Materials and Pavements

Ground Penetrating Radar attachment on van

A van outfitted with ground penetrating radar. This nondestructive evaluation method is used in the transportation industry in such areas as subsurface pavement evaluation, location of buried construction hazards, bridge inspection, and quality control during initial pavement placement.

The Materials and Pavements (M&P) Division conducts a coordinated and extensive program of research to design, develop, and evaluate new pavement materials, techniques, equipment, and test procedures. Research focuses on improving the durability, safety, and efficiency of pavement materials and structures within both economic and environmental constraints.

Research units in the Materials and Pavements Division include:

Featured Research

Texas Cities, Counties Invest in New Pavements Developed by TTI

Thin pavements expected to last longer, save money

If thin is in, then the new pavements being developed by researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are all that, and then some.

Instead of the traditional two-inch overlays that are typical for road rehabilitation, TTI researchers have dared to go much thinner — developing pavements that are one inch in height and, in one case, a mere half inch high. Because these new pavements are made with high-quality stones and polymer-modified asphalt, they are expected to last longer and require less maintenance. As a result, state, county and city officials are jumping on the thin overlay bandwagon in order to save taxpayers money and inconvenience and, at the same time, provide smoother rides.