NCAT Pavement Test Track, Research facility in Lee County, Alabama, United States.
The NCAT Pavement Test Track is a research facility on 309 acres in Alabama where different asphalt mixtures are tested under controlled conditions. The circular track has research buildings, a weather station, and an asphalt plant on the grounds.
The facility was established in 2000 and quickly became a leading center for road research. It represents a partnership between Auburn University and the asphalt industry to improve construction methods.
The facility represents a partnership between Auburn University and the National Asphalt Pavement Association's Research and Education Foundation to advance road construction methods.
Visitors can access the facility with permission and watch ongoing tests performed by specially loaded trucks conducting research. Daytime visits are best since that is when researchers are actively working and conditions are most visible.
The facility compresses about ten years of normal traffic wear into just two years by running continuous tests with heavily loaded trucks on test sections. This allows researchers to quickly simulate the long-term effects of road use.
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