Thomas J. Freeman

Freeman, Tom

Engineering Research Associate

Pavement Management - CE/TTI, Room 501C
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 845-9923 Ext. 59923 · fax (979) 845-0278
t-freeman@tamu.edu

Short Biography

While at TTI, Mr. Freeman has served as Principal Investigator or been involved in a wide variety of projects for the Strategic Highway Research Plan (SHRP), Federal Highway Administration, Texas Department of Transportation and other organizations.

SHRP work included the Maintenance Effectiveness for AC and PCC Pavements (H-101) project and the Performance Models and Validation of Test Results (A-005) project. The H-101 project included a study of the effectiveness of performing thin overlays, crack sealing, slurry seals, and chip seals as preventive maintenance on AC pavements and the effect of crack sealing and undersealing on the performance of PCC pavements. This work was used in the development of the SHRP Superpave mix design system.

Recently, Mr. Freeman was Co-Principal Investigator on an FHWA project to teach train-the-trainer courses on pavement management to local agencies. The project involved development of train-the-trainer materials and a pavement management software catalog.

Mr. Freeman is also the Principal Investigator for the Texas Department of Transportation's Supplemental Maintenance Effectiveness Research Program (SMERP). This program studies the effectiveness of rubber, latex, polymer modified emulsion, conventional AC chip seals, and micro surfacing on the performance of AC pavement in Texas. This project is an extension of the H-101 project but uses Texas treatments and Texas pavements. The treatments were placed in 1993 and have been surveyed six, twelve, and twenty-four months after construction in order to establish their performance effectiveness. This is an on-going project. Treatments will be surveyed every year until failure is detected at each site.

Mr. Freeman has worked extensively in implementing the PAVER Pavement Maintenance Management System and has assisted the Corps of Engineers in the development of this system.

Education

  • M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1983.
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1981.

Experience

  • Engineering Research Associate, Pavement Management, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, June 1988 - Present.
  • Graduate Assistant, University of Illinois, December 1981 - December 1983.

Consulting

  • ERES Consultants, Inc., December 1983 - May 1988.

Professional Registration

Registered Professional Engineer in Illinois, Registration No. 062-044540.

Affiliations

  • Member, Transportation Research Board (TRB), Subcommittee A2B01(2).

Selected Publications

A. Epps Martin, A. Vijaykumar, E. Arambula, T.J. Freeman. Validate Surface Performance-Graded (SPG) Specification for Surface Treatment Binders. 0-6616-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2013.

A.J. Wimsatt, N.G. Gharaibeh, C.C. Albitres, S. Nazarian, J. Weissmann, T. Pappagianakis, A. Weissmann, T.J. Freeman. Evaluation and Development of Pavement Scores, Performance Models and Needs Estimates. 0-6386-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2012.

P.E. Krugler, T.J. Freeman, J.E. Wirth, J.P. Wikander, C.K. Estakhri, A.J. Wimsatt. Quantifying the Effects in Order to Optimize the Use of Grade 3 and Grade 4 Seal Coats. 0-6496-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2012.

N.G. Gharaibeh, T.J. Freeman, S. Saliminejad, C.M. Chang-Albitres, J. Weissmann, A. Weissmann, A.J. Wimsatt, C.F. Gurganus, T. Papagiannakis, S. Nazarian, I. Abdallah. Evaluation and Development of Pavement Scores, Performance Models and Needs Estimates for the TxDOT Pavement Management Information System - Final Report. 0-6386-3. Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. October 2012.

P.E. Krugler, T.J. Freeman, J.E. Wirth, J.P. Wikander, C.K. Estakhri, A.J. Wimsatt. Performance Comparison of Various Seal Coat Grades Used in Texas. 0-6496-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. July 2012.

S. Dessouky, M. Yang, M. Ilias, J. Ho, S. Lee, T.J. Freeman, M. Bourland, M. Jao. Pavement Repair Strategies for Selected Distresses in FM Roadways. 0-6589-1. University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX. June 2012.

T.J. Freeman, J.A. Epps. Heatwurx Patching at Two Locations in San Antonio. 5-9043-01-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. June 2012.

N.G. Gharaibeh, T.J. Freeman, A.J. Wimsatt, Y. Zou. Evaluation and Development of Pavement Scores, Performance Models and Needs Estimates: Phase I Activities. 0-6386-2. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. June 2011.

S. Dessouky, P.E. Krugler, A.T. Papagiannakis, T.J. Freeman. Review of Best Practices for the Selection of Rehab and Preventive Maintenance Projects. 0-6586-1. University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX. April 2011.

T.J. Freeman, J.W. Button, C.K. Estakhri. Develop Guidelines for Effective Prime Coats. 0-5635-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2010.

E. Masad, T.J. Freeman, A. Rezaei, A. Chowdhury. Aggregate Resistance to Polishing and Its Relationship to Skid Resistance. 0-5627-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2010.

E.A. Masad, A. Rezaei, A. Chowdhury, T.J. Freeman. Field Evaluation of Asphalt Mixture Skid Resistance and Its Relationship to Aggregate Characteristics. 0-5627-2. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. December 2010.

T.J. Freeman, J.W. Button, C.K. Estakhri. Effective Prime Coats for Compacted Pavement Bases. 0-5635-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. August 2010.

A.J. Wimsatt, C.M. Chang-Albitres, P.E. Krugler, T. Scullion, T.J. Freeman, M.B. Valdovinos. Considerations for Rigid vs. Flexible Pavement Design when Allowed as Alternate Bids: Technical Report. Technical Report. 0-6085-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. August 2009.

A.J. Wimsatt, P. Krugler, T. Scullion, T.J. Freeman, M.B. Valdovinos, C.M. Chang-Albitres. Considerations for Rigid vs. Flexible Pavement Designs When Allowed as Alternate Bids. PSR. 0-6085-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. July 2009.

E.G. Fernando, D.R. Middleton, T.B. Carlson, R.R. Longmire, E.D. Sepulveda, L. Ruback, T.J. Freeman, J.H. Oh. Deploying Weigh-In-Motion Installations on Asphalt Concrete Pavements. 0-5551-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. February 2009.