Advancing Circular Lifecycles in Construction Equipment (CIRCLE-E)

Purpose and goal

The goal of CIRCLE-E is to map and analyze the lifecycles and end-of-life pathways of construction equipment, with a focus on offroad vehicles and tiltrotators. The project will track product flows across markets, evaluate real-world lifetimes, assess conditions at end-of-use (EoU), and examine recycling practices. The project will generate actionable knowledge and methods that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve resources, and support the adoption of circular business models.

Expected effects and result

The expected results include: • A comprehensive mapping of current end-of-use and end-of-life flows for construction equipment. • New service concepts and business models for second-hand owners, refurbishment, and parts reuse. • Practical strategies for increasing closed-loop recycling of offroad machinery. • Contributions to industry standards and policy discussions on circularity in heavy-duty vehicles.

Planned approach and implementation

The work is structured into six work packages covering: mapping equipment flows across markets (WP1), real-world lifetime analysis (WP2), end-of-use condition and design feedback (WP3), recyclability and policy landscape (WP4), scenario analysis and a circular business roadmap (WP5), and project management and knowledge transfer (WP6). The project applies a co-production research approach with continuous interaction between academic and industrial partners to ensure relevance and impact.