The steel slag road, made out of waste material from steel industries, is in Gujarat’s Surat. It is durable and costs 30 per cent cheaper than conventional roads
The six-lane road is located in the Surat Hazira Industrial Area. Image Courtesy: @CSIRCRRI/Twitter
In a significant step toward sustainability, India has constructed its first-ever steel slag road. The one-kilometre road in Gujarat’s Surat is a brainchild of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), the government think-tank NITI Aayog, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It has been built by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, a leading steel manufacturer, and has received the backing of the Steel Ministry and the Ministry of Transport.
What exactly is a steel slag road? And how does it help India’s environmental cause?
The road, located in Surat Hazira Industrial Area, is built with steel slag – a waste material from steel industries. Its thickness is 30 per cent less compared to conventional roads made of asphalt, soil, bitumen, and natural aggregates. The use of steel slag also makes the road more durable.
Is the road open to the public?
The construction of the six-lane road was completed in early March. The road is now being used for the commute to and from the industrial estate and sees a lot of heavy-duty traffic involving trucks and tempos. At least, 20 loaded trucks reportedly pass through this stretch daily.
The road is also cost-effective. “The construction costs of such steel slag roads will also be around 30 per cent cheaper. The Hazira road uses around 1 lakh tons of processed steel slag,” CRRI principal scientist Satish Pandey told The Indian Express.
The advantage of using steel slag
The disposal of waste material is a grave concern for the steel industry. Metallurgical and metal-processing waste in landfills causes harm to the environment. And steel industries that produce millions of tonnes of steel slag have had no alternate use of it until now.
Processed steel slag aggregate exhibits great potential as a replacement for natural construction material. The methodology to crush the steel slag in suitable aggregate sizes is being provided to steel industries, reports Livemint.
The Hazira road provides a viable option for the steel industry, which is a big contributor to climate change.
According to Surat Municipal Corporation’s road development officials, using processed steel in road-building paves the way for sustainable use of waste and reduces the reliance on perishable natural aggregates. This process is also expected to reduce GHG emissions and carbon footprint in road construction activity and is in line with India’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No 9 for building resilient infrastructure through inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and green technologies, reports The Indian Express.
“We are happy to facilitate a roadmap for the National Highway development. It’s a proud moment to be a part of this prestigious project that uses 100 per cent processed steel slags in all layers,” ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India said.
The CSIR has bigger plans to make roads more sustainable. Work is on to introduce new technologies including slag aggregates, reclaimed asphalt, waste plastic, crumb rubber, and marginal and composite materials to construct more durable roads.
Roads of plastic waste
India is revolutionising the way it builds roads. By July 2021, 703 km of National Highways were constructed with the use of waste plastic.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said last year that the ministry had issued guidelines for the mandatory use of plastic waste in periodic renewal with hot mixes and in wearing coat of service road on national highways within 50 km periphery of an urban area having a population of more than five lakh.
Plastic roads consist of six to eight per cent plastic, while 92 to 94 per cent is bitumen.
Roads made from waste plastic are more durable against extreme weather conditions like floods and heat as compared to conventional roads, according to a report by World Economic Forum. Plastic roads can prevent potholes, a major cause of road accident deaths in India.
India has the world’s second-largest network of roads. With roads of plastic and steel waste, it can usher in a change in the future of transport and at the same time work towards a model that will help in easing the country’s environmental problems.
With inputs from agencies
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