Infrastructure is the backbone of the nation, which holds giant sophisticated structures of industry, society, and economy. It propels national growth and development, pushing the country higher and higher at the expense of its continuous deterioration with time. As such, infrastructures are often multi-million dollar projects that need to be durable enough to last through generations. They can be a key to unlocking the prosperous future of the new generation if built with utmost care or may lead to peril, often resulting in loss of lives if built with indifference. Like any other infrastructure project, a public landscaping project is also pivotal to multiple facets of the nation – transportation, industry, health, etc. 

Asian Concreto is a pioneering company in the landscaping products and construction material industry that has introduced superior European technology to the Nepali market. While Asian Concreto holds its motto of “Beauty your way” through its variety of products in a multitude of designs, colors, and patterns, quality has always been the core principle at its plants. Certified as an ISO 9001:2015 company, Asian concreto is a market leader that brings quality with beauty with its extensive collage of magnificent products. The fully automatic plant at Asian Concreto is on a mission 24/7 to deliver high-quality products that beautify Nepal while making no compromise in quality. While many local producers fail to build quality products compliant with Nepal Standard, Asian concreto with its German technology can hold its candle even against strict European Standards.

As one of the most valuable ingredients to a prosperous nation, infrastructure development is one of the most critically analyzed and reviewed operations around the globe. European Nations have enforced strict standards and upheld laws and regulations since time immemorial to ensure the highest standard in the construction of infrastructure projects. Even our neighboring country, India, had formulated standards for landscaping products decades if not centuries ago. While Nepal would have followed suit eventually, it was lagging in that respect.

What is Nepal Standard Certification?

Nepal Standard (Certification Mark) Act 2037 is a mark given by the National Bureau of Standards to companies for specific products and services that comply with all the rules and requirements set by the Government of Nepal. The main purpose of this mark is to ensure quality works and determine standards in products, processes, and services. 

The National Bureau of Standards issues the Nepal Standard Certification to worthy institutions and also appoints inspectors to ensure the quality of the services and products comply with the standards. The Bureau has all the right to renew, cancel, or suspend the certification mark.  

Why do we need quality in construction and infrastructure?

Lack of specific certificates, carefully designed standard grading systems, and policies from the government have led the contractors to use low-grade products, and manufacturers themselves have no incentive toward higher quality products. The general public preferred lower quality products to reduce the burden on their budgets, as they are unaware of the risks they bear by such use. The general public had no way to assess the quality of the materials when the government itself had not formulated the policies for such quality assessment. Asian concreto felt the need to bring the government attention to the issue of building large infrastructure projects with sub-par materials. The locally produced construction products that fail to meet the quality standards have endangered the lives of the public. There have been numerous examples of multi-million failures that have resulted in catastrophes damaging infrastructures and taking innocent lives. Low-quality blocks have short lifespans due to severe problems like loosening concrete blocks, water leakage inside blocks, wear and tear under heavy load and higher traffic, etc.

Thus, Asian Concreto pushed for the standardization of concrete block products in Nepal not only for the sake of the development of its industry but for the sake of national interest as well. It felt the need to set standards for higher quality execution of landscaping projects. As such, it approached the Nepal Standard Bureau to do the same.

How did Asian Concreto get the Nepal Standard Certification Mark?

Asian Concreto petitioned the government through the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology to provide a Nepal Standard certificate to its concrete products. The application, the first of its kind in the concrete precast industry, was critically reviewed by government administrators. The government formed a committee of several acclaimed experts from industry, academia, and the road infrastructure department tasked to analyze the different criteria for the standard. They took various parameters like the places of application, the load-bearing capacity of the material, and, the traffic count into consideration to optimize for the standard best suited to the unique needs of Nepal. The highly qualified team of engineers and experts from Asian Concreto coordinated closely with the committee throughout the whole process. After several highly technical meetings, non-technical policy level meetings, and thorough analysis of the needs of the Nepali Market, the government formulated Nepal Standard for concrete products.

Finally, the year-long journey, where Asian Concreto plants got minutely inspected and its products rigorously tested, came to an end when the company became Nepal’s first certified manufacturer of precast concrete products. The Asian pavers are compliant with Nepal Standard certification NS593 while Asian Kerbstones got awarded the NS594 certification. Those standards were formulated, closely referencing the modern standards of European nations and in consideration to the Indian Standard as well. It opened up a whole new avenue for all Nepal-made concrete products to be exported to the foreign market. It could become an invaluable resource for increasing national income through exports. 

The NSB issued Nepal Standard (Certification Mark) Act 2037 to the following products from Asian Concreto:

• Precast Concrete Blocks for Paving [M-35, M-40, and M-50]
• Precast Concrete Kerbs
• -Half Battered Kerbs (300*200*350)mm, (300*165*325)mm, and (250*200*380)mm
• -Splayed Kerbs (300*200*350)mm

Here are the details of the Nepal Standard Certification for the above products.

Some Nepal Standard Certified Concrete Paving Blocks and Kerbstone

Asian Kerbstone

There are four types of Kerbstone produced and used across the world; half-battered, bull-nosed, splayed, and square. Asian Concreto flaunts its Nepal Standard Certification Mark in the half-battered and splayed kerbstones.

Half-Battered Kerbstone

These Kerb Stones are primarily used in the highway and other areas that experience considerable motor traffic. It features a slanted upper profile that serves many safety characteristics. For example, when the tire of an uncontrolled/misguided vehicle comes in contact with these kerbstones, the slanted profile helps to deflect the motors back to the road. 

Furthermore, these quality kerbstones also enable the vehicle to make use of the full width of the road thanks to the slanted upper profile. Together with bull-nosed Kerbstone, it is the most popular and widely used product. These Kerbstones are reusable, have high resistance to wear, and are fairly priced. You can get additional details such as dimensions and pictures through this link.

Paving Blocks

Paving blocks are construction materials applied with the purpose of decoration, hard standing, or surface treatment. Asian Concreto is the biggest and the only Nepal Standard Certified manufacturer of paving blocks. The 100% automated plant imbued with German technology results in supreme quality concrete paving blocks in Nepal. The company is currently the leading manufacturer of all landscaping products within the country. That said, let’s have a look at some of the quality blocks manufactured by Asian Concreto.

Asian Hexagon

If you want to pave the surface of your property with a solid base without making it too flashy, the Asian Hexagon would be your best choice. It is a simple-looking paving block that comes in an array of colors and keeps the surface devoid of dust and slush. 

These high-quality paving blocks endow excellent skid resistance and are easy to install. Unlike plastered surfaces, paving blocks can be easily re-used and are less time-consuming. These blocks find their usage in walkways, driveways, parking areas, and airport roads. Further information on the product can be found here.

Asian Grass Paver

Asian Grass Paver is an eco-friendly product from Asian Concreto that has environmental benefits in addition to being strong and aesthetic. The paver is installed in a pattern with visible square gaps in between, which enables greenery to foster between the spaces. This has many applications and aids in recharging groundwater during monsoon.

Improper groundwater management can pose many risks in urban spaces. By using grass pavers sideways, walkways, patios, and driveways, the premises are aesthetically decorated, and the water harvesting capabilities of the soil are preserved. 

In addition to these concrete paving blocks, there are many other quality blocks manufactured by Asian Concreto. You can view a full catalog of the products from the company.

Conclusion

The standardization effort from a private company like Asian Concreto is highly commendable and sets an important precedent for other industries in Nepal to do so in their respective fields. They have successfully alleviated the problem of the use of low-quality materials – materials often indiscriminately manufactured on-site are as inconsistent in shape as low in quality – in infrastructure development. Asian Concreto will remain undaunted in its path to standardize all its products, however tedious the process may be. It has plans to standardize concrete bricks, ensuring only the best quality for its valued customers. Asian Concreto envisions a future where durable infrastructure supports the growth and development of prosperous and beautiful Nepal for decades and generations to come.