During the week of September 18^th-21^st, 2023, many of the best and brightest in asphalt preservation (including some of this year’s LEAP class) descended onto Indianapolis, Indiana for the National Pavement Preservation Conference (NPPC), held downtown at the JW Marriot. It was a unique conference which offered high level technical presentations, panel discussions, and live field demonstrations of different pavement preservation techniques and treatments. NPPC allowed for opportunities to network with industry experts, gaining additional knowledge outside of presentations, and understanding what other local agencies are doing or trialing in the pavement preservation space.

There were various presentations aimed towards pavement preservation treatments and application methods that utilized asphalt emulsions as well as concrete preservation methods. Both the concrete and asphalt industries presented cost effective treatment approaches to the DOTs that aim to preserve the deteriorating pavements across their networks. In addition, DOTs discussed the issues they are running into (primarily financial constraints and worker availability) while ongoing research was presented from organizations such as PPRA, NCAT, MnRoads, and NCHRP. 

 Over the course of the conference, there were multiple breakout sessions running at concurrent times, allowing for participants to pick a track they found interesting, or bounce around between sessions as needed. In addition, the live demo that took place allowed for vendors to display some common preservation techniques as well as some new and innovative techniques. Specifically, the demos focused on rejuvenators, artificial intelligence, skid resistance, micro surfacing, and crack/mastic applications that would benefit DOTs/contractors. Being able to see these techniques in person was a fantastic way to display that asphalt (and concrete) preservation can take place in real time, perfect for those who have never seen it before.

 Overall, the conference was a wonderful way to network, learn from industry experts, and understand the issues DOTs are tackling in pavement preservation. Hearing from additional research organizations and the promotion of pavement preservation created a unique opportunity for everyone to come together and share best practices and understand what issues are appearing across every road network. A special thank you goes out to the National Center for Pavement Preservation for hosting the event, Bouzid Choubane, Todd Shields, and the many sponsors who made this event possible. In addition, thanks to the NPPC gallery for great pictures of the event. It was a great showcase for pavement preservation education and a wonderful opportunity for the LEAP group to get together.