LAUSR

With a production of 101.4 million tonnes (MT) in 2017, India is the third largest steel producer in the world. Electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag is the waste/by-product generated from steel-making industries that utilise electric arc furnace process of steel production. About 12 MT of steel slag is generated annually in India, but merely 20% is put to applications and the rest is indiscriminately dumped in nearby landfills. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate performance characteristics of open-graded friction course (OGFC) asphalt mixtures with varying proportions of EAF steel slag as the coarse aggregate (>2.36 mm). OGFCs are gaining popularity in the Indian highway sector owing to their superior hydraulic (high permeability), acoustic (noise-reduction) and frictional properties that contribute towards improved road safety. The level of research on the use of EAF steel slag in OGFC is still very limited, especially in developing countries like India. Ten OGFC mix designs were investigated containing five percentage substitutions of coarse natural aggregates (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) with the EAF steel slag and two modified asphalt binders (polymer and crumb rubber modified). Static creep test, dynamic creep test, Hamburg wheel tracking test, indirect tensile stiffness modulus test, and indirect tensile fatigue test were performed to evaluate rutting and fatigue performance of steel slag-OGFC mixtures. Results of the study reveal that the EAF steel slag-OGFC mixtures showed superior performance compared to control mixtures. The steel slag-OGFC mixtures up to 75% substitution presented the best results with both binder types.