Information about UC Davis, site of the 3^rd Four Point Bending Beam Conference

The University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC, www.ucprc.ucdavis.edu) has one of the most active pavement research programs in the world, with extensive laboratory and accelerated pavement testing facilities at its two laboratories (Davis and Richmond), including six four point bending beam devices.  With close ties to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), who is the major sponsor of the research, the center has published a large number of reports and papers and is a leader in the practical implementation of 4PBB results and, in particular, linking those results to mechanistic-empirical pavement design.

Located in Northern California's Central Valley, Davis is a university-oriented city of 60,000, and is noted for its small-town style, dedication to energy conservation and environmental programs, and its abundant trees, parks, red double-decker London buses, and bicycles.  The city has a pedestrian and bicycle friendly downtown, with many diverse restaurants.  The city's mild, Mediterranean climate means that conference attendees would likely be greeted with moderately warm temperatures, almost no chance of rain, and low humidity in September. 

In September, 2009, UC Davis opened a new conference center, which will be the location of the 4PBB Conference.  While the conference hotel has 75 rooms, there are seven other hotels within a 5-10 minute walk of the venue.  The room cost is modest, ranging from $75 to $120 per night, with the negotiated cost expected to be at the lower end of this range, especially in September. 

Davis is conveniently reached via the Sacramento International Airport (SMF - 20 miles northeast), with over 150 daily arrivals from cities around North America, including several non-stop flights to all major hubs.  For international visitors, San Francisco Airport (SFO - 85 miles southwest) can be reached by non-stop flights from Europe and the east, with a short connection to SMF, or it is possible to use rapid transit (BART) to connect to ten daily Amtrak trains to Davis.  Oakland International has many US flights (OAK - 80 miles southwest) and a BART/Amtrak rail connection.  Shuttles operate on a regular basis to all three airports, and can be reserved on-line. 

The social calendar for accompanying companions may include walking or bicycling tours of Davis, outings to Old Sacramento, the Crocker Art Museum or a tour of the state Capitol and grounds in Sacramento (15 minutes away).  The more adventurous may prefer an outing into Gold Country to discover California's pioneering history and try their hand at panning for gold or hiking in the Sierra (90 minutes).  For those with a sophisticated palate – or just a love for fine wine – wine tasting in Napa, Sonoma, or the Sierra foothills wine country could make for a pleasurable afternoon (60 minutes), or possibly visit some of the excellent wineries headquartered in Davis and southern Yolo County.  Day trips are also possible to scenic Lake Tahoe (2 ½ hours).  Northern California has many attractions which make it a great destination for pre- or post-conference vacations, and San Francisco/Oakland with its iconic bridges is only an hour drive.  

Train station downtown.

UC Davis campus with Mondavi Performing Arts Center across from conference site in foreground.

Authentic London buses used by city/campus bus service.

Arboreteum and paths on creek next to conference center and hotel.

UC Davis Conference Center, site of 4PBB 2012 conference.