The Technology Transfer Program (Tech Transfer), a division of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, is a source for professional training, expert assistance, and information resources for public agencies. For the academic year 2016-2017, Tech Transfer is rolling out its newly expanded pavement training series, which will cover topics from preliminary design all the way through to long-term maintenance.
Tech Transfer’s entirely updated and recently expanded pavement training series addresses a critical need for professional development among the rank and file, as well as management levels, of public agencies throughout California, those who are tasked with maintaining their most valuable infrastructure assets.
All of the following courses are subsidized for California local agency employees under the Caltrans Cooperative Training Assistance Program:
- IDM-03 Asphalt Pavement Materials, Design, Construction and Maintenance is Tech Transfer’s new foundational course planned for mid-February 2017. This three-day, in-classroom course is covers the full range of topics related to asphalt concrete pavements from materials and mix design to construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation. Asphalt concrete pavements are a vital part of an agency’s assets and constitute about 90% of the local streets in California. The wide range of topics in this class will be presented in sufficient detail to assist the local agency engineer when dealing with contractors, consultants, and specifications. This course will benefit those who design, specify, and manage asphalt pavements.
- IDM-04 Asphalt Pavement Maintenance for Local Agencies is a longstanding course offered by Tech Transfer, usually around early December of each year. Asphalt pavement is a major component of our transportation system. Transportation agencies at the city and county level can maximize the value of their huge investment in streets and roads by using proper pavement maintenance strategies. This one-day, in-classroom course provides a solid working knowledge of the most common pavement maintenance and preservation practices. Basic principles, best field practices and safety issues are covered.
- IDM-26 In-Place Asphalt Recycling & Soil Stabilization Strategies (available later this fall) is a completely updated and revamped course scheduled to be delivered in-classroom in the late spring of 2017. The in-place asphalt recycling topic will explore in more detail the most common methods, while providing an insightful look on selecting the most appropriate method based on a project’s and site’s specific characteristics. The soil stabilization part of the course will expand on Caltrans Highway Design Manual Chapter 614 by providing guidelines on the selection of an appropriate stabilization method, design of stabilized subgrade, or construction considerations. This is a must-take course for local pavement managers who are looking for a more cost-effective alternative to traditional pavement maintenance.
- IDM-27 Superpave Mix Design for Local Agencies is Tech Transfer’s only online training course on pavement, which is planned for late February 2017. The SUPERPAVE mix design method is designed to replace the Hveem method. Caltrans started implementing the national SUPERPAVE standard for designing, specifying, and accepting pavement projects for all state jobs. The new mix design accounts for traffic loading and environmental conditions and includes a new method of evaluating the asphalt mixture. This online course provides an overview of the SUPERPAVE mix design for local agencies and adjustments needed to start transitioning to the new mix design.
- IDM-28 Pavement Management Systems and Preservation Strategies was introduced last year and set a new record high for trainee satisfaction. Planned for mid-March 2017, this two-day, in-classroom course focuses on pavement networks, which are often the most valuable asset that an agency owns. This asset is not only expensive to replace, but it is an essential component to the traveling public’s safety. Agencies are looking for more cost-effective ways to perform engineering, maintenance, management, and rehabilitation of roadways more than ever before to stretch funding allocations. A pavement management system is an essential tool to assist in cost-effective roadway maintenance planning.
About Tech Transfer
Tech Transfer provides professional training, workshops, conferences, technical assistance, and informational resources in the transportation-related areas of planning and policy, engineering, project development, infrastructure design and maintenance, pavement, and safety and environmental issues for motorized and non-motorized roadway traffic, aviation, and rail. They hold over 80 events every year, attended by over 3,000 people, online and in classrooms around the state and send safety experts to more than two dozen local agencies each year to help improve traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle safety. They serve more than 25,000 public and private transportation agency personnel working for our state’s 476 cities, 58 counties, over 50 regional transportation planning agencies (MPOs, RTPAs, CTCs and CMAs), the California Office of Traffic Safety, and the California Department of Transportation, with most offerings subsidized or free for California’s local agencies.
Contact the author of this post for more information: ITS Berkeley/ Technology Transfer Program, courses@techtransfer.berkeley.edu.