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By Jackey Locke

A project led by ������Ƶ University researchers aims to improve asphalt used in pavement in the province’s capital.

It doesn’t take long when driving on the streets of St. John’s to encounter ruts, potholes and cracking pavement. While our harsh, unique climate is largely to blame for the bumpy ride, Dr. Kamal Hossain, an adjunct professor in the Department of Civil Engineering who is currently an assistant professor at Carleton University; Dr. Carlos Bazan, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering; and their research team, are investigating ways to improve the asphalt mixture used in pavement to ensure a smoother ride.

The is responsible for the construction, management and maintenance of approx. 1,400 lane kilometres of paved roads.

The design and performance of asphalt pavement largely depends on local climate factors and traffic volume. Therefore, a thorough investigation of the design and performance of asphalt under our particular geo-weather and loading conditions is necessary.

That’s where the expertise of Drs. Hossain and Bazan and their team comes in.

They are working collaboratively with the City of St. John’s and , a national, not-for-profit organization working with universities, companies, and both federal and provincial governments to build partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada, to solve the problem.

“The main goal of the research project is to reduce the rate of occurrence of rutting and moisture-induced damage, the main causes of stress on the city’s roads,” said Dr. Hossain. “We aim to do this by designing and developing improved asphalt binder and asphalt mixtures appropriate for St. John’s environmental and loading conditions.”

Both Mitacs and the City of St. John’s are excited about the collaboration.

“Mitacs is pleased to support this collaborative research project between the City of St. John’s and ������Ƶ, which can have an immediate impact on improving asphalt roads in St. John’s and beyond,” said Libby Carew, Mitacs’ Director of Business Development in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“We are delighted to partner with ������Ƶ University, Dr. Hossain, Dr. Bazan and Mitacs on this important research project,” said Danny Breen, mayor, City of St. John’s. “Our roads are critical to the economy of the city and the region as we see the movement of thousands of vehicles throughout our city daily. Due to frequent freeze/thaw cycles, along with heavy equipment use, our roads incur a lot of damage through the winter and spring.

“There is potential for this project to improve the durability and quality of our asphalt, reduce cost on repairs, and provide an improved driving experience for motorists in St. John’s.”

Drs. Hossain and Bazan echoes the enthusiasm.

“Dr. Hossain and I would like to thank the City of St. John’s and Mitacs for their continued support to research at ������Ƶ University,” said Dr. Bazan.

The joint project, which began in the fall of 2019 and is based on the results of a field study conducted in 2017 by ������Ƶ University, has been stalled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, but is expected to fulfill most of its objectives by the fall of 2022.