Border Roads Organization (BRO) will build Steel Slag Road in Arunachal Pradesh on a pilot project basis.
The Steel Slag Road will be a first-of-its-kind project and will be able to withstand heavy rains and adverse climatic conditions. The construction of Steel Slag Road in the remote area of Arunachal Pradesh which witnesses extreme climatic conditions is being done to explore possible solutions for building durable roads along strategic locations in treacherous areas.
Goal of Steel Slag Road in Arunachal Pradesh
The construction of the Steel Slag Road in Arunachal Pradesh is being done by the Border Roads Organization to identify a possible durable road connectivity solution for the region. The project, if successful, will resolve the connectivity issues faced by remote parts of Arunachal Pradesh and strategic locations in the North Eastern Sector.
Benefits of Building Steel Slag Roads
Durability: One of the biggest benefits of using steel slag for the construction of roads and bridges is durability. Roads constructed using 100% steel processed slag have proven to be durable as compared to regular bitumen roads. Roads built using cement and concrete last about 30 years as compared to bitumen and steel slag roads which last around 15 years.
Cost Efficient: Moreover, India being the 2nd largest producer of Steel in the world, using steel slag for the construction of roads will also help reduce the cost of construction. As per estimates, the approximate cost of building 1 square meter of the road using steel slag is Rs 1150/- as compared to the same size being built using bitumen costing Rs 1300/- and cement or concrete construction costing around 2700/-.
Better Properties: Roads Created using Steel Slag are 30% less thick as compared to other roads that are constructed using natural aggregates. This is due to the better material characteristicsas steel slag helps in enhancing the compressive strength of concrete due to the tendency of a slow increase in compressive strength.
Recycling of Waste Material: Another benefit of using steel slag in the construction of the road is the use of waste material from the steel industry for constructive activity. A major portion of steel slag after the recovery of metal is often discarded. The same waste material can be repurposed to build roads using the steel slag valorisation technology, which converts the slag into road-making aggregates.
Smaller Carbon Footprint: Another benefit of using steel slag for the construction of roads would be to reduce the carbon footprint. The carbon footprint for steel slag roads is much lower compared to the ones built using natural aggregates.
Other Similar Projects Executed So Far
Prior to the BRO’s project in Arunachal Pradesh; a 1.2-kilometer stretch of road was built in Hazira, Surat using Steel Slag Material. The project was builtas part of an R&D project of the Union Ministry of Steel in collaboration with the CSIR and CRRI. 1 lakh tonnes of processed steel slagwas used in the construction of a six-lane highway which was made to connect Hazira Port with Surat City. The road was formally inaugurated in June 2022. The project was executed with the goal of “converting waste to wealth” and it made it to the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records.
On similar lines, National Highways Authority India (NHAI) also plans to use steel slag for building a portion of theMumbai-Goa highway. Surat Airport is also planning to use Steel Slag for the construction and strengthening of its airstrip in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommendations.