Islamabad most expensive city in Pakistan

Islamabad has emerged as Pakistan's most expensive city while 

Karachi is the cheapest. (Reuters)

Islamabad has emerged as Pakistan's most expensive city while Karachi is the cheapest, according to an official report.

The report of Inflation Monitor-December 2013, recently issued by the State Bank, Islamabad was on top of the list where the main inflation CPI (Consumer Price Index) was highest in December 2013.

Almost all major cities of Pakistan were included in the list of high inflation except Karachi. Karachi was included in the list of low inflation areas.

At the end of December (year-on-year basis), the main inflation for Islamabad was 15.5 per cent, food inflation 11.4 per cent and non-food was 18.7 per cent which was the highest compared all parts of the country. The main inflation for the country in December was 9.2 per cent, Dawn daily reported.

Being strongest political power after Islamabad, Larkana of Sindh province embraced second highest inflation of 13.9 per cent mainly led by food inflation of 14.3 per cent.

Provincial capitals like Peshawar and Quetta were also listed among the cities with high inflation of 13.2 per cent and 10.4 per cent and food inflation, 13.5 per cent and 12. 6 per cent, respectively.

Lahore has been listed among the low inflation cities as the CPI was 8 per cent led by food inflation of 9.5 per cent.

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Few asteroids worth mining: Study - Only 10 near-Earth asteroids may be suitable for commercial-scale mining

According to the analysis, just 1 per cent of near-Earth asteroids are rich 

in these elements. (Reuters)

In some bad news for companies hoping to mine space-rocks for their valuable ores, a new study has claimed that only 10 near-Earth asteroids may be suitable for commercial-scale mining. Dr Martin Elvis, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, US, has developed an equation to estimate the number of asteroids in the solar system that could be exploited in a cost-effective way.

Elvis evaluated the factors that would make an asteroid commercially viable to mine and what fraction of known space rocks met these requirements.

He emphasised there were large uncertainties in the values and called for more thorough surveys of what's out there, 'BBC News' reported.

Elvis assumed that mining operations would focus on iron-nickel asteroids (known as M-type), considered the most promising targets for finding so-called platinum-group metals. These include platinum, along with iridium, palladium etc.

These are rare in the Earth's crust because they dissolve in molten iron, instead being mainly concentrated in the planet's core.

However, according to the analysis, just 1 per cent of near-Earth asteroids are rich in these elements.

Suitable asteroids also need to be relatively easy to reach, further narrowing the pool by ruling out all but the nearest objects to Earth.

The operative parameter here is delta-v - the change in velocity needed to send mining equipment to the target and return with a larger mass of ore.

The paper suggests it wouldn't be worth mining asteroids smaller than about 100m because the total value of the ore they would produce wouldn't be enough to cover the costs of a space mission.

Elvis pointed out that the ore values in his analysis range from a low of USD 800m to a high of USD 8.8bn.

"Such a large range of values could greatly change the profitability of a venture, making more accurate assays necessary," he said.

Eric Anderson, co-founder of asteroid mining company Planetary Resources, said there were key errors in the study.

"Number one, the author points to an assumption of only wanting to go to M-type asteroids. Assuming we were only going after platinum-group metals, the most platinum-rich asteroids are the C-class ones," he told the BBC.

Fragments of these asteroids are known as carbonaceous chondrites when they fall to Earth.

Also, Planetary Resources' engineers were prepared to include objects that required a delta-v of 7km/s, a more ambitious limit than the 4.5km/s used in the study.

"I want to stress that my paper does not mean that there is no commercial future for asteroid mining. It does mean that gold mines are rare, which shouldn't be too surprising," Elvis said.

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The Pantheon in Rome, Italy

Twice destroyed and twice rebuilt, the Pantheon in Rome evolved into a domed building so famous that it inspired architects for 2,000 years.

What is the Pantheon in Rome?

Illustration of the Pantheon in Rome, During the Roman Empire

Today a Christian church, the Pantheon is the best preserved of all ancient Roman buildings and has been in near-continuous use since Hadrian’s reconstruction. From a distance the Pantheon is not as awe-inspiring as other ancient monuments — the dome appears low, not much higher than surrounding buildings. Inside, the Pantheon is among the most impressive in existence. Its inscription, M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIUM·FECIT, means: Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this.

History of Pantheon in Rome

Model of the Pantheon in Rome, as it Appeared during the Roman Empire

The Pantheon in Rome was not built in a day. Twice destroyed and twice rebuilt, Rome's famous "Temple of All the Gods" began as a rectangular structure. Over the course of a century, this original Pantheon evolved into a domed building so famous that it inspired architects for the next 2,000 years.

Archeologists and historians debate which emperor and which architects designed Pantheon we see today. In 27 AD, Marcus Agrippa, the first emperor of the Roman Empire, commissioned a rectangular Pantheon building. Agrippa's Pantheon burnt down in 80 AD. All that remains is the front portico.

Nighttime view of the lighted Roman Pantheon from Piazza della Rotonda in Rome, Italy

Another Roman Emperor, Titus Flavius Domitianus, (or, simply Domitian) rebuilt the Pantheon, but it burned down in about 110 AD.

Then, in 126 AD, Emperor Hadrian completely restored the Pantheon in Rome. This Roman Pantheon survived many centuries and wars. The Pantheon remains the best-preserved building in Rome.

Architecture of the Pantheon

Diagram of the Pantheon in Rome, Showing the Interior Architecture

The identity of the architect behind the Pantheon is unknown, but most scholars attribute it to Apollodorus of Damascus. The parts of Hadrian’s Pantheon are a columned porch (8 massive granite Corinthian columns in front, two groups of four behind), an intermediate area of brick, and finally the monumental dome. The Pantheon’s dome is the largest surviving dome from antiquity; it was also the largest dome in the world until Brunelleschi’s dome on the Duomo of Florence was completed in 1436.

The Amazing Dome at the Roman Pantheon

The Ancient Romans were skilled at concrete construction. When they built the Pantheon around 125 A.D., the skilled builders of Rome applied advanced engineering to the Greek classical orders. They gave their Pantheon massive 25-foot thick walls to support a huge dome made of solid concrete. As the height of the dome rises, the concrete was mixed with lighter and lighter stone material; the top is largely pumice. With a diameter that measures 43.4 meters, the dome of the Roman Pantheon ranks as the world's largest dome made of unreinforced solid concrete.


The ceiling of the Pantheon dome has five symmetrical rows of 28 coffers (sunken panels) and a round oculus (opening) at the center. Sunlight streaming through the oculus illuminates the Pantheon rotunda. The coffered ceiling and oculus were not only decorative, but lessened the weight load of the roof.

The Pantheon and Roman Religion

Hadrian seems to have intended his rebuilt Pantheon to be a sort of ecumenical temple where people could worship any and all gods they wished, not just local Roman gods. This would have been keeping with Hadrian’s character — a widely travelled emperor, Hadrain admired Greek culture and respected other religions. During his reign an increasing number of Roman subjects either didn’t worship Roman gods or worshipped them under other names, so this move made good political sense, too.

Interior Space of the Pantheon:

The Pantheon has been called a “perfect” space because the diameter of the rotunda is equal to that of its height (43m, 142ft). The purpose of this space was to suggest geometrical perfection and symmetry in the context of a perfect universe. The interior space could fit perfectly either in a cube or in a sphere. The massive interior room is designed to symbolize the heavens; the oculus or Great Eye in the room is designed to symbolize the light- and life-giving sun.

Oculus of the Pantheon:

The central point of the Pantheon is far above visitors’ heads: the great eye, or oculus, in the room. It looks small, but it’s 27ft across and the source of all light in the building — symbolic of how the sun is the source of all light on earth. Rain that comes through collects in a drain in the center of the floor; the stone and moisture keep the interior cool through the summer. Every year, on June 21st, the rays of the sun at the summer equinox shines from the oculus through the front door.

Construction of the Pantheon:

How the dome has been able to bear its own weight has been a matter of great debate — if such a structure were built today with unreinforced concrete, it would quickly collapse. The Pantheon, though, has stood for centuries. No agreed-upon answers to this mystery exist, but speculation includes both an unknown formulation for the concrete as well as spending a lot of time tamping the wet concrete to eliminate air bubbles.

Changes in the Pantheon:

Some lament the architectural incoherence in the Pantheon. We see, for example, a Greek-style colonnade on the front with a Roman-style interior space. What we see, however, is not how the Pantheon was originally constructed. One of the most significant changes was the addition of two bell towers by Bernini. Called “asses’ ears” by Romans, they were removed in 1883. In a further act of vandalism, Pope Urban VIII had the bronze ceiling of the portico melted down for St. Peter’s portico.

Pantheon as a Christian Church:

One reason why the Pantheon has survived in such remarkable shape while other structures are gone may be the fact that Pope Boniface IVI consecrated it as a church dedicated to Mary and the Martyr Saints in 609. This is the official name which it continues to bear today and masses are still celebrated here. The Pantheon has also been used as a tomb: among those buried here are the painter Raphael, the first two kings, and first queen of Italy. Monarchists maintain a vigil at these latter tombs.

Influence of the Pantheon:

As one of the best surviving structures from ancient Rome, the influence of the Pantheon on modern architecture almost cannot be underestimated. Architects from all over Europe and America from the Renaissance through the 19th century studied it and incorporated what they learned into their own work. Echoes of the Pantheon can be found in numerous public structures: libraries, universities, Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda, and more.

It’s also possible that the Pantheon has had an impact on Western religion: the Pantheon appears to be the first temple built with general public access in mind. Temples of the ancient world were generally limited only to specific priests; the public may have taken part in religious rituals in some fashion, but mostly as observers and outside the temple. The Pantheon, however, existed for all the people — a feature which is now standard for houses of worship in all religions of the West.

Hadrian on the Pantheon in Rome

Illustration of the Inside of the Pantheon in Rome, as a Christian Church

Hadrian wrote about the Pantheon he had reconstructed: “My intentions had been that this sanctuary of All Gods should reproduce the likeness of the terrestrial globe and of the stellar sphere...The cupola...revealed the sky through a great hole at the center, showing alternately dark and blue. This temple, both open and mysteriously enclosed, was conceived as a solar quadrant. The hours would make their round on that caissoned ceiling so carefully polished by Greek artisans; the disk of daylight would rest suspended there like a shield of gold; rain would form its clear pool on the pavement below, prayers would rise like smoke toward that void where we place the gods.”
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ThyssenKrupp combines plant technology capabilities

Uhde, Polysius and Fordertechnik combined under the roof of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions...............................

As part of its strategic way forward, ThyssenKrupp is strengthening its plant technology business as a major growth area for the Group. To better exploit global market opportunities the previously separate plant technology companies of the Group are being combined under the roof of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions. The merger of the German companies of ThyssenKrupp Uhde and ThyssenKrupp Resource Technologies (created from ThyssenKrupp Polysius and ThyssenKrupp Fordertechnik) with ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions is now an important milestone in the integration process.

Dr Heinrich Hiesinger, CEO, ThyssenKrupp, said, “The integration and regionalisation of our plant technology business is an important element of our transition into a diversified industrial group. This growth area offers great potential, which we can exploit optimally with ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions as a global, integrated engineering and construction company. Our aim is to grow faster than the market.”

Dr Hans Christoph Atzpodien, CEO, ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, added, “Combining the strengths of our three successful long-standing plant technology companies and acting as one company on the global stage in the future will increase our impact particularly in the growth regions and enable us to carry out projects worldwide on a whole new scale. We plan to increase ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions' sales by on average more than five percent per year in the coming years.”

With over Euro 5.6 billion in sales in fiscal year 2012/2013 and around 19,000 employees, ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions ranks among the world's leading plant technology companies and holds top-three positions in key market segments. The company offers its customers engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) as well as associated services from a single source and has decades of experience gained in building more than 5,000 plants. With highly efficient chemical, refinery, cement and other industrial plants as well as equipment for open-pit mining, ore processing and port handling, ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions enables its customers to meet increasing worldwide demand for 'more' energy, raw materials and capital goods in a 'better' resource-friendly way.

Under the roof of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, plant technology operations worldwide will be managed by the two business units Process Technologies and Resource Technologies. Process Technologies is focused on engineering, procurement and construction for chemical, refinery and other industrial plants, while Process Technologies offers a comprehensive product portfolio and a wide sales and service network to customers in the mining, cement, mineral processing and materials handling industries. The traditional brands Uhde and Polysius will be retained as product names. Besides Essen, the future headquarters of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, the company will have 40 branch offices in 25 countries around the world.

To support the global exchange of knowledge and engineering services and present a single face to the customer, new regional organisations are being set up. These will make it possible to manage projects in the regions with a stronger focus on local requirements. As the integration process continues the respective foreign subsidiaries of ThyssenKrupp Uhde and ThyssenKrupp Resource Technologies will also be gradually combined into one company per country under the name ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions. This will create a much larger and more efficient organisation worldwide.

ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions is one of six business areas of the ThyssenKrupp Group. Alongside Process Technologies and Resource Technologies it also includes the companies ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, offering engineering services for submarine and shipbuilding, and ThyssenKrupp System Engineering, with production equipment for the automotive and aerospace industries.

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Innovations in Chemicals for Building and Construction (Technical Insights)

Chemical Technologies that help in Achieving Sustainability in Building and Construction

This research service analyzes the innovations in chemicals for building and construction by covering five different segmentation; concrete admixtures, adhesives, water proofing chemicals and membranes, repair and rehabilitation chemicals as well as flooring chemicals. This is a study covering the current state as well as the future potential of emerging technologies that help in achieving sustainability in building and construction industries.

Executive Summary—Research Scope

This research service, "Innovations in Chemicals for Building and Construction" brings out the strategic and technology developments in the construction chemicals space on a global scale. This research service captures the global developments for chemicals used in the construction industry as building and construction have gained prominence throughout the world with increasing importance for infrastructure development.

The construction chemicals domain is highly cost-competitive and the current influence of several environmental or green regulations has created an opportunity for the manufacturers to develop multifunctional materials at lower lifecycle cost by efficient utilization of waste recycle and waste reduction techniques.

In brief, this research service provides:

• Snapshot of the construction chemical technologies

• Key drivers and challenges that influence use of chemicals in building and construction.

• Highlights of some key innovations in the field of construction chemicals and the level of technology adoption

• Emerging opportunities for construction chemicals

• Technology deployment and application roadmap

• Roadmap for construction chemical technologies

• Technology Management Strategies

• Key Patents in construction chemical industry

Research Methodology

Primary Research

• Engineers

• CTOs/ CEOs/ CIOs

• Technical Architects

• Research Heads

• Strategic Decision Makers

• Technology Policy Heads

Secondary Research

• Technology Journals

• Periodicals

• Market Research research services

• Technology policy information sites

• Internal databases

• Thought Leader Briefings

Executive Summary- Priorities for Construction Industry

Energy Efficiency

Improving energy efficiency of buildings

Sustainability

Weather resistance, longevity, and low maintenance

Increasing Wellness

Improving indoor and outdoor air quality

The future trends in construction industry is the creation of buildings, which consume less energy to build and operate. This can be achieved in several ways such as by effectively utilizing technology developments, considering process designs, and by studying human behavior patterns and adhering to regulatory frameworks. Examples of technology utilization are installation of thermal insulation materials. Sustainability priorities can be divided into two categories: economic sustainability and environmental sustainability. Economic sustainability is defined as increasing profitability by making more efficient use of resources including chemicals or materials and utilities and labor whereas environmental sustainability can be described as utilization of natural resources for protecting the environment from the impact of emissions, effluent, and waste. New and innovative solutions that meet the demands that are associated with the global challenges are being increasingly considered by stakeholders. Increasing health and wellness is one of the main priorities because it promotes better working conditions for contractors and developers along with providing ambient living conditions.

CEO's Perspective

1. The building and construction market has witnessed the consolidation of several small- and medium-sized participants into larger entities from the last five years, leading to more competition in terms of expertise as opposed to price.

2. Construction chemical companies need to focus on designing and providing sustainable solutions for their product as well as aggressively approach niche markets in each segment through product development or technology innovation and obtain a premium price for their brand.

3. Construction chemical suppliers will have to strengthen their relationships with contractors and architects, and they will have to work together to identify cost-effective options within their portfolio rather than pushing their products unidirectionally into the market.

4. Research and development (R&D) initiatives are significant to the growth of the construction chemicals market. Enormous efforts of R&D activities are needed to differentiate in terms of product offering.

Technology Snapshot

Construction chemicals is one of the niche segments in specialty chemical segments of chemical industry. These chemicals are specialty products that are used in building structures to increase its life, and also to impart additional protection from environmental hazards. Construction chemicals are considered to be the backbone of any type of construction work and are essential for high quality structures . They are usually utilized as additive substances in pre- as well as post-construction stages.

Role of Construction Chemicals

• Minimizing or optimizing utilization of raw materials that are needed to produce sustainable and strong infrastructure

• Promote performance of raw materials that are used in building and construction.

Construction chemicals play a very important role in reducing the total raw material consumption for construction material manufacturers, thus, acting as cost-effective problem solvers espeacilally in the case of ahdesives and rerlated products.

Construction chemicals provide manufacturers a way to differentiate their product. The tailored performance improves the overall market quality., giving consumers a performance-based choice.

Technology Snapshot—Value Chain

Feedstock Source and Creation

Feedstock Providers

• Petroleum Plants

• Chemicals and resin manufacturers

Raw Material Developers

Construction Chemicals Developers

• Developers of materials such as

- Epoxy, Vinyl

- Acrylic

- Silicon

- Bitumen

Product Fabricators

Product Manufacturers

• Concrete admixtures

• Adhesives

• Water proofing chemicals and membranes

• Repair and rehabilitation chemicals

• Flooring chemicals

End Users

Contractors/Project Developers

• Residential

• Non-residential

• Roads

• Bridges

Technology Value Chain Analysis

• All feedstock suppliers such as BASF, Shell, Dow Chemical, Huntsman, and ExxonMobil provide continuous supply and evaluation of feedstock. Feedstock manufacturers will ensure that the quality of incoming raw materials are according to specifications, supplier statements, and certificates.

• Construction chemicals and material suppliers such as Sika, Evonik, BASF, Lafarge, Akzo Nobel, Arkema, and WR Grace provide a wide range of innovative offers in specialty construction chemicals and materials that includes: concrete admixtures and fibers, products for architectural concrete, liquid pigments for colored concrete, cement processing additives, concrete masonry products, and structural waterproofing systems.

• Product developers like Dow Chemical, Akzo Nobel, BASF, DuPont, and Saint Gobain provide the complete process of bringing new products to market whereas product fabricators or manufacturers provide a spectrum of construction chemicals or improved products by incorporating several chemicals: additives, pigments or composite materials for specific application.

• Contractors and project developers serves end users from across industry verticals to use construction chemicals ubiquitously.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3 

Technology Overview 7 

Impact Assessment and Analysis 12 

Diffusion of Innovation and Needs Assessment 20 

Opportunity Evaluation and Landscaping 23 

Key Patents 35 

Key Contacts 42 

The Frost and Sullivan Story 45

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Prime Minister lays foundation stone for 2800 Mwe nuclear power project in Haryana

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on 13 January, laid the foundation stone for the 2800 Mwe Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) in Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district of Haryana. While giving details of GHAVP Singh said that the 1st phase will see the commissioning of two units producing 1400 Mwe of electricity. The commissioning of 1st phase will be completed by 2020-21. The second phase will start after that which will double the capacity to full 2800 MWe,

Gorakhpur Anu Vidyut Pariyajana (GHAVP-1 to 4) is an initiative of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. The projects is being built at an estimated cost of Rs. 20,594 crore, this will be the 1st Nuclear Power Plant of Haryana and will be 21st in the country. The Haryana state government has provided 1319 acres of land for the project and nearly 186 acres for the housing colonies of plant personnel and CISF personnel.

The prime minister said that nuclear energy is one of the safest and clean option for electricity. India is among those few nations where technology to establish nuclear power projects has been developed. Today India is capable of producing 4800 MW power and in the coming 10 years it will produce more than 27,000 MW of electricity.

Singh also added that the Gorakhpur nuclear project is based on the indigenous technology developed by Indian scientists. The technology being used in this project is very effective and duly tested. The types of reactors established will also be commissioned in Kakrapar of Gujarat and Rawatbhata of Rajasthan. Also, the state of art and most advanced security measures will be enacted in this project.

On environmental concerns Singh said that it has already been addressed before approving the projects. He said no one will be displaced from his house while commissioning of this project. He also stated that persons giving their land for this project will be given an annual additional money for next 33 years in addition to compensation. Around 8-10 thousand person are also expected to get employment during 1st phase through contractual assignments.

He further expressed the hope that on completion and commissioning of all the four units of 700 MWe each in this project, the energy needs of country particularly Haryana will be fulfilled to a large extent as half of this will be for It is bound to produce local employment also. Priority will be given to people who are likely to be affected by this project.

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I AM BACK AGAIN .......

 FRIENDS ..... 

I AM BACK AGAIN.......

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