Do you know what happens if you have the best design, best contractor and perfect working conditions, but poor materials? Even the strongest project team can end up with poor performance, delays and costly rework.
What happens if you assume the materials available meet or exceed project requirements, but they don’t? Projects lose time, budgets are strained and long-term performance is put at risk.
Preventing these outcomes starts with verified materials and independent testing. That’s where an AASHTO-accredited materials testing laboratory, like R&M’s, plays a critical role.
What Does AASHTO Accreditation Mean?
R&M relies on nationally recognized standards to ensure consistency, accuracy and accountability across projects. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) establishes testing standards for transportation infrastructure nationwide. AASHTO accreditation provides independent verification that laboratory results can be trusted to support design and construction decisions.
AASHTO-accredited laboratories are independently verified to:
- Use calibrated, approved equipment.
- Follow standardized testing procedures.
- Employ trained and qualified technicians.
- Produce consistent, reliable results.
In practical terms, accreditation means project teams can rely on test data to make real-time decisions with confidence.
Why This Matters in Alaska
Designing and constructing infrastructure in Alaska means working in some of the most demanding conditions in the country. Projects must perform through extreme cold, repeated freeze–thaw cycles, remote logistics and short construction seasons.
In Alaska, there is little margin for error. When materials fail, repairs are often more challenging, costly and disruptive than in other regions. Accredited materials testing helps ensure materials are right the first time, reducing risk and protecting long-term performance.
Why Independent Testing Protects the Public
Independent materials testing supports informed, real-time decisions during construction. Reliable test results help identify issues early, reduce rework and limit delays.
Addressing materials issues early is significantly less costly than responding to premature failures after a facility is placed into service, when impacts to safety, mobility and budgets are far greater.
Safety and Long-Term Performance
Material quality directly affects how infrastructure performs over time. Proper testing supports traction, structural strength and durability under real-world conditions
R&M’s goal is infrastructure that performs safely for decades — well beyond minimum requirements. Verified materials contribute to safer roadways, stronger structures and facilities that continue to serve communities long after construction is complete.
Accountability for Public Investment
Public infrastructure projects require transparency and defensible documentation. R&M’s AASHTO-accredited laboratory produces test results that stand up to audits and reviews and support full funding.
This level of accountability builds trust between agencies, contractors and the communities these projects serve. AASHTO-accredited testing is a relatively small upfront investment that protects safety, durability and public funds, especially in Alaska’s demanding environment.
Real-World Performance Under Extreme Events
The value of verified materials is most clearly demonstrated during extreme events. Anchorage has experienced multiple large earthquakes, including a magnitude 6.0 event in November 2025 and the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in November 2018.
In both events, infrastructure constructed with properly tested and placed materials experienced minimal damage, and there was no loss of life. These outcomes underscore the role material quality plays in protecting public safety when infrastructure is pushed beyond everyday conditions.
Building Confidence from the Ground Up
In Alaska, infrastructure is tested every day — by climate, distance and sometimes extreme events. AASHTO-accredited materials testing helps ensure roads, runways and structures are built on a foundation of verified data, not assumptions. By confirming material quality early and independently, project teams reduce risk, protect public investment and deliver infrastructure that performs safely and reliably for decades. Quality materials are not an added safeguard, they are the starting point for resilient infrastructure in Alaska.
R&M’s Role in Accredited Materials Testing
R&M supports transportation projects across Alaska with AASHTO-accredited materials testing integrated throughout the project lifecycle, from early investigations through construction. This work helps project teams confirm material quality, reduce risk and support safe, durable infrastructure.
Pre-Construction – Geotechnical Investigations and Source Evaluations
R&M’s Earth Sciences group travels throughout the state, gathering a limited number of samples from each potential project location and returning them to our laboratory for materials property testing. These evaluations help project owners confirm whether on-site materials are suitable to support the project and meet design specifications, reducing uncertainty before construction begins.
During Construction – Onsite and Laboratory Materials Testing
R&M’s materials technicians and special inspectors support projects in every corner of Alaska. Testing may include soils, concrete, and asphalt, using AASHTO-accredited equipment and certified personnel to verify materials meet specifications in both field and laboratory settings.
Why This Matters
By integrating accredited materials testing throughout a project, R&M helps project teams make informed decisions, address issues early and deliver infrastructure that performs safely and reliably in Alaska’s demanding environment.
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