Skill Gaps Can Stall Critical Paving Program

Problem

VDOT Salem District lacked qualified staff to develop its paving program, which encompassed 9,200 miles of roads in 12 counties and 14 cities and towns.

Solution

PILLAR conducted an evaluation for the Salem District and determined the best solution to be staff augmentation. PILLAR provided a pavement engineer and support staff to assist in the development and maintenance of their paving program.

Approach

PILLAR team used their knowledge of pavement management practices and operations to develop a comprehensive paving program that was compliant with all state and federal requirements and within the scope of VDOT Salem’s budget. They applied their expertise and leveraged data to:

• Make repair recommendations including mitigation of lifecycle costs.
• Manage contracting including contract development, federal compliance, budgeting, and advertisement
• Determination of deep milling limits and assist with core drill operation
• Utilize the department’s Pavement Maintenance Scheduling System to enter surface treatment, slurry seal, latex and plant-mix proposals
• Determine when, where and what methods for additional testing are required to determine proper treatment for the roadway deterioration level
• Visit worksites to evaluate work and provide advice and direction to construction staff.