Recent advances in airport pavement design, evaluation and materials

By Navneet Garg on 02/12/2026 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in 1611 Titan Dr., Rantoul, IL 61866

Join Navneet Garg of the Federal Aviation Administration as he presents via Zoom at the Spring 2026 Kent Seminar Series Thursday, February 12, from 2-3 p.m. (CT).

The Spring 2026 semester is set to feature 14 presentations, each addressing a topic related to innovation trends in aviation. See the full lineup of speakers for Spring 2026 semester.

Pizza and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom. 

All presentations will be held on Zoom, but some speakers will present in person at ICT.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://go.illinois.edu/KentSeminar

Meeting ID: 856 1731 4207  
Passcode: 019160

Abstract and Bio

Based at the William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace near Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Airport Technology Research and Development Branch advances the FAA’s mission to maintain the world’s safest and most efficient aerospace system by validating engineering specifications and developing data-driven industry standards. The branch manages two full-scale accelerated pavement testing facilities—the National Airport Pavement Test Facility and the National Airport Pavement and Materials Research Center—supplemented by instrumented airfield pavement sites nationwide. Data from these facilities are used to update FAA standards for airport pavement design, evaluation and construction. This presentation outlines ATRD’s research facilities, recent updates to FAA pavement standards, and ongoing collaborative efforts with the National Asphalt Pavement Association under the congressionally mandated Airport Asphalt Pavement Technology Program.

Garg is a program manager in the Airport Technology Research and Development Branch at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J. He earned a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1997, a master’s degree in civil engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago in 1993, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Suratkal, India, in 1990. Garg has been involved in airport pavement research at the FAA’s National Airport Pavement Test Facility since 1998 and manages projects focused on accelerated pavement testing, resilience and pavement materials.