Mission
The mission of the Georgia Pavement Research Center (GPRC) is to conduct pavement research, education programs, and testing services to improve the productivity and mobility of Georgia’s highway transportation system. GPRC will work with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the pavement industry in Georgia to effectively maintain and expand the existing infrastructure.
To meet this mission, the followings must be carefully achieved:
Goals
1. Establish a nationally recognized pavement research program
GPRC will conduct a coordinated and extensive program of research to design, develop, model, and evaluate new pavement materials, techniques, and test procedures. Research will focus on improving the durability, safety, and efficiency of pavement materials and structures within both economic and environmental constraints. The research center will effectively seek research fund and look for potential sponsors.
2. Provide educational and training courses to lab technicians/engineers
GPRC will become a center for pavement related technology transfer and will play a key role in expanding certification and training students, pavement industry personnel, and GDOT technicians/engineers in the State of Georgia. Supplementing classroom learning and laboratory testing will prepare the current/future workforce for the technical challenges in pavement design & construction, and it will directly benefit GDOT and private firms.
3. Serve as pavement testing facility
Using the advanced laboratory testing equipment, GPRC will provide pavement material testing services. The mechanical properties and behavior of pavement material, such as asphalt, concrete, aggregates, and soils will be tested, and the results will be used to effectively enhance the existing pavement and to design new roads in Georgia.