ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL USE OF STEEL SLAG IN HOT BITUMINOUS CONCRETE

The utilization of aggregates in road construction is a conventional global practice. In developing countries like India, the rapid growth of population and traffic necessitates constant highway upgrades to accommodate heterogeneous traffic and the heavy loads of commercial vehicles. This increased demand has led to the depletion of natural aggregate sources. As high-quality aggregates become scarce and expensive, alternative materials are being investigated. One such material is steel slag, a byproduct of steel manufacturing that, if improperly managed, creates environmental concerns. Steel slag is now increasingly used as a substitute material in road construction due to its favorable mechanical properties. In this study, natural aggregates in Grade-2 bituminous concrete are replaced with steel slag at varying percentages (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%). The mix design was developed using the Job Mix Formula, and Marshall specimens were prepared according to the specified gradation. Marshall Stability and Indirect Tensile Strength tests were conducted. The results demonstrate that steel slag can effectively replace natural aggregates in bituminous concrete without compromising performance, supporting its use in sustainable pavement construction.