What's New in Materials

The National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University has released a report that provides guidance for flexible pavement design methods and identifies the challenges when trying to incorporate these materials. This report also provides a basic understanding of different materials and technologies, mix design considerations, material properties, performance, and possible applications.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released a report that develops a methodology to forecast the onset and subsequent rate of wire and strand fractures and tendon failures given information regarding the extent of grout deficiencies. This report builds upon the results from a recent FHWA study that determined the extent of localized wire and strand corrosion as a function of gro...

TRB will conduct a webinar on Thursday, June 21, 2018 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET that features research from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)’s Research Report 870 : Field Performance of Corrugated Pipe Manufactured with Recycled Polyethylene Content. This webinar will discuss how to evaluate the field performance of corrugated high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes man...

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) is seeking expression of interest from consultants/firms wishing to be considered for proposing on NCHRP Project 20-07/Task 421, Review and Update of AASHTO Standard Methods of Test T27 and T30. The objective of this research is to review and evaluate the procedures and requirements of AASHTO T 27, Standard Method of Test for Sieve Ana...

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 515: Practices for Preventing Roadway Departures identifies and summarizes practices being used by state departments of transportation (DOTs) to prevent roadway departure crashes and to identify the data-driven advantages and disadvantages of these practices. More than half of all traffic fatalities result from roadway depart...

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has released a report that evaluates the performance and cost analysis of four deicer products through parking lot tests and on-road tests. This research builds upon previous laboratory studies of these products to determine real-world scenarios based on environmental and traffic conditions.

TRB turns 100 on November 11, 2020. To commemorate this milestone, TRB has a yearlong celebration planned that will begin in January 2020 to recognize and honor the extraordinary record of achievements accomplished by TRB’s volunteers, sponsors, affiliates, friends, and staff. Please support to the celebration by contributing to the Century Club (individuals) or Century Patron (organizations) f...

The Virginia Department of Transportation has released a report that analyzes various repair techniques for bridge beams. This report evaluates strand splices, fiber-reinforced polymer, fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM), and a combination of FRCM and strand splices.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has released a report that assesses certain materials used to reduce the detrimental effects of cracks in reinforced concrete bridge decks. This report tested two materials: crack sealant and corrosion-resistant reinforcement.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a technical brief that summarizes several technologies used to mitigate the effects of asphalt binder oxidation, which can stiffen the binder. Understanding oxidation is beneficial for designing cost-effective monitoring protocols for pavement to assess what maintenance measures can be applied and when to apply them.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has released a report that evaluates several nontraditional “bio-based” fog sealants applied to bituminous shoulder sections in Minnesota. The pavement engineering community has recently been introduced to nontraditional products to use as surface sealers for bituminous pavements, and many of these products use agricultural-based components.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released a report that identifies the effects of MoDOT’s tack coat specification change. MoDOT recently increased their minimum tack coat application rates to more closely follow national guidelines in order to mitigate the issues with delaminated asphalt layers in Missouri. Delaminated asphalt layers are a major cause of premature pavement ...

TRB's Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board has released more than 200 papers from the 2018 TRB Annual Meeting. Enhancements to the journal include:  Articles published much closer to final acceptance A new user interface for the journal Article-level metrics  Full-text HTML to enhance discovery of the research Interactive proof markup for author...

Austroads has released a report that provides guidelines for using microsurfacing treatments in Australia. This report offers specific recommendations for road asset owners and managers to use microsurfacing materials along with a framework to use when developing a microsurfacing specification. The report is available for no fee after logging into the site.

The TRB community extends condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Anthony "Tony" Kane, who passed away on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Dr. Kane served as an ex officio member of the TRB Executive Committee and was an active volunteer with TRB since 1977. “Tony Kane is someone whose professionalism, friendship, and passion, especially for safety, we all admired and benefited from." states Neil Pe...

Carlos M. Braceras, P.E., has been newly appointed to serve on the TRB Executive Committee. Braceras began his tenure as executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) in May 2013. In this capacity, he is responsible for UDOT's more than 1,600 employees and the design, construction, and maintenance of Utah's 6,000-mile system of roads and highways. Braceras joined UDOT in 19...

TRB’s Transportation Research Record journal is implementing a new paper peer review system, Editorial Manager, to provide enhanced flexibility, security, and system performance. TRB’s Technical Activities Division has elected to integrate its peer-review paper process with Editorial Manager, a commercial peer review software product developed and supported by Aries Systems. Editorial Manager w...

TRB standing committees have issued calls for papers for the 98th TRB Annual Meeting, January 13-17, 2019, in Washington, D.C, and/or the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board (TRR) . Please create or update your MyTRB profile now if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, submit a paper for presentation, and/or submit a paper for publication. Calls for pap...

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has released a report that summarizes Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS) activities between 1994 and 2003. An EMAS installation is a bed of engineered materials built at the end of an airport runway to reduce the severity of the consequences of a runway overrun.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has released a report that evaluates the use of structured methyl methacrylate (SMMA) paint in an airport environment. SMMA creates a thicker, textured surface, which may have the potential to enhance wet, nighttime retro-reflectivity, thus making the paint more visible.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 516: Tack Coat Specifications, Materials, and Construction Practices provides state agencies across the United States with guidance as they reevaluate their tack coat specifications, the materials they use, and the practices by which the tack coats are placed. Pavement thickness design assumes that pavement works together as ...

The Kansas Department of Transportation has released a report that evaluates four different Superpave mixtures with varying amounts of recycled materials. Recycled materials are commonly used in hot-mix asphalt, but the potential for premature pavement distress rises as the amount of recycled material in a mixture is increased.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a technical brief that highlights a procedure that analyzes asphalt binders for their content of Recycled Engine Oil Bottoms (REOB) using handheld battery-operated x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometers. REOB is a residue produced from refining used engine oil, and can be used as an additive in hot mix asphalt applications.

The Illinois Center for Transportation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has released a report that details a preliminary investigation of the bond behavior of textured epoxy-coated reinforcing bars in bridge decks. The Illinois Department of Transportation developed the epoxy coating to protect the steel while providing a rough interface to facilitate better stress transfer bet...

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a technical brief that provides an overview of micro-sampling and micro-extraction of hot or warm mix asphalt pavement. Micro-sampling is a method to collect small-scale samples, thus speeding up the sampling process and reducing the time workers are exposed to traffic. Micro-extraction refers to the concept of recovering the asphalt in the l...

The Iowa Department of Transportation has released a report that quantifies the influence of gradation and index properties on the mechanical performance of commonly used materials for granular-surfaced roads and shoulders. Granular-surfaced roads and shoulders frequently experience extensive surface damage caused by heavy agricultural traffic loads, freeze-thaw cycles, and wet-dry cycles, whic...

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has released a report that evaluates the use of high friction surface treatments (HFST) as a safety strategy on roadways. HFST is a spot pavement surfacing treatment applied in locations with high friction demand, such as curves and other crash-prone areas, and may enhance skid resistance and reduce crashes.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has released a report that evaluates different durable markings and pavement grooving configurations in an effort to make better choices for year-round markings in Iowa. Pavement markings guide motorists and delineate roadways for safer travel. The identification and use of more durable pavement markings may improve visibility, operations, and safety.

Brian W. Ness, Director of the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), has been newly appointed to serve on the TRB Executive Committee. Since 2010, Ness has served as the ITD Director. Ness is an active member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), chairing the AASHTO Special Committee on Transportation Security and Emergency Management (SCOTSEM) unt...

The Missouri Department of Transportation has released a report that develops a cost-effective ultra-high performance concrete for bonded bridge deck overlays. The high durability and mechanical properties of such repair material may offer shorter traffic closures and prolong the service life of the bridge deck.