<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="https://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  <channel>
    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
    <description></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Effect of Using RAP on Gravel Roads</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2720399</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) has been used in several construction applications, including blending of RAP with virgin aggregates in gravel roads. RAP is intended to reduce costs and offer environmental benefits through reduced consumption of natural aggregates, while adding cohesion, which can add strength and bind particles to reduce raveling and loss of aggregate. RAP can also reduce the permeability of the surface course by decreasing the void volume, which may have beneficial effects of reducing dust loss and creating a tighter particle packing that aids stability. However, the beneficial effects of RAP may decrease over time as the oils in the RAP dry out. Furthermore, RAP can make blading operations more difficult as the material adheres to the moldboard in hot weather or becomes hard and brittle in cold weather. The objective of this study is to help agencies better understand the potential advantages and disadvantages of using RAP in gravel roads by synthesizing the existing research, surveying local Minnesota agencies, performing field and laboratory tests on new and existing sections of gravel roads containing RAP, and conducting a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:25:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2720399</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Design Requirements for High Traffic Asphalt Mixes to Ensure Pavement Performance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2671978</link>
      <description><![CDATA[High Traffic Asphalt Mixes in Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) are routinely using Stone Matrix Asphalt compacted to 100 design gyrations. Concerns have arisen that the mixtures contain low asphalt contents and are difficult to compact in the field. A more equitable balance between mixture stiffness and cracking resistance is desirable to optimize and/or improve the constructability and performance of High Traffic Asphalt Mixtures. The project objective is to modify WisDOT Hot Mix Asphalt design requirements for High Traffic mixtures to improve constructability and performance for high-volume freight corridors over a 20-year design life. The project will involve summarizing existing mix design requirements in regions with similar climates ("Wet- Freeze") and aggregate resources, benchmark existing WisDOT mixture designs using volumetric and performance testing and use a combination of laboratory-reproduced mix designs and construction/in-service performance data to propose modifications to existing mixture designs and procedures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:11:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2671978</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investigation of Balanced Mixture Design for New York State Asphalt Mixtures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1666459</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Current asphalt design procedures are solely based on volumetric principles and lack a valid methodology to ensure performance of the asphalt mixture considered during design.  This research focuses on a state of the art practice called Balanced Mixture Design (BMD), where the gradation and optimum asphalt content are not solely selected by the volumetrics of the mixture, but by the rutting and fatigue cracking resistance.  The objectives of the study are to:
(1) Evaluate the current performance of NYSDOT asphalt mixtures across the state;
(2) Redesign the asphalt mixtures utilizing the BMD methodology; and
(3) Recommend performance tests and finalize a design procedure methodology for NYSDOT adoption and implementation.
Training and specifications around the new design method will be developed and implemented within the NY State. In addition, the impact of cost savings of the new design will be assessed using a performance-cost analysis.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jan 2020 15:32:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1666459</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Research for AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways. Task 412. Adjustments to the Superpave Volumetric Mixture Design Procedure for Selecting Optimum Asphalt Content</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1491277</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objectives of this research were to (1) summarize and evaluate successful approaches currently being used by SHAs to adjust the Superpave volumetric mixture design to obtain higher asphalt binder contents; (2) verify the increase in optimum asphalt content through a limited laboratory experiment that compares successful approaches with the current AASHTO standards; and (3) document these results as proposed appendixes or amendments to AASHTO R 35, AASHTO M 323, or both.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:09:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1491277</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>