History
The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) was
established in 1986 as a partnership between Auburn University and the NationalAsphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) Research and Education Foundation to
provide practical research and development to meet the needs of maintaining
America's highway infrastructure (www.eng.auburn.edu).
NCAT was formed in order to ensure the nation’s ability to provide quality
asphalt pavements that are durable, sustainable, safe and economical. NCAT
works with state highway agencies, the Federal Highway Administration and
the highway construction industry to develop and evaluate new products, design
technologies and construction methods that quickly lead to pavement
improvements (www.eng.auburn.edu).
FORTA-FI® Experimental
Patch
In October 2013, FORTA-FI® was added to a mix
that would be used in a small experimental patch (at a milled depth of 2
inches) on the NCAT test track in Opelika, Alabama. After 1.5 million ESALs,
NCAT engineers surveyed the patch and the cracks were painted white, as shown
in the picture. Half of the patch was reinforced with FORTA-FI® and
the other half, as labeled, was used as a control containing no fiber. The
division between the fiber and the control patch halves is the visible white
painted line that extends across the picture.
Buzz Powell, NCAT Assistant Director and the Test Track
Manager, stated:
“Even
though the most severe pre-patch cracking was in the half of the patch treated
with FORTA-FI® fibers, it is evident that less cracking had
reflected in the FORTA-FI® fiber half of the patch at that time.”
Overall,
the FORTA-FI® reinforced asphalt performed extremely well under the
NCAT testing standards as compared to the control section, containing no fiber.
It is evident, as shown in the picture, that the FORTA-FI® section
has far less cracking compared to the control section when tested under
identical conditions.
