Pavement Preservation Journal, Winter 2011, Vol. 5, No. 2
The University of Arkansas-Fayetteville has received a financial boost that will help it develop research in pavement maintenance and preservation.
Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc., headquartered in Jackson, Miss., pledged financial support to aid in the development of research on pavement maintenance in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of
Arkansas. The gift will provide a scholarship for a graduate student who will work with assistant professor Andrew
Braham, as well as discretionary funds that can be used for equipment and supplies for Braham’s laboratory.
“When I came to the University of Arkansas, I recognized a need for more research in the area of pavement maintenance products in academia,” Braham said. “So much of our university level research (in the U.S. and around the world) revolves around the more traditional forms of pavements, such as hot mix asphalt and portland cement concrete. However, there is comparatively little research in the area of pavement maintenance products.”
Braham’s goal is to develop performance tests in the laboratory that can predict field performance of fog seals,
chip seals, slurry seals, micro surfacing, cold in-place recycling (CIR), and full depth reclamation (FDR).
Currently, the University of Arkansas has extensive asphalt mixture performance testing capabilities, including a moisture torture test, dynamic modulus, indirect tension, and fracture testing. Therefore, immediate testing can
begin on CIR and FDR mixtures. Over the next three to five years, Braham plans to obtain a laboratory scale emulsion production mill, which will allow him to test capabilities for surface treatments. With this new equipment, Braham’s lab will be able to analyze the full range of pavement preservation products.