Steel Slag Tech for Sustainable Hill Roads

shubham kumar

22 Jan 2026

2 Min

Steel Slag Tech for Sustainable Hill Roads

Why in News?

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh advocated for the rapid adoption of Steel Slag-based technology for road construction in India’s hilly and Himalayan regions. Highlighting its resilience against heavy rainfall and extreme weather, the government announced the commercial rollout of "ECOFIX", an innovative pothole repair mix. To facilitate implementation, a series of regional workshops will commence in Jammu & Kashmir next week to train engineers in utilizing this industrial byproduct for sustainable infrastructure.

Key Points

Waste-to-Wealth: The technology converts steel slag—a solid waste from steel plants—into processed aggregates that can 100% replace natural stone aggregates.
ECOFIX Rollout: Developed by CSIR-CRRI, ECOFIX is a ready-to-use mix that allows for instant pothole repairs even in wet or waterlogged conditions, a critical requirement for hilly terrains.
Enhanced Durability: Steel slag roads are approximately 30% thinner than conventional roads but offer higher load-carrying capacity and superior resistance to climatic wear.
Environmental Impact: It reduces the need for unsustainable mountain quarrying and addresses the disposal challenge of India’s annual 19 million tonnes of steel slag.
Strategic Trials: Success has already been demonstrated in pilot projects in Surat (Gujarat) and border areas like Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh) by the Border Roads Organization (BRO).

Important Terms

Steel Slag: A byproduct of the steelmaking process, produced during the separation of the molten steel from impurities in steel-making furnaces.
CSIR-CRRI: Central Road Research Institute, the premier national laboratory for road and transport research.
Circular Economy: A model of production and consumption that involves reusing and recycling existing materials as long as possible.
Natural Aggregates: Sand, gravel, or crushed stone used in construction; these are replaced by processed slag in this technology.

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