UT Tyler · Civil & Construction Engineering & Management
TRTRC Logo

Applied research for safer, longer-lasting pavements, built for Texas’ rural networks

Advanced binder, mixture, and aggregate characterization; from PG rheology and MSCR, to AMPT dynamic modulus, AMPT cyclic fatigue, Four-Point Bending (4PB) Beam Test, IDEAL-CT, and Hamburg wheel tracking, with a 10,000+ sq.ft. facility and deployable, field-informed solutions.

Our Mission

The Texas Rural Transportation Research Center (TRTRC) addresses the full spectrum of challenges facing rural transportation networks. Our research emphasizes efficient and sustainable design, construction, maintenance, planning, and safe operations—ensuring resilient infrastructure that serves Texas communities for generations.

  • Evaluating infrastructure durability and resilience under aging, traffic loading, and environmental stresses.
  • Studying impacts of erosion, floods, landslides, and the increasing severity of extreme weather events.
  • Advancing materials research to extend service life while prioritizing cost-efficiency and environmental equity.
  • Developing design, maintenance, and planning frameworks for long-life infrastructure.

Research Focus Areas

  • Applications of New Materials and Technologies
  • Asset Management and Performance Management
  • Construction Methodologies and Management

In alignment with the U.S. DOT’s Beyond Traffic 2045: Trends and Choices, TRTRC delivers solutions that bridge laboratory insights and field practice—helping Texas build and sustain safer, longer-lasting rural transportation networks.

People

Leadership and graduate researchers advancing asphalt sustainability, pavement performance, and roadway safety.

Laboratory Equipment

Our laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art asphalt, binder, and aggregate testing systems that simulate plant production and field compaction, enabling accurate performance prediction. The equipment supports both small- and large-batch mixing, specimen preparation, and standardized testing for rutting, cracking, and fatigue resistance. By combining advanced mixing, compaction, and characterization capabilities, the facility allows researchers to evaluate durability, resilience, cost efficiency, and environmental impacts, providing field-informed data that supports balanced mix design and the development of safer, longer-lasting pavements.

Automatic Laboratory Mixer BITUMIX

Automatic Laboratory Mixer BITUMIX

is ideal for producing big batches of asphalt mixtures that simulate the plant mixing process and can be used to produce big asphalt slabs for mixture testing and characterization

▶ Watch demo

Heavy-Duty Portable Asphalt Mixer

Heavy-Duty Portable Asphalt Mixer

allows preparation of small batches of asphalt concrete in the lab to be used for various tests

▶ Watch demo

Slab Compactor

Slab Compactor

can compact asphalt slabs to a target density, applying specific loads corresponding to those of pavement rollers used in highway construction Produces uniform slabs at target density for wheel‑tracking, SCB/IFIT and coring.

EN 12697-33

▶ Watch demo

Gyratory Compactor GALILEO

Gyratory Compactor GALILEO

is used in the lab to prepare asphalt mix specimens of a given height at a predetermined density for the subsequent testing of their mechanical properties Compacts cylindrical specimens for Superpave mix design and performance testing.

AASHTO T 312ASTM D6925

▶ Watch demo

AsphaltQube

AsphaltQube

is utilized in the lab to test permanent deformation, cyclic compression, indirect tensile stiffness, indirect tensile fatigue, crack propagation, direct tension- compression, dynamic/complex modulus) plus triaxial compression, four-point and two-point stiffness, and fatigue flexural tests Servo‑hydraulic control enables cyclic compression, IDT modulus/fatigue, and bending modes.

AASHTO T 321

▶ Watch demo

AMPT Pro

AMPT Pro

is one of the most versatile and important equipment in the asphalt laboratory. Dynamic modulus, Flow number, Flow time, Uniaxial Fatigue / SVECD, Overlay test, Semi-Circular Bend, Indirect Tensile Dynamic Modulus, iRLPD, and Small Diameter Dynamic Modulus and SVECD tests are performed using this equipment in the lab Produces |E*| master curves, flow number/time, and fatigue indices for M‑E/BMD.

AASHTO T 378

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Balanced Loader

Balanced Loader

is designed to automatically perform most of the tests included in asphalt Balanced Mix Design procedures, including IDEAL-CT, IDEAL-RT, Indirect Tensile Strength, and Semi-Circular Bend tests. It is also suitable for Marshall, CBR, UCS, and other displacement-controlled tests

ASTM D8225ASTM D8044ASTM D6931ASTM D6927AASHTO T 193ASTM D1883

▶ Watch demo

Double Wheel Tracker

Double Wheel Tracker

can be used to determine the susceptibility of asphalt mix to deform under load by measuring the rut depth formed by repeated passes of a loaded wheel at a fixed temperature. This machine conforms to both the AASHTO Hamburg Type and EN test methods Wet/dry wheel‑tracking quantifies rutting and stripping susceptibility.

AASHTO T 324EN 12697-22

▶ Watch demo

Specific Gravity Frame and Basket

Specific Gravity Frame and Basket

is used in the pavement lab to determine the specific gravity of specimens by allowing us to weigh the samples in both air and water Determines Gmb by weighing in air/water; pairs with Gmm for Va.

AASHTO T 166

▶ Watch demo

Large size Pycnometers

Large size Pycnometers

is used for determining the theoretical maximum specific gravity of uncompacted bituminous paving mixtures. They can also be used for the calculation of the percent of air voids in compacted bituminous mixtures and the amount of bitumen absorbed by the aggregates Provides Gmm for volumetrics (VMA, Va).

AASHTO T 209ASTM D2041

▶ Watch demo

NCAT Asphalt Content Furnace

NCAT Asphalt Content Furnace

is used to automatically determine the asphalt content of paving mixtures from 1,200–1,800g in just 30–45 minutes. Samples up to 5,000g can be processed at extended testing times Ignition method allows aggregate recovery for post‑burn gradation.

AASHTO T 308ASTM D6307

▶ Watch demo

Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR)

Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR)

performs the critical rheological characterization analysis required for the Superpave Performance Grade (PG) classification of asphalt binders. This device is also used for MSCR test and determination of G*| and phase angle of asphalt bitumen at different temperatures and frequencies Outputs complex modulus and phase angle; supports MSCR.

AASHTO T 315AASHTO T 350

▶ Watch demo

Pressure Aging Vessel

Pressure Aging Vessel

simulates in-service oxidative aging of asphalt binder through exposure to elevated temperatures in a pressurized environment. Asphalt binder is exposed to heat and pressure to simulate in-service aging over a 7 to 10-year period

▶ Watch demo

Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO)

Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO)

is utilized in the laboratory to stimulate short-term aged asphalt binders for physical property testing. Asphalt binder is exposed to elevated temperatures to simulate manufacturing and placement aging. The RTFO also provides a quantitative measure of the volatiles lost during the aging process

AASHTO T 240

▶ Watch demo

Bending Beam Rheometer BBR3

Bending Beam Rheometer BBR3

provides a measure of low-temperature stiffness and relaxation properties of asphalt binders. These parameters give an indication of an asphalt binder's ability to resist low-temperature cracking Calculates stiffness and m‑value to assess thermal cracking risk.

AASHTO T 313

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DV2T Viscometer

DV2T Viscometer

meets ASTM and AASHTO standards for high-temperature dynamic viscosity testing of asphalt binders. Asphalt binder products are characterized, and temperature/viscosity relationships are developed to estimate mixing and compaction temperatures in hot-mix design

AASHTO T 316ASTM D4402

▶ Watch demo

Asphalt Penetrometer

Asphalt Penetrometer

is used to examine the penetration of bituminous samples under a constant load, time, and temperature. Penetration Grading of the asphalt is obtained through penetration tests in the laboratory

AASHTO T 49ASTM D5

▶ Watch demo

Ring and Ball Softening Point Apparatus

Ring and Ball Softening Point Apparatus

is used to test the softening point of asphalt, which usually lies between 35°C and 70°C

AASHTO T 53ASTM D36

▶ Watch demo

Laboratory Asphalt Permeameters use the falling head method to measure the hydraulic conductivity of saturated 6 in (152 mm) diameter asphalt cores or laboratory-compacted specimens. Basically, this equipment

Laboratory Asphalt Permeameters use the falling head method to measure the hydraulic conductivity of saturated 6 in (152 mm) diameter asphalt cores or laboratory-compacted specimens. Basically, this equipment

is used to measure the permeability of an asphalt mix sample

FDOT FM 5-565

▶ Watch demo

High Capacity Sieve Shaker

High Capacity Sieve Shaker

is utilized in the lab to determine the gradation of the aggregates that are to be used in the asphalt mixtures

AASHTO T 27AASHTO T 11

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Ovens the laboratory

Ovens the laboratory

has ovens that heat the asphalt binders, mixtures, and samples to various temperatures. The ovens come with precise temperature control and can achieve required temperature changes in a very short time for more accurate testing

▶ Watch demo

Solvent Parts Washer

Solvent Parts Washer

is capable of cleaning asphalt laboratory equipment, samples, and tools quickly and easily. This equipment ensures the tools and equipment are ready for reuse without contamination from previous samples and materials. Also, it uses a recyclable solvent with minimal environmental effect

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Micro-Deval Machine

Micro-Deval Machine

meets current ASTM, AASHTO, and Canadian test methods, as well as more stringent TxDOT standards for the measurement of abrasion resistance and durability of fine and coarse aggregates. The equipment is equipped with sophisticated controllers and optical sensing system that controls and stops the test within fraction of a revolution for accurate results

AASHTO T 327ASTM D6928ASTM D7428

▶ Watch demo

Projects & Reports

Externally Funded — UT Tyler (2014–present)

Sugarcane Bagasse Effects on Mechanical & Mechanistic Performance of HMA Mixtures

USDA‑ARS · Jun 2023–Present · Award $141,000 · PI: Souliman; Co‑PI: Isied

Develop Recommendations for Evaluating Surface Types & Aggregate Properties to Minimize Wet‑Weather Crashes (0‑7142)

TxDOT · Nov 2022–Nov 2025 · Award $600,000 (UTT $45,276) · PI: Goehl (TTI); Co‑PI: Souliman

Open report / details →

SMARTP3M — Smart Pavement Monitoring, Management, & Maintenance

USDOT (Tran‑SET) · Aug 2022–Jan 2024 · Award $150,002 (UTT $80,000) · PI: Souliman; Co‑PI: Dessouky (UTSA)

LSAMP — Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

NSF · Jun 2023–Sep 2023 · Award $4,600 · PI: Souliman

Measuring Seal Coat Rate Field Adjustments

TxDOT · Sep 2021–Nov 2025 · Award $450,000 (UTT $34,546) · PI: Goehl (TTI); Co‑PI: Souliman

Quantify Maximum Accumulated Seal Coat Layers for Stability

TxDOT · Sep 2021–Nov 2025 · Award $449,211 (UTT $10,194) · PI: Goehl (TTI); Co‑PI: Souliman

Expanding CAR to South‑Central States: Network‑Level Structural Evaluation of Flexible Pavements

USDOT (Tran‑SET) · Aug 2020–Feb 2022 · Award $120,180 (UTT $60,180) · PI: Souliman; Co‑PI: Dessouky (UTSA)

Use of Ocean Plastic Waste in Road Construction (DE‑SC0020912)

DOE SBIR/STTR · Jun 2020–Jan 2021 · Award $199,939 (UTT $36,101) · PI: Smith (AltiSora); Co‑PI: Souliman

Establish the Texas Rural Transportation Research Center (TRTRC)

UT System STARs · Mar 2020–Mar 2023 · Award $400,000 · PI: Souliman

Tyler Bike Stripes

City of Tyler · Jun 2018–Jan 2022 · Award $186,000 · PI: Souliman

IRF Executive Leadership Program

International Road Federation · Jan–Feb 2020 · Award $1,000 · PI: Souliman

Develop Surface Aggregate Classification of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (0‑7025)

TxDOT · Sep 2019–Sep 2022 · Award $377,280 (UTT $12,725) · PI: Zhou (TTI); Co‑PI: Souliman

Open report / details →

LSAMP — Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

NSF · Jun 2019–Sep 2019 · Award $4,600 · PI: Souliman

Simplified Approach for Structural Evaluation of Flexible Pavements at the Network Level

USDOT (Tran‑SET) · May 2017–Nov 2018 · Award $184,000 (UTT $80,000) · PI: Romanoschi (UTA); Co‑PI: Souliman; Co‑PI: Dessouky (UTSA)

Documenting the Impact of Aggregate Quality on HMA Performance (6959)

TxDOT · Sep 2017–Sep 2019 · Award $250,000 (UTT $25,000) · PI: Walubita (TTI); Co‑PI: Souliman

Mechanistic & Economical Benefits of Fiber‑Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures

Forta Corp. · Mar 2017–Mar 2018 · Award $9,484 · PI: Souliman

Mechanical, Mechanistic, & Cost Analysis for Reacted & Activated Rubber‑Modified Asphalt Mixtures

Consulpave International · Apr 2018–May 2019 · Award $3,000 · PI: Souliman

Improved Bicycle Lane Engineering System (iBLESS)

Retail Merchants Assoc. of Tyler Charitable Fund · Nov 2017–Aug 2019 · Award $20,634 · PI: Souliman

Mechanistic & Economic Benefits of Fiber‑Reinforced Overlay Asphalt Mixtures

Forta Corp. · Jun 2018–Aug 2018 · Award $5,018 · PI: Souliman

Tyler Hub‑and‑Spoke Bike Lane Map

Retail Merchants Assoc. of Tyler Charitable Fund · Jul 2016–May 2017 · Award $20,000 · PI: Souliman

Skid Resistance & Friction of Tyler Bike Pathways

TEXO Construction Association · Feb 2017–Feb 2018 · Award $2,500 · PI: Souliman

Tyler Bike Lane Map Study

Greater Tyler Association of Realtors · Feb 2017–Feb 2018 · Award $1,000 · PI: Souliman

Tyler Bike Lane Map Study

City of Tyler · Oct 2016–Oct 2017 · Award $3,000 · PI: Souliman

IRF Executive Leadership Program

International Road Federation · Jan–Feb 2017 · Award $1,750 · PI: Souliman

LSAMP — Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

NSF · Jun 2017–Sep 2017 · Award $4,950 · PI: Souliman

Internally Funded — UT Tyler

Design, Modeling & Prototyping a Health Monitoring System for Buildings

UT Tyler OSRSSP · Sep 2023–Aug 2024 · Award $28,285 · PI: Ghorshi; Co‑PI: Souliman

SMARTP3M — Presidential Interdisciplinary Grant

UT Tyler OSP · Aug 2020–Aug 2021 · Award $13,804 · PI: Souliman; Co‑PIs: Vechione, Shirvaikar, Li

Simplified Approach for Network‑Level Structural Evaluation of Flexible Pavements

UT Tyler Faculty Research Grant · Sep 2016–Jul 2017 · Award $9,110 · PI: Souliman

Tyler Bike Lane Map Study

UT Tyler Office of Sponsored Research · Jun 2017–Aug 2017 · Award $5,000 · PI: Souliman

Tyler Hub‑and‑Spoke Bike Lane Map

UT Tyler President (Dr. Mabry) · May 2015–May 2016 · Award $5,000 · PI: Souliman

Alumni

Graduate and undergraduate researchers who trained with TRTRC and our programs (years and roles per records).

RK

Pratik Lama

MSCE · Dec 2025 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
RK

Rami Khalifah

MSCE · Dec 2023 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
PA

Prashanta Acharjee

MSCE · Jul 2023 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
NB

Nitish Bastola

MSCE · Dec 2020 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
PZ

Pedro Zavagna

MSCE · Spring 2018 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
AT

Ashish Tripathi

MSCE · Spring 2018 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
KL

Karthikeyan Loganathan

MSCE · Spring 2018 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
SS

Shaun Spivey

MSCE · Fall 2014 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
HG

Hemant Gc

MSCE · Dec 2018 ·
Graduate (UT Tyler)
GA

Gabriella Alvarez

B.S., CE · May 2020 · Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate
ZS

Zachery Smolen

B.S., CE · May 2020 · Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate
AF

Arthur Fagundes

B.S., CE · May 2019 · Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate
PZ

Pedro Zavagna

B.S., CE · May 2016 · Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate

Contact

For collaborations, testing services, and student opportunities.

Mayzan Isied

Dr. Mayzan Isied — Michael and Elizabeth McNally Endowed Professor in Civil Engineering; Graduate Programs Coordinator

Civil and Construction Engineering & Management, The University of Texas at Tyler
Misied@uttyler.edu
Mena Souliman

Dr. Mena I. Souliman — Chair & Professor; Director, TRTRC; Ronald D. Brazzel Endowed Professor

Civil and Construction Engineering & Management, The University of Texas at Tyler
MSouliman@uttyler.edu