Asphalt pavement experts attending an international conference in Columbus toured Ohio University’s Accelerated Pavement Load Facility on the University’s Lancaster Campus on October 2, 2009.

            They observed data on four types of pavement – Control, Aspha-Min, Sasobit and Evotherm – placed in 80 feet long strips in the facility nearly three years ago.
            The APLF, an enclosed facility for the full-scale testing of highway pavement, features an environmentally controlled chamber, two-lane capacity for regulation highway lanes and shoulders, full access for construction equipment to place pavement as in typical roadway situations, the ability to simulate loads from 9,000 to 30,000 pounds, full environmental control to regulate air temperature, humidity, and moisture, and optional instrumentation to monitor pavement response. 
The research and test facility was constructed on the Lancaster Campus in 1996 with $1.35 million in funds from the Ohio Board of Regents, with additional funding from Ohio University.
The 2009 International Conference on Perpetual Pavement was sponsored by the Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment (ORITE), part of the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University.
Experts from departments of transportation, federal and municipal governments, academia and the private sector discussed case histories and design analysis and construction for asphalt pavements. They are especially interested in perpetual pavements, which are designed for life spans of up to 40 years, thereby requiring less maintenance.