp.Jupiter Lodge

Dabagardens, VisakhaPatnam-20

Sree Vishnu ElectricalsP.N.V.L. Deepak

We Deals all Electricals

NAMASTEMCB Distribution Board

cell: 9848055869, 9246672100 Ph: 0891-6523111

#31-32-81, Shop No. 25&26,R.K.Arcade, Opp.Jupiter Lodge

Dabagardens, VisakhaPatnam-20

What is right and what is wrong? Who decides that? The king, government, religion, tradition, culture Lincoln, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. et al. asked the government, the local society or anyone else what was wrong and what was right? They made their decisions and the rest followed. That is the definition of leadership. They decided what was wrong and what was right for the society as a whole. Did they write their own books or did they follow someone else’s rules?

The question I need to ask each time is: wrong or right for WHOM? For the government, society, family, or myself? Most things in life are not either clearly right or clearly wrong. Obeying rules doesn’t make anything right or wrong. Wrong-doers sometimes succeed and right-doers suffer. Conformity doesn’t make anything right. How do you reconcile within yourself? Many times we end up doing wrong things to satisfy others. I need to do things to my satisfaction, if others are satisfied along with my satisfaction, it is a bonus.

Of course, we need to obey the government’s laws, rules and regulations to a great extent to stay out of trouble. That doesn’t mean we need to follow every unwritten rule, tradition, faith, belief and what is always acceptable to society, family and friends. They will get used to my certain nonconformity when they see its value. What is right or what is wrong is not important; the question to ask is how it will help the family or society as a whole. In most of the corporate world, I could get fired thinking outside the box, which I can understand. They are paying me to do what they think is right. Sometimes in the same corporation, much against the overall corporate

policy, one manager will be willing to let you bootleg and quietly do things differently, taking personal risk and another might throw the book at you. However, if you look around, some of the high-tech corporations that encourage freethinking as a company policy prosper much faster than the top-down companies.

Am I trying to justify all my wrongdoings? No; if I make a fair judgement, based on my intelligence, knowledge, and experience, I should be willing to take a chance with my decisions and face the consequences. Others, with their limited knowledge and information, may or may not agree with this.

Surely some will think I am foolish to take that path. Risk-taking is part of life. How much calculated risk are you willing to take? That is how you decide what is right and wrong. Mostly the fear factor of doing the “wrong” thing prevents us from doing a lot of “right” and good things. The fear of inhibition, generally, comes from concern about what other are going to think. If I am absolutely convinced that it is the right thing to do, others will be convinced sooner or later. Decision-making is a big part of leadership. Do all the leaders make all decisions all the time? Of course not. But they are willing to make an exclusive decision based on the best of their experience, ability, knowledge, and available information and generally come out right. This is what separates leaders and followers. Again these are my thoughts, but write your own book using your intelligence, experience, and ability.

There are around seven billion weirdos and one “normal” person on this planet. Guess who that “normal” person is.

Learn to live with the weirdos. Try to find five uniquely good things about each weirdo you are close to and openly respect them for those unique good qualities. They may be 95% weird by your standards, but you can always find something good in each one if you look hard enough. Suddenly those weirdos around you will start changing one at a time. Not because they changed; your thought process changed in your mind.

You will always see what you are looking for. The rest of the world will have plenty of these weirdos. Don’t worry about them. They don’t bother you and you don’t bother them. Recognise your own strengths and believe in them. Identify five things about yourself that could use some small improvements and work on them. Always ask others, including children, for help. You will get honest feedback.

If you ask a hundred random people to rate Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, John. F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and God himself, I don’t believe any one of them will get a unanimous perfect rating. I am sure some fault could be found in anyone. You can judge them only by your standards. It all depends on how YOU look at things. Some people always wonder if a glass is half empty or half full. Even if it is 95% full, however, someone will see it partially empty and therefore not acceptable. There is no such thing as PERFECT. Remember Einstein’s PERFECT crystal? The best of diamonds have impurities. Enjoy the good in everything. Clarity of your own mind will help you see what is good.

RIGHT AND WRONG, GOOD AND BAD


right and wrong

Dr.

P. N

. Ram

chan

dran

U.S

.A

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