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Development & Deployment of Innovative Asphalt Pavement Technologies

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The Asphalt | Innovate | Enlighten | Implement (AIEI) program is a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)–ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø (UNR) cooperative agreement designed to accelerate the development, deployment, and adoption of innovative asphalt pavement technologies that improve pavement performance, enhance durability, and reduce risk for transportation agencies. Consistent with FHWA’s long-standing commitment to technology deployment, advanced through initiatives such as the Accelerated Implementation and Deployment of Pavement Technologies (AIDPT) program, AIEI focuses on bridging the gap between research, practice, and widespread adoption.

A persistent challenge within the transportation community is the timely and effective deployment of new technologies, particularly in the asphalt pavement sector. Even when innovations demonstrate clear performance benefits, implementation can take years, even decades, due to barriers such as specification changes, risk management concerns, limited implementation guidance, and gaps in technology transfer. 

Contact our AIEI Program Manager, Elie Hajj, for more information on available workshops and AIEI resources. elieh@unr.edu

AIEI’s Role in Accelerating Implementation

AIEI was established to directly address these barriers by supporting state-driven implementation efforts and by advancing practical, deployable solutions. The program emphasizes not only innovation, but also enlightenment and implementation, ensuring that technologies are understood, validated, and confidently applied by State DOTs and industry practitioners. 

FHWA–UNR Partnership and Technical Leadership

Through AIEI, the Pavement Engineering & Science (PES) program within the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at UNR works in close collaboration with FHWA to stimulate, facilitate, and expedite the adoption of innovative asphalt technologies. These efforts span mix design, materials selection, production, construction practices, and quality assurance to support implementation decisions. AIEI helps deliver these results States towards implementation by providing case studies and deployment success stories, training workshops, webinars, technical papers, and more.

Deployment, Outreach, and Stakeholder Engagement

AIEI activities are structured to support deployment through targeted, implementation‑focused products and services. These include the development of implementation and marketing plans, engagement of subject matter experts to support specification revisions, and the creation of in-person or web‑based training and outreach tools. Additional efforts include developing and promoting case studies, conducting data and market analyses, tracking specifications, compiling implementation findings, and maintaining sustained stakeholder engagement to ensure lessons learned are transferable across agencies.

Impact and Long-Term Vision

By leveraging UNR’s unique teaching and research capabilities, and national partnerships, together with FHWA’s leadership and implementation mission, AIEI serves as a national platform for moving innovative asphalt pavement technologies from concept to common practice, helping States make informed decisions and advance durable, high-performing asphalt pavements.

Program Partners and Technical Collaborators

AIEI leverages a strong national network of program partners and subrecipients that bring complementary expertise in research, testing, implementation, design, and technology transfer. These partners support AIEI’s mission to move innovation into practice and ensure solutions are practical, credible, and state‑driven. Key collaborators include:

Together, this multidisciplinary team strengthens AIEI’s ability to support States through innovation development, technical enlightenment, and real‑world implementation, while maintaining alignment with FHWA priorities and State DOT needs.