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What is the News?
Surat in Gujarat has become the first city in the country to get a processed steel slag (industrial waste) road.
India’s First Steel Slag Road
Located in: Surat City, Gujarat
Built by: It is a joint-venture project by CSIR, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), Union Ministry of Steel, NITI Ayog and Nippon Steel.
Process: The road was constructed by converting mounds of steel waste into steel slag aggregate.
This project falls under the initiative of the Waste to Wealth and Clean India Campaign.
What are the benefits of Steel Slag Road?
Less Thickness: Thickness is 30% less compared to conventional roads made of asphalt, soil, bitumen, and natural aggregates.
Cheaper: The construction cost of the processed steel slag road is 30% cheaper than roads built from natural aggregates.
Longer Durability: The durability is much longer due to the utilization of steel slag.
Sustainable use of Waste: Using processed steel slag in road construction also paves the way for sustainable use of waste and reduces the reliance on perishable natural aggregates.
Reduce GHG Emissions: It is also expected to reduce GHG emissions and carbon footprint in road construction activity. Further, it is in line with India’s commitment to the UN SDG-9 for building resilient infrastructure through inclusive and sustainable industrialization and green technology.
Source: This post is based on the article “Surat gets India’s first steel slag road: What is it, how is it different from regular ones?” published in Indian Express on 2nd April 2022.