Steel slag can be the material for which of the following?
- 1.Construction of base road
- 2.Improvement of agricultural soil
- 3.Production of cement
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Steel slag, the solid waste left when steel is made, is usable in all three ways: as stone-like aggregate in road layers, as a soil conditioner in farming, and as an ingredient in cement.
- ✓ 1. Processed steel slag replaces natural stone aggregate in roads; CSIR-CRRI has framed guidelines for using it in various road works, and a six-lane highway near Surat was built with it.
- ✓ 2. The Ministry of Steel lists agriculture as a use, where the slag stands in for soil nutrients and fertilisers, and its website mentions soil conditioning.
- ✓ 3. The Ministry of Steel names 'green cement' among the uses of steel slag; note that blast-furnace (iron) slag is the type mostly used in cement making today.
Remember · Steel slag is a waste-to-wealth material: road aggregate, soil conditioner, cement ingredient and rail ballast.
Sources
- PIB, Ministry of Steel: Steel Minister inaugurates first six-lane highway made of steel slag at Surat (15 June 2022) ↗ “his Ministry is exploring all other options to utilize such materials in road construction, agriculture as a replacement to soil nutrients and fertilizers, ballast for railways and making green cement.”
- PIB: Guidelines for Utilization of Steel Slag in Road Construction released (1 July 2024) ↗ “the Ministry of Steel sponsored a major R&D project to CSIR-Central Road Research Institute to facilitate large scale utilization of steel slag as substitute of natural aggregates in road construction.”
- Energy and Environment Management in Iron & Steel sector, Ministry of Steel ↗ “The steel industry is finding ways and means to utilize the steel slag in other applications like construction & road making, soil conditioning, rail ballast.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·