VILNIUS TECH Road Research Institute Scientists Recognized at the Prestigious “Baltic Road Awards”

September 9, 2025
At the closing ceremony of the International Baltic Road Conference (IBRC), the prestigious Baltic Road Awards were presented, where researchers from the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) Road Research Institute received the award for Scientific Innovation in Road Engineering. This recognition highlights the Institute’s long-standing contribution to introducing circular economy principles in road construction, as well as their innovative solution for utilizing non-hazardous ash and slag generated from municipal waste incineration.
 
The proposed solution – based on many years of laboratory and real-world road experiments – recommends using non-hazardous ash and slag from municipal waste incineration for the construction of unbound base layers. This approach significantly reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and promotes more advanced, sustainable development of road infrastructure. In this way, research directly contributes to the climate goals of both the European Union and Lithuania, as well as to the implementation of circular economy strategies.
 
Scientific solutions becoming real transport infrastructure projects
 
According to the Director of the Road Research Institute, Dr. Ovidijus Šernas, this award is not only a recognition of impactful research results relevant to Lithuania, but also a motivation to aim even higher. “The VILNIUS TECH Road Research Institute is committed to being a leader of innovation in the field of transport infrastructure. This recognition shows that our work matters not only to the academic community but also to the road construction sector. It encourages us to continue our efforts and develop even more sustainable road engineering solutions,” he says.
 
The use of non-hazardous ash and slag in road construction is an excellent example of the circular economy, where waste becomes an alternative construction material. After conducting extensive laboratory studies, VILNIUS TECH researchers identified the most promising areas for applying ash and slag in road construction and, in collaboration with partners, implemented experimental test sections. These sections enabled the assessment of the behavior of ash-slag mixtures under real traffic loads and environmental conditions. The results confirmed that these mixtures can be reliably used in unbound base layers, meeting all environmental and technical requirements in Lithuania while ensuring the necessary pavement durability.
 
Dr. Judita Škulteckė, Deputy Director of the Road Research Institute, emphasizes that from a circular economy perspective, the highest level of sustainability is achieved when ash-slag mixtures are used without blending them with other natural materials – that is, without additional raw materials.
 
Other VILNIUS TECH Road Research Institute studies presented at IBRC.
 
Held every four years, the Baltic Road Conference (IBRC) brought more than half a thousand road engineering specialists, policymakers, and industry representatives from over 25 countries to Vilnius this year. At the conference, VILNIUS TECH Road Research Institute scientists presented five relevant studies spanning material engineering and advanced technologies:
  • Increasing the durability of roller-compacted concrete pavements by ensuring efficient load transfer at joints;
  • Effectiveness of alternative winter anti-slip materials;
  • Application of FTIR spectroscopy for bitumen characterization;
  • Lithuanian practice in applying non-hazardous ash and slag generated from municipal waste incineration in road construction;
  • Development of asphalt mixtures with reduced rolling resistance.
These studies reflect the consistent efforts of the VILNIUS TECH Road Research Institute to develop innovative solutions that bridge engineering science with practical needs.

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