THE RUBBER PAVEMENTS ASSOCIATION (RPA)
About Us
Rubber Pavements Association
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| RPA History |
RPA is a 501(c) 6, non-profit association. It is the successor of the Asphalt Rubber Producers Group founded in 1985. The
association is dedicated to the promotion of greater usage of high quality, cost effective asphalt pavements containing
recycled scrap tire rubber. RPA is based in the state of Arizona in the United States because the most widely used and
nationally accepted material containing recycled scrap tires, “Asphalt-Rubber,” was developed in the state and all the major
components of the industry are readily available. Arizona also has Asphalt-Rubber pavements that have been in service for
many years.
RPA carries out its mission through technology transfer and maintains the largest library of Asphalt-Rubber research
documents in the world. The main technology transfer activities include workshops, seminars and conferences, the publication
of a quarterly newsletter and other informational materials. Since 1997 the association has conducted over 75 workshops for
federal, state and local agencies. The association also maintains a website that has been visited by thousands of individuals,
agencies and countries.
The membership of the association is comprised of “User” (contractors) and “Producer” (crumb rubber processors) members
as well as non-voting Associate, Affiliate, and Individual classifications. A Board of Directors, representing its member
companies located throughout the world, governs the association.
The association funds a Technical Advisory Board (TAB), made up of engineers from governmental agencies, academia and the
private sector. George Way, P.E., recently retired from the Arizona Department of Transportation, currently chairs the 22
member TAB. The purpose of the TAB is to provide technical and policy direction to the association. Their mission statement
is: Advance engineering technology and implementation of Asphalt-Rubber. They have set five goals to accomplish their
mission. (1) Provide policy and technical counsel to the RPA Board of Directors. (2) Provide technical insight and direction. (3)
Assist in establishing technical merits and values of Asphalt-Rubber. (4) Identify, formulate and monitor research and
development activities. (5) Lead development and delivery of training programs. The TAB is actively engaged with the
development of ASTM and AASHTO standards for Asphalt-Rubber paving materials.
The association is funded by its member companies through assessments on the sale or purchase of crumb rubber used in
asphalt applications. In the past three years nearly 60% of the RPA budget has been dedicated to research and education. The
association has sponsored several significant research projects. Among the projects: Life Cycle Cost Analysis by Dr. Gary Hicks,
Dr. Jon Epps and Dr. Jim Lundy; Quality Control and Quality Assurance by Hicks and Epps; Development of a Mechanistic
Overlay Design Method Based on Reflective Cracking Concepts by Dr. Jorge Sousa and Dick Stubstad, Consulpav International
and Field Aging Effects on the Fatigue of Asphalt Concrete and Asphalt-Rubber Concrete by Dr. Lutfi Raad, University of Alaska.
RPA has also commissioned field performance reviews in the states of Arizona and Texas.
The association partners with many national and international associations such as the International Tire and Rubber
Association, the European Tyre Recycling Association; the Scrap Tire Management Council; the National Asphalt Paving
Association; the Rubberized Asphalt Concrete Technology Centers in Los Angeles and Sacramento counties, California; the
Asphalt Rubber Training Service at Clemson University, SC and the University of New Hampshire’s Recycled Materials Resource
Center. It also has a number of agencies and universities as affiliate members. The Universities include Arizona State
University; Clemson University in SC; the University of Denver in Colorado, the University of Nevada Reno and the University of
Veszprem in Hungary.
The association has recently founded the Recycled Tire Engineering and Research Foundation (RTERF), a 501-C-3 organization,
which will seek private and public funding to conduct advanced research on other applications utilizing waste tires and
technology transfer on a global basis.
association is dedicated to the promotion of greater usage of high quality, cost effective asphalt pavements containing
recycled scrap tire rubber. RPA is based in the state of Arizona in the United States because the most widely used and
nationally accepted material containing recycled scrap tires, “Asphalt-Rubber,” was developed in the state and all the major
components of the industry are readily available. Arizona also has Asphalt-Rubber pavements that have been in service for
many years.
RPA carries out its mission through technology transfer and maintains the largest library of Asphalt-Rubber research
documents in the world. The main technology transfer activities include workshops, seminars and conferences, the publication
of a quarterly newsletter and other informational materials. Since 1997 the association has conducted over 75 workshops for
federal, state and local agencies. The association also maintains a website that has been visited by thousands of individuals,
agencies and countries.
The membership of the association is comprised of “User” (contractors) and “Producer” (crumb rubber processors) members
as well as non-voting Associate, Affiliate, and Individual classifications. A Board of Directors, representing its member
companies located throughout the world, governs the association.
The association funds a Technical Advisory Board (TAB), made up of engineers from governmental agencies, academia and the
private sector. George Way, P.E., recently retired from the Arizona Department of Transportation, currently chairs the 22
member TAB. The purpose of the TAB is to provide technical and policy direction to the association. Their mission statement
is: Advance engineering technology and implementation of Asphalt-Rubber. They have set five goals to accomplish their
mission. (1) Provide policy and technical counsel to the RPA Board of Directors. (2) Provide technical insight and direction. (3)
Assist in establishing technical merits and values of Asphalt-Rubber. (4) Identify, formulate and monitor research and
development activities. (5) Lead development and delivery of training programs. The TAB is actively engaged with the
development of ASTM and AASHTO standards for Asphalt-Rubber paving materials.
The association is funded by its member companies through assessments on the sale or purchase of crumb rubber used in
asphalt applications. In the past three years nearly 60% of the RPA budget has been dedicated to research and education. The
association has sponsored several significant research projects. Among the projects: Life Cycle Cost Analysis by Dr. Gary Hicks,
Dr. Jon Epps and Dr. Jim Lundy; Quality Control and Quality Assurance by Hicks and Epps; Development of a Mechanistic
Overlay Design Method Based on Reflective Cracking Concepts by Dr. Jorge Sousa and Dick Stubstad, Consulpav International
and Field Aging Effects on the Fatigue of Asphalt Concrete and Asphalt-Rubber Concrete by Dr. Lutfi Raad, University of Alaska.
RPA has also commissioned field performance reviews in the states of Arizona and Texas.
The association partners with many national and international associations such as the International Tire and Rubber
Association, the European Tyre Recycling Association; the Scrap Tire Management Council; the National Asphalt Paving
Association; the Rubberized Asphalt Concrete Technology Centers in Los Angeles and Sacramento counties, California; the
Asphalt Rubber Training Service at Clemson University, SC and the University of New Hampshire’s Recycled Materials Resource
Center. It also has a number of agencies and universities as affiliate members. The Universities include Arizona State
University; Clemson University in SC; the University of Denver in Colorado, the University of Nevada Reno and the University of
Veszprem in Hungary.
The association has recently founded the Recycled Tire Engineering and Research Foundation (RTERF), a 501-C-3 organization,
which will seek private and public funding to conduct advanced research on other applications utilizing waste tires and
technology transfer on a global basis.
| Asphalt-Rubber: is a blend of asphalt cement, reclaimed tire rubber and certain additives, in which the rubber component is at least 15% by weight of the total blend and has reacted in the hot asphalt cement sufficiently to cause swelling of the rubber particles. |
| 1801 S. Jentilly Lane Ste. A-2 Tempe, AZ 85281-5738 Phone: (480) 517-9944 Fax: (480) 517-9959 |
©Copyright 2007, RPA All Rights Reserved
