NCAT Test Track Research

The National Center For Asphalt Technology (NCAT) 9th research cycle on the Test Track has reached the halfway point.

Running from 2024 to 2027, the ninth cycle of accelerated pavement testing supports NCAT’s mission to develop innovative and practical solutions for asphalt pavement performance on local, state and national roadways.

For eight cycles, NCAT has tested innovative materials and helped refine existing specifications and pavement design procedures for a more sustainable highway network.

The ninth research cycle continues this trend, with cutting-edge experiments that enhance asphalt pavements’ durability, safety and sustainability.

During the ninth research cycle several innovative recycled rubber mixes are being evaluated to enhance pavement sustainability and performance.

Among the primary recycled rubber mixes and applications under testing, South Carolina DOT (SCDOT) is investigating ground tire rubber (GTR) use in SMA (Stone Matrix Asphalt) mixes.

The Virginia DOT(VDOT) elected to place a control BMD (Balance Mix Design) mix on top of one of the CCPR (Cold Central Plant Recycling) sections and a rubber-modified BMD mix on the other for a head-to-head comparison evaluating structural performance.

Finally, the Test Track welcomes a new sponsor, the Arkansas DOT (ARDOT), who will evaluate a version of a dry-added modified asphalt rubber gap-graded mix that they are considering as a means to mitigate reflective cracking from underlying concrete pavements.

Existing sections from the previous cycle—including GTR-modified binders in dense-graded mixtures with 20 percent reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP)—have been retained for continued traffic to evaluate their long-term field performance over the full 10 million ESALs (equivalent single axle loads ).

NCAT’s 1.7 mile oval track is the only high-speed, full-scale accelerated pavement testing facility in the U.S. and one of only two in the world.

© Scrap Tire News, February 2026