Louisiana Transportation Research Center

What Louisiana Transportation Research Center does

The Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) is a state government-university research center headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, established in 1986 (per firmographic data, with company history noting 1994) to merge state government and university resources for transportation research in Louisiana. LTRC conducts applied research across materials, pavement design, geotechnical engineering, intelligent transportation systems, and special studies, while also delivering training, certification, and technical assistance to transportation professionals and local agencies. Its portfolio is anchored by a network of specialized facilities: the Louisiana Pavement Research Facility (housing the Accelerated Loading Facility and ATLaS 30 accelerated pavement testing equipment), the Engineering Materials Characterization and Research Facility (EMCRF), the Geotechnical Engineering Research Laboratory (GERL), the mobile Pavement on the Move (POM) unit, and the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Laboratory.

LTRC operates as a chartered research and technology-transfer institution rather than a commercial enterprise. Its primary customer and partner is the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), with secondary service to parishes, municipalities, and individual transportation professionals through the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), the Registration Management System, and the DOTD Course Catalog. The center's revenue model is essentially two-stream: (1) state-appropriated and project-based government research funding (analogous to subscription/recurring), and (2) fee-based training, certification, and structured training programs (professional services). Distribution is conducted through direct institutional engagement with DOTD, self-serve registration via the online Registration Management System, and field-based technical assistance through LTAP.

Core technology assets include capital-intensive physical testing infrastructure (accelerated loading, materials characterization, geotechnical rigs, mobile pavement testing) and decades of accumulated Louisiana-specific transportation research data. Auxiliary platforms include the Project Management and Tracking System (PMTS), the LTRC Registration Management System, and a research library. Partnerships are concentrated with LSU (primary academic partner), DOTD (primary state agency partner), and AASHTO (national workforce development partner via TRAC/RIDES). No funding rounds, M&A activity, leadership transitions, or commercial product launches are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Louisiana Transportation Research Center

Legal name

Louisiana Transportation Research Center

Website

https://ltrc.lsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) is a state government-university research center in Baton Rouge that conducts applied transportation research and delivers training and certification, primarily serving the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, local agencies, and transportation professionals through specialized pavement, materials, and geotechnical laboratories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisiana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: State government-funded research programs through annual research programs and project-based funding for transportation research initiatives
2. Training and Certification Services: Fee-based training courses, certification programs, and educational services for transportation professionals through the DOTD Course Catalog and structured training programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LTRC conducts transportation research, provides specialized laboratory testing, and delivers training and certification programs for transportation professionals. Its portfolio includes pavement, materials, and geotechnical research; technology transfer through TTEC; technical assistance to local agencies through LTAP; and operation of specialized facilities such as the Louisiana Pavement Research Facility (with the Accelerated Loading Facility and ATLaS 30), EMCRF, GERL, ITS Laboratory, and the mobile Pavement on the Move capability.

Product overview

The Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) is a research institution that merges state government and university resources to improve Louisiana's transportation system. The center provides a comprehensive portfolio of research programs (including current research, annual research programs, materials research, pavement and geotechnical research, and special studies), training and education services (DOTD courses, certification, TTEC, LTAP, ERDP, structured training, and co-op programs), and specialized research facilities (Louisiana Pavement Research Facility with Accelerated Loading Facility and ATLaS 30, EMCRF, GERL, ITS Laboratory, and Pavement on the Move). The center also publishes research outputs (annual reports, project capsules, final reports, technical assistance reports, and Technology Today) and maintains a research library. LTRC's offerings are delivered through multiple platforms including a registration management system for training and a project management tracking system for research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Research Program Annual work plan and research program documenting LTRC's yearly research priorities and projects across transportation domains.
• Materials Research Research focused on transportation materials including concrete, asphalt, and recycled materials.
• Pavement and Geotechnical Research Research on pavement design, performance, and geotechnical engineering solutions for transportation infrastructure.
• Special Studies Specialized research studies addressing unique transportation challenges and emerging needs.
• Engineering Research and Development Program (ERDP) Engineering research and development program supporting transportation infrastructure innovation.
• Training and Education Program Comprehensive training programs including DOTD courses, certification, structured training, and external educational resources for transportation professionals.
• Technology Transfer and Training Program (TTEC) Technology transfer initiatives to disseminate research findings and best practices to transportation practitioners.
• Louisiana Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Technical assistance program providing training and support to local transportation agencies.
• Certification Program Certification programs for transportation industry professionals.
• Publications and Reports Research publications including annual reports, project capsules, final reports, technical assistance reports, fact sheets, and Technology Today newsletter.
• Library Services Research library with database access, standards, catalog, and research links for transportation professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Savings in the millions through research projects including high strength concrete, instrumental monitoring of structures, and recycled asphalt pavements

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Louisiana State University (LSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLTRC merges resources of state government and universities, with LSU as the primary academic partner. The center operates as part of the LSU campus ecosystem, combining academic research capabilities with state transportation agency needs.
• Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary state agency partner for transportation research. DOTD and LTRC collaborate on research programs, with DOTD providing the Course Catalog and Training Requirements that LTRC delivers through its training programs.
• AASHTOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through AASHTO STEM Outreach Solutions (TRAC/RIDES program), connecting LTRC with national transportation education initiatives for workforce development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT): Auburn University-based pavement research center with a Test Track facility analogous to LTRC's Accelerated Loading Facility. NCAT is a direct peer in asphalt/pavement research and accelerated performance testing.
• Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI): Texas's state-affiliated transportation research institute headquartered at Texas A&M and serving TxDOT. TTI is the closest analogue to LTRC in mission, state-DOT partnership model, multi-disciplinary research portfolio, and training programs.
• Center for Transportation Research (UT Austin): University of Texas at Austin's transportation research center serving TxDOT. CTR is comparable along mission, academic-government partnership model, and materials/pavement/geotechnical research focus.
• Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC): Oregon's state university consortium for transportation research serving ODOT. OTREC mirrors LTRC's state-university research partnership model and multi-modal research portfolio.
• Iowa State University Institute for Transportation (InTrans): Iowa State's transportation research institute serving Iowa DOT with a multi-disciplinary portfolio including pavement, safety, and workforce development. Directly comparable to LTRC's state DOT partnership and training programs.
• University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI): UF's state-affiliated transportation research center serving FDOT with a comparable research, training, and technology-transfer mission. Comparable in structure and stakeholder model to LTRC.
• Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC): Virginia's official state transportation research center, jointly operated with the University of Virginia and VDOT. VTRC mirrors LTRC's state-government/university hybrid structure and conducts pavement, materials, and safety research.

Broad incumbents

• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI): Large independent nonprofit research institute with significant transportation and infrastructure testing capabilities. Comparable to LTRC in materials/transportation testing but operates at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Battelle Memorial Institute: Major nonprofit R&D organization conducting transportation, infrastructure, and materials research for federal and state clients. Overlaps with LTRC's research mission but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center: University transportation center focused on accelerated bridge construction research. Comparable to LTRC in its university-based transportation research model and DOT-funded mission, though narrower in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louisiana-transportation-research-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Louisiana Transportation Research Center