Advances in concrete specifications are gaining exposure around the country, due to a joint government/industry effort—the Performance Engineered Mixtures (PEM) program. The National Concrete Pavement Technology (CP Tech) Center hosted a two-day meeting at the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) in Rosemont, Illinois headquarters Feb. 27 to 28 for Members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the PEM-Pooled-Fund Project. The group of practicing engineers, highway experts, and industry professionals gathered to discuss and plan the latest work on PEM, which has the potential to make a difference in U.S. pavement durability and longevity.
The TAC heard reports from the research team and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); updates from state departments of transportation on their implementation efforts; and comments from representatives of the concrete industry on their progress. One of the goals for the program is for agencies to specify and contractors to deliver durable concrete pavements every time. The program is based on measuring and controlling the concrete mixture around engineering properties that relate to performance, according to information produced by the CP Tech Center.
The participants also got a preview of future plans and activities for the PEM program. There will soon be a website with links to helpful resources for those who want to learn more about PEM. The FHWA is offering a PEM incentive program and an equipment loan program. Shadow testing and data collection on PEM will continue on several fronts.
The PEM program is a pooled fund, collaborative effort of the FHWA, 15 state highway agencies, and the concrete industry. Each entity is contributing at least $1 million over a five-year period to aid the progress of this significant initiative.
For the CP Tech Center PEM Page, titled, “Performance Engineered Mixtures (PEM):
Delivering Concrete to Survive the Environment”, please go to: http://www.cptechcenter.org/pem/#about
For more information about the program, please go to: http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/enroute/?action=main.item&newsID=422.
For the PDF of the 4-page brochure, click on image above left, or go to: http://www.cptechcenter.org/technical-library/documents/PEM-program-brochure.pdf
For the PEM-pooled-fund project, please go to: http://www.pooledfund.org
For the ISCP March 2017 article titled “Performance Underpins AASHTO Provisional Standard for PEM”, please go to: https://www.concretepavements.org/2017/03/23/performance-underpins-aashto-provisional-standard-for-pem/
For questions or information about the Transportation Pooled Fund Program, please contact:
David Pamplin, Program Manager: E-mail: david.pamplin@dot.gov | T: 202-493-3166 or
Jack Jernigan, Team Director-Research and Technology Program Development and Partnership Team:
E-mail: jack.jernigan@dot.gov | T: 202-493-3363