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                Media ContactsMenu OFFICE OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE TURNER-FAIRBANK HIGHWAY RESEARCH CENTER Home
                        Research
                        Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
                        Research and Technology Portfolio


            
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                R&T Portfolio: Pavement and Materials
    

    
    
    
      The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Pavement and Materials program pursues forward-looking research and development (R&D) to improve the durability, economy, environmental sustainability, and safety characteristics of highway pavements. The R&D addresses pavement structural design and analysis; pavement materials selection, evaluation and mixture design; work toward more sustainable pavement materials and practices; and pavement and materials specifications, construction, and quality assurance practices. The program provides analytical tools and guidance to support State and local highway agencies to select and design pavement mixtures to maximize the longevity and safety of U.S. highways.

Program Objectives:

Optimize pavement structural design to achieve a desired performance based on specific loading, environmental, and functional requirements.
	Optimize material selection, analysis, and mixture design to achieve required performance characteristics.
	Improve the sustainability of highway pavements through effective use of reclaimed or recycled materials, industrial by-products, and innovative materials.
	Identify and quantify the interaction between infrastructure and emerging technologies such as connected and automated vehicles (CAV).

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        **Pavement Structural Design**
        FHWA’s activity in pavement structural design advances understanding and improvement of pavement life-cycle cost procedures and improves design methods for pavement preservation, maintenance, and rehabilitation.

Spotlight Project: Mixture Performance Test Comparison Study

"Photo of asphalt cracking in pavement."

In the asphalt materials field, the premier topic of focus in mixture design and characterization relates to performance tests, especially those which can be conducted at intermediate (less than about 30 °C) temperatures and are capable of assessing fatigue resistance. A study is underway to compare six index-based cracking tests to field performance. This study features collaboration with industry, academic, and agency partners to advance the community’s knowledge of test variability, feasibility in a State quality assurance program, and ability to accurately align with known field performance.

Image source: Copyright  Dennis Hill, 2011
  


      **Specifications and Test Methods**
        FHWA’s work in pavement materials seeks to enhance and optimize mixture design, testing, and specifications that improve pavement performance for mixtures. Research includes use of both virgin and alternative materials, such as recycled/reclaimed materials or industrial byproducts.

Spotlight Project: T-FAST – Test  for Assessing Alkali-Silica Reactivity (ASR) of Aggregates

"Photo of a degraded, thoroughly cracked Jersey barrier."

ASR is a very serious distress mechanism for concrete. The cement reacts with silica in the aggregate and can form an expansive gel which cracks the concrete. Not all aggregates are reactive in this way. Most aggregate tests rely on the measurement of physical expansion of mortar or concrete samples and do not always screen aggregates very well.

The Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center's Chemistry Laboratory has developed a simple test method which uses pure chemistry to predict expansion rather than the need to measure it. To date, 100-percent agreement has been achieved with historical block farm data. Research is continuing to expand the method to mix designs and advance mitigation strategies.

Image source: FHWA, 2006
  


      **Innovative Materials**
        FHWA researches new and innovative materials and practices that minimize the environmental impacts of pavement.

Spotlight Project: Epoxy-Modified Asphalt (EMA) Research for Durable Open-Graded Friction Course (OGFC)

The use of EMA has proven to be a way to increase asphalt durability and resistance to deformation, failure, and long-term oxidative aging. The predominant failure in OGFC is raveling (aggregate loss) related to long-term oxidative aging and binder loss of adhesion with aggregates. Several State highway agencies (SHAs) are interested in utilizing OGFC as a paving surface mix for various safety and environmental benefits. Thus, EMA may become a solution to enhance the durability of OGFC and allow SHAs to achieve safety, performance, and environmental goals."Photo of workers laying down fresh asphalt on a road."

The international experience with field sections constructed with EMA in  New Zealand and the Netherlands has been promising. In cooperation with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) at Waka Kotahi, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), and the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), FHWA is advancing an understanding of epoxy-modified asphalts’ reactivity and dosage selection, and the workability window of epoxy systems in OGFC mixtures to advance the knowledge and state of the practice of EMA mixtures and technologies. These studies open the door for successful field trials of Epoxy-modified asphalt in the United States.

Image source: FHWA, 2014Contact Us

**Office of Infrastructure Research and Development**
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101
United States

**Office of Infrastructure**
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Related Links

FHWA Infrastructure R&D Program
	FHWA Office of Infrastructure

    
          Last updated: Wednesday, June 8, 2022 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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