changeadminOn the occasion of National Science Day Celebration, a R&D pact is signed between India’s premier Road Research Institute, CSIR–Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), and Steel major Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India to explore the utilisation of iron ore tailings in road construction.
On this occasion, Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr N. Kalaiselvi, highlighted the importance of the circular economy and waste-to-wealth conversion for green infrastructure development, emphasising that the potential utilisation of iron ore tailings in road construction can pave the way from Mine Waste to Green Roads.
Iron ore tailings are solid mineral waste byproducts generated from the extraction and processing of iron ore, primarily composed of silica, iron oxides, alumina, and calcium oxide.
While lauding the institute for its pioneering work in converting waste materials such as steel slag for Steel Slag Road construction, the Director General of CSIR highlighted that iron ore tailings pose environmental and economic challenges due to their large volumes.
India generates around 18–20 million tonnes of iron ore tailings annually from various iron ore beneficiation plants across Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka.
These tailings are stored in large dams and are commonly called slimes, posing risks from potential leaks, structural failure, and heavy metal contamination.
This R&D pact will address the growing challenge of managing iron ore tailings while simultaneously reducing demand for natural aggregates in road construction.
Through this initiative, researchers from CSIR–CRRI will conduct laboratory investigations, material characterisation, and pavement design studies to evaluate the suitability of iron ore tailings for use in various pavement layers.
The programme was graced by Dr Arvind Bodhankar, Chief Sustainability Officer, AMNS India, as the Chief Guest, who emphasised the importance of industry–research partnerships in advancing circular economy principles and sustainable infrastructure development.
Dr Arvind Bodhankar noted that the collaboration with CSIR-CRRI would help unlock the potential of industrial by-products for nation-building in line with the Sustainable Development Goal of green infrastructure development.
Welcoming the dignitaries, Dr Ch. Ravi Sekhar, Director, CSIR-CRRI, emphasised the Institute’s commitment to developing next-generation sustainable road technologies.
Dr Sekhar stated that the new collaboration with Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India would enable scientific validation and field demonstration of iron ore tailings in road construction, further strengthening India’s leadership in sustainable pavement technologies.
The initiative is being led by Mr Satish Pandey, Head of the Flexible Pavement Division at CSIR-CRRI, who is also the inventor of the Steel Slag Road Technology.
Steel Slag Road technology has emerged as a resource-efficient solution, successfully implemented in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. CSIR–Central Road Research Institute is playing a pivotal role in the development.
India’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, has even recommended the use of steel slag–based technology for road construction in difficult and hilly terrain.
Mr Satish Pandey highlighted that systematic research, laboratory characterisation, and valorisation of iron ore tailings would be undertaken to establish it as a substitute for good earth and natural aggregates in road construction.
The National Science Day celebration also showcased several breakthrough technologies developed by CSIR–CRRI for sustainable transportation infrastructure, including agri-waste-based bio-bitumen, steel slag-based rapid pothole repair technology ECOFIX, slag and fly ash-based thin TERASURFACING technology for periodic maintenance of roads, and waste plastic-based modular geocell for road construction, emphasising the need for circular economy approaches for road construction.
The event was attended by the senior officials of AMNS India, Chief Scientists of CRRI, industry representatives, policymakers, and stakeholders from the road and steel sectors, highlighting the growing importance of science-driven solutions for sustainable infrastructure development in India.
Add comment