Steel Slag Roads Can Cut Construction Cost by 40%, Deliver Four Times Higher Strength: Dr Jitendra Singh
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh announced that Steel Slag Road Technology can reduce road construction costs by about 40% while delivering four times the strength of conventional roads. The announcement came at the conferment of a Guinness World Record for the world's longest road built with processed steel slag aggregates, a 1.85-km road in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, built jointly by CSIR-CRRI and Jindal Steel Limited. The Minister urged wider adoption of this indigenous waste-to-wealth innovation across various government departments, states, and private sectors.
Why It Matters
This is relevant for competitive exam aspirants under science and technology, government initiatives (Waste to Wealth), and infrastructure development topics.
In Simple Words
Steel Slag Road Technology converts processed steel slag, an industrial by-product of steel production, into useful aggregates for road construction. This indigenous method cuts construction costs by about 40% and provides four times the strength of regular roads.
The technology extends maintenance cycles to roughly 15 years and helps conserve natural resources by reducing mining and quarrying. A 1.85-km road in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, built by CSIR-CRRI and Jindal Steel Limited, recently earned a Guinness World Record, with a larger 40-km project planned in Odisha.
Key Points
- Steel slag road technology reduces construction costs by around 40 percent.
- It delivers four times the strength of conventional roads.
- Maintenance is required only after about 15 years in suitable applications.
- A Guinness World Record was awarded for the World's Longest Road Built with Processed Steel Slag Aggregates at Raigarh, Chhattisgarh (1.85 km).
- The project was jointly pursued by CSIR-CRRI and Jindal Steel Limited.
- CSIR-CRRI received a work order for a 40-km road in Odisha from Jindal Steel’s Angul plant.
- Previous applications include Hazira (Gujarat), NH-66 Mumbai-Goa Highway, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- The initiative aligns with the government's 'Waste to Wealth' priority.
Exam Angle
A. Around 40 per cent
Source: Press Information Bureau