Overview
The Western Regional Superpave Center (WRSC) in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Nevada Reno (UNR) is one of five centers established by the Federal Highway Administration to promote the implementation of superpave technology. The WRSC is a nationally recognized teaching and research area in the College of Engineering. Federal, state, and corporate sponsors provide funding that employs undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional researchers to complete problem solving research. Research has focused on the laboratory and field evaluation of modified asphalt binders and asphalt mixtures, the water sensitivity of asphalt mixtures, recycled asphalt pavement, warm mix asphalt, mechanistic analysis, pavement instrumentation, pavement performance studies, and rehabilitation and maintenance design procedures.
The Western Regional Superpave Center also assists highway agencies and contractors with new analysis procedures for pavement performance testing. It is equipped with $600,000 worth of laboratory instruments to test the strength and weaknesses of asphalt pavements.
Mission
The mission of the WRSC is to provide cost-effective research and development assistance and technical services in the area of:
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Materials and Testing
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Pavement preservation, rehabilitation and reconstruction
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Pavement design and analysis
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Pavement performance
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Recycled asphalt pavement
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Warm mix asphalt
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Cold mix asphalt
