TC3 launches two free courses

The holidays are behind us, but the weather has not yet let up, so you can stay indoors and take advantage of TC3’s diverse training curriculum.

TC3 has launched two new free courses – one about weather-related road operations and another on understanding materials testing. Both of these courses are now available at no cost.

Maintenance Training Series: Weather-Related Operations

Storm control is a major component of roadway maintenance in many areas of the country. State, municipal and county agencies are responsible for providing safe, passable roadways – even in severe weather. This one-hour training assists participants with planning and responding effectively to all weather-related operations.

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• identify the elements of an effective storm response plan;
• identify factors involved in scheduling personnel needs;
• identify safety and training considerations for maintenance personnel who are involved in weather-related operations;
• identify the types of equipment used in a snow and ice removal plan and their uses; and
• describe how to identify equipment needs for a particular storm.

Understanding Materials Testing for Inspectors

This five-hour course provides an introduction to materials testing for inspectors and entry-level quality assurance (QA) personnel. It provides basic testing information that includes roles, types of test procedures and who should test. It also discusses the type/purpose of tests related to soils, aggregates, asphalt, concrete and other non-field tests.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• describe the inspector’s role in materials testing;
• explain what an inspector should know about testing materials related to soils/aggregates, asphalt and concrete;
• list the properties of each material and explain why they are important;
• list the types of tests that are conducted for each material and explain their purpose;
• describe how test results should be interpreted;
• explain how material should be placed; and
• describe what can be done if material placement goes wrong.