Dr. Junan Shen awarded GDOT research funds
The Georgia Dept. of Transportation (GDOT) has awarded a grant to Dr. Junan Shen, Assoc. Prof. of Civil Engineering, to complete Phase Two of his research on the durability of “crumb rubber modified asphalt.” In Phase One, Dr. Shen and his students inspected areas of I-75 between the Florida state line and mile 17.2 in Georgia to document signs of distress and select sites for further testing. The team and GDOT personnel obtained sample cores, tested the pavement’s friction, and measured rutting in wheel paths. In Phase Two, the team will conduct similar testing procedures in Macon and Augusta.
Crumb rubber comes from scrap tires, and mixing it with asphalt could prove to be a great alternative to traditional asphalt mixes. This could be a win-win for the state’s budget and environment — it costs less to produce than conventional asphalt, and uses thousands of scrap tires that would otherwise end up in landfills.
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