Indian researchers use sewage water, quarry dust to make heavy-duty concrete
Researchers at an Indian technical institute have developed a method to produce high-performance concrete using treated municipal sewage water and industrial stone quarry dust, addressing regional shortages of freshwater and natural river sand.
The findings by the Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) show that treated wastewater from municipal treatment plants and quarry dust from stone-crushing units can substitute for potable water and mined sand without reducing structural integrity.
Testing covered concrete strengths ranging from M30 grade up to M90 high-performance mixtures, the structural grades required for infrastructure projects such as mass transit corridors, highways, and high-rise structures.
Technical Performance
The 18-month project was conducted by structural engineering researcher Avinash Pandey under the supervision of Vivek Tiwari, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics at SGSITS. The initiative followed an inquiry by structural engineer and institute alumnus HI Mehta regarding the feasibility of reclaimed water in civil construction.
Laboratory evaluations subjected the alternative mixtures to testing for compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, and water permeability. The samples were also monitored for durability metrics, including carbonation resistance and rapid chloride permeability.
Data from the trials showed that concrete manufactured with optimized ratios of treated wastewater and quarry dust met or exceeded the performance of conventional concrete mixes made with potable water and river sand.
Municipal consumption
The study carries operational implications for municipal resource planning in Indore, a central Indian economic hub experiencing infrastructure expansion. Current construction projects along the city’s transit corridors require annual allocations of potable water and natural aggregates.
Local municipal estimates indicate that shifting industrial concrete production to treated wastewater lowers urban consumption of drinking-grade water, allowing those resources to be redirected toward domestic supply. The study aligns with recent administrative directives from Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava aimed at expanding the reuse of treated municipal wastewater to combat groundwater depletion.
SGSITS administration said the research addresses raw material scarcity within the construction sector by integrating industrial waste and by-products into a manufacturing framework.
"Engineering education today must go beyond classrooms and examinations. Water scarcity is one of the defining issues of the future, and this research demonstrates how innovation, sustainability, and engineering excellence can work together to create practical solutions."
— Neetesh Purohit, Director of SGSITS
RK Khare, head of the civil engineering department at the institute, said that the construction industry faces long-term supply pressures regarding traditional materials. He said that alternative aggregates can be safely deployed under standardized testing and quality control protocols.
SM Narulkar, Dean IPFA and former head of civil engineering, said that academic research achieves its primary objective when laboratory data directly informs industrial applications.
Field implementation
The research team is planning to transition the laboratory findings into localized field trials. The department aims to coordinate with state infrastructure agencies to assess the material's performance under active field conditions.
"Our objective is not merely to publish research papers but to facilitate adoption in real projects, including metro systems, bridges, government buildings, smart-city developments, and high-strength structural applications."
— Vivek Tiwari, Project Adviser
Tiwari said future phases of the project will focus on life-cycle assessments, long-term field monitoring, and quantifying carbon emission variances resulting from material substitutions.
The study received recognition at the 41st Madhya Pradesh Young Scientist Conference, where the methodology was recommended for a research fellowship. Peer reviews of the findings are underway for an international scientific publication.
- Broad Strength Spectrum: Tested and validated across structural ratings from basic M30 structural grades up to M90 ultra-high-performance matrix configurations.
- Circular Supply Mechanics: Eradicates reliance on drinking-grade freshwater lines and depleting riverbed sands by standardising municipal sewage outflow and stone quarry dust bi-products.
- Comprehensive Durability Monitoring: Validated via strict laboratory profiles focusing on carbonation resistance, water entry thresholds, split tensile limits, and rapid chloride permeability.
- Indore Municipal Alignment: Matches macro administrative goals from Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava to lower commercial pressure on regional aquifers amidst transit-oriented development.