Pavement Engineering: Asphalt, Concrete and Highway Materials Training Course
1Summary
Drivers rarely think about the pavement under their wheels until it fails — a pothole, a crumbling edge, a road that ages years before its time. The Pavement Design training course by Arab British Fellowship Training Academy looks at what happens beneath the surface: the structural design choices, materials, and maintenance decisions that determine how long a road actually lasts.
The programme covers pavement engineering principles, structural design, asphalt and concrete pavements, road materials selection and testing, construction methods, and the inspection and maintenance strategies that keep pavements serviceable. Designed within the Construction and Civil Engineering Training course specialization and categorized under Engineering maintenance and operation, it builds practical skill in selecting pavement systems, assessing deterioration, and planning pavement rehabilitation.
2Objectives and target group
- Understand fundamental principles of Pavement Design and pavement engineering
- Apply pavement structural design concepts, including traffic loading and layer configuration
- Distinguish between flexible/asphalt systems and concrete pavements
- Select and test road materials according to specification requirements
- Apply construction methods for subgrade, base, asphalt, and concrete pavement layers
- Conduct pavement inspection, condition assessment, and performance monitoring
- Identify pavement defects and deterioration mechanisms and select maintenance responses
- Develop pavement rehabilitation and sustainable asset management strategies
Target Audience
- Civil and Pavement Engineers, Highway and Transportation Engineers
- Road Construction and Materials Engineers, Laboratory Technicians
- Infrastructure and Asset Management Professionals
- Road Maintenance Engineers, Supervisors, and Highway Inspectors
- Construction project managers and public works professionals involved in pavement design, construction, materials, inspection, and maintenance
3Course Content
Module 1: The Pavement Beneath: Why Design Choices Matter
- Principles and scope of Pavement Design
- Flexible, rigid, and composite pavement types
- Pavement components, functions, and serviceability
Module 2: Structural Design Principles for Pavements
- Traffic loading, axle loads, and design life
- Subgrade strength and soil characteristics
- Pavement thickness and layer configuration
Module 3: Asphalt Pavement Systems and Technology
- Asphalt mixtures and binder characteristics
- Asphalt pavement layer design and compaction
- Asphalt pavement performance and failure mechanisms
Module 4: Concrete Pavement Systems
- Types and structural components of concrete pavements
- Slab thickness, load distribution, and joints
- Reinforcement, load transfer, and durability
Module 5: Materials Selection, Testing and Construction
- Aggregates, cement, asphalt, and bituminous materials
- Laboratory and field testing methods
- Base course, asphalt paving, and concrete pavement construction
Module 6: Inspection and Condition Assessment
- Pavement inspection principles and surface condition surveys
- Identifying cracking, rutting, potholes, and deformation
- Structural and functional evaluation, condition rating
Module 7: Maintenance Strategies
- Preventive and corrective maintenance
- Crack sealing, surface treatments, patching, and resurfacing
- Maintenance prioritization and scheduling
Module 8: Rehabilitation and Sustainable Asset Management
- Structural rehabilitation methods, overlays, and reconstruction
- Rehabilitation selection criteria and lifecycle cost
- Sustainable materials, recycling, and pavement asset management