As roads across the Valley face increased strain from growing infrastructure and extreme heat conditions, a collaboration between researchers at ASU and local agencies aims to reshape how they are built and maintained.
The Southwest Pavement Technology Consortium, founded three years ago, brings together industry partners and public agencies, including the cities of Phoenix, Mesa and Peoria. The cities work directly with academic research to test solutions and apply the findings to real-world infrastructure.
Rubben Lolly, the deputy director of the city of Phoenix Street Maintenance Division, said the city joined the consortium to improve how it manages its vast roadway network.
"City of Phoenix has about 5,000 miles of roadways and most of them, 99% are asphalt," Lolly said. "Anytime we can improve the performance and preservation of the pavement is a savings in money, even if it's by one year."
A "collaborative platform"
Rather than relying on external studies, Lolly said the consortium allows the city to collaborate directly with researchers and industry partners to solve practical problems.
Before cities incorporate solutions into their standard practices, the consortium conducts research through data collection, lab testing and field application.
"The biggest value is that most of the outcomes of the studies that the consortium or the projects that the consortium undertakes become a best practice for us that we can implement directly," Lolly said.
Hasan Ozer, the founding director of the consortium and professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, said the program is designed as a "collaborative platform" where agencies, industry and academia work together to address shared challenges in the pavement industry.
"We can basically design the platform as a go-to organization for anything related to pavement in Arizona," Ozer said. "We also thought about consortium as the primary hub, which means this is the place that we are partners. Members communicate with each other, network and share their problems, exchange ideas."
Pavement research
One of the consortium's biggest research focuses is the impact of extreme heat on pavement — a growing concern in Arizona. Ozer said prolonged high temperatures accelerate aging in pavement materials, leading to faster cracking and deterioration.
"That really translates to excessive aging of the pavement material," Ozer said. "It's a big, big problem for our agency to be addressed."
READ MORE: ASU team joins Phoenix in fighting extreme heat through cooler pavement
The consortium conducts both lab research and field testing to manage the issue. It has two test sites in Mesa where new materials and techniques are evaluated under real-world conditions.
Lolly said even small improvements in the pavement's lifespan can translate into significant savings. He said making pavement last even one more year can translate to millions of dollars of savings for the city.
Beyond cost savings, the collaboration also helps cities manage the increasing strain on infrastructure as populations grow.
"(The collaboration) is very valuable," Lolly said. "It relieves us of having to rebuild everything because of population growth and also helps us to be able to have our existing infrastructure last longer and take the beating that it needs while we invest in new infrastructure."
Professional development
The consortium also plays a role in workforce development, offering training programs for engineers, contractors and technicians across the region. Ozar said these programs are typically held during the construction off-season and help improve the quality of both materials and construction practices.
For students involved in the consortium, the work extends beyond the classroom into active field research sites.
Naaga Vedula, a doctoral student studying civil, environmental and sustainable engineering, works with the consortium. He said being part of the team gave him access to opportunities beyond typical academic research.
"This consortium has been a huge help for me as a student ... because of the doctors," Vedula said. "I had immense support from the industry to access them directly."
Vedula's work mainly focuses on monitoring asphalt quality using UAV drones and infrared cameras, highlighting areas of major concern that the public is generally unaware of.
As the consortium continues to expand, Ozer said its long-term goal is to serve as a hub for data, research and collaboration in pavement engineering across Arizona.
"ASU provides tons of opportunities for establishing this type of partnership with the local industry and local stakeholders," Ozer said. "We use that mechanism already existing at ASU to build this collaborative platform."
Edited by Kate Gore, Senna James and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at ngmohta@asu.edu.
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Nikhil Mohta is a sophomore studying B.S. in Finance and is currently a Business Community Leader for the W.P. Carey School of business. He is also an active member in various clubs on campus like PIERA.
