Want to learn ProVAL in a day?
Want to know everything about profiling that you're afraid to ask?
Want to get your troublesome and difficult profile problems answered?
Join us in a ProVAL workshop! Interact with ProVAL developers and profiling experts in our highly interactive, hands-on ProVAL workshops.
Upcoming workshops are posted on the homepage.
What are ProVAL workshops?
As part of the implementation of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) smoothness initiative, ProVAL was developed to provide a means to view and analyze pavement profiles efficiently and robustly.
As features in ProVAL continue to be added via various upgrades, and as the software is increasingly used by agencies and contractors, there is an increasing need for customized ProVAL workshops that provide training for various levels of users. We therefore offer workshops around the U.S. which focus on:
- Familiarizing users with the current version of ProVAL,
- Refreshing users with key fundamentals of profiling and analysis methods,
- Sharing knowledge on the advantages, limitations, and pitfalls related to analyzing and interpreting pavement profiles, and
- Providing an interactive and hands-on approach to learning ProVAL.
Who Should Attend?
ProVAL workshops are designed for all levels of professionals in the profiling industry:
- State agencies (construction acceptance, implementation of smoothness specifications, profilers/operators certifications),
- Constructors (construction inspection, construction operation, project bidding),
- Consultants (profiling services, construction of smooth pavements),
- Researchers and equipment manufacturers (improvement of ride quality/indexes, familiarization with the popular profile analysis tool that their clients may use.).
What are past and existing scheduled ProVAL workshops?
ProVAL workshops are provided in many states across the US as well as conferences including RPUG, TRB, and others. The following map shows the locations of the past ProVAL workshops.
The schedule for upcoming ProVAL workshops can be found on the ProVAL homepage.
How to request a ProVAL workshop?
If you are in the US and there were no prior ProVAL workshops held in your area since March 1, 2010, please contact your DOT profiling department and send the request to:
Mr. Robert L. Orthmeyer, P.E. USDOT/FHWA/RC-OF
19900 Governors Drive, Suite 301, Olympia Fields IL 60461
Phone: (708) 283-3533
Email robert.orthmeyer at fhwa.dot.gov (replace the "at" and "dot" with symbols)
If a ProVAL workshop has been conducted in your State since March 1, 2010 or your location is outside of the US , please contact the ProVAL team leader directly:
Dr. George K. Chang, P.E. The Transtec Group
6111 Balcones Dr., Austin Texas 78731, U.S.A.
Phone: US (512) 451-6233, extension 227
Email: gkchang at thetranstecgroup dot com (replace the "at" and "dot" with symbols)
How Can I Register for a ProVAL Workshop?
Generally, you may register for specific workshops online through the ProVAL website. Occasionally, registration may need to go through a local workshop organizer.
Are There Different Types of ProVAL Workshops? What is the Best for Me?
To address the specific needs of a diverse group of ProVAL users, we offer two workshops: the "Essential ProVAL workshop" and "Advanced ProVAL workshop".
Essential ProVAL Workshop
The fundamentals of pavement profiling and the basic features of ProVAL are emphasized in this workshop. No mathematical formulas will be presented, and complexity will be avoided. Instead, a more descriptive approach will be taken using images and providing the participants with "must-know" concepts. Simple case studies will be used to direct the participants through a complete analysis project, showing the practical side of the concepts.
Advanced ProVAL Workshop
To fit the needs of our advanced users, we offer this workshop which explores ProVAL in more depth. Though some "back to basics" material will be presented as a refresher, the effort will instead be concentrated on understanding the technical background behind each of the ProVAL features. Along with the theory, a more advanced set of workshop examples will be used to keep profiling specialists more engaged during the workshop.