1. Raising the Bar: technician certification
Panel Moderator: Buddy Williams, P.E.
Materials & Tests Division
Panel Members: Cathey Galbreath (San Angelo District)
Richard Izzo, P.E. (Materials & Tests Division)
Brad Bradford (R.K. Hall Construction, Ltd.)
Corey Schwarz (Hot Mix Asphalt Center)
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting
September 20, 2018

2. Raising the Bar: Technician Certification
Why do we need a technician certification program?
Code of Federal Requirement (23CFR637B.205.a) requires each State Highway Agency to develop and implement a Quality Assurance Program (QAP).
TxDOT’s QAP includes a Technician Qualification Program that requires personnel who perform sampling & testing to be certified by a Department-approved program.
A technician qualification program is essential for the overall quality and long-term performance of asphalt pavements.
Texas Asphalt Pavement Association (TXAPA) is a Department-approved entity that certifies all personnel who perform the required sampling & testing of Aggregate, Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), and Soils & Base.
BUDDY - Introduction slide
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting

3. Raising the Bar: Technician Certification
What is TxDOT’s certification program?
Hot-Mix Asphalt
Level 1A – Plant Production Specialist
Level 1B – Roadway Specialist
Level 2 – Mix Design Specialist
Soils & Base
SB101 – Properties Specialist
SB102 – Field Specialist
SB103 – Materials Analyst Specialist
SB201 – Compaction Specialist
SB202 – Strength Specialist
RICHARD – blah, blah…RICHARD - Starts with M&T AASHTO re:source certification, M&T certifies TXAPA evaluators, and everyone thereafter is certified based on AASHTO standards
COREY - What are the certification classes for field and plant materials, Hot mix and soils levels
CATHEY - It’s more than a TxDOT certification program, it’s a joint effort to ultimately achieve superior long-term performing pavements
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting

4. Raising the Bar: Technician Certification
How does the joint steering committee oversee the direction and integrity of the certification program?
Steering Committee Members
TxDOT
TXAPA
Thomas Smith, Co-Chair
Corey Schwarz, Co-Chair
Buddy Williams, Materials & Tests Division
Brad Bradford, R.K. Hall Construction, Ltd.
Cathey Galbreath, San Angelo District
Harry Bush, Vulcan Materials
Richard Izzo, Materials & Tests Division
Jerry Lee, Zack Burkett Company
Vacant
(Flexible Pavements Section Director)
Mike Brown, Texas Materials
COREY - Members & Purpose & history
CATHEY - Rights & Responsibilities
RICHARD - Proficiency to maintain integrity of testing & results
BRAD - Allegations of Misconduct (Falsification) the past few years +10 In-person & Phone interviews, revoked & inactivated certifications, removed grandfathering
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting

5. Raising the Bar: Technician Certification
If this covers all of TxDOT and Industry, how large is the certification program?
5,155 active TXAPA certified specialists that maintain 8,024 certifications.
~60 HMA and Soils & Base TxDOT test procedures.
Hot Mix Asphalt
4,116 Technicians
Soils & Base
3,908 Technicians
Level 1A – 1,252
SB 101 – 672
Level 1B – 2,466
SB 102 – 2,308
Level 2 – 398
SB 103 – 400 SB SB
COREY – Intro
BRAD - Growth in funding & lettings
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting

6. Raising the Bar: Technician Certification
How do you ensure certified technicians are proficient?
Statewide Annual Proficiency Programs
Hot Mix Asphalt
Soils & Base
Gradation
Asphalt Content
Plasticity Index
Rice Gravity
Bar Linear Shrinkage
Laboratory Molded Density
Compressive Strength
Field Verification Surveys
RICHARD - Statewide Annual Proficiency Program, systems in place to address and capture falsification of test results and information
CATHEY - Individual Performance Evaluations
COREY - Start of Field Verification
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting

7. Raising the Bar: Technician Certification
What are some recent improvements to the certification program?
Raising Expectations
Training vs. Certification
Reduced Test Times
Individual Performance Assessments
Annual Proficiency Required
BRAD - Raising expectations for each technician is higher
RICHARD - Changing philosophy of training and certification are different and should be separated
COREY - Test times have been reduced & individual performance evaluations, % passing students
CATHEY - Proficiency required each year, if not performed status will be changed to inactive & website
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting

8. Raising the Bar: Technician Certification
What are some future plans to improve the certification program?
Field Verification Surveys
New Aggregate Certification Class
Changes to Level 2
Specification Revisions
Individual Performance Assessments for SB Certifications
Changes to SB 201 & 202
CATHEY - New Aggregate Certification Class
COREY - Field verification
RICHARD - Individual Performance Evaluations for SB classes; SB 201 & 202 moving molding of treated materials
BRAD - Level II moving out hands-on tests and focus more on mix design; HMA Specifications for revising table of required certifications
RICHARD – Specifications Flex Base & Seal Coat Aggregate
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting

9. Raising the Bar: technician certification
Questions?
BUDDY – Ask audience:
Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations to improve our certification program?
Does anyone have any comments for what we are doing and the direction we are heading?
2018 TXAPA 44th Annual Meeting