With testing in both northern and southern climates, Cargill is launching a pilot project in September with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) to help contractors build and maintain longer-lasting roads.
Cargill, based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, is partnering with NCAT in Opelika, Alabama, and the MnROAD program in Albertville, Minnesota.
The goal is to determine how to best implement performance-engineered mix design procedures, especially in mixes containing rejuvenators and high levels of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), a press release says.
“We believe it’s time for the asphalt industry to look beyond recipe specifications and focus more on real-world results,” explains Rob Neumann, global category leader for Cargill.
“Investments in research and development have yielded advances in asphalt technology, but industry standards haven’t always kept pace.”
Results from the multi-year NCAT and MnROAD trials will help state agencies gain confidence in performance-based testing, he says.
