Comparative Cost Analysis of Industrial Waste-Based Composite Materials Treated with Lime, Cement, and Alkali Activator in Comparison with Conventional Pavement Material

A huge amount of natural material is required for the construction of pavement. The scarcity and cost of natural materials are very high. Therefore, the best way to solve this problem is to use utilize industrial wastes to replace the natural materials fully or partially. This paper discusses the cost analysis of new composite materials developed by using industrial wastes such as copper slag, rice husk ash and binders such as lime, cement, and alkali activator. The cost of the composite material has been calculated for the construction of pavement per kilometer. Four types of composite materials were developed. The first type of composite material was copper slag, rice husk ash, and lime. The second composite material was developed by using copper slag, rice husk ash, and cement. Further, the third composite material was made with copper slag, rice husk ash, lime, and cement, and the fourth composite material was developed with copper slag, rice husk ash, and an alkali activator. It is proposed to discuss the comparative cost analysis of all these four composites as pavement materials with that of conventional materials. These composite materials can help to save the environment and natural sources and are also cost-effective.