Innovations sought for the NextPAVE Challenge
NAPA, Auburn University’s National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s MnROAD facility launched the NextPAVE Challenge to explore innovative technologies that are practical, scalable, and ready for real-world use in pavement construction and rehabilitation.
Learn more about the Challenge and submit your letter of interest by Sept. 30.
Download the letter template here.
By leveraging cutting-edge modeling, laboratory tests, and closely-controlled field experiments in hot and cold climates, the Challenge aims to accelerate the adoption of pavement technologies for better-performing and more efficient highways for generations to come.
Submissions to the NextPAVE Challenge may fall into one of the following categories, although this list is not exhaustive and other relevant technologies are welcome:
- On the Asphalt – Applied to the pavement surface, such as surface rejuvenation, friction treatments, noise-reducing surfaces, and preservation treatments.
- In the Asphalt – Incorporated within the asphalt mixture, such as mix additives, alternative binders, and chemical additives.
- Below the Asphalt – Applied to layers beneath the asphalt, such as soil or base stabilizing methods.
- Other – Innovative approaches that don’t fall neatly into the above categories.
Participating companies enter a transparent, two-phase evaluation of the submission. In Phase 1, technologies will undergo lab testing, advanced modeling, life-cycle analysis, and a scalability review. At the end of Phase 1, top technologies will be selected by an expert panel for Phase 2 validation at the NCAT Test Track and MnROAD.
