What defines the PEM approach to concrete paving? What benefits does the PEM approach provide agencies and contractors? How have advancements in PEM continued expanding these benefits? View the following webinar videos to find out.

1. Advancements In Performance-Engineered Mixtures (PEM) (Taylor & Praul–2021)—Slides / Q&A
2. PEM and Reduced-Cement Paving Mixes in Iowa (Hanson & King–2021)—Slides
3. Durable Concrete in a Low-Ash World (Gross & King–2020)—Slides

See also our Concrete Mixture Proportioning page

The PEM project is broken down into the following:

• Implementing what we know: This task is intended to provide support to study participants with implementation of performance-engineered paving mixtures within their states. Implementation support includes education, training, and project-level assistance.
• Performance monitoring and specification refinement: This task will provide field performance data for use in making decisions on specification limits in the areas of salt damage, transport, and freeze-thaw damage.
• Measuring and relating early-age concrete properties to performance: This task will build upon the foundational work in measurement technologies done to date to design and control concrete pavement mixtures around key engineering properties. It is planned that work under this task will address improved testing methods for increased accuracy and reduced cost.

Guidance for test methods falling under the PEM umbrella that may be new to many agencies, contractors, testing labs, and consultants is provided below as follows:

PEM Test for Strength

Maturity Test

• • Maturity Testing–CPTP/FHWA Tech Brief (2005)

PEM Tests for Workability

Vibrating Kelly Ball (VKelly) Test

• • VKelly Test–Overview Flyer (2020)
  • VKelly Test–Summary (2018)
  • VKelly Test–Procedure (2018)
  • VKelly Test–Data Calculation Template (XLSX) (2018)
  • VKelly Test–VKelly Test Development and Evaluation Research Report (2015)

Box Test

• • Box Test–Overview Flyer (2020)
  • Box Test–Summary (2018)
  • Box Test–Procedure (2018)
  • Box (and SAM) Test Update (Ley–Slides–2015)

PEM Test for Cold Weather (Freeze-Thaw Durability)

Super Air Meter (SAM) Test

• • SAM Test–Overview Flyer (2020)
  • SAM Test–Procedure (2019)
  • SAM Test–Data Calculation Template, Version 3 (XLSX) (2019)
  • SAM (and Box) Test Update (Ley–Slides–2015)
  • SAM Video Tutorial Library, e.g.

PEM Test for Oxychloride

Oxychloride Expansion Test (via Low Temperature Differential Scanning Calorimetry/LT-DSC)

• • Oxychloride Expansion Test–Summary (2018)

PEM Test for Transport

Resistivity/Formation Factor Test

• • Resistivity/Formation Factor Test–Overview Flyer (2020)
  • Resistivity/Formation Factor Test–Summary (2020)
  • Resistivity/Formation Factor–Procedure (Uniaxial AASHTO TP 119-15)
  • Data Calculation Template Instructions
  • Resistivity/Formation Factor–Data Calculation Template (XLSX) (2019)
  • Resistivity Testing: What do I need to know? How do I use it?–Slides (2022) Q & A

Additional Related Videos

• Oregon State University’s Performance-Engineered Concrete Mixtures Recorded Video Series
• Tyler Ley’s YouTube Channel

News

• PEM Newsletter (July 2020)
• PEM Newsletter (November 2019)
• PEM Newsletter (June 2019)

Overviews

• Performance-Engineered Concrete Paving Mixtures (PEM): Delivering Concrete to Survive the Environment (Slides–June 2018)
• Developing a Quality Assurance Program for Implementing Performance-Engineered Mixtures (PEM) for Concrete Pavements (MAP Brief–July 2017)
• Performance-Engineered Mixtures (PEM) for Concrete Pavements (MAP Brief–April 2017)
• Performance-Engineered Mixtures (PEM) Program Overview (Brochure–2017)

Shadow Project Reports

Kansas

• Kansas MCTC Report (August 2019)

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (November 2022)

New York

• New York DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (August 2020)

North Carolina

• North Carolina MCTC Report (September 2020)
• North Carolina DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (May 2020)

Minnesota

• Minnesota DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (April 2021)
• Minnesota DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (April 2020)
• Minnesota MCTC Report (July 2018)

South Dakota

• South Dakota DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (August 2019)

Iowa

• Iowa DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (June 2019)
• Iowa MCTC Report (July 2018)

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin DOT PEM Demonstration Project Report (July 2022)

Related Information

• PEM State Specification Review
• AASHTO TP 135 – Total Pore Volume in Hardened Concrete Using Vacuum Saturation
• AASHTO TP 136 – Degree of Saturation of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete

Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting Notes

• Industry–July 2020
• States–June 2020
• November 2019
• February 2018

Regional Meeting Notes

• Western Region State & Industry Call–January 2021
• South-Central Region State and Industry Call–December 2020
• Southeast Region State and Industry Call–November 2020
• Northeast Region State & Industry Call–October 2020
• North-Central Region State & Industry Call–September 2020

Federal Sponsor

• Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

State Sponsors

• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa (lead agency)
• Kansas
• Maine
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Wisconsin
  

Industry Sponsors

• American Concrete Pavement Association
• Portland Cement Association
• Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research and Education Foundation
• Slag Cement Association