About us

In earlier times there were only a few facilities available to do quality control of routine maintenance & construction works. As highway construction increased in the last decade, the importance of testing & quality control became more significant.

At present, the Division is actively engaged in the performance of research works, road construction material testing, geotechnical & pavement investigations, and advisory/consultancy services, etc.

Organizationally, the Research & Development Division can be divided broadly into the sections as Central Laboratory (which comprise of Bitumen Laboratory, Soil Laboratory, Concrete Laboratory, PMB Laboratory, P&V Laboratory & Chemistry Laboratory), Investigations (Borehole, Pavement, Embankment), Pavement Design Unit, Research works & Training based on their functions.

Currently, the R&D Division carries out work under five major categories.

• Research works
• Laboratory/Field testing & Geotechnical Investigations
• Pavement Designs/Asphalt Mix designs/concrete Mix designs & reviews
• Training programs for Technical staff
• Advisory/ consulting services

In addition to the above, a separate section for soft ground treatment/slope stability is to be established in the future.

The Research & Development (R&D) Division is responsible for;

Welcome to the Research & Development division of RDA and thank you for your interest in our department. R&D division has a long history of 60 years with a reputation as one of the country’s leading bodies for road construction material testing.

Research & Development division is the main division of RDA responsible for all road making material testing for acceptance quality standard so that a quality job of work is ensured. In fulfilling the task of proper road & bridge construction, our division provides technical guidance by way of advisory after carrying out necessary field investigations, laboratory testing, and carefully analyzing test results. In order to do so the R&D has a well experienced, capable, and well-trained staff. Our well-equipped central laboratory offers a wide range of geotechnical investigation facilities to cater for almost all requirements in the highways sector.

Some of the tests carried out in the central laboratory have been granted the accredited status by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB) which demonstrates that our testing facilities are of the highest quality.

Research & Development division is committed to finding practical solutions for new construction materials/ new techniques to cater to modern-day demands by way of scientific research findings.

I feel privileged to have this opportunity to serve with the R&D team to ensure that our experience continues to be rich, challenging, and enabling. We are re-engineering ourselves to seek the opportunities and meet the challenges of the digital age. So let us get together and be partners in taking the R&D division to the next level.