National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

The growing need for increased use of recycled as well as new materials in pavements has emerged due to the continuous decrease in natural resources and increased impact that the current state of practice has on the environment. Many transportation agencies are striving to make their practices and policies more "sustainable". Sustainable construction practices have been favored by the Federal and State Departments of Transportation (DOT's) as well as industry. However, the impacts of using new and recycled materials in pavements - particularly on long-term pavement durability and performance - are often unknown. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) does not have a system in place for evaluating any new or recycled materials as it relates to performance. This research will help identify methodologies to effectively determine the impacts of new recycled materials in pavement design and create a system for evaluating those materials.