Category: Research and Studies

The J-Band Blog

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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IDOT Extends Infrastructure Dollars with LJS Project in Clay-Richland County, IL

Paving truck drives down the road spraying a thing band of asphalt on the centerline
When roads last longer, infrastructure dollars go further. Successful application of a void reducing asphalt membrane (VRAM), like Asphalt Material, Inc.’s J-Band®, not only extends the life of your pavement; it extends your budget.   VRAM works by filling challenging air voids in the centerline joint from the bottom up. When...
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