Low-Volume Roads Engineering

Mark P. Rossow, PhD, PE Retired

Course Outline

This eight-hour online course systematically considers various types of low-volume roads, their geotechnical characteristics, intended function, maintenance requirements, and environmental impact.  Best Management Practices are presented in the form of key “DO’s” (Recommended Practices) and “DON’Ts” (Practices to Avoid) in low volume roads activities. These fundamental practices apply to roads worldwide and for a wide range of road uses and standards.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• Environmental analysis;
• Reducing vulnerability of roads to natural disasters;
• Streamside management zones;
• Timber harvesting;
• Road planning, location, survey, design, construction, costs, and maintenance;
• Road closure;
• Hydrology for drainage crossing design;
• Tools for hydraulic and road design;
• Roadway surface drainage control;
• Control at inlets and outlets of cross-drains and ditches;
• Natural stream crossings, wet areas and meadow crossings, use of underdrains;
• Culvert use, installation, and sizing;
• Fords and low-water crossings;
• Bridge protection and foundations;
• Slope stabilization and stability of cuts and fills;
• Roadway materials and material sources; and
• Erosion control and stabilization of gullies.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for civil, transportation, and construction engineers involved in the planning, construction and maintenance of low-volume roads of any type.

Benefit to Attendees

A person completing this course will be familiar with and able to apply best management practices to the design and maintenance of low-volume roads of many different types.

Course Introduction

Rural, low-volume, farm-to-market access roads, roads connecting communities, and roads for logging or mining are significant parts of any transportation system. They are necessary to serve the public in rural areas, to improve the flow of goods and services, to help promote development, public health and education, as well as to aid in land and resource management.

Course Content

This course is based on the USDA, Forest Service document, “Low-Volume Roads Engineering, Best Management Practices Field Guide”, by Gordon Keller and James Sherar, July 2003.

Low-Volume Roads Engineering

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Course Summary

Various types of low-volume roads are discussed, and best management techniques for minimizing environmental impact are presented.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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