1
00:00:00,459 --> 00:00:03,459
(suspenseful music)

2
00:00:07,260 --> 00:00:10,320
- [Narrator] When you think
roads, you think pavement,

3
00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,840
but constructing long-lasting roadways

4
00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,590
is more than just the quality
of the pavement layer.

5
00:00:16,590 --> 00:00:18,570
The base layers below the pavement

6
00:00:18,570 --> 00:00:20,850
are also critical to the performance

7
00:00:20,850 --> 00:00:23,370
and lifespan of a roadway.

8
00:00:23,370 --> 00:00:25,770
Typically, an additive such as cement

9
00:00:25,770 --> 00:00:28,650
is used to stabilize base materials,

10
00:00:28,650 --> 00:00:30,990
but determining the
correct amount of cement

11
00:00:30,990 --> 00:00:33,390
needed to meet strength requirements

12
00:00:33,390 --> 00:00:35,640
can be a lengthy process.

13
00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:37,800
The Texas Department of Transportation

14
00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,490
and researchers with the Texas
A&M Transportation Institute

15
00:00:41,490 --> 00:00:43,500
are looking at ways to accelerate

16
00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:46,440
the design procedure for base materials.

17
00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,490
- TxDOT uses cement treatment
as their most common method

18
00:00:50,490 --> 00:00:53,400
of improving the quality
of base materials.

19
00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,970
Now, to do that, you need to
know how much cement to add.

20
00:00:56,970 --> 00:00:58,890
And so, there's test methods

21
00:00:58,890 --> 00:01:01,530
that determine the rate of cement to use,

22
00:01:01,530 --> 00:01:03,780
and typically, those methods require

23
00:01:03,780 --> 00:01:06,480
one week to get a strength value.

24
00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,400
And this project was about

25
00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,680
getting that strength value faster

26
00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,080
and with less effort
than the current method

27
00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,240
to basically streamline the test procedure

28
00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,520
to decide how much cement should be added.

29
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,200
- Well, we're taking
the mix design procedure

30
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:20,370
and making it faster.

31
00:01:20,370 --> 00:01:23,670
We're taking a procedure that
could be somewhat convoluted,

32
00:01:23,670 --> 00:01:27,210
making it simpler,
becoming more efficient,

33
00:01:27,210 --> 00:01:30,360
and overall, easier for
people to understand,

34
00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,090
comprehend, and actually run themselves.

35
00:01:33,090 --> 00:01:34,920
- We partnered with TxDOT districts

36
00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,020
to identify actual projects

37
00:01:37,020 --> 00:01:39,990
that were being set up
for cement treatment,

38
00:01:39,990 --> 00:01:43,560
and we sampled those actual
real-world project materials,

39
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:45,720
brought those materials back to the lab,

40
00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,330
and then we ran the current methods

41
00:01:48,330 --> 00:01:51,270
along with the research
methods concurrently.

42
00:01:51,270 --> 00:01:55,260
And that way we're able to
both fulfill the research need

43
00:01:55,260 --> 00:01:58,290
and also provide information suitable

44
00:01:58,290 --> 00:02:01,200
for use on these actual
real-world construction projects.

45
00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,500
- I would say the key finding
is reducing the curing time

46
00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:06,810
from seven days to three days,

47
00:02:06,810 --> 00:02:09,630
but we also went to a
different molding procedure.

48
00:02:09,630 --> 00:02:11,490
We're using less material.

49
00:02:11,490 --> 00:02:13,710
So now, in the field, we don't have

50
00:02:13,710 --> 00:02:16,080
to sample four or 500 pounds of material.

51
00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,630
We can break that down,
possibly down to 200.

52
00:02:18,630 --> 00:02:21,360
- So for TxDOT, the main benefits are

53
00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,760
they can determine how much cement to use

54
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,420
in these treatments with
less effort and less time.

55
00:02:27,420 --> 00:02:29,580
And then for the public, what it means

56
00:02:29,580 --> 00:02:32,460
is faster construction delivery times,

57
00:02:32,460 --> 00:02:35,820
because we should minimize
the risk of project delays.

58
00:02:35,820 --> 00:02:36,960
- The next step to this is

59
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,060
that we have an implementation project.

60
00:02:39,060 --> 00:02:42,420
So now, we're gonna get materials
from all over the state,

61
00:02:42,420 --> 00:02:47,420
west, east, north, different
geology, different qualities,

62
00:02:48,450 --> 00:02:50,490
and we're gonna apply this procedure

63
00:02:50,490 --> 00:02:52,170
and see how it all fits.

64
00:02:52,170 --> 00:02:53,430
- [Announcer] For more information

65
00:02:53,430 --> 00:02:56,460
and to find the publications
for this project,

66
00:02:56,460 --> 00:02:59,100
please visit the TxDOT Research Library

67
00:02:59,100 --> 00:03:00,873
at the link shown below.