Physical Assets
Our physical transportation infrastructure is essential to economic growth, and it is one of the most expensive items funded by taxpayer dollars. CTR’s IMPACT lab (Infrastructure Materials Performance Characterization and Testing) is focused on enhancing the durability and performance of flexible pavements through innovations in materials technologies, performance modeling, and design practices. We have introduced several fundamental mechanics-based approaches for design and screening of pavement materials that are now incorporated as TxDOT or AASHTO standard test methods. We are developing automated approaches to evaluate materials that are significantly more accurate, repeatable, and have a high throughput. We are developing material innovations such as antioxidants to reshape material design and extend the service life of asphalt roadways by several years.
Texas Concrete Resource and Concrete Pavement Group (Tx-CRCP)
The mission of the Tx-CRCP Group is to support TxDOT concrete pavement design, construction, and maintenance activities across the state, create a collaborative environment where concrete pavement owners, industry, and academia can come together and progress the state of concrete pavement forward, and provide educational and training opportunities to ensure seasoned and new inspection staff are up to date with latest information regarding concrete materials and concrete pavements.
Meet the Experts
-
Amit Bhasin
Director Center for Transportation Research
Professor
-
-
The Texas Accelerated Test Bed
The Texas Accelerated Test Bed (TxATB) is a 0.62-mile facility composed of 15 X 200-foot sections designed to withstand 4.5 million ESALs per annum. In partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), CTR is developing the test bed at the J.J. Pickle Research Center in north Austin to test the next generation of materials specifications, emphasizing safety and environmental considerations for road construction and maintenance. The testbed will enable evaluation of the technological and durability aspects of changing pavement specifications due to automated vehicle lane centering in commercial vehicles, super single tires, high torque from commercial electric vehicles, and heavier commercial traffic volumes through Texas sea and inland ports.