India could soon be using new materials for road construction – steel slag. Under a pilot project Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India in association with the Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) laid down a 1km stretch of road in the city of Surat made from processed steel slag. The project is part of a Research and Development study sponsored by the Ministry of Steel. Steel slag is the waste produce of steel mills following the processing of smelting ores and minerals.
The road is said to be the first of its type in India with Satish Pandey, Principal Scientist, CSIR- Central Road Research Institute saying that the 6-lane road utilised about 1 lakh tonnes of the waste material on twitter.
The road is said to utilise 100 percent processed steel slag as a full alternative to more conventional natural materials.
As per reports, the new material is expected to make the road more durable than roads made using conventional materials with the road thickness also said to be lesser.
The pilot project if proven successful could provide a more durable alternative to regular tarred over roads which tend to develop potholes over time. It would also provide a means of disposal of steel slag.
Source: CSIR CRRI
