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InTrans

Institute for Transportation

InTrans|People

Leif Wathne

TITLE

Associate Director, CP Tech Center

PHONE

515-296-7032

EMAIL

lwathne@iastate.edu

AFFILIATIONS

InTrans, CP Tech Center

About Leif

Mr. Leif G. Wathne manages activities under current federal cooperative agreements, assists in the development and communication of best practice guidance products, and nurtures engagement with the concrete pavement construction industry for the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center. Mr. Wathne has 28 years of experience with concrete materials, pavements, and engineering, and is an internationally recognized authority on concrete pavement technology, pavement policy, and stewardship. He has served as a resource for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and U.S. Congress on concrete pavement and highway matters, including via testimony, and has in-depth experience with both federal and industry concrete research, development, and deployment programs. He is the author of more than two dozen peer-reviewed papers and journal articles and serves on multiple Transportation Research Board technical committees, FHWA technical groups, and is on the board of directors of both the International Society for Concrete Pavements and TRIP (a national transportation research nonprofit). Mr. Wathne routinely lectures and presents on concrete pavement technology at both industry and agency events both nationally and internationally.

Prior to joining the CP Tech Center, he served for 17 years with the American Concrete Pavement Association in Washington, DC, most recently as the executive vice president, and nearly a decade with the FHWA’s Office of Pavement Technology in Washington, DC, and as the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, VA.

Mr. Wathne is a registered professional engineer (PE) and holds a master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut.

Education


  • MS, Civil Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 1997
  • BS, Civil Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 1992

Certifications


  • Professional Engineer (PE) License, State of Pennsylvania (No. PE-052260-E)
  • Concrete Construction Sustainability and Resilience Assessor, American Concrete Institute (ACI), March 2022
  • Certificate Program in Association Management, American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), January 2020

Professional Experience


  • Associate Director, National Concrete Pavement Technology Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2022–present
  • Executive Vice President, American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), Washington, DC, 2015–2022
  • Vice President—Highways and Federal Affairs, American Concrete Pavement Association, Washington, DC, 2009–2015
  • Director of Highways, American Concrete Pavement Association, Washington, DC, 2005–2009
  • Project Engineer, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Pavement Technology (federal contractor), Washington, DC, 1999–2005
  • Concrete Research Engineer, FHWA Turner Fairbank Highway research Center, McLean, VA, 1997–1999
  • Research/Project Engineer, CMT Laboratories, State College, PA, 1995–1997
  • Branch Manager, Professional Service Industries (now Intertek PSI), Bristol, VA, 1992–1995

Selected Publications


  • Mack, J. W., G. Dean, and L. G. Wathne. 2022. Improving Pavement Resiliency to Flooding: A Case for Concrete Pavements. Proc., 2nd Concrete Road Congress and Exhibition, Ankara, Turkey, November 16–17.
  • Mack, J. W., and L. G. Wathne. 2021. How Providing the Opportunity for Industries to Compete Benefits the Pavement Market: And How Agencies Can Use It to Lower Their Pavement Cost. Proc., 12th International Conference on Concrete Pavements.
  • Wathne, L. G., and G. Voigt. 2019. The Future of Concrete Pavement Imagined. Proc., Australian Society for Concrete Pavements (ASCP) 5th Concrete Pavements Conference, New South Wales, Australia.
  • Wathne, L. G., and G. Voigt. 2019. The Future of Concrete Pavement Imagined. Proc., 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) International Airfield and Highway Pavements Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • Wathne, L. G., and G. Voigt. 2018. The Future of Concrete Pavements in North America. Proc., 13th International Symposium on Concrete Roads, Berlin, Germany.
  • Mack, J. W., L. G. Wathne, and F. Mu. 2016. Improving Network Investment Results by Implementing Competition and Asset Management in the Pavement Type Selection Process. Proc., 11th International Conference on Concrete Pavements, San Antonio, TX. Recipient of the ELDON J. YODER Outstanding Paper Award.
  • Wathne, L. G. 2014. Pavement Type Selection: What Is The Ideal Process? Proc., 12th International Symposium on Concrete Roads, September, Prague, Czech Republic. Recipient of the EUPAVE Best Marketing Paper.
  • R., G. Vorobieff, G. Voigt, and L. G. Wathne. 2014. Impacts of the Longitudinal Joint Location on Slab Stresses. Proc., 12th International Symposium on Concrete Roads, Prague, Czech Republic.
  • R., G. Voigt, and L. G. Wathne. 2014. Comparison of Roadway Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP) Thickness Design Methods Common in the United States (U.S.). Proc., 12th International Symposium on Concrete Roads, Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Wathne, L. G. 2010. Sustainability Opportunities with Pavements: Are We Focusing on the Right Stuff? Proc., 11th International Symposium on Concrete Roads, Seville, Spain.
  • Wathne, L. G. 2010. Competition and Its Role in Pavement Type Selection in the U.S. Proc., 11th International Symposium on Concrete Roads, Seville, Spain.
  • Vanikar, S., J. Grove, and L. G. Wathne. 2010. Sustainability Opportunities with Concrete Pavements. Proc., International Conference on Sustainable Concrete Pavement Technologies, Sacramento, CA.

Professional Affiliations and Service


  • Member, TRIP (A National Transportation Research Nonprofit) Board of Directors
  • Member, International Society for Concrete Pavements (ISCP) Board of Directors
  • Member, Transportation Research Board (TRB) Concrete Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation Committee (AKC50)
  • Member, TRB Sustainable and Resilient Pavements Subcommittee (AKP00(2))
  • Friend, TRB Economics and Finance Committee (AJE50)
  • Member, FHWA Pavement Foundations Technical Working Group, 2022–present
  • Member, FHWA Concrete Pavements and Materials Technical Feedback Group, 2019–present
  • Member, FHWA Sustainable Pavements Technical Working Group, 2011–present
  • Member, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) Technical Advisory Group, 2015–present
  • Member, National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) Rigid Team
  • Member, ISCP 2024 International Conference Organizing Committee
  • Member, ACPA Government Affairs Committee
  • Liaison, AASHTO Committee on Materials and Pavements (formerly Joint Technical Committee on Pavements), 2010–2022
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