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Focus

Federal Highway Administration / Publications / Focus / July 2013

Accelerating Infrastructure Innovations

Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-13-015
Date: July 2013
Printable Version (.pdf, 0.3 mb)

Your Go-To Course on Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements

Now available from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI), a 3-day course on "Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements" (Course No. FHWA-NHI-132040) brings together multidisciplinary teams to address design, construction, and performance issues for pavements.

The target audience includes geotechnical, pavement design, materials, construction, and maintenance engineers, as well as specification writers. "This course was developed as a forum for personnel from a variety of disciplines to work together to enhance current procedures for building and maintaining better performing and more cost-effective pavements," said Daniel Alzamora of the FHWA Resource Center.

Topics include geotechnical exploration and characterization of in-place and constructed subgrades, as well as design and construction of subgrades and unbound layers for both paved and unpaved roads. Participants will learn how to identify subgrade problems during construction and develop remediation measures and other solutions.

Both the 1993 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) empirical design procedure and the 2008 AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide are covered in the course. Also covered are drainage of bases, subbases, and subgrades; soil improvement and stabilization; construction methods; specifications; and quality assurance inspection for pavement projects.

The course fee is $760 per person in 2013, with a minimum class size of 20 and a maximum of 30. For information on scheduled courses or to schedule the course in your State, visit www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov and select "Search for a Course." For additional details on the course content, contact Daniel Alzamora at the FHWA Resource Center, 720-963-3214 (email: daniel.alzamora@dot.gov). To learn more about FHWA's Geotechnical Engineering resources, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech. Topic areas include earth and rock works, earth retaining structures, geotechnical hazards, ground improvement, structural foundations, and subsurface investigation.

Updated: 06/27/2017
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000