The Southwest Pavement Technology Program

The SWPT is a collaborative platform to form a pavement alliance in the region and bridge the gap between university research and industry. The idea of the program has grown from a grassroots effort and rapidly evolved to become an alliance of all pavement stakeholders in the region. Unlike many other pavement research centers in the United States in which the sole funding source is the state DOT, the SWPT will be launched as a partnership of all stakeholders. Arizona State University’s unique consortium setting allows for active participation and engagement of critical stakeholders and a sustainable future for the organization.

The SWPT will support the prioritization of projects and identify/design new infrastructure solutions that are safer, more cost effective, and more durable than the traditional approaches and will provide a talented and well-trained workforce to the industry. The SWPT will also be poised to provide scientifically robust solutions for the practical needs of stakeholders, and it will accelerate the pace of infrastructure innovation. New research frontiers can be effectively added to the research portfolio, including sustainable use of recycling; thermally efficient pavement surfaces; incorporation of resilient, innovative fibers and additive technologies; sustainable management of transportation assets; and advances in data science.

Mission

To assist stakeholders by developing and adapting new pavement technologies and providing a talented and well-trained workforce

Vision

To be the center of excellence for developing, nurturing, and advancing innovative pavement technology solutions in the Southwest.

Scope Of Work

Technical Workforce Training

SWPT’s consortium’s structure allows the identification of critical gaps in training and development of an effective training agenda. Training and certification programs are a core component to provide basic skill sets for the highway construction industry.




Strategic Infrastructure Research

A rigorous screening process is used to select core SWPT research projects from a strategically developed roadmap. The roadmap will allow identification of gaps and provide efficient solutions for the most critical items that can improve the overall condition of pavement infrastructure, improve cost effectiveness, and support the member organizations’ pavement enterprises. 

A Communication hub and an Information Warehouse

SWPT promotes communication and exchange of ideas through committees and project panels. These processes and channels are intended to foster learning processes. Interaction between the partners of the consortium will help identify and understand the needs of the local pavement community and develop relevant research needs.
A database of reports, papers, tools, and other products will be made available soon.

Our Members

Sunland Asphalt

We, at ViaSun, are always striving to better ourselves and our community and feel that the Southwest Pavement Technology will give us the opportunity to do so. The data received for the research and pavement community coming together will allow us to be on the forefront of product research and development.

– Rolando Perez, President at ViaSun Corporation

Arizona is challenged with diverse raw materials along with some of the harshest weather conditions that adversely affect long term pavement quality. We need a pavement technology center where academia, industry, and agencies work together to develop solutions for these unique issues.

– Pat Weaver, President at Solterra Materials, Inc.

Southwest Asphalt made the decision to join the Southwest Pavement program to have access to research that will promote the advancement of local asphalt pavements, while being able to collaborate with academia, agencies, contractors and suppliers in the research undertaken.

– Greg Groneberg, Southwest Asphalt
  1. 4,000 sq.ft AASHTO accredited Laboratory
  2. Advanced and Standard Testing
  3. Asphalt, Concrete, Aggregates, and Soil Testing
  4. Workforce Training