Materials and Pavements
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Chris Sasser

Texas Cities, Counties Invest in New Pavements Developed by TTI

Thin pavements expected to last longer, save money

If thin is in, then the new pavements being developed by researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are all that, and then some.

Instead of the traditional two-inch overlays that are typical for road rehabilitation, TTI researchers have dared to go much thinner — developing pavements that are one inch in height and, in one case, a mere half inch high. Because these new pavements are made with high-quality stones and polymer-modified asphalt, they are expected to last longer and require less maintenance. As a result, state, county and city officials are jumping on the thin overlay bandwagon in order to save taxpayers money and inconvenience and, at the same time, provide smoother rides. (Read More)

Get a Grip–New Fine PFC Offsets Bleeding, Flushing on Roadways

Lufkin had a problem.

The highway interchange at US 59 and Loop 287 is one of the busiest in the area. Trucks wanting to avoid Lufkin traffic exited US 59 to Loop 287. The volume of traffic, the weight of the vehicles, and the speeds when exiting were taxing the sealcoat surface. It was bleeding and flushed. (Bleeding and flushing occur when hot weather causes the asphalt binder to expand onto the pavement surface, creating a slicker surface that can promote sliding.) When it rained, friction was low, which resulted in vehicles sliding off the road. Attempts at placing conventional hot mix resulted in shoving (a pushing or rippling of the pavement caused by braking) due to the high shear forces. (Read More)

TTI Pavement Testing Technology Voted SHRP2 Top Ranked Implementation Product

A recent state survey conducted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)  of all the products developed under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) ranked a project conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Flexible Pavements Program as its highest ranked for implementation. The project was led by Senior Research Engineer Tom Scullion and Associate Research Scientist Stephen Sebesta.

The project, sponsored and developed through  SHRP2, involves two nondestructive techniques for detecting defect areas in new asphalt overlays during construction. Both technologies (infrared and radar) test essentially 100 percent of the pavement area, providing much more inspection coverage than existing quality control methods. Read More

Maintaining a Strong Foundation

Maintaining the existing highway network is one of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT‘s) top priorities. Many segments on important routes have now exceeded their design lives and are in need of major rehabilitation. To assist in this critical task, TxDOT contracted with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to initiate a groundbreaking corridor analysis project. This new interagency agreement will permit TTI engineers to implement the products of many years of research while providing answers to TxDOT districts on the optimal approach to repair these distressed highways. (Read more)