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Transportation Engineering Lab


Road infrastructure plays a major role in the development of a nation. Improved methods of paving constructions, design philosophies and rehabilitation strategies can only be developed with a thorough understanding of paving materials. The huge amount of money is invested every year in the repair and rehabilitation of road infrastructure. Understanding the necessity of research in this area, several premier institutes of our country have developed advanced material characterization facilities. In order to improve the understanding and investigate several premature road failures which are unique due to traffic and climatic loading in Kerala, academic institutions need to focus research on that line. The Transportation Engineering lab, in TKM Engineering College is committed socially in providing economically viable engineering solutions in this area. The objectives of various tests conducted in Transportation Engineering lab are: advance performance evaluation of road materials, develop facilities for measuring traffic flow parameters, develop facilities to cultivate research interest among students and faculties, and disseminate knowledge to the research community.


The Transportation Engineering lab is presently utilized for the conduct of lab classes for the undergraduate programme in Civil Engineering. The lab is effectively utilized by undergraduate students and faculties who carries their final year dissertation work in Transportation engineering and funded research works, respectively. The lab also undertakes routine material characterization consultation work, bituminous mix designs, and forensic field studies for various private agencies, and is an approved testing and consultancy centre for central and state government.


Strength of the lab

Following are the strength of the lab.

  • a) Lab space of 1500 ft2, which provides room for further expansion.
  • b) Facilities for characterizing pavement materials (bitumen and bituminous mixes) as per the guidelines of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
  • c) Facilities available in the lab are in par with the requirements of the university prescribed laboratory course.
  • d) Faculties with expertise in advance material characterization
Transportation Engineering Laboratory Facilities and Equipment

The Transportation Engineering Laboratory is equipped with facilities for testing of Aggregates, Bitumen and Soil. The Laboratory is fully equipped for the conduct of regular experiments at UG level and consultancy works.

Major equipment available in the lab
Sl.No. Name of equipment Make and model Cost in Rs Year purchased
1 Compression Testing Machine AIM-313-3. AIMIL 228924 2001
2 California Bearing Ratio Test Apparatus (Motorized) AIM-131. AIMIL 12292 1982
3 California Bearing Ratio Test Apparatus (Motorized) AIM-120 GM. AIMIL 131600 2013
4 Aggregate Impact Tester AIM-456. AIMIL 4380 2004
5 Los Angeles Abrasion Testing Machine AIM–458. AIMIL 44581 2001
6 Flash Point Pensky martens Apparatus + Thermometer AIM-508. AIMIL 14449 2001
7 Universal Penetrometer AIM -512-1. AIMIL 32629 2010
8 Constant Temperature Water Bath With Contact Thermometer Control Raagaa Industries 16983 2001
9 Thickness Gauge AIM-450. AIMIL 3700 2001
10 Length Gauge AIM-451. AIMIL 3330 2001
11 Ductility Testing Machine Scientific Enterprises 77905 2013
12 Benkelman Beam Apparatus S & Co 1980 1984
13 Bitumen Mixer CCT 71 8278 1984
14 Weight Balance 5kg Electronic Type Avery 6982 2001
15 Ring & Ball IS 1205 & IP 58. thermometer SC Dey & Co, Calcutta 2004
16 Laboratory Stirrer 9046 2016
17 Asphalt Mixer Theoretical Density Meter AIM-582. AIMIL 77522 2017
18 MERLIN and Dynamic cone Penetrometer MERLIN 50705 2018
Material wise Major Equipment and Test Facility Available in the Lab

Bitumen Testing

  • Pensky Marten Flash and Fire point apparatus
  • Penetrometer
  • Ductility testing machine for bitumen
  • Softening point testing apparatus
  • Float test apparatus
  • Specific gravity bottle
  • Brook field digital Viscometer
  • Bitumen Extractor

Aggregate Testing

  • Los Angeles Abrasion testing machine
  • CBR testing machine.
  • Aggregate Impact testing machine
  • Sieve set and sieve shaker.
  • Flakiness and Elongation testing apparatus
  • Modified Proctor apparatus
  • Angularity number testing apparatus
  • DCP (dynamic cone penetrometer)
  • Multi-speed loading frame and Data Acquisition system (4-point bonding, Marshall stability, Indirect tensile strength test)
  • Concrete mixer
  • Core cutter machine
  • Diamond Cutter
  • Digital thermometers

Testing on Bituminous Mixes

  • Compression testing machine-3000kN Capacity
  • Marshall stability apparatus
  • Bitumen mixer
  • Constant temperature water bath
  • Thermostatically controlled oven
  • Density basket
  • Repeated Load Test Facility
  • Automatic Marshall Compactor (2)
  • Leutner kit
Benefits to students and staff.

Learning through experimentation reaffirms theoretical knowledge. Ultimately students get a better feel of material when they learn about the performance of engineering materials. They would also appreciate the necessity of characterization of paving materials appropriately which is highly complex due to the wide range of load and environmental conditions that it is subjected. The students could take up research-oriented project topics in their final year dissertation work. The faculties also could plan better research topics and execute high-quality research work and apply for future funding.

Industry- Institution Collaborations

Memorandum of Understanding with

  • National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)
  • Project Management Unit: Rebuild Kerala Initiative
  • Town and Country Planning Department
  • Kollam Corporation
  • RAUEN Mercantile Pvt. Ltd.
  • Samsung Ascon Pvt. Ltd.
  • LSGD Alappuzha
Industry- Institution Collaborations

Major consultant for

  • NHAI
  • Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI)
  • LSGD
  • Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)
  • KITCO
  • Southern railway
Major Research and Consultancy Works
  • Transportation stream experts is a part of the Project Management Unit (PMU) for resilient recovery and quality assurance of road works in Kerala.
  • Maintenance and improvement work of 63 km National Highway road section between Kottankulangara and Kadambattukonam (NHAI)
  • Parking demand analysis Kollam Corporation (Kollam Municipal Corporation)
  • Evaluation of Interface Shear Strength of the bituminous overlay
  • Evaluation of rutting potential of bituminous mixes using refusal density approach Evaluation of existing road condition of the base layers of pavement (Kollam Municipal Corporation)
  • Research works on Polymer Asphalt Modified Additive (PAMA) mix by a South Korean Company namely Samsung Ascon Pvt. Ltd.
  • Construction of rural roads under Alappuzha LSGD using PAMA mix (Alappuzha LSGD and Samsung Ascon Pvt. Ltd.)

Contact Information

Lab in Charge Dr. Kavitha Madhu, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Contact No 8547566336
Email id kavithamadhu@tkmce.ac.in
Assistant Lab in Charge Prof. Sai Niveditha M. G, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Contact No 9446978099
Email id nivedsai@tkmce.ac.in