October 24, 2013

Did You Know?

On Oct. 1, 1965, the American Association of State Highway Officials Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL) was established in Gaithersburg, Md., as a Research Associate Program at the National Bureau of Standards (now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology) as a key step in the standardization of construction materials nationwide. The creation of AMRL helped the transportation industry evaluate testing competency, promote continual improvement, and instill confidence in laboratories and specifiers that use AMRL programs.

AMRL initially focused on soil, aggregate, and bituminous materials, but its programs have since grown to provide laboratory assessments as well for metals, plastic pipe, and spray-applied fire-resistant materials and proficiency samples for road stripe paint, all in order to meet the needs of its customers.

The AASHTO Accreditation Program was established in 1988 to provide formal recognition for construction materials testing laboratories that meet AASHTO requirements.

Today, AMRL serves more than 2,000 laboratories and is the center for promoting quality and achievement of excellence in construction materials testing. It operates as part of AASHTO’s Engineering and Technical Services division.

Additional information on AMRL is available here.