A chemist with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) says his work supporting road construction across the state carries weight beyond the lab.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A chemist with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) says his work supporting road construction across the state carries weight beyond the lab.

"The stuff that we do here, for the infrastructure of Illinois, in my opinion, our job is pretty important," said Clay Snyder, supervising chemist of the bituminous chemistry lab at IDOT. 

Snyder's lab tests materials used in construction projects statewide, including road and bridge construction. His area of focus is bituminous chemistry, which covers asphalt-based products such as hot mix asphalt used to pave roads, crack fillers, sealers and chip seals applied during the summer.

Although the lab is called a chemistry lab, Snyder said much of the work involves physical testing. The physical tests determine whether the material will hold up to traffic under normal temperature conditions and whether it will crack in winter.

"There's not a chemical way we can grade an asphalt," Snyder said. "We have to physically test it. So really smart people have developed all of these different ways for us to bend and twist and pull."

Snyder said he did not consider engineering when he studied chemistry, but he said supporting engineering work has been rewarding. He encouraged students interested in STEM fields to stay open to different paths.

"Try not to lock yourself into one particular thing," Snyder said. "We keep your mind open, but know that the world of science, STEM, is so big. There's so many different things you can do with it. And technologies keep evolving every day."

IDOT ensures all materials are weatherproof, usable and chemically correct before they are used on Illinois roads.

Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.