1. Highway Technician Certification Program
  2. Courses & Manuals

Due to the elevated COVID-19 cases, the DOA has cancelled all face-to-face meetings/trainings. This cancellation has impacted the 2021 HTCP Training Season. With that being said HTCP has paused the posting of the training schedule and registrations (with the exceptions of ACT and MCT course offerings—registration is still available online).

If you need to register for a three-year certification class/exam, please check back in January. HTCP will be working in November/December to determine steps and will be developing a potential virtual training program for the 2021 Winter/Spring months. If you have already registered for a class/exam, please be patient as we work out the details and will be in touch with the new schedule details.  

If you have questions, please contact the HTCP Office at 608.342.1545 or htcp@uwplatt.edu.

Courses & Manuals

Browse the list of courses available below as part of the Highway Technician Certification Program. The current Assistant Certified Technician Program (ACT) courses include Aggregate, Hot Mix Asphalt, Portland Cement Concrete, Concrete Strength Tester, Transportation Materials Sampling, Nucdensitytec-I and Grading.*

TRANSPORTATION MATERIALS SAMPLING TECHNICIAN (TMS*)

In 2013, this course replaced Aggregate Sampling Technician, as HMA Truck Box Component was added to course materials.

Course Prerequisites: None

This course requires eight (8) hours of classroom attendance. The Federal Highway Administration requires that all sampling and testing data used in acceptance decisions on National Highway System projects be conducted by qualified personnel. This course qualifies the technician to procure samples from aggregate stockpiles, conveyor belts, aggregate roadbeds, and Hot Mix Asphalt-Truck Box Sampling. This course was previously Aggregate Sampling Technician (AGGTEC-Sampling). Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 0.8 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Download the Transportation Materials Sampling manual.

AGGREGATE TECHNICIAN I (AGGTEC-I*)

Course Prerequisites: None

This course requires 32 hours of lecture/laboratory attendance. The course content will cover Wisconsin geology, aggregate production, properties of aggregates, WisDOT standard specifications, WisDOT aggregate quality management program procedure manual, aggregate sampling, moisture content, fine and coarse sieve analysis, an introduction to determining plastic limit of soils, statistical quality control, moisture/density relationship, and fracture/elongation determination. This course was previously titled Aggregate Technician IPP. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 3.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The AGGTEC-I certification carries the TMS certification.

Download the Aggregate Technician I manual.

AGGREGATE TESTING FOR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ATTS)

Course Prerequisites: Aggregate Technician I (AGGTEC-I)

This course requires 24 hours of lecture/laboratory attendance. The course content will cover aggregate source (pit, quarry) quality testing. The producer will perform the following tests on their split sample portion: LA Wear, Sodium Sulfate Soundness, Freeze/Thaw Soundness, Fracture, Liquid Limit, Plasticity, Coarse Aggregate Specific Gravity & Absorption, and Lightweight Pieces. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 2.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The ATTS certification carries the AGGTEC-I and TMS certifications.

Download the Aggregate Testing for Transportation Systems manual.

HOT MIX ASPHALT, TECHNICIAN I, PRODUCTION TESTER (HMA-IPT*)

Course Prerequisites: Aggregate Technician I (AGGTEC-I)

This course requires 36 hours of classroom/laboratory attendance. The course content will cover types of asphalt plants; WisDOT’s QC/QA asphaltic quality management program procedures; WisDOT standard specifications; statistical quality control; and laboratory testing, such as sampling, quartering, compaction, bulk specific gravity, rice maximum specific gravity, and WisDOT 1560 asphalt extraction. This course was previously titled HMATEC-I. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 3.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The HMA-IPT certification carries the AGGTEC-I and TMS certifications.

Download the HMA-IPT manual.

HOT MIX ASPHALT, TROUBLE SHOOTING, PROCESS CONTROL (HMA-TPC)

Course Prerequisites: Hot Mix Asphalt, Technician I, Production Tester (HMA-IPT)

This course requires 20 hours of classroom attendance. The course content will cover WisDOT’s asphaltic quality management program, WisDOT standard specifications, aggregate blending, Superpave hot mix asphalt design methodology, types of asphalt plants, process control/troubleshooting techniques, and statistical quality control. This course was previously titled HMATEC-II. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 2.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The HMA-TPC certification carries the HMA-IPT, AGGTEC-I and TMS certifications.

Download the HMA-TPC manual.

HOT MIX ASPHALT, MIX DESIGN, REPORT SUBMITTALS (HMA-MD)

Course Prerequisites: Hot Mix Asphalt, Technician I, Production Tester (HMA-IPT)

This course requires 32 hours of classroom/laboratory attendance. The mix design will provide participants with a working knowledge of the mix design process using Superpave. The five-day program will be divided into classroom and laboratory sessions to combine technical knowledge with actual Superpave mix design preparation and evaluation. The course will also cover the latest version of the WisDOT quality management program specifications related to the Superpave mix and design system. This course was previously titled HMATEC-III. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 3.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The HMA-MD certification carries the HMA-IPT, AGGTEC-I and TMS certifications.

Download the HMA-MD manual.

CONCRETE STRENGTH TESTER (CST*)

Course Prerequisites: None

This course requires eight (8) hours of classroom/laboratory attendance. The course content will cover capping cylindrical specimens, compressive strength of cylindrical specimens and rate of loading, flexural and split tensile strength testing, use of unbounded caps in determination of compressive strength of hardened concrete cylinders (with neoprene supplemental), and obtaining and testing drilled cores and sawed beams of concrete. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 0.8 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Download the Concrete Strength Tester manual.

PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE TECHNICIAN I (PCCTEC-I*)

Course Prerequisites: None

This course requires 20 hours of classroom/laboratory attendance. This course will discuss fundamentals of concrete, concrete paving, random sampling, sampling and testing of freshly mixed concrete, air pressure meter calibration, casting and curing concrete cylinders, quality control charts, latest quality management program specifications for bridge decks and other structural members along with mainline pavements. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 2.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Download the PCCTEC-I manual.

NOTE: If you are ACI-certified and attending the PCCTEC-I class please contact the HTCP office at 608.342.1545 or htcp@uwplatt.edu with your ACI certification to receive a $100 discount on the registration. HTCP will then ask you to help assist the PCCTEC-I instructor during the lab portion of the class.

PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE TECHNICIAN II (PCCTEC-II)

Course Prerequisites: Portland Cement Concrete Technician I (PCCTEC-I)

This course requires 32 hours of classroom attendance. This course will cover aggregate correction factor, coarse and fine specific gravity and absorption, dry rodded unit weight, cementitious materials, admixtures, combined aggregate gradation, proportioning of concrete mixture, hot/cold weather concreting, statistical analysis, record keeping, current quality management program specifications, curing/concrete, and depth probing. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 2.8 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The PCCTEC-II certification carries the PCCTEC-I certification.

Download the PCCTEC-II manual.

GRADING TECHNICIAN I (GRADINGTEC-I*)

Course Prerequisites: None

This course requires 32 hours of classroom/laboratory attendance. The course content will cover random sampling methods, basic soil types, moisture-density relationship, The Atterberg Limits, WisDOT’s grading quality management program, WisDOT standard specifications, and statistical quality control. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 3.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Download the Grading Technician I manual.

NUCLEAR DENSITY TECHNICIAN I (NUCDENSITYTEC-I*)

Course Prerequisites: None

This course requires 16 hours of classroom/laboratory attendance. Upon completion of this course, the student should understand the operation of the nuclear density gauge on asphaltic concrete, crushed aggregate base course, and on non-cohesive and cohesive soils. The student will also become familiar with random sampling methods, WisDOT standards and special provisions review, radiation safety, calibration and correlation of nuclear density gauges, and troubleshooting techniques. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 1.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Download the Nuclear Density Technician I manual.

PROFILER TECHNICIAN I (PROFILER)

Course Prerequisites: None

Upon completion of this course, you should understand the fundamental use of the profiler and be able to operate the profiler on a project. You will become familiar with:

  • Principles of profiler
  • Computer printout review/examples
  • Standard Specification and special provision review
  • Field work layout and computer set-up
  • Hands-on operation and maintenance

Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 1.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Download the Profiler manual.

MATERIALS COORDINATOR TRAINING - (MCT)

Course Prerequisites: None

Materials Coordinator Training provides details about: the Department's materials approval and acceptance process, as well as, the designated roles and responsibilities of Contractor Project Materials Coordinators (CPMCs) and WisDOT Project Materials Coordinators (WPMCs). The course also provides basic information on other topics that project materials coordinators (PMCs) should know, such as materials reporting & tracking software, E-Guides, Buy America requirements, WisDOT’s Quality Management Program (QMP), materials nonconformance, nonperformance of QMP, and other specific areas of concern. This course references various parts of WisDOT’s Standard Specifications and the Construction and Materials Manual (CMM), both of which PMCs should know very well, or learn very quickly. This course is designed for department oversight staff (both WisDOT and consultants) responsible for materials on Wisconsin Department of Transportation projects. Training and certification is required prior to assuming the role of project materials coordinator.*

This course requires online review of modules 1 through 9 and successful completion of the exam. Upon successful completion of this course you will earn 0.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).