Research

Kraton Ultra-thin HMA / WMA Overlay Study

The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth has concluded a study of high-polymer content thin lift mixtures containing up to 40 percent RAP.

Initially, the study planned to test materials from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. After preliminary testing, Massachusetts withdrew from the study and Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and New Jersey were added.

Final test results and project descriptions are now available.

Preliminary test results for mixes containing Massachusetts materials can be viewed here.

New Hampshire DOT and the Vermont Agency of Transportation have tested applications of Highly Modified Asphalt (HiMA) thin lift overlays and incorporated their comments into a short (3m42s) video.

View the Video

Further information may be obtained from:

Professor Walaa S. Mogawer, PE
Highway Sustainability Research Center, Director
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
151 Martine Street, Room 131
Fall River, MA 02723
508-910-9824 (Voice)
508-999-9120 (Fax)
E-mail: email hidden; JavaScript is required

Innovative Research Opportunity

Please review the following documents in sequential order.

  1. Fact Sheet for Polymerized Thin HMA/WMA Overlay
  2. Announcement Letter
  3. Confirmation Letter
  4. Field Coordination and Laboratory Contacts
  5. Draft Specifications – Thin Lift HMA

NCDOT Skidabrader Reclamite Project 2012

In June 2012, the North Carolina DOT completed a rejuvenation and friction restoration project on a 9-year old section of open graded friction course (OGFC) pavement located on I-40 in western North Carolina.The project’s two objectives were to extend the life of the pavement by using a maltene-based rejuvenator and increase the pavement’s skid values.

Before the project started, cores were taken to establish initial benchmark values of critical parameters. Subsequently, cores were taken for laboratory testing of specification compliance, rejuvenation effectiveness, and changes in skid numbers.

View a one-page copy of the Laboratory Report

View a short 3-minute movie of the Skidabrader Reclamite Construction

SHRP 2 Tools and MAP-21 Policy Goals

SHRP 2 has assembled tools and resources that can assist agencies to meet their project and policy goals, including MAP-21 goals. The FHWA and AASHTO are initiating the SHRP 2 Solutions Implementation Program. Visit the three web pages:

DOT Survey of Agency Preservation Practices

In August 2012, the RMWPPP distributed a survey to its member agencies seeking information about current pavement preservation research, current research needs, and preservation practices.

Read a Summary of the Survey Results

Improving FHWA’s Ability to Assess Highway Infrastructure Health

This report documents the results of a pilot study conducted as part of a project on improving FHWA’s ability to assess highway infrastructure health. As part of the pilot study, a section of Interstate 90 through South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin was evaluated in order to 1) test approaches for categorizing bridge and pavement condition as good/fair/poor that potentially could be used across the country, and 2) provide a proof of concept for a methodology to assess and communicate the overall health of a corridor with respect to bridges and pavements. As a result of the pilot study, it was found that a bridge good/fair/poor methodology can be implemented nationwide today.

Download the Report

Economics of Mississippi RAP

The FHWA in partnership with the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the preservation industry, have sponsored a study to delineate the most critical knowledge gaps in pavement and bridge preservation and the research which is necessary to fill those gaps. This Transportation System Preservation (TSP) Research, Development, and Implementation Roadmap is the output of that partnership effort, and was compiled via input received during three (3) regional workshops conducted in 2007.

Working together with preservation practitioners from State, Provincial, and local transportation agencies; industry, academia, and the FHWA; this effort has resulted in the development of a broad array of pavement and bridge preservation research needs statements which comprise the “TSP Research Roadmap,” now available for download below.

[ Note: For detailed research needs statements, please refer to the Roadmap report appendices. ]
The TSP Research Roadmap – January 2008

Other Preservation Research Roadmaps
Presented below for informational and comparison purposes, are proposed preservation research activities that have been developed and submitted by other preservation task groups. To submit your preservation roadmap or list of problem statements, please contact the TSP2 site administrator. Please submit research matrices in MS Word and/or Adobe PDF format.