Page 25 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering 2021 Annual Report

LARSON TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE NEWS LARSON TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE NEWS the Bus Research and Testing Center (BRTC) performs 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 the main facility in in in in Altoona and and the the the test track in in in in Bellefonte Since September 2020 the the the BRTC has completed testing on on on on seventeen buses buses buses three of of of which which were were 2019 contract contract buses buses buses buses twelve of of of which which which were were were 2020 contract contract contract buses buses buses buses and two of of of which which were were 2021 2021 contract contract contract buses buses buses buses The BRTC continues to test eight 2021 2021 contract contract buses buses Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology (NECEPT) provides training and certification programs for aggregate asphalt and concrete
The Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology (NECEPT) provides 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 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 is 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 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 17 000 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 10 000 concrete
technicians since since that time Similarly since since 2018 NECEPT has administered certification certification or or recertification of more more than 300 technicians through its Aggregate Testing Technician Certification Program For more more information visit superpave psu edu 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 Between January 2019 and and December 2020 CDGRS provided an an an an an an array of trainings and and and technical assistance services for state and and and local public road-owning entities The center’s two-day “Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance for Dirt Gravel and and Low Volume Roads” training course was attended by more than 1 360 road maintenance professionals from around the state CDGRS staff also provided on-site technical assistance on on on on more than 551 road projects aimed at addressing environmental issues such as sediment and and dust pollution Staff also visited more than 106 quarries to perform aggregate aggregate testing and and and discuss aggregate aggregate quality and placement Looking ahead the the the center has more than fifty training events either scheduled or or in in the the the works Bus Research and and Testing Center (BRTC) 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 Federal Transit Administration CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 37 2021 25