12/11/02

Cheryl Cobb, 334/844-4218

EARLY RESULTS REPORTED ON FIRST ROUND OF TRACK TESTS

AUBURN -- The initial results from the first round of testing at Auburn University's National Center for Asphalt Technology test track have been shared with more than 250 asphalt engineers from around the world.

The results came from 26 test sections on the straightaways and 20 on the curves on the unique 1.7-mile oval, which is made up of 46 sections of asphalt mixes tested for properties such as wear resistance and rutting.

Participants in the first round of testing include the departments of transportation from nine states -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee -- and the Federal Highway Administration. Additional support came from the hot mix asphalt industry.

The primary goal of the first test cycle was to determine the ability of several laboratory tests to predict the resistance to rutting of various asphalt mixtures specified by the participants. Data was also collected on the effect of asphalt mix type on road spray, road temperatures, roughness of ride and skid resistance.

In addition to the pavement tests, several companies participated in trials associated with the trucking operation. These included tests for tire wear, tests of experimental fenders designed to reduce road spray and tire wear, and tests of transmission type on fuel mileage.

"The state of Indiana sent a number of staff to the meeting," says John Haddock, assistant professor of civil engineering at Purdue University, and participant in some of the ongoing research at the track. "They came back amazed at the quality of the facilities and of the work that is being done."

Buzz Powell, test track manager, said all of the DOTS that participated in the first round of trials will return for the second round, joined by newcomer Maryland.

"The NCAT labs and test track are world class facilities that are already producing data that will help to ensure that our nationšs highway system remains the best in the world," says Haddock. "I look forward to a long working relationship with the team at Auburn."

"AU's test track is a true cooperative project, and the research we are conducting will have a direct impact on the future of our nation's roadways and economy," says NCAT director Ray Brown. "Our initial goal is to develop the scientific data required to improve the performance of hot mix asphalt pavement, which is by far the most common road surface in use today."

The AU test track is one of several transportation-related research projects housed under AU's Transportation Peak of Excellence. The peak is one of seven areas of interdisciplinary research identified by Auburn for emphasis.

Byron Lord, deputy director of the Office of Pavement Technology for the Federal Highway Administration, said the United States has more than two million miles of paved roadways, including some 160,000 miles of national highway system -- much of it paved with asphalt.

The majority of this is in interstate, which was built during the 1960s and 1970s and had a predicted lifespan of 20 years. However, a steep increase in volume of freight traffic has caused the design life to be exceeded in as few as 10 to 12 years, according to Lord. In 2000, more than 1.4 trillion ton miles of freight traveled these aging ribbons of asphalt.

"Our interstates, with an estimated value of $25 trillion, are the skeleton that supports our economy and quality of life," says Lord. "Annually, as a nation, we spend $120 billion on upkeep, but this is $60 billion short of what is needed.

"At this point, our interstates are like a horse that has been rode hard and put away wet. We have to do better. We cannot solve the problems of today with the technology of today."

And that's where the Auburn test track comes in. The two-lane test track provides an accelerated loading facility that can be used to rapidly and simultaneously test a large number of pavement types for durability, safety and comfort under real-world traffic conditions. In one year's time, the track can simulate the wear and tear of five to ten years of truck traffic.

"Accelerated loading is not new," says Powell. "There are a number of excellent existing facilities that utilize mechanical systems and robotic systems. All have their place. However, this is the first facility, since the American Association of State Highway Officials road test, that uses real drivers in real trucks."

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CONTACT: Brown, 334/844-6244.