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    <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>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Solution to Interfacial Delamination of NMDOT's Asphalt Pavements</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582854</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The main problem with a delaminated layered pavement is that it will create a poor distribution of mechanical loads induced by repeated traffic, which will result in early failure. Therefore, there is a need to study the factors that causes such a delamination in our pavements and for finding a solution to prevent it. The objective of this study is to define the mechanisms of delamination and find a solution to delamination issues of New Mexico pavements. To find a solution, the project was initiated to identify and evaluate the following factors: Debonding of the tack coat from the top or bottom layer: due to poor interlayer bond caused by dissimilar material systems, improper choice of tack coat (type), lack of tack or application rate, inadequate or excessive breaking and curing of tack coat. It is worthwhile to mention here that the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) does not have acceptance or performance tests for tack coats. Failure within the layer: traffic- and pavement design related causes (e.g., slippage between layers due to heavy traffic, unstable or poor mix, excessive cyclic stresses at the interface of two layers). Damage and fracture within the interface or tack coat layer: caused by seepage of water through the surface layer, improper compaction, aging, and mismatch in thermal expansion and contraction between two layers and/or interface tack layer due to seasonal change in temperature.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2025 18:13:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582854</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A New Generation of Asphalt Emulsion: Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2475702</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Hot applied asphalt cement, cutback asphalt, and emulsified asphalt have been used as tack coats and for chip seal applications. However, emulsified asphalt tack coats have been widely favored due to their additional benefits, such as reduced energy consumption and improved worker safety. The objective of this study is to conceive, test, and evaluate a new generation of emulsified asphalt using alternative materials to regular emulsified asphalts but with comparable performance. If successful, the proposed product may be used as an additional available emulsified asphalt in the market. State and federal agencies will be interested in the additional options provided by the proposed product and in order to minimize the impacts associated with road construction. Asphalt producers and suppliers will also be interested in adopting the new generation of emulsified asphalts to ensure that their products are tailored to the market needs in different parts of the country. 
The planned research activities include the following: Task (1) Conception and development of a new generation of emulsified asphalts (lead: UA); Task (2): Evaluation of the rheological and aging properties of the developed emulsified asphalts and comparing them to conventional emulsified asphalts (lead: LSU); Task 3: Assessing the mechanistic performance of the newly developed emulsified asphalts (lead: UA); Task 4: Analyzing the performance data, and cost effectiveness of emulsified asphalts (lead: LSU), and Task 5: Preparing final report (lead: LSU). The research team plans to explore various formulations for the emulsified asphalts. Once the most promising formulations are identified, the emulsions will be tested for paddle viscosity, sieve analysis, residue characteristics, particle size distribution using a laser diffraction analyzer, and storage stability. 
The availability of an innovative emulsified asphalt product, which incorporates recycled and degradable materials, has a strong value proposition for state highway agencies and contractors because it will allow them to reduce the impacts of road construction and will provide an additional option along with conventional emulsified asphalts. Based on the results of study, the research team will work with the intellectual property office at LSU to file a patent for the developed emulsified asphalts and pursue licensure opportunities. In addition, the multi-institutional research team will work with SPTC to organize a webinar to share the results of this study with the stakeholders on new advancements and findings.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:55:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2475702</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Durability of Diamond Ground HMA with and w/o Tack Coat</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2431174</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The proposed research will identify several duplicate Hot Mix Asphalt paving projects around the state in different climate/traffic areas.  Duplicates are needed to ensure adequate sites are included in the research project as evaluation of diamond ground tacked versus untacked areas will only be done based on smoothness corrective action areas per the contract.  Upon completion of smoothness acceptance testing/identification of corrective work areas, different areas in the same travel lane would be designated to remain uncoated with tack.  Sites would be monitored annually, with performance monitored through visual distress assessment/photos.  Sand patch (surface texture testing) would also be performed to document surface texture changes from year to year]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:32:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2431174</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Trackless Tack Bond Strength Performance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2417065</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In emulsion asphalt and non-tracking tack materials, bond strength significantly influences bituminous pavement performance. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) bituminous pavements show evidence of debonding. Debonding has also occurred on resurfacing projects. Non-tracking tack is a new material that is used as tack. Its adoption has raised several questions related to application rate, seasonal limitations, and equipment requirements. Leveraging previous work on the effect of bond strength on bituminous pavement performance, project activities will focus on implementing research, obtaining data on Kentucky pavements, and developing recommendations related to bond strength.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 12 Aug 2024 13:26:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2417065</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Inspection of Tack Coats and
Ancillary Highway Structures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1687682</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will investigate the feasibility of using unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) to accelerate and improve the
inspection of tack coats and ancillary structures. The research
team will take a data-driven approach: identifying the key
assessment needs and data products to support DOT
inspection workflows, and to implement these criteria to
dictate the development of the necessary algorithms and UAV
hardware.
The objective of this project is to investigate whether and how
UAVs can be applied to enhance the current practice of
inspection for tack coats during asphalt pavement renovation
and for ancillary highway structures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Feb 2020 15:40:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1687682</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Guide Specifications for the Construction of Slurry Seals, Scrub Seals, and Tack Coats</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1628609</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Pavement preservation provides a means for maintaining and improving the functional condition of an existing highway system. Although pavement preservation is not expected to substantially increase structural capacity, it generally leads to improved pavement performance and longer service life. Slurry seals and scrub seals are frequently used as pavement preservation treatments for flexible pavements. Slurry seals are used to mitigate oxidization and scrub seals are used to seal cracks and prevent moisture intrusion. Tack coats are applied to promote bonding of the preservation treatment to the pavement. Although a great deal of information on the design, materials, and construction practices of these treatments is available, there is no nationally accepted guidance on their construction. There was a need to develop guide construction specifications to help state departments of transportation (state DOTs) apply these treatments more effectively and achieve the most benefit of their application.
The objective of this research was to develop recommended guide specifications for the construction of slurry seals, scrub seals, and tack coats as used in preservation treatments.
The research reviewed and evaluated the current practices for the construction of slurry seals, scrub seals, and tack coats and proposed (1) a set of proposed guide specifications for their construction and (2) a set of practices for quality assurance of their construction. The final deliverable includes 3 parts: Part !: Final Report, Part II: Proposed Guide Specifications for Construction of Slurry Seals, Scrub Seals, and Tack Coats, and Part III: Proposed Quality Assurance Guide. Parts II and III have been provided the AASHTO Committee on Materials and Pavements for consideration and possible incorporation into the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Highway Construction; they are not available. Part I is available at  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP14-44_Part-I_FinalReport.pdf




 
 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 08 Jun 2019 09:59:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1628609</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Developing Laboratory Methods and Specifications to Test Tack Coat Materials



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1628601</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The overall durability of a pavement structure is strongly tied to the retention of the desired amount of tack on the pavement layer surface during construction or rehabilitation as well as the bonding quality of the tack between pavement layers. The interlayer bond, in turn, is dependent on the quality of the tack coat material. Over the last few decades, there have been several developments in tack coat materials and their application. For example, the use of non-tracking materials and specialized application equipment have gained much attention in the pavement industry.

Producers have developed various tack coat materials and often approached highway agencies for product approval, and agencies and producers have developed a range of laboratory tests to evaluate the characteristics of the tack coat materials and qualify their use. Research was needed to revisit recently developed methods and produce a specification that defines the test methods, parameters, and thresholds that are indicative of performance.

The objective of this research was to produce a specification with related laboratory test methods for tack coat materials that allows prediction of their performance over a range of environments, pavement types, and construction methods. The research considered test methods for tack coat characteristics related to bonding, tracking, and durability. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 07 Jun 2019 13:04:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1628601</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Determining Bond Strength of Micro-surfacing Mixes - Phase 2</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1526175</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Micro-surfacing has been widely used by several transportation agencies including the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) as a preventive maintenance treatment in order to extend the service life of the pavement.  ODOT does not currently have a standard test method to measure the interface bond strength for asphaltic materials.  The goal of this research is to evaluate the current practice as well as new equipment and application rates for tack coat to improve the service life and performance of pavement treated with micro-surfacing, resulting in significant cost savings due to the reduced need to repair these pavements.

This research will be conducted in two phases.  Phase 1 of this research developed recommendations for evaluating and improving the current practice for using tack coat in micro-surfacing applications. 
Phase 2 of this project will conduct lab and field tests to determine the bond strength between micro-surfacing mixes and existing asphalt surfaces with and without tack coat; evaluate and improve the current practice for using tack coat in micro-surfacing applications, and develop a required minimum bond strength in order to achieve satisfactory performance.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Jul 2018 15:23:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1526175</guid>
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