EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES  |  a

Exploratory Advanced 

Research Program 

Cultivating

Materials Science 

Research to

Benefit Surface 

Transportation 

Initiatives
b  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES

Notice

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Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. 

The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information 

contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, 

specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. 

Trademarks or manufacturers’ names appear in this document only 

because they are considered essential to the objective of the 

document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality 

information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner 

that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to 

ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its 

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Photo credits 

Please see back cover for copyright credits for all the decorative photos appearing throughout 

the document.
Introduction 2

What Is Materials Science? 3

In Search of Building Better Bridges 4

Research into Traditional Cement 4

Research into Supplementary Materials 5

Research into Alternative Cementitious Materials 6

Research into Asphalt Pavements and Binders 6

Research into Coatings 7

Advancing Early-Stage Materials Science Research

into Real-Life Applications 8

Conclusion 10

References 10

Contents

EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH

TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES |  1
One of the ongoing problems in the construction of bridge structures 

and highway pavements is that engineers must always grapple with 

the inevitable deterioration of these structures. Bridges and pavements 

must bear heavy cars and trucks over a sustained period of time. They also face 

weather conditions, such as rain and snow or extreme heat and cold, that 

threaten to wear down materials over time. 

To combat the wear and tear that bridges and highways face, researchers are 

keen to explore how to build structures that are more durable and longer lasting. 

One way to approach this problem is through materials science. Materials 

science is a multidisciplinary approach to the scientific study of the production 

and use of materials through the lenses of chemistry, physics, and engineering. 

Breakthrough research in materials science can benefit surface transportation 

because the innovations developed from this research can be used in construction 

and repair so that highway bridges and pavements are longer lasting. The 

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Exploratory Advanced Research 

(EAR) Program actively supports research in materials science as a way to 

address the health of U.S. highway structures and pavements.

Introduction

2  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES

One of the EAR Program’s objectives is to support materials science research that results in the 

construction of more durable and longer-lasting bridges. © 2017 Patrick Zickler.
FHWA supports innovation in materials science to provide a greater range of 

predictable materials for construction and repair of bridges and pavements. For 

the EAR Program, agency support and funding have focused on developing 

highway materials that not only emphasize enhanced functionality but also stress 

sustainability and cost savings. 

Research development in materials science can veer into many different directions. 

Some research developments investigate the inherent properties of the materials 

used in construction. Researchers are looking at the particles that make up the 

building materials and examining how changes in the chemical and mechanical 

makeup of these particles affect their size or their relationships with each other.

Other research developments include improving the predictability of using recycled 

materials, such as coal ash, as a supplement to make more environmentally friendly 

and cost effective building materials, and the development of new coatings systems 

for steel surfaces to improve ease of application and long-term durability. 

Another development is the application of microscopic and nanoscale components 

that can be embedded in structural elements and pavements to help gauge the 

interior health. These nanoscale components may be able to sense changes in the 

chemical composition of the materials, or they may be able to help structural 

elements and pavements detect and adapt to the changes in the physical pressures 

being exerted upon them before damage is visible or irreversible.

EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES  |  3

What Is Materials Science?

Materials science is a cross-disciplinary study of how materials interact with each other. Each material 

has its own chemical properties, meaning that each has its own weight or mass, chemical composition, 

and structure. Materials science examines how these factors affect the interaction of these materials. 

The observations gained from these interactions help researchers and companies develop technology 

that can produce materials with the desired characteristics.

For instance, in surface transportation, researchers have been looking at how to manipulate concrete 

production so that concrete is more durable and impervious to adverse conditions. Concrete at its 

simplest consists of ordinary portland cement; aggregate materials, such as sand and gravel; and 

water. Researchers are studying how altering the chemical composition of ingredients affect concrete 

production and concrete’s characteristics.
4  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES

In Search of Building Better Bridges

Building more durable highway bridges and pavements 

remains a key goal for FHWA. Bridges have a fixed lifespan 

and must be repaired or replaced as they age.

Many of the recent research initiatives supported by 

FHWA’s EAR Program have focused on developing new 

materials that make highway structures and pavements 

more durable, longer lasting, and impervious to adverse 

conditions such as extreme temperatures and sustained 

load bearing. The research combines techniques developed 

within chemistry and physics.

Research into Traditional Cement

One research area has been to study concrete at the 

molecular level. This includes examining the chemical 

properties of ordinary portland cement and the chemical 

reactions that occur within the substance over time so that 

researchers can better understand how ordinary portland 

cement behaves. It also includes studying the mechanical 

properties of concrete at the nanoscale level to better 

understand how concrete responds under different 

environmental conditions.

Researchers for the project “Mechanisms of Hydration and 

Setting of Ordinary Portland Cement in Simple and 

Complex Systems” studied how ordinary portland cement, 

an ingredient used to make concrete, behaves chemically 

and structurally. The researchers from Princeton University, 

Oklahoma State University, University of California at Santa 

Barbara, Rice University, and W.R. Grace, sought to 

understand the chemical reactions that occur during 

hydration or when concrete is in a slurry state. They also 

wanted to know how these chemical reactions affect the 

hardening, strength, and durability of concrete. 

With support from the FHWA EAR Program and Office of 

Infrastructure Research and Development, researchers 

developed innovative analytical techniques that provided a 

more direct observation of reactions at the micro- and 

nanoscales. These techniques further enabled researchers 

to develop hypotheses on the chemical reactions that occur 

during and after concrete’s hydration stage, and they 

created computer models based on these hypotheses. 

These computer models will help guide engineers, 

practitioners, and stakeholders as they aim to produce 

concrete that is more durable and cost-effective.

Many of the recent research initiatives supported by FHWA’s EAR Program have focused 

on developing new materials that make bridges and highway structures more durable, 

longer lasting, and impervious to adverse conditions such as extreme temperatures and 

sustained load bearing.

Researchers with the project “Mechanisms of Hydration and Setting of Ordinary Portland Cement in Simple and Complex Systems” developed a computer model that 

shows how particles respond and change as they undergo simulated hydration. The leftmost illustration shows the sample before hydration. The middle and rightmost 

illustrations show how the particles look after 7 hours of simulated hydration. © The American Ceramic Society. 
EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES  |  5

The project “Predicting Materials Behavior” focused on 

refining multiscale modeling, particularly at the nanoscale 

level. Researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and 

State University developed a multiscale modeling theory 

that addressed the existing gaps of understanding about 

multiscale modeling at the nanoscale level. They created a 

digital specimen and digital test technique that used 

multiscale computerized tomography imaging to observe 

and analyze materials’ behavior and how they act. They 

used this technique to develop a multiscale dynamic theory 

and an integrated thermochemical and electromagnetic 

theory, which then served as the basis for software that 

could enable researchers to bridge different scale and 

structure simulations. 

For the project “Nano Material Modeling and Simulation,” 

researchers at The George Washington University 

developed theories and computational codes, such as 

algorithms, that would serve as a basis for understanding 

how materials behave over multiple lengths of time and at 

different scale sizes. These theories dealt with modeling 

and simulations at the nanoscale level. The goal of 

producing these theories was to provide a foundation for 

engineers and researchers to study how materials respond 

to environmental conditions and applied loadings over time. 

Research into Supplementary Materials

Another research area of the EAR Program focuses on how 

supplementary materials, or the materials other than 

ordinary portland cement that are used to produce 

concrete, can be developed to help make the end product 

more cost-effective and environmentally friendly without 

sacrificing durability.

For the project “Inorganic Polymers: Novel Ordinary Portland

Cement-Free Binders for Transportation Infrastructure” 

(FHWA-HRT-18-029), researchers at the University of California,

Los Angeles, along with partners at the University of California

at Santa Barbara, the University of Texas at Austin, and Boral

Materials, sought to replace cement with another substance 

to act as a binder that glues together the various ingredients 

that make up concrete. That substance consisted of fly ash 

dissolved in a solution, resulting in a product with binding 

properties similar to those of cement. Once researchers 

developed that cement-free binder, they also wanted to 

examine and document how fly ash reacts with certain 

chemical solutions so that they could better understand how

those reactions affect binder performance and production. 

FHWA is publishing a fact sheet (FHWA-HRT-18-029) with the

same title as the research project, which will provide more 

information and will be available at https://www.fhwa.dot.

gov/publications/lists/advancedresearch/pubs.cfm.

For the project “Service Life Enhancement and Reduction 

in Carbon Footprint of Highway Structures,” researchers 

with the University of California, Berkeley examined how to 

control cracking in concrete through a hybrid fiberreinforced concrete, including a hybrid fiber-reinforced 

concrete composed partly of fly ash.

For the project “High-Performance, Stress-Relaxing, 

Cementitious Composites for Crack-Free Pavements and 

Transportation Structures,” researchers with Texas A&M 

University and the Texas Transportation Institute undertook 

a comprehensive review of carbon nanofilaments and 

This three-dimensional image acquired using vertical scanning interferometry 

helped researchers with the project “Inorganic Polymers: Novel Ordinary Portland 

Cement-Free Binders for Transportation Infrastructure” see where clusters of fly 

ash particles occur. © Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, 

University of California, Los Angeles. 
6  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES

In Search of Building Better Bridges (cont.)

carbon nanotubes to develop new models aimed at making 

these materials better strengthening agents for bridge 

repairs and crack control. 

For the project “Greatly Increased Use of Fly Ash in 

Hydraulic Cement Concrete for Pavement Layers and 

Transportation Structures,” researchers at Purdue 

University, Auburn University, the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, the National Ready Mixed 

Concrete Association, and FHWA’s Chemistry and Research 

Laboratories sought to collect performance data and 

develop best practices for increasing the amount of fly ash 

to replace portland cement. Fly ash is a byproduct of coalfired power plants, and so recycling fly ash to serve another 

purpose can lead to cost savings.

Research into Alternative Cementitious Materials

A third research area has been to replace completely the 

amount of ordinary portland cement in concrete production 

because manufacturing this cement results in large 

amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.

For the project “Novel Alternative Cementitious Materials 

for Development of the Next Generation of Sustainable 

Transportation Infrastructure,” researchers from Georgia 

Institute of Technology, Oklahoma State University, Tourney 

Consulting, and the Army Corps of Engineers sought to 

replace ordinary portland cement with alternative 

cementitious materials. Alternative cementitious materials, 

which are largely used for specialized applications including 

small pavement and bridge repairs, use chemical processes 

that emit less carbon dioxide. The researchers tested 

alternative cementitious materials with varying chemical 

makeups to see how they performed in the laboratory. 

They looked for the materials’ response to typical external 

and internal threats to concrete, from physical abrasion to 

progressive alkali silica reactivity deterioration. They 

investigated the materials’ resistance to corrosion and the 

chemical reactions that might facilitate the deterioration of 

concrete. They also looked at how the materials performed 

under freezing and thawing conditions and what shrinkage 

occurred from drying.

Research into Asphalt Pavements and Binders

A fourth research area has focused on the binders of concrete

and asphalt. Binders are the glue that sticks aggregates, such

as sand and stone, together with portland cement to produce

concrete, and they are used in producing asphalt for roads. 

For the project “Developing Frameworks of PerformanceBased Asphalt Mix Design,” a National Research Council 

(NRC) Research Associate from North Carolina State 

University—Raleigh who conducted research at the Turner–

Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) developed 

performance-related specifications as a means to gauge 

quality assurance with asphalt mixes. The specifications 

define desired levels of key materials and characteristics 

that could be used to predict pavement performance. 

Findings and data from the research will help develop 

testing and modeling protocols for performance-based 

asphalt mix design.

For the project “Providing a Performance-Based Asphalt 

Mixture Design Framework Through Fatigue and Thermal 

Cracking Index Parameters,” an NRC Research Associate 

from the University of New Hampshire who conducted 

research at TFHRC developed index parameters that relate 

to material and structural parameters, which would help to 

identify whether a mixture is prone to fatigue or thermal 

cracking. Index parameters compare a specialized value to 

a critical threshold or failure of a material. For this project, 

the researcher used index parameters to gauge the impact 

of content, gradation, and air voids on asphalt mixtures, 

while also monitoring impending thermal or fatigue cracking.
EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES  |  7

For the project “Novel Development of Bio-Based Binder 

for Sustainable Construction,” researchers from Washington 

State University, along with partner Pavement Preservation 

Systems, mixed waste cooking oil with lignin, a byproduct of 

the paper pulping process, to create a bio-based asphalt 

binder. To develop the binder, the researchers first mixed the 

waste cooking oil with maleic anhydride at 365°F and used 

iodine as a catalyst. This initiated a chemical reaction in the 

oil to boost its molecular weight, a process known as 

polymerization. Next, the team put the lignin through 

chemical processes to create an epoxy. Because it is more 

stable at high temperatures, the lignin-derived epoxy makes 

roads built with the bio-based asphalt binder more resistant 

to rutting, well-worn depressions, and grooves. Researchers 

then preblended the polymerized waste cooking oil and 

lignin, and they mixed that substance with asphalt aggregates 

in a hot drum to create a “bioasphalt.” After curing the 

mixture for 2 hours, they packed the bioasphalt in a gyratory 

compactor. The goal of the research was to create a 

substance that provides as much or more resistance to 

fatigue, rutting, thermal cracking, and moisture as petroleumbased asphalt. FHWA is publishing a fact sheet 

(FHWA-HRT-18-030) with the same title as the research 

project, which will provide more information and will be 

available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/lists/

advancedresearch/pubs.cfm.

Research into Coatings

A fifth materials science research area is the study of how 

to slow down the deterioration of steel infrastructure 

through the development of corrosion-resistant coatings. 

Researchers with the City College of New York in their 

project “Green Advanced Coatings for Application on 

Steel Structures and Bridges” developed coatings that 

incorporated nanomaterials, a polyaniline epoxy system 

with added carbon black and a nanomaterial-enhanced 

calcium sulfonate alky system. Both coatings underwent 

corrosion tests that simulated 20 years of field exposure to 

conditions such as temperature changes, salt exposure, 

humidity, and sulfur-dioxide exposure. The findings helped 

researchers gain additional insights on incorporating 

nanomaterials in alkyd and epoxy coatings.

Researchers created a rotary reactor to simulate the production of the hot-mix bio-binder through mixing aggregates with bioasphalt. © 2017 Department of Civil and 

Environmental Engineering, Washington State University.
8  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES

Advancing Early-Stage Materials Science Research into Real-Life Applications

FHWA’s EAR Program is applying technology readiness 

level assessments on project results and a logic model 

framework on the materials science portfolio that lays out 

the production of new materials from research to the 

stage right before wider scale production to assist in the 

transition of early-stage results toward useful engineering 

standards and design that enable implementation of the 

new materials.

While the logic model framework employs traditional 

scientific inquiry as its foundation—formulate a 

hypothesis, test and observe, analyze findings, develop 

conclusions, and potentially repeat these steps multiple 

times—technological developments from other disciplines 

could produce new and innovative approaches for 

creating even more opportunities for interdisciplinary 

research. For instance, using the concept of big data, 

which uses computers to process large amounts of data 

and search for shared characteristics or trends, materials 

modeling research could use data to predict materials’ 

characteristics, which could pave the way to new 

formulations.

The research is just one step in the development of materials for mass production. Researchers may successfully develop materials that meet performance standards—a chemical binder 

using a material other than ordinary portland cement may be shown to possess similar durability 

characteristics, for instance—but producing these materials on a large scale requires multiple trials 

and outside partners such as companies or other universities.

deformation. © 2017 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University.The Hamburg wheel tracking test is conducted on a hot-mix bio-binder to evaluate any permanent 

Fly ash with different carbon content levels. Source: FHWA.

© cementitious material (calcium sulfoaluminate).

Concrete slump made of an alternative

College of Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.
EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES  |  9
10  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES

FHWA’s EAR Program remains eager to work with university partners and 

other stakeholders on optimizing the latest research tools and processes. 

These innovations will help develop materials that eventually lead to 

making highway structures and systems safer and more durable and efficient. 

Federal Highway Administration. (2015). “Tools for Improving The Sustainability and Durability of 

Concrete—Modeling Hydration and Performance,” Report FHWA-HRT-15-084, Washington, DC. 

Available online: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/15084/index.cfm, last 

accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2012). “Predicting Materials Behavior—Advancing Multiscale 

Modeling Techniques,” Report FHWA-HRT-12-070, Washington, DC. Available online: https://www.

fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/12070/index.cfm, last accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2012). “Nano Material Modeling and Simulation: Developing a 

New Approach to Understanding Material Behaviors by Multiple Length/Time Scale Theories,” 

Report FHWA-HRT-12-029, Washington, DC. Available online: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

publications/research/ear/12029/index.cfm, last accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2013). “Paving The Way for Greener Highways—Extending 

Concrete’s Service Life Through Multiscale Crack Control,” Report FHWA-HRT-13-079, Washington, 

DC. Available online: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/13079/index.cfm, last 

accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2010). “The Exploratory Advanced Research Program Fact 

Sheet: Crack-Resistant Concrete Maximizing The Service Life of Transportation Infrastructure,” 

Report FHWA-HRT-09-065, Washington, DC. Available online: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

publications/research/ear/09065.cfm, last accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2010). “Benefits of High Volume Fly Ash: New Concrete Mixtures 

Provide Financial, Environmental, and Performance Gains,” Report FHWA-HRT-10-051, Washington, 

DC. Available online: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/10051/index.cfm, last 

accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2015). “Novel Alternative Cementitious Materials for 

Development of the Next Generation of Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure,” Report FHWAHRT-16-017, Washington, DC. Available online: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/

ear/16017/index.cfm, last accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2017). Exploratory Advanced Research Program Research 

Associates Program 2016, Report FHWA-HRT-17-023, Washington, DC. Available online: https://

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/17023/index.cfm, last accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2017). Exploratory Advanced Research Program Research 

Associates Program 2016, Report FHWA-HRT-17-023, Washington, DC. Available online: https://

www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/17023/index.cfm, last accessed October 26, 2018.

Federal Highway Administration. (2013). “Greener Protection for Steel Bridges—Testing NanoEnhanced Corrosion-Resistant Coatings,” Report FHWA-HRT-13-064, Washington, DC. Available 

online: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/ear/13064/index.cfm, last accessed 

October 26, 2018.

Conclusion

References

10  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES
Notes

EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES  |  11
12  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES
EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES  |  13

Getting Involved with the EAR Program

To take advantage of a broad variety of scientific and engineering discoveries, 

the EAR Program involves both traditional stakeholders (State department of 

transportation researchers, University Transportation Center researchers, and 

Transportation Research Board committee and panel members) and 

nontraditional stakeholders (investigators from private industry, related 

disciplines in academia, and research programs in other countries) throughout 

the research process.

Learn More

For more information, see the EAR Program website at https://highways.dot.

gov/research/exploratory-advanced-research. The site features information 

on research solicitations, updates on ongoing research, links to published 

materials, summaries of past EAR Program events, and details on upcoming 

events.
14  |  EAR PROGRAM—CULTIVATING MATERIALS SCIENCE RESEARCH TO BENEFIT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES

FHWA-HRT-18-067

HRTM-30/12-18(1M)E

EAR Program Results

The EAR Program strives to develop partnerships with the public and 

private sectors because the very nature of the EAR Program is to apply 

ideas across traditional fields of research and stimulate new approaches 

to problemsolving. The program bridges basic research (e.g., academic 

work funded by National Science Foundation grants) and applied 

research (e.g., studies funded by State departments of transportation). 

In addition to sponsoring EAR Program projects that advance the 

development of highway infrastructure and operations, the EAR 

Program is committed to promoting cross-fertilization with other 

technical fields, furthering promising lines of research, and deepening 

vital research capacity.

Cover:

From left:

© College of Engineering, Georgia Institute of 

Technology.

© Henry Samueli School of Engineering and 

Applied Science, University of California,

Los Angeles.

Source: FHWA.

Page 9:

From top: 

Source: FHWA.

© Argonne National Laboratory, managed and 

operated by U of Chicago Argonne, LLC,

for the U.S. Department of Energy.

© 2013 Claudia Ostertag.

Photo Credits for Decorative Images