Phosphor-Gypsum in National Highway Construction.

February 25, 2023

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) along with the Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers will take up field trials on NHAI projects for the use of Phosphor-Gypsum in National Highway construction to achieve a circular economy in the use of Gypsum.
Phosphor-Gypsum, a waste product from manufacturing fertilizer, emits radon, a radioactive gas.
- It also contains the radioactive elements uranium, thorium and radium.
NHAI is also encouraging the use of waste plastic in road construction, which has been tested very successfully.
- Studies have established that roads built using plastic waste are durable, sustainable and increase the life of bitumen (a substance produced through the distillation of crude oil).
Similarly, NHAI has used Fly Ash for the construction of Highways and flyover embankments.
- Fly ash is an unwanted unburnt residue of coal combustion in a coal thermal power plant.
- It is emitted along with flue gases (a waste gas from a combustion process) during the burning of coal in a furnace and collected using electrostatic precipitators.