Test Track Conference

Overview

The Test Track Conference, a triennial event, presents groundbreaking research from the latest cycle of accelerated pavement testing. It's a two-and-a-half-day showcase of advancements in the design, construction, technologies, and maintenance of more sustainable and longer-lasting asphalt pavements.

The Test Track Conference for the ninth research cycle will be in the Spring/Summer of 2027. 

View photos from the 2024 Test Track Conference here.

  

Ignite Your Knowledge

Learn about the latest advancements, from cutting-edge mixture additives to innovative pavement design methods, with presentations from acclaimed research engineers with the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT).

NCAT operates the Test Track because it provides unique opportunities to determine the field performance of breakthrough materials and concepts without the risk of failure on public roads, giving highway agencies clear proof of what new ideas are ready to implement or what needs further development.

Since its original construction in 2000, findings from the Test Track have led to improved specifications for aggregates, binders, and mix design criteria, as well as advancements in  pavement design methods that have saved state agencies millions of tax dollars.

 

What to Expect at the Test Track Conference

Among the topics to discussed at the 2024 Test Track Conference were cold recycling, BMD rapid tests for Quality Assurance, recycling agents, innovative mix additives, crack prevention interlayer strategies, surface rejuvenation, high polymer binders, pavement preservation treatments, and more.

Click here to view the 2024 agenda.

 

Hands-On Exploration

Attendees explored the 1.7-mile track upon which 200-foot test sections are funded by highway agencies and industry sponsors. Learn about data gained from this unique real-world laboratory where researchers collect and analyze field performance and pavement response data, as well as laboratory test results for the plant-produced mixtures sampled during construction.

Experiments are sponsored over a three-year research cycle during which a fleet of 5 trucks applies more than a decade of interstate-type traffic to the test sections in only two years. We do this because it allows us to evaluate the field performance of breakthrough materials and concepts without the risk of failure on public roads.

 

Networking Opportunities

This conference is your ticket to priceless connections with federal, state, and local agency decision-makers and stakeholders from the private sector. The stage is set for further cooperation among these organizations. Time is specifically scheduled for networking opportunities. Among those attending will be representatives from highway departments based in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, and many others.