After 10 years of research in the laboratory of the Western Regional Superpave Center and in the field, the University’s Pavement Engineering and Science (PES) program has gained approval from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) for a standalone national/international standard for testing thermal cracking characteristics of asphalt mixtures. Developed in collaboration with the Nevada Department of Transportation and initial funding from FHWA, the goal of ASTM D8303 is to help civil engineers develop asphalt mixtures that resist cracking from extreme temperatures.

“Temperature variations and rates will directly influence the stiffness, strength, and thermal-volumetric properties of the asphalt mixture; hence affecting the pavement resistance to thermal cracking,” said Research Scientist Murugaiyah Piratheepan in the original ASTM press release announcing the new standard. “Therefore, an accurate characterization of the asphalt mixture properties is essential to the design of thermal cracking resistant asphalt mixtures and to the fundamental modeling of thermal cracking of asphalt pavements.”

For ASTM to adopt the standard, it had to be approved by its Subcommittee D04.26 on Fundamental/Mechanistic Tests that is one of the 27 technical committees of the parent Committee D04 on Road and Paving Materials, which has a national and international membership of more than 750. Representatives include members not only of academia but also agency and industry partners. ASTM standards are used by individuals, companies and other institutions around the world.

Keep reading on www.unr.edu/nevada-today