Yogesh Kumbargeri presented at Annual Meeting of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT)
Western Research Institute (WRI) lead research engineer Dr. Yogesh Kumbargeri recently presented new findings on asphalt materials at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT), held in Boston in March 2026. The conference, a leading forum for innovation in asphalt materials and pavement engineering, brings together researchers and industry experts to advance the state of practice in asphalt technology.
The presentation, titled “Investigation of Difference in Cracking Performance of Asphalt Mixtures from Similar PG Graded Binders Through Comprehensive Asphalt Binder Chemistry and Rheology-Based Methods,” explored how asphalt mixtures with similar performance grades can exhibit significantly different cracking behaviors. The work applies advanced binder chemistry characterization and rheological analysis to better understand and predict pavement durability.
The study was co-authored by Jeramie J. Adams, Alex Literati, and Didier Lesueur at WRI, and conducted in collaboration with Phil Blankenship and Zack McKay of Blankenship Asphalt Tech & Training (BATT - Link to BATT: https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement-preview/asx/d62b861053fd2b65390acccf4df4fbbe