The Indian government’s Central Science and Industrial Research-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and Indian steel producer JSW Steel Limited have inked a pact to collaborate in the construction of roads using steel slag, a joint statement said on Monday, January 26.
The strategic collaboration aims to utilise steel slag - an industrial by-product - as a durable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional road construction materials, the statement said.
Under the partnership, steel slag generated at JSW Steel’s Salem Works will be scientifically processed and valorised for use in road construction.
The collaboration is being undertaken through a sponsored research project titled “Development of Customized Steel Slag Valorisation Process for Techno-economic Conversion of EOF and LRF Steel Slag for Various Road Applications at JSW Salem Works.”
The project focuses on converting slag from Electric Optimization Furnaces (EOF) and Ladle Refining Furnaces (LRF) into processed aggregates suitable for bituminous roads, the statement said.
As part of the project, CSIR-CRRI will undertake laboratory characterisation of steel slag, develop customised processing protocols, construct a demonstration road stretch near Salem and carry out long-term performance monitoring. The initiative is expected to reduce dependence on natural aggregates, minimise industrial waste and significantly lower the carbon footprint of road construction.
