NCAT Test Track Conference a Success
The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) held its Pavement Test Track Conference recently hosting approximately 150 individuals representing state and federal government, universities, consultants and industry from across the nation. This conference is held every three years to share pavement performance information learned from two years of accelerated traffic to the pavement test sections. The test track is a 1.7 mile oval pavement test facility created in 2000 to help evaluate the quality of various asphalt pavement materials and mixtures.
NCAT was established at Auburn University in 1986 through a cooperative agreement between the National Asphalt Pavement Association Education Foundation and Auburn University. NCAT works to improve hot mix asphalt performance through research, education and information services.
Keynote speaker, Marshall Thompson, an internationally known professor from the University of Illinois, discussed the need for an improved pavement design procedure to produce better performing pavements at lower overall cost.
The two-day event highlighted NCAT's track and research findings.
Visitors toured of the track to learn how test sections have performed and how states are implementing results from the test track.
Civil engineering professor and director of NCAT, Ray Brown says, "This event is important because it attracts decisions makers from throughout the nation and results in quicker implementation of the many important findings from research done at the track"
Media Contact: , cobbche@auburn.edu, 334.844.2220