CANTON — A SUNY Canton faculty member is implementing a new procedure to help paved surfaces withstand the tortures of traffic to prevent road fractures.

Assistant Professor Aksel Seitllari, Ph.D., who teaches in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology and Construction Engineering Technology programs, has developed a cyclic three-point bending or beam test to measure the material properties of asphalt accurately.

It can determine how the pavement will react before it is used to surface roadways.

"By running this test in laboratory conditions, we can anticipate the behavior of asphalt material we put on the road after it is subjected to traffic," Seitllari said. "The test is designed to help with reducing crack occurrence in asphalt pavements."

His new, efficient method has caught the eye of Department of Transportation agencies in Virginia and Michigan. It has also received $130,000 in National Cooperative Highway Research Program's Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis funding.

Further, Seitllari has received an international standard from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM D8458 - 22), which denotes the test's ability to improve quality and enhance safety.