Category: Research and Studies

The J-Band Blog

Preserving Rumble Strips: Real-World Reviews of VRAM for Rumble Strip Longevity

J-Band
Rumble strips play a critical role in keeping drivers alert and roadways safe. However, they are typically constructed over or near longitudinal joints, the part of the pavement that is already vulnerable to water intrusion and early deterioration. To reinforce rumble strips, their pavement foundation—the longitudinal joint area—needs to be...
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NRRA: Materials-Based Methods to Improve Rumble Strip Durability

Installation of Sinusoidal Rumble Strips (”Mumble Strips”) in Wood County, WI
In 2023, the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) issued a call for innovation for preventative roadway maintenance and this project answered: Materials-Based Methods to Improve Rumble Strip Durability.   The team of researchers behind this study began with the following questions: Does the installation of milled rumble strips in new pavement...
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Accelerated VRAM Pavement Testing at the NCAT Test Track

Sign of the Test Cell s-13
The NCAT Test Track  The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Test Track at Auburn University is a proving ground for asphalt pavements. Made up of a 1.7-mile oval, the Test Track is divided into 200-foot test sections to create a real-world laboratory for innovative paving techniques and products. In...
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Discoveries on Low-Noise Rumble Strips 

Sinusoidal rumble strip in the center of a road
In a time when drivers are more distracted than ever, rumble strips are a necessity to save motorists from head-on collisions and road departure crashes. The Federal Highway Administration reports that, “milled centerline rumble strips provide statistically significant reductions in injury crashes of 38-50% on rural two-lane roads and 37-91%...
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J-Band’s Shadow on Road Construction

J-Band Shadow appears on a freshly paved HMA mat
The Shadow Take a close look at a hot mix asphalt (HMA) mat paved over J-Band. In the right circumstances, there is a shadow that appears. Above the band where the J-Band was laid, the HMA mix often appears visibly darker after the rolling operation. Why does this happen and...
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A Safer Way: Eliminating Centerline Density Testing

Worker cut by the core sampler samples of asphalt concrete on the road. Asphalt concrete cores close-up
Road construction can be dangerous. Vehicles zoom past field workers at hazardous speeds. One of the riskiest places to be is near the centerline of a busy road. Quality control technicians have lost their lives when performing density tests at the joint. Unfortunately, density testing of the center longitudinal joint...
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