3.3 District Pavement Engineer (DPE) Skills
A list of required and recommended training courses is given in Table 2-1. To develop the final pavement thickness design, courses have been identified to provide the basic skills necessary for engineers to understand the design process and complete viable, cost conscious pavement design.
The DPE or other district staff may develop a design; however, it is suggested that the DPE and other key district staff review pavement design inputs, material requirements, strategies, and thickness prior to the final PS&E submission (e.g., Pavement Design Concept Conference).
Newly assigned DPEs are encouraged to schedule attendance of the required training sessions for flexible and rigid pavement design as soon as practical.
Training | Category | Comment |
---|---|---|
MODULUS | Flexible Structure Evaluation | Designed as a workshop and is combined with FPS 21 training. Combined training is usually arranged at district request to MNT – Pavement Asset Management. Hands-on approach used to emphasize evaluation techniques, capabilities, and limitations of the software. A 2 1/2-day period should be scheduled. Required for flexible pavement design. |
FPS 21 | Flexible Structural Design | As above. Required for flexible pavement design. |
Visual Distress Rater’s Course CON110 CON111 | Identification of visual distress:
| The goals are:
|
PMIS Concepts for Administrators CON107 | New PMIS (PA) | The goals are:
*Course material required for certification can be found on the webpage. |
PMIS Data Interpretation and Analysis CON109 | New PMIS (PA) | The goals are:
*Course material description can be found on the webpage. |
Pavement Analyst (PA) | New PMIS (PA) | Web-based software that allows the user to plot various pavement condition indicators on district maps. Formal training is available on request. |
Ride Quality Software | Pavement Evaluation – Roughness (IRI) | Software available at The DPE may receive guidance on how to use the Ride Quality evaluation software by contacting the Maintenance Division, Pavement Asset Preservation Section. |
TxCRCP-ME, DARWin® 3.1 | Rigid Structural Design | Designed as a workshop. Contact MNT – Pavement Asset Management, Pavement Analysis and Design Branch. Required for rigid pavement design . |
Materials Course | Materials Properties | National Highway Institute (NHI) sponsored web-based course addressing fundamental properties and testing of highway materials (NHI 131117). |
TxDOT Materials Academy | Materials properties | Five-week web-based and classroom course. Contact MNT – Pavement Asset Management Section for more information. |
Selecting Rehabilitation Strategies for Flexible Pavements | Rehab of existing pavements | Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) administered course taught through an interagency contract (IAC). This course is hands-on oriented – uses department software. Contact MNT – Pavement Asset Management, Pavement Analysis and Design Branch for more information or refer to Crossroads, Maintenance Division, link to download the course. |
Selecting Rehabilitation Strategies for Concrete Pavements | Rehab of existing pavements | Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) administered course taught through an interagency contract (IAC). This course is hands-on oriented – uses department software. Contact MNT – Pavement Asset Management, Pavement Analysis and Design Branch for more information or refer to Crossroads, Maintenance Division, link to download the course. |
Other NHI Web-based Opportunities | Multiple (pavement preservation, maintenance, recycling, pavement materials, etc.) | Frequently updated; most courses are free after setting up an account: |
*Available through the TxDOT Intranet only. |
New PMIS (PA) program and pavement design assistance from MNT – Pavement Asset Management will be provided upon request.
The DPE list is also posted on the Maintenance Division website, link.