Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) recently delivered two of its Accelerated Transportation Loading System (ATLaS) to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Virginia.
ATLaS enables agencies like the FHWA to effectively evaluate, validate, and implement new construction materials, infrastructure design, construction practices, and new maintenance and rehabilitation technologies in a shorter amount of time that would otherwise take years to assess in test tracks or long-term monitoring sites with live traffic. Each ATLaS pavement test machine delivered to the FHWA is 77 feet long and weighs 75,000 pounds.
By implementing an accelerated pavement test (APT) program, an agency can save millions of taxpayer dollars by selecting the best construction materials, improving the construction specifications, and improving the infrastructure lifespan.
“The successful delivery of these two ATLaS platforms is a result of our dedicated teams hard work, commitment to excellence, and strong relationship with our customer,” said Matthew Fordham, division manager of ARA’s Integrated Products Division. “Our capture team, to the design and manufacturing team, are committed to excellence. As FHWA is the epicenter for accelerated pavement test systems, we are proud to work with their team, supporting efforts to build a better transportation future.”
ATLaS devices provide a unique full scale state-of-the-art APT tool to generate applied infrastructure research that produces benefits to an agency in a very short time. The ATLaS is able to operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year to induce truck, airplane, or railroad loading to highways, bridges, and railroad systems.
ARA is the sole developer and manufacturer of the ATLaS, which is available in a number of models. Since ARA’s first ATLaS delivery in 1997 to Ohio University, ARA has delivered ten accelerated pavement testers to research institutes across North America and China. Our 63,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Randolph, VT is home to experienced engineers, designers and technicians with decades of experience in geotechnical fields.All of our APT platforms are custom built to accommodate traffic-induced load capacities, budget constraints and site restrictions. ARA follows a rigorous standardized system engineering approach with a strong data driven quality program. ARA also offers on-site hands-on training covering all aspects of user operation, safety, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of the system. For more information on ATLaS, visit www.ara.com/atlas
