Road Research Institute pioneers steel slag technology to fill potholes

Bengaluru: The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has partnered with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to address the city’s road issues using innovative eco-friendly methods.

On Wednesday, CRRI conducted a pilot project on Avenue Road near Anjani Temple, employing steel slag-based Ecofix technology to repair a pothole.

A press release said Ecofix technology uses industrial waste, such as iron and steel slag aggregates, combined with a customised binder to repair both deep and shallow potholes. Remarkably, it can fix waterlogged potholes without requiring dewatering.

The technology was developed by Dr Satish Pandey, principal scientist at CSIR-CRRI. It has already been tested for durability and performance in states like Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Arunachal Pradesh.

BBMP’s engineer-in-chief BS Prahalad stated that the civic body plans to adopt Ecofix technology during the monsoon season when hot mix plants are largely inoperative.

India, the world’s second-largest steel producer, generates around 19 million tonnes of steel slag annually, a figure projected to reach 60 million tonnes per year by 2030. The utilisation of Ecofix technology not only provides a sustainable solution for road maintenance, but also promotes eco-friendly waste management practices.