Applied Research
APTech's research activities keep us at the forefront of new technology and engineering solutions that improve pavement performance. Our engineers are renowned for their leadership in prominent applied pavement research programs, supporting studies for organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Innovative Pavement Research Foundation, Airfield Asphalt Pavement Technology Program, and state departments of transportation.
SHRP 2 R21
Ohio DOT
FHWA Pavement Friction Management Program
Implementation Support for Strategic Highway Research Program II Renewal Project R21 New Composite Pavement Systems
The Client
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
The Client's Goal
The FHWA has an ongoing interest in developing and deploying technologies to support improved concrete pavement performance and longevity. In support of these goals, the FHWA is conducting an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) project to promote and advance recommended “best practices” for the design, construction, repair, and rehabilitation of concrete pavements. Under Task Order 6 of the IDIQ, APTech was selected to assist the FHWA in implementing the new composite pavement system technologies developed under the SHRP2 R21 study.
Our Work
- Conducting implementation activities that include providing technical assistance to state highway agencies (SHAs) for planning, designing, and constructing new composite pavement systems.
- Developing and providing a multi-state showcase demonstrating new composite pavement projects.
- Developing and delivering training materials.
- Organizing and facilitating multi-state peer exchange meetings to share knowledge.
- Documenting lessons learned from composite pavement construction projects and suggesting changes to specifications.
- Providing various outreach and marketing activities.
Ohio Department of Transportation Longitudinal Joint Repair Best Practices
Our Client
Ohio Department of Transportation (DOT)
The Client’s Goal
The Ohio DOT is tasked with maintaining 49,078 lane miles of highway, and has identified longitudinal joint failure as a systematic weakness of their pavement network. The Ohio DOT selected Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. (APTech) to provide guidance on how to choose the most appropriate repair method and perform it at the optimum time to produce the greatest return-on-investment. The goal of this research is to optimize the Ohio DOT's decision process when choosing the best repair tool for longitudinal joints. The objective of this study is to provide the DOT with an empirically supported methodology to determine the "best" repair for the investment.
Our Work
- Evaluating the Ohio DOT’s current longitudinal joint repair processes.
- Conducting a comprehensive study of longitudinal joint repair practices by other DOTs.
- Developing or revising construction specifications and designer guidance to be incorporated in the State of Ohio, Construction and Material Specifications 2013.
- Developing a guidance document to assist maintenance managers in making cost-effective repair decisions.
- Developing a decision tree and treatment selection tool to be included in the Ohio DOT pavement management system.
- Preparing a project report to summarize findings and provide recommendations.
FHWA Development and Demonstration of Pavement Friction Management Programs
Our Client
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
The Client's Goal
A 2006 study revealed that roadway condition was a contributing factor in 31.4 percent of the total crashes in the United States. These road condition-related motor vehicle crashes cost the U.S. economy more than $217 billion each year. To address this problem, the FHWA set a goal to cut highway traffic fatalities in half by 2030. To help reach this goal, the FHWA selected APTech, as a subconsultant to Virginia Tech, to develop and demonstrate proactive pavement friction management programs at four selected state highway agencies (SHAs). The programs will build off the model friction management program and recommended friction and texture testing procedures contained in the 2008 Guide for Pavement Friction published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). In 2014, the team was selected to perform a second phase of the project.
Our Work
Under the contracted Phase I of the project, APTech is collecting and reviewing the latest information (domestic and international) on pavement friction/texture testing procedures and equipment, the analysis of friction/texture–crash relationships, and established pavement friction management programs and pavement safety programs (i.e., skid crash reduction programs, wet accident reduction programs). In addition to preparing an annotated bibliography for friction management and related publications, APTech is also developing a report on theoretical analysis of vehicle/tire/pavement interactions as they relate to skids and resultant crashes and is assisting Virginia Tech in the evaluation of friction/texture measurement equipment and the development of recommendations for friction/texture measurement equipment used to support pavement friction management programs. To complete the Phase I effort, APTech is working with Virginia Tech in developing an updated Phase II Work Plan.
In Phase II of the project, the recommended equipment will be purchased and used in at least four states to measure friction/texture, and the results of this testing, along with historical crash data, will be used to develop investigatory and intervention friction/texture thresholds as part of a comprehensive pavement friction management program for each state.
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