Materials & Research
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Mission Statement

We design, research and test highway materials for use in constructing and maintaining a quality highway system that meets the needs of Nebraska.

Division Contacts

Division Responsibilities

The Materials and Research Division is responsible for:

• Developing materials specifications and quality control standards.
• Determining pavement type and thickness.
• Conducting pavement research.
• Managing and administering the department's research program
• Testing and inspecting construction/maintenance materials to assure compliance with specifications.
• Performing field investigations to determine materials performance.
• Preparing materials manuals and guides and maintaining representation on the American Society for Testing and Materials, AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Materials, and other engineering organizations.
• Providing advisory support on material related question/concerns.

Sections & Responsibilities

• Research, SiteManager, Office Services, Final Project Review,IT Support, & Technical Repair
• Portland Cement Concrete, Chemicals
• Geotechnical and Aggregates
• Flexible Pavement  & Quality Assurance
• Pavement Design
• Roadway Asset Management
• Physical Tests,

Portland Cement Concrete, Chemicals

Responsible for:

• Conducting tests on Portland cement, Portland cement concrete, curing compounds, joint sealers, concrete and clay pipe, metal products and related items, and developing materials specifications.
• Providing technical guidance and coordination for precast/prestressed concrete fabrication and inspection of steel bridge fabrication.
• Conducting chemical tests on various types of materials.

Physical Tests

Responsible for:

• Conducting tests on concrete and clay pipe, metal products and related items, and developing materials specifications.
• Providing technical guidance and coordination for precast/prestressed concrete fabrication and inspection of steel bridge fabrication.

Research, SiteManager Administration, Office Services, Final Project Review, IT Support & Technical Repair

Responsible for:

Research Activities:

• Administers the department’s research program to include:
  • Chairs the department’s Research Advisory Committee.
  • Solicits for Research Statements of Need.
  • Reviews all research proposals and budgets.
  • Conducts literature searches.
  • Prepares the annual budget for administration of Research Program and conduct of research.
  • Processes agreements, billings and payments for research.
  • Reviews, approves, and distributes final reports.
  • Publishes quarterly status report of Research Program.
• Administers, as lead state, two regional pooled fund projects to include:
  • Chairs and serves as secretary for one of these projects which includes:
    • Hosts the annual meeting of the ten member states.
    • Prepares the agenda and handouts.
    • Takes and distributes minutes and actions of the members.
• Coordinates with the researchers at the University of Nebraska.
• Processes agreements, billings, payments, and reimbursements for the research.
• Represents the department as a member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Region III Research Advisory Committee and attends annual (regional or national) meetings.
• Coordinates the department’s administrative functions with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).
• Attends the annual TRB meeting, as the department’s representative.
• Coordinating project estimates in the Division.
• Preparing, distributing and maintaining the Materials Sampling Guide.
• Preparing, and distributing a required documents list for highway construction projects.
• Administering the Materials Management portion of SiteManager.
• Maintaining and repairing of laboratory equipment in the central and branch laboratories.
• All clerical tasks within the Division.
• Provide IT support to the Division.

Flexible Pavement,  and Quality Assurance

Responsible for:

• Testing asphalt cements, petroleum products, bituminous aggregate mixes, soils and aggregates.
• Pavement friction testing, pavement deflection testing, bridge deck testing, pavement roughness measurements, petrographic tests and studies, and obtaining pavement core samples.
• Administering technical control of the branch laboratories.

Geotechnical

Geotechnical Section performs geotechnical investigation and providing recommendation for the design and construction of roadway and structures for all NDOR projects as needed and helps in other public projects if requested. This section is also responsible for the review of geotechnical reports prepared by a geotechnical consultant for NDOR projects.

The Geotechnical Section consists of three units and their responsibilities are:

• Bridge Foundation Unit:
  • Performed subsurface investigations for state bridge foundations as needed and county bridge foundations when requested.
  • Design appropriate foundation systems.
  • Review state and county bridge foundations plans.
  • Perform on site integrity and capacity tests for foundation systems.
  • Update historical information.
    
• Soil Survey Unit:
  • Investigate and define subsurface materials and conditions for roadway design.
  • Predict the probable stability of cut slopes.
  • Create the 2K plan sheets.
    
• Soil Mechanics Unit:
  • Perform subsurface investigations, install analyze field instrumentation during embankment construction.
  • Perform geotechnical analysis of embankments, MSE Walls and culverts, to evaluate settlement magnitude, settlement time, slope stability and foundation soil suitability.
  • Perform and evaluate soil mechanic testing.
  • Provide geotechnical support during construction.
• Aggregate Unit:
  • Perform tests on aggregate used in Portland Cement Concrete.
  • Perform tests on aggregate used in Asphaltic Concrete.
  • Perform tests on Armor Coat, Chip Seal, Microsurfacing aggregate.
  • Perform tests on aggregate used in Precast and Prestressed Units.
  • Maintain quality test records of limestone quarries.
  • Maintain quality records of sand & gravel pits.
  • Review aggregate specifications and tests for acceptance.
  • Review quarry testing and procedures.

Pavement Design

Responsible for:

• Conducting pavement research.
• Determining pavement type and thickness.
• Computing quantities and developing cost estimates, specifications, typical cross-sections and mix designs for flexible pavement projects.
• Maintaining a historical file for each flexible pavement project.
• Managing and administering the department's research program.

Roadway Asset Management

Responsible for:

• Pavement Management
  • Rate the pavement condition of the 10,000 mile highway system,
    ( faulting/rutting measurements, surface distress, digital images)
  • Rate the pavement condition of the State Recreation Road System.
  • Interstate Needs Study.
  • Publish the Interstate Pavement Condition Report.
  • Respond to any requests for reporting on pavement condition,
    (prepare lists for District Planning meetings, PEP candidate lists, NSI, PSI, IRI maps, etc.)
• Classification & Needs
  • Needs Study
  • State Highway Inventory Report
  • State & National Classifications
  • Relinquishments
  • Interstate Needs Study
  • Route Number change request to AASHTO
  • Urban Area Limits
  • Minimum Maintenance
  • Updating of IHI data
  • 28' Top System, Expressway System, Priority Commercial System