The commitment to the circular economy and sustainable innovation in Spanish civil engineering is gaining ground in academic and technical circles. FCC Construcción took part in the 1st Technical Conference on Steel Slag Aggregate, organised by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), a leading forum for discussing decarbonisation and the efficient use of alternative materials in construction.

During the event, FCC Construcción presented a paper focusing on the practical application of steel slag aggregate in road sub-base layers, using the Vallirana bypass (Barcelona) as a case study.

The Vallirana bypass project, carried out by FCC Construcción, represented a major technical challenge that incorporated strict environmental sustainability criteria. In this context, the use of steel-based aggregates — derived from the recovery of by-products from the steel industry — in the base and sub-base layers of the road pavements proved not only to meet the most demanding regulatory requirements for durability and strength, but also to drastically reduce the project’s carbon footprint by minimising the extraction of natural aggregates.

Through this involvement, FCC Construcción reaffirms its commitment to the circular economy, waste reduction and R&D&I applied to sustainable engineering, demonstrating how the reuse of industrial materials is already a key driver for the future of road infrastructure in Spain.