Gold mining produces more than the metal that eventually leaves the mine. Open-pit operations also generate large quantities of solid waste, including rock, slag and other residues that must be managed and stored. A new study has tested whether some of that material can instead be turned into part of a working mine road. The peer-reviewed study, Sustainable valorization of mine-derived solid wastes into cementitious pavement materials: Mechanical performance and microstructural insights , published in Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy in 2026, developed a pavement material made entirely from mine-derived wastes and tested it at the Zijinshan Gold-Copper Mine in Longyan, China. After 28 days of service, the 15% composite-solid-waste pavement section recorded 97.19% lower deflection than a granular blast-slag pavement base. The test roads were exposed to 100-tonne truck traffic and seasonal rainfall.
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