New pavement preservation resources now available provide state and local highway agencies and others with a wealth of knowledge and technical tools they can use to extend the service life of their highways and protect their infrastructure investment.
The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI) offers a free online training course that practitioners can take at any time that best suits their schedules. It is part of FHWA’s continuing effort to provide technical tools to support the increased implementation of pavement preservation nationwide. The 6½-hour course, “Pavement Preservation Treatment Construction” (Course No. FHWA-NHI-131110), introduces pavement preservation concepts and techniques, including project and treatment selection. Participants will learn about design and construction of the following treatments:
- Crack filling and sealing;
- Joint sealing;
- Patching and edge repairs;
- Chip seals;
- Fog seals;
- Slurry seals;
- Microsurfacing; and
- Thin and ultrathin overlays.
The course also introduces participants to the Pavement Preservation Treatment Construction Guide, which was created by FHWA, the California Department of Transportation and the National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP). The guide features basic pavement preservation concepts, as well as information on specific treatments to extend the life of asphalt pavements.
To take the online course, visit the NHI website at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov. The course is listed in the NHI catalog as “FHWA-NHI-131110: Pavement Preservation Treatment Construction-WBT.” Participants must log in and register, but will not be charged for the training. The Pavement Preservation Treatment Construction Guide is available online at fhwapap34.fhwa.dot .gov/NHI-PPTCG/index.htm.
As a complement to the new course, NHI is offering a free five-hour webinar on “Optimal Timing of Pavement Preservation Treatments” (Course No. FHWA-NHI-131114). The webinar covers work performed under National Cooperative Highway Research Program Project 14-14, Guide for Optimal Timing of Pavement Preventive Maintenance Treatment Applications. For more information, visit the NHI website at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov, or contact Chris Newman at FHWA, 202/366-2023; e-mail: christopher [email protected].
Assistance in implementing pavement preservation practices also is available from the Transportation System Preservation Technical Services Program (TSP2) hosted by the NCPP. Launched last year by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, the program was recently extended for a second year.
TSP2 offers a help desk that state transportation departments can call or visit online (www.tsp2.org) for information and resources on pavement preservation.
To date, the Help Desk has provided technical support on a range of preservation-related issues, including network evaluation and asset management techniques, distress classification guidelines, the use of microsurfacing as a preservation surfacing over deteriorated concrete and bridge deck restoration using chip seals and epoxy coats.
