The South Carolina Department of Transportation recently released a video providing a behind-the-scenes look at the work conducted by its asphalt materials laboratory within the agency’s Office of Materials and Research.
[Above image by SCDOT]
The video explains the role of that office within SCDOT as well as the importance of the asphalt testing processes used for every road paving project statewide. The video also features an interview with Susan Dukes Snyder, the asphalt materials lab’s testing supervisor, about how her team ensures that SCDOT only uses quality materials in its road paving work.
“My favorite aspect of this job is also my biggest challenge,” she explained in the video. “This position requires to me wear many hats. In the lab, I am running tests and also reviewing and checking paperwork. I am also out in the field with contractors, pulling samples from jobs on the road to make sure the materials they are using are within specification.”
Snyder said that there are “many misconceptions” regarding of modern-day laboratory work. “For starters, we don’t wear white coats; our coats are blue,” she noted. “You also definitely have to be safety-conscious all the time, because we work with hot materials every single day.”
For more information about SCDOT’s Office of Materials and Research and its work, click here.
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