Introduction

As highway pavements are exposed to daily traffic loading and temperature fluctuations, and seasonal variations in moisture and freeze/thaw cycling, they eventually display structural and/or material distress over time. The better the materials and the more rational the design, the longer the pavement will perform. The proper characterization of paving materials, such as asphalt concrete, portland cement concrete, aggregate and stabilized base, and subgrade is one vital step toward achieving maximum pavement life. Inherent variability in naturally-occurring materials make characterization of materials necessary on each project.

Features

ORITE has assembled an array of laboratory test equipment to determine the engineering properties of pavement materials. Included are:

• three MTS hydraulic loading devices
• a resilient modulus tester
• two multi-axial machines
• a large direct shear tester
• specialized equipment for asphalt material characterization

Scope

The asphalt industry is currently undergoing major changes in the way asphalt cement and asphalt concrete is tested. Much of this change is due to new specifications and new test equipment being developed under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). As equipment is manufactured and after it receives acceptance within the asphalt testing community, ORITE has been incorporating it into its facilities. The following devices are currently available for education and research:

• Wheel Load Tester to perform accelerated tests on the rutting stability of asphalt concrete (AC) mixes.
• Resilient Modulus Device to evaluate the mechanical properties of AC mixes.
• Beam Fatigue Device to determine the long-term fatigue resistance of AC mixes to loading.
• Triaxial Device to determine structural capacity under multi-directional loading.
• Gyratory Compactor

Additional laboratory test equipment will be added as it becomes available and is approved for use within the industry.

Awards

Utilizing knowledge and skills acquired in their study of material characterization at Ohio University, students Kalyan Reddy Asam, Kai-Jui Lin, Santosh Salimath, and John Kenneth Wetzel won 1st place in the 4th Annual FPI Asphalt Mixture Performance Competition in the Winter of 2000. Flexible Pavements, Inc. (FPI), and the Ohio Department of Transportation sponsored this event. The goal of the competition was two-fold. The first aspect was to introduce the students to hot mix asphalt (HMA) mix design, identifying those parameters that provide for a good performance mix. The second part of FPI's goal was to expose students to an actual HMA testing and production facility. Kalyan Reddy Asam, John Wetzel, and Santosh Salimath (from left to right) with the Asphalt pavement analyzer they used to select the best rut-resistant mix among several mixes they worked on.

Contact Information

For further information please contact:

Dr. Gayle Mitchell
Director, ORITE
141 Stocker Center
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
(740) 593-1465
(740) 593-0625 Fax

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