Copper Slag As An Alternative Material For Road Construction.

The utilization of waste materials like copper slag, zinc slag, steel slag and coal ash in road construction industry is gradually gaining significant importance in India considering the disposal, environmental problem and gradually depleting natural resources like soil and aggregates. Copper slag is one such alternative waste material, generated during the manufacture of copper, which has the potential for utility in embankment and pavement construction. In this study, two types of copper slag were collected from two different plants located at Dahej, State of Gujarat and Tuticorin, State of Tamil Nadu. Each copper slag was mixed with local soils and pond ash prevalent in the respective region in the proportion 25% to 75% to investigate the suitability of these mixes for embankment and sub grade construction. Potential of this material as a replacement of fine aggregate in sub base, base and bituminous mixes was also investigated. It was concluded from the study that copper slag can be utilized in the range of 50-100% in embankment construction and 10-32% in different layers of road pavement. The paper discusses the results of experimental study with a typical cross section for field construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]