MIT Results Presented at FHWA Sustainable Pavements Technical Working Group

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established a technical working group (TWG) to provide input and feedback on pavement and material sustainability. The working group is composed of representatives from state DOTs, other government agencies, academia and industry. The working group is part of FHWA's Sustainable Pavements Program, established in 2010, which strives to advance the knowledge and practice of sustainability in the pavements and materials area. The integrated program covers asphalt, concrete, granular and recyclable materials used in pavement systems and promotes research into new sustainable materials and processes.

Program objectives include developing guidelines for designing and constructing sustainable pavement systems; evaluating materials, processes, technologies and tools to aid in the evaluation, design and construction of sustainable pavement systems; and conducting technology transfer and deployment activities. In support of these objectives, the working group meets twice a year to exchange ideas, innovative solutions and evaluate products under development by the FHWA sustainable pavements team. At a recent TWG meeting held in Baton Rouge, LA, Franz-Joseph Ulm of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub presented the latest results of the pavement-vehicle interaction (PVI) model being developed by MIT and feedback from the group was very positive. Previous input from the technical working group was instrumental in shaping the current version of the PVI model. NRMCA Vice President Pavement Structures Brian Killingsworth is a friend of the committee and ensures that the benefits of ready mixed concrete are considered in the work that the group performs.