Class Schedule General Information Continuing Education Credits Contact Us


Course:	Basic Highway Design Skills
SAP Course Number:	78TECH400047

Require fiscal data at the course level?

Course can be found when searching
"By Topic" under these categories:

Highway Design
Project Management

Class Schedule

No Offerings Are Currently Scheduled

General Information

Summary:	This course is intended for Highway Design staff, including Level 1 Project Managers in the Design Community. It covers basic geometric design skills and related chapters of Design Manual, Part 2 and the AASHTO Green Book.
Learning Outcomes:	Upon successful completion of this course, an attendee will be able to: - Categorize roadways based on the functional classifications used by PENNDOT and explain how mobility and land access are related to functional classifications. - Determine key traffic parameters and variables, (given a highway’s functional classification, average running speed, Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) volume on two previous, non-consecutive years, directional split, and various peak hour flow rates collected over consecutive 15 minute intervals). - Define the term “Design Speed” and explain how it influences roadway design, and list factors that affect its selection. - Define the term “Running Speed” and describe its relation to traffic conditions, and list factors that affect its selection. - Use the figures and tables in the workbook to determine the different types of design vehicles and list their respective minimum turning radii and physical dimensions. - Identify which of the four basic classes of vehicles has the greatest effect on traffic flow and roadway geometric features, and explain why. - Use the PENNDOT design criteria charts in Design Manual 2 (DM-2) to determine the appropriate design parameters, (Given the functional classification of a roadway). - Define various terms used in surveying and calculate Turning Point and Height of Instrument elevations. - Determine the required rate of superelevation for various combinations of horizontal curvature and design speed. - Determine station limits of pavement widening, passing sight distance, and key components of vertical curves. - List the four categories of sight distance; define perception reaction time, and calculate vehicle stopping distance given an initial vehicle speed and roadway grade.
Outline:	Basic Highway Design Skills.docx
Prerequisites:	Basic understanding of algebra, geometry and trigonometry. This can be met by attending and successfully completing the Fundamentals for Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry course or through similar classroom education in this field. The prerequisite is not applicable to those with a math, science or engineering related college degree.
Target Audience:	Highway Design staff

Special Materials:	Scientific calculator, pencils/erasers Course materials may be found at the following location: P:/Penndot Shared/Course Materials/Basic Highway Design Skills Solutions to Appendix B will be provided at the instructor led course presentation
Final Exam:	Yes

Continuing Education Credits

Miscellaneous	CEHs	Classes After		CEUs	Classes After		PDHs	Classes After

PennDOT:							22.50	12/07/10

Awarding continuing education credits (PDH/CEU/CEH) to a training course or other training event does not imply or guarantee that the training course/event is approved by the Pennsylvania State Registration Board of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Land Surveyors. According to Pennsylvania Act 25, “Credit determination for activities…shall be the responsibility of the licensee. Continuing professional competency obtained by a licensee should maintain, improve or expand skills or knowledge obtained prior to initial licensure, including law and ethics applicable to the profession, or develop new and relevant skills and knowledge.”
For informational purposes only:	1 CEU is equal to 10 hours of instruction
	1 CEH is equal to 1 hour of instruction

Course Contact Information

For technical questions regarding this course, contact the following...
Name:	Kimberly Rice
Phone:	(717) 783-4722
Email:	kirice@pa.gov
For general questions about the Training Calendar (such as those regarding schedules, locations, instructors or registrations), see Contact Information in specific classes.

Created	Last Modified
By Mary Sharp/PennDOT On 09/29/00 At 11:40 AM	By Rhiannan Nearhood/PennDOT On 07/20/22 At 01:06 PM