Backed by the dynamism of its world-renowned team of specialists, the World Road Association-PIARC committee on pavements is organizing the 7th Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics: SURF 2012.

This 2012 symposium will be held in the United States in the city of Norfolk, Virginia, and will focus on providing smooth, safe, quiet, and sustainable travel through innovative technologies. The symposium offers a unique platform to send a strong message about the importance of considering surface characteristics when building, renewing, and preserving roadways and airfields. SURF 2012 provides a rare opportunity for practitioners and researchers to share knowledge and expertise on this subject.

Target Audience

• Administrators at all levels of state DOTs and highway agencies, as well as FHWA, counties and cties
• Pavement and asset management professionals
• Companies that provide services for collecting and analyzing pavement condition data
• Educators in the transportation field
• Researchers/specialists on surface characteristics

Themes:

1. Data collection technologies:
• State-of-the-art of the scientific knowledge in the area of measuring surface characteristics
• Latest technological developments and equipment for both highways and airfields
• Strategies for data collection, including cost, coverage, frequency, outsourcing, etc.
• Quality control and statistical validation of data
2. Understanding surface properties and their impact:
• Interpretation of surface characteristics
• Latest tire and vehicle developments and their impact on surface characteristic requirements
• Understanding vehicle/tire-pavement interactions and their impact on the user
• Maintenance treatments and strategies for providing and restoring surface properties in roads and airfields
3. Uses of the data for pavement analysis and management and performance measurement:
• Use of the data in pavement/ road/ airfield/ safety/ asset management systems
• Use of the data for performance measurement/requirements
• Performance of surfacing materials and associated innovative construction techniques
• Use of the data for assessing sustainability, including environmental, economic, and safety impacts

For more information, contact:
Dr. Gerardo Flintsch, Virginia Tech: 540-231-9748, flintsch@vt.edu, Edgar David de León Izeppi, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 540-231-1504, edeleonizeppi@vtti.vt.edu