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KUCHING, Aug 6: Sarawak is looking forward to using slag, a byproduct of ore smelting and refining, in future road construction.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) Sarawak, Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and his delegation members learned about the method during a recent trip to Japan.
Their itinerary included a visit to the Land Development Department Construction Management Division, Chiba Prefecture to learn about road technology management.
“In the prefecture, slag is used in road construction (within a 40-kilometer radius of a steel factory).
“The prefecture has extensive experience in road development, particularly in the use of recycled industrial byproducts from industrial players.
“Visitors were briefed on how steel slag was used, as well as the guidelines for such usage and disposal, while they were there.”
Uggah, who is also the MIPD minister, his two deputies Datuk Majang Renggi and Aidel Lariwoo, as well as senior ministry officials, engaged in fruitful discussions with their Japanese hosts.
Furthermore, Uggah described the use of slag for road construction in accordance with Chiba Prefecture’s practices which followed Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) A 5015 specifications as a very interesting development.
“In Sarawak, slag is being produced by ferroalloy industries at the Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu amounting to 100,000 tons per annum, and is classified as a waste product.
“So we are here to understand the process of the slag application, its suitability, durability, and safety.
“We also want to know the comparative advantages in cost savings in aggregates and others towards a more sustainable future,” Uggah said.
He continued, “This is in line with our Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 aspiration in achieving a 100 per cent rural road connectivity.”
The Deputy Premier also stated that MIPD and the state Public Works Department (JKR) would work together to develop guidelines for the use of slag in road construction, with Samalaju taking the lead as the initiative’s pioneer. — DayakDaily
