About the Center

The National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (National CP Tech Center) at Iowa State University is a national hub for concrete pavement research and technology transfer. The Center was founded in 2000 and currently has four industry sponsors: the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), the Concrete Steel Reinforcing Institute (CRSI), the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Iowa Concrete Paving Association (ICPA), and the Portland Cement Association (PCA). The Center has been instrumental in developing and helping to advance the nation's strategic plan for concrete pavement research, The CP Road Map.

Mission

Since its inception, the center has focused on serving the needs of the concrete pavement stakeholder community. Its mission is to

• Help street and road agencies find answers to their concrete pavement-related questions.
• Identify critical concrete pavement research needs and discover sustainable solutions.
• Help agencies, industry, and businesses incorporate advanced, sustainable solutions and new technologies into their day-to-day practices.

Center of Partnerships

With federal, state, and industry support, the National CP Tech Center helps set and implement a national research agenda that seeks to benefit the concrete paving community.

The center accomplishes this work by facilitating strategic short- and long-term partnerships. Its partnering relationships include almost 100 organizations in more than 30 states—including the Federal Highway Administration, state DOTs, state concrete paving chapters and associations, industry representatives, and research universities.

Bringing Science into Practice

Through its national partnerships, the National CP Tech Center is able to shorten the time it takes for scientific research to become day-to-day practice, getting new approaches and technologies into the hands of users more quickly and efficiently.

The center's approach to technology transfer systematically addresses all groups' interests and needs. It strives to provide the right information to the right people so that

• Executive-level decision makers (e.g., State agency highway division leaders or district engineers) understand why and how the organization and its customers will benefit from a particular advancement.
• Project-level decision makers (e.g., State agency design or construction engineers) understand the value the advancement adds to a specific project.
• On-site decision makers (e.g., technicians, project supervisors, inspectors, crews) understand the nuts-and-bolts of how to implement the advancement.