Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-05-028
Date: July 2005

Articles in this Issue

TCCC Unveils New Products for Training the Transportation Workforce

Maintaining and rehabilitating the Nation's aging roads and bridges with a diminishing skilled and experienced workforce is a daunting challenge for today's transportation departments. The Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TCCC) is working to make their jobs easier. Since 2000, the TCCC has spent approximately $3.2 million and developed more than 40 courses in an effort to provide State and local transportation departments with the tools they need to train a qualified workforce.

One Stop for Hydraulics Engineering

Hydraulics engineering at your fingertips: the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) new hydraulics engineering Web site (www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/hydraulics) brings together information on a range of hydraulics topics. Instead of visiting various FHWA Web sites to collect information, one stop is now all you need.

FHWA Manual Features Geophysical Solutions

Developed by FHWA's Central Federal Lands Highway Division office in partnership with Blackhawk GeoServices, Applications of Geophysical Methods to Highway Related Problems offers geophysical approaches and solutions to many tasks and problems related to highway construction. "Engineers sometimes shy away from using geophysics due to a lack of knowledge on the subject," says Khamis Haramy of FHWA. "The goal was to provide a reference manual that is focused on problems and solutions specifically related to transportation projects, rather than just a textbook discussion of geophysical methods."

Highway Materials Engineering: FHWA Course Offers Fast-Track Education

From soils and foundations to asphalt and concrete, an intensive introduction to a range of highway materials is provided in the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) annual 6-week Highway Materials Engineering course. Applications are now being accepted for the 2006 session. In selecting applicants, priority will be given to employees of State, local, and Federal agencies involved in highway construction. The course will run from January 30-March 17, 2006, at the University of Nevada-Reno, with a 1-week break from February 20-24.

An Introduction to Alternative Contracting

Transportation agencies considering the use of alternative contracting techniques for highway projects can learn more about these techniques and the legal aspects of nontraditional contracting practices through a new course available from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI). "Alternative Contracting" (Course No. 134058A) covers such alternative project delivery methods as design-build and performance contracting. It also highlights the use of nontraditional contracting provisions, such as warranties, multi-parameter bidding, incentive and disincentive provisions, and lane rental.

Highway Technology Calendar