Responsibilities
RMS tests more than 3,000 material samples per year. The facility is equipped to perform more than 120 unique test methods using AASHTO/ASTM guidelines on the following materials:
- Cement/SCM - cement, blended cement, fly ash, and slag
- Concrete - cylinders, cores, beams, and alkali-silica reaction (ASR) aggregate samples
- Soils and Aggregates - gravel, embankment materials, loam, coarse and fine aggregates
- Asphalt Binder - performance grade (PG) asphalt binder, and emulsions
- Asphalt Mixture - hot mix asphalt core and boxed samples
- Chemical - paint, thermoplastics and other traffic marking materials, and sealants
- Physical - glass beads, bridge bearing pads, bricks, concrete blocks, reinforcing steel, welded wire fabric, cast and ductile iron, fence, and 7-wire strand
The laboratory provides objective, analytical data on the quality of materials and products used during construction.
The laboratory actively participates in interlaboratory studies to support the development, validation, and refinement of new and revised AASHTO and ASTM standard test methods. The lab also maintains active involvement in AASHTO Re: Source and CCRL proficiency sample programs and participates in the AASHTO Committee on Materials and Pavements (COMP), contributing technical feedback and voting during the balloting process. This engagement ensures that the laboratory appropriately influences national standards while keeping procedures aligned with current specification requirements prior to formal adoption.