PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The International Road Federation (IRF) announced the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) as one of the winners of the 2011 Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA) in the category of research. Eight countries and nine projects were represented this year. Awarded projects were chosen by an international panel of judges whose expertise lies in the industry of roadway development.

Along with RIDOT, the GRAA will be presented jointly to the University of Rhode Island (URI) and the University of Rhode Island Transportation Center (URITC) for their project "Simulating Asphalts on the Molecular Level."

Colin Franco, P.E., associate chief engineer of Materials and Research at RIDOT, encouraged Michael Greenfield, Ph.D., of URI to explore asphalt research. This current project was developed through a collaboration involving RIDOT/URI and URITC. Using complex computer simulation models, the research studied the structures and fluidity within an asphalt model. Some of the results have questioned traditional ideas and more importantly have fueled future research questions.

"We are proud to be recognized with this prestigious award for development of this molecular asphalt research. Our investment in this type of innovation will move RIDOT forward as a leader in the transportation industry," said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis.

The GRAA program was established in 2000 to inspire others by showcasing successful projects and programs from leading industry organizations, creating a road map for continual advancement and improvement of road development worldwide.