Page 28 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering: Annual Report

LARSON TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE NEWS NEWS Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology provides training and and certification programs for aggregate asphalt and and concrete
The Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology (NECEPT) has been providing technical leadership and assistance to ensure that the promise of more durable pavements pavements becomes a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a reality A useful resource for research and and and outreach activities in in in the areas of of pavements pavements and and and materials NECEPT has been an an an an an an an an important source of of hands-on training for engineers and and and and technicians at at at at a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a local and and and and national level The center also uses state-of-the-art asphalt materials and and and and testing facilities to perform all the the conventional and and and specialized binder and mixture tests The center provides training for asphalt field and plant technician technician certification certification to approximately 800 technicians and and engineers annually under the the PennDOT certification certification program Since the the the center was established in in in 1999 more than 18 000 technicians have been been certified certified or or or recertified under the the the asphalt certification program NECEPT has also been been the the the administrator of of the the Concrete Field Testing Technician Certification since 2006 and has administered certification certification or recertification of of over 12 000 concrete
technicians since since that time Similarly since since 2018 NECEPT has administered certification certification or or recertification of more more than 500 technicians through its Aggregate Testing Technician Certification Program For more more information visit superpave psu edu Bus Research and and Testing Center ensures safety and and efficiency of nation’s buses
Established in in in 1989 by by the the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute with funding provided by by the the the Federal Transit Administration the the Bus Research and Testing Center (BRTC) performs a a a a a a a a a a a variety of tests each year including safety structural integrity durability emissions and and fuel economy Tests are performed at both the the main facility in in in Altoona and and the the test track in in in Bellefonte Since the program was started in in in in 1989 529 buses
buses
have been tested The BRTC completed testing on on fifteen buses
buses
buses
since September 2021 2021 eight of which were were 2021 2021 contract contract buses
buses
buses
and seven that were were 2022 2022 contract contract contract contract buses
buses
buses
The BRTC continues to test one 2021 contract contract contract bus bus bus and three 2022 2022 contract contract contract buses
buses
Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies wraps successful year As the the the environmental research and and outreach arm of the the the Larson Transportation Institute the the the Center for Dirt and and and Gravel Road Studies (CDGRS) provides education outreach and and technical assistance to public road-owning entities throughout Pennsylvania Pennsylvania CDGRS is is is funded by the Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission and and Bureau of Forestry under the Commonwealth’s Dirt Gravel and and Low-Volume Road Maintenance Program For the 2021-22 fiscal year CDGRS provided an an an an array of trainings and and technical assistance services for state and and local public road-owning entities The center’s two-day Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance for Dirt Gravel and Low Volume Roads training course was attended by 730 road maintenance professionals from around the state CDGRS staff also provided on-site technical assistance on on on on more than 371 road projects aimed at addressing environmental issues such as sediment and and dust pollution Staff also visited more than fifty quarries to perform aggregate aggregate testing and and and discuss aggregate aggregate quality and and placement CDGRS worked closely with the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission to develop and and and publish a a a a a a a a a a a a a a new stream crossing replacement standard
and and and and comprehensive guidance manual These documents are intended to to guide the installations of culverts and and and bridges
that promote stream connectivity and and and and are more resistant to to to erosion and and and and washout from large storm events The standard
and and and and manual were enacted starting July 1 for any stream crossing replacements funded by the Commonwealth’s Dirt Gravel and and Low-Volume Road Maintenance Program and and will likely provide a a a a a a a a a template for other state agencies to follow 28
CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 38 2022