Recycling the road: Full-depth reclamation uses old roadways to make new

full-depth reclamation being used on an old roadway

Not only is recycling good for the environment, it is good for our pocketbook. Recycling is the process of turning used products into raw materials for making new products. With thousands of miles of roadway in place — many needing rehabilitation — reusing the existing pavement materials can make a big cash difference. Full-depth reclamation [...]

Streamlining the construction process: TTI researchers find ways to cut costs

construction site

State departments of transportation (DOTs) throughout the country are battling the same worsening problems: a lack of funds for road construction and soaring prices for materials like steel and concrete. When funds are available, these rising costs have DOTs scrambling for dollar-stretching ideas. “Construction costs have almost doubled between 1998 and 2006,” says Ivan Damnjanovic [...]

Black top served hot: TTI research helps lengthen road life

A maintenance crew oversees an asphalt overlay project.

Potholes in the road cause more problems than commuters just spilling their coffee. Potholes are also a safety hazard and an expensive burden to the taxpayers footing the bill for repairs. Thermal segregation, one major cause of potholes, occurs in isolated, low-density areas when the temperature differs greatly during placement of the new overlay. Hot-mix [...]