The materials lab provides a place to test the mechanical and
physical properties of a variety of innovative materials used in
transportation construction. For instance, we’ve researched
“green” highway materials such as fly ash, a waste product
created during coal burning. In this case, concrete mixes have
been created that use fly ash as a substitute for traditional
Portland cement. But unlike cement production, which can have a
heavy environmental impact, fly ash is 100 percent recycled. The
geosynthetic industry, whose materials are used extensively and
successfully in many highway construction projects, has a
growing need for material tests that define mechanical
properties pertinent to working load conditions within pavement
structures. Such analyses are essential for the growth of safe
and reliable use of economical reinforcement products for
construction and repair of transportation infrastructure. Our
Materials Laboratory and its team are equipped with the
expertise and equipment to fulfill the criti