India is employing a groundbreaking approach to tackle the challenge of steel slag generated during steel production. According to Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, the country is now utilizing steel slag to build stronger and more enduring roads along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh.
The technology for using steel slag in road construction was developed by the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). This groundbreaking technique not only addresses the issue of slag waste generated by steel plants but also offers several advantages. Minister Singh highlighted that steel slag roads are not only approximately 30 percent more cost-effective than traditional paving methods but also exhibit exceptional durability and resistance to weather-induced deterioration.
India witnessed its first processed steel slag road in Surat, Gujarat, in June last year. This project was a joint venture involving CSIR-CRRI, the Union Ministry of Steel, NITI Aayog, and Arcelor-Mittal Nippon Steel at Hazira. The experimentally paved six-lane road, using steel slag, demonstrated remarkable resilience to weather impacts and heavy truck traffic, even though the surface was 30 percent shallower than roads paved with natural aggregates.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) also embraced this innovative technology, constructing a long-lasting, heavy-duty road in Arunachal Pradesh, a strategically crucial region along the India-China border.
To facilitate the implementation of this eco-friendly road construction approach, Tata Steel contributed steel slag free-of-cost, which was efficiently transported from Jamshedpur to Arunachal Pradesh by Indian Railways. Moreover, the National Highways Authority of India successfully tested the steel slag road technology on the Mumbai-Goa National Highway-66.
India is the world’s second-largest steel producer, generating around 200 kg of slag per tonne of steel production. With this forward-thinking initiative, the country is transforming industrial waste into an asset while ensuring the development of resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
