Alexander Grødum Vetnes

• Vetnes, Alexander Grødum & O'Born, Reyn Joseph (2026). What is a Circular Road? Defining Circularity for Road Infrastructure. Journal of Circular Economy. 4(1), p. 969–983. doi: 10.55845/joce-2026-41314. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Circular economy (CE) strategies in road infrastructure (RI) remain fragmented and predominantly material-centric, with limited integration of lifecycle governance, demand reduction, and ecological regeneration. While buildings have advanced circular practices, definitions, and guidelines, the road sector lacks a sector-specific definition that reflects its long lifetimes, spatial permanence, public ownership, and continuous maintenance cycles. This study combines a literature synthesis with a stakeholder workshop to identify conceptual and practical gaps in current CE applications for RI. Findings show a dominant focus on recycled materials and construction-phase emissions, while avoidance strategies, design reimagining, long-term traceability, and end-of-life restoration remain underdeveloped. The result of this research is to propose a working definition of circular RI grounded in lifecycle planning, functional adaptability, material stewardship, ecological regeneration, and network optimisation. The definition provides a conceptual foundation for developing indicators, procurement criteria, and governance frameworks that align material cycles, infrastructure performance and ecosystem outcomes.

• Hennig, Martine Alexandra Andersen; Vetnes, Alexander Grødum; O'Born, Reyn Joseph & Bohne, Rolf André (2026). Something to re-peat? Reusing peat in infrastructure projects for natural restoration - an LCA-approach. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES). ISSN 1755-1307. 1615(1). doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/1615/1/012006. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In Norwegian road development, it is vital yet challenging to avoid construction in peatland, the most carbon rich terrestrial ecosystem. Draining and excavating peat releases greenhouse gases accumulated over millennia, reduces biodiversity, and diminishes flood regulation and climate resilience. When building on peatlands is unavoidable, compensation through peat reuse has become more common, yet the broader environmental consequences remain poorly understood. Using a generalized life cycle assessment (LCA) with a functional unit of 1 ha donor peatland, we evaluated two reuse options: (1) reconstructing artificial peatland (Con-peat, 1:1) and (2) restoring drained peatland by ditch-blocking (Re-peat, 1:X). Following IPCC guidelines and national inventory data, we calculated ditch-blocking ratios, avoided emissions over 100 years, and emissions from machinery. One hectare of donor peatland could restore 52.6 ha of drained peatland through ditch-blocking. The largest avoided emissions were observed for Re-peat in croplands (179 kt CO 2eq ha −1 ), pastures (136 kt CO 2eq ha −1 ), and forests (13 kt CO 2eq ha −1 ), compared to Con-peat (5 kt CO 2eq ha −1 ). Both approaches resulted in net unavoidable emissions of 674 t CO 2eq ha −1 , mainly from peat oxidation (80%) and machinery (20%). Our findings indicate that ditch-blocking should be prioritized for peat reuse, while constructing artificial peatlands may be appropriate when large volumes of peat are available, offering an alternative to landfilling. The study also revealed methodological gaps in LCA of ecosystem degradation and restoration. Future research should address these gaps by comparing multiple restoration scenarios and incorporating site-specific biodiversity and emissions data over time.

• O'Born, Reyn Joseph; Vetnes, Alexander Grødum & Engelsen, Christian John (2026). Life cycle assessment of using silicomanganese slags as a binder replacement in concrete for road infrastructure. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES). ISSN 1755-1307. 1615, p. 1–10. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/1615/1/012038. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Concrete is the most widely used construction material globally, and its production is a major contributor to global CO 2 emissions due to the energy-intensive processes involved in cement manufacturing. One the common strategies for reducing these CO 2 emissions of concrete production focus on partially replacing the Portland clinker with other binders made from waste by-products such as fly ash and blast furnace slag. However, as the global energy mix transitions away from coal power and the change in pig iron production, the availability of these by-products is declining, necessitating research into alternative low-emission or zero binders. The aim of the Norwegian research project Sustainable value chain and material use in road construction (BVM) is to find sustainable alternatives for materials used in construction. One such alternative with high potential for the Norwegian market is a product called Silica Greenstone (SiGS), which is a slag by-product from silico manganese production. Produced by Eramet, SiGS can be used as a partial replacement for cement in concrete. In the BVM project, laboratory testing was carried out using SiGS to replace 15-20% of the binder in B45/M40 Class A standard concrete. In this study, the material was applied in full scale pilot in parts of a concrete sound isolation wall in the E18 West corridor highway project in Oslo. The pilot demonstrated that SiGS exhibits comparable mechanical performance and durability to conventional concrete. It is also important to verify that the use of SiGS can reduce emissions in concrete. Therefore, this study used life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts of concrete using SiGS compared to concrete with conventional binders. The results showed a notable reduction in CO2-emissions, reinforcing its potential as a sustainable binder alternative and can replace coal fly ash in an environmentally sound way. Furthermore, the results showed that SiGS represents a viable solution for infrastructure applications, reducing reliance on traditional cement-based materials and promoting sustainable construction practices.

• Baral, Sushmita; Vetnes, Alexander Grødum; Lande, Ingrid & Vysochinskiy, Dmitry (2025). An experimental demonstration of the effect of cement reduction measures on the consistency of concrete. Proceedings of the fib Symposium. p. 78–87. Full text in Research Archive
• Vetnes, Alexander Grødum & O'Born, Reyn Joseph (2025). Bridging the Shift from Linear to Circular Economy in Road Infrastructure: The Norwegian Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Challenges and Opportunities. In Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (Ed.), The 1st International Conference on Net-Zero Built Environment: Innovations in Materials, Structures, and Management Practices. Springer. ISSN 9783031696268. p. 1573–1583. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-69626-8_131. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Current linear economic road construction and maintenance methods, characterized by significant use of virgin resources and substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are in sharp contrast to circular economy (CE) concepts that emphasize resource efficiency and emissions reductions. Despite the considerable energy use, material consumption, and emissions involved in road construction, this sector has been relatively underexplored in CE research. This paper aims to bridge this gap by investigating the transition from linear to circular road infrastructure, focusing particularly on the Norwegian construction industry. The study identifies barriers and drivers to this shift, intending to contribute to the concept of circular road infrastructure. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates a web-based survey among Norwegian road industry actors, augmented with six semi-structured interviews with diverse stakeholders, to establish a framework of barriers and drivers to CE. The findings suggest that economic, regulatory, and political factors are major barriers to circularity, but these could be transformed into drivers if key conditions are changed.

• O'Born, Reyn Joseph & Vetnes, Alexander Grødum (2025). Assessing the Environmental Benefit of Circular Economy Decisions for Managing Waste in Road Construction: The Norwegian GoGreen Case Study. In Kioumarsi, Mahdi & Shafei, Behrouz (Ed.), The 1st International Conference on Net-Zero Built Environment: Innovations in Materials, Structures, and Management Practices. Springer. ISSN 9783031696268. p. 1921–1932. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-69626-8_158. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Circular construction is a branch of circular economy (CE) that seeks to reduce the environmental impacts in the built environment through intelligent, sustainable, and circular practices. Examples such as design for reuse, use of recycled materials, and regenerative infrastructure are nascent concepts within the construction industry, as most focus is directed towards buildings with less focus given to other forms of infrastructure, especially roads. A pilot project, known as GoGreen, has been developed for a Norwegian highway project, where materials from demolition are recovered and sorted on the construction site and sent for recycling. While construction projects typically recover less than 40% of waste, GoGreen uses careful planning and implementation to recover nearly 100% of waste materials for recycling. In this chapter, we investigate the circular concepts implemented in the Betna-Hesnes highway project to understand if the choices made lead to lower emissions and to help understand the scale and relevance of these actions as part of larger infrastructure projects. Through the use of life cycle assessment (LCA), we have analysed the processes for collecting, sorting, and recycling materials on the Betna-Hesnes project to understand the overall environmental footprint and attempt to quantify the impact of circular activities. The overall environmental benefit from the GoGreen tent was approximately 89 tons of CO 2 -equivalents saved. The results of this study will be useful for policymakers and actors within the construction industry to give greater insight into what actions can lead to the best environmental outcome and to push the road construction industry towards greater circularity.

• Pedersen, Martin Werner; Dønnum, Sander; Vetnes, Alexander Grødum & O'Born, Reyn Joseph (2025). Sustainable Approaches to Asphalt: Life Cycle Analysis and Innovation Opportunities in the Asphalt Industry in Norway. Procedia CIRP. 135, p. 1246–1251. doi: 10.1016/j.procir.2024.12.141. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The construction industry is a major consumer of virgin materials that is slowly being forced to adapt as environmental regulations tighten. The asphalt industry faces urgent challenges in reducing its ecological footprint as they are a major consumer of bitumen and stone materials for road construction. Alternative materials that reduce the environmental impact and resource demand for asphalt are therefore critical for future road projects. This study explores the environmental performance of three alternative asphalt production techniques focusing on bio-based and waste materials, through a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The study highlights key environmental impacts of novel asphalt materials. Mixtures incorporating 50% Silica Green Stone (SiGS), a byproduct of silicon manganese production, exhibits the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions among the innovative compositions tested, primarily due to transportation distances. In contrast, asphalt using tall oil as a bio-based binder and asphalt incorporating recycled asphalt (RAP) show reductions in GHG emissions, although the latter is constrained by material availability. The findings underline the potential of combining bio-based binders, recycled content, and slag aggregates to achieve environmental benefits, such as reduced GHG emissions and virgin resource demand, provided logistical challenges are addressed.

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• Hennig, Martine Alexandra Andersen; Vetnes, Alexander Grødum; O'Born, Reyn Joseph & Bohne, Rolf André (2025). Something to re-peat? Reusing peat in infrastructure projects for natural restoration - an LCA-approach. Full text in Research Archive
• O'Born, Reyn Joseph; Vetnes, Alexander Grødum & Engelsen, Christian John (2025). Life cycle assessment of using silicomanganese slags as a binder replacement in concrete for road infrastructure. Full text in Research Archive
• Vetnes, Alexander Grødum; Hennig, Martine Alexandra Andersen & O'Born, Reyn Joseph (2025). Road Decommissioning: A Path to Sustainability or an Uncertain Mitigation Strategy? Full text in Research Archive
• O'Born, Reyn Joseph & Vetnes, Alexander Grødum (2024). Assessing the environmental benefit of circular economy decisions for managing waste in road construction: The Norwegian GoGreen case study. Full text in Research Archive
• Vetnes, Alexander Grødum & O'Born, Reyn Joseph (2024). Bridging the Shift from Linear to Circular Economy in Road Infrastructure: The Norwegian Stakeholders Perspectives on Challenges and Opportunities. Full text in Research Archive
• Vetnes, Alexander Grødum & O'Born, Reyn Joseph (2023). The conceptualisation of circular road construction: A case study in Norway. Full text in Research Archive

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