Hey, kids, do you like math and science, and helping people?

Then it’s not too early to think about becoming an engineer! You might even decide you want to work as an engineer for the Arizona Department of Transportation.

That’s what Joselyn Valero did! Ever since she was a little girl, Joselyn knew she wanted to grow up and become an engineer.

After all, she has always had a knack for numbers and an affinity for science. She also wanted a career that would enable her to help people.

So working as a development engineer for ADOT is a perfect fit.

“I always loved math and I knew I wanted to be something where math was a big part of it. The idea of building a bridge or a skyscraper fascinated me,” said Joselyn.

Not only is Joselyn an engineer, she is also a project supervisor at the Casa Grande Construction Field Office!

One thing she is really excited about is a first-of-its kind dust detection and warning system on a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 10 near Casa Grande. This system warns drivers if they are about to drive into dust storms – and how severe the storms are. The system can even lower speed limits to match the weather!

“It will definitely make driving safer,” Joselyn said.

Joselyn studied hard to meet her goal. She earned high grades, graduated from high school and then attended Arizona State University. She got not just one, but two degrees in engineering; a bachelor’s and master’s degree.

She interned at ADOT in 2013 and two years later, she joined ADOT’s popular, two-year Engineer-in-Training program. She worked for a number of different teams and was able to piece together how each relates and relies on one another.  It gave her a big picture view and diverse experience.

“You get to see what all the different groups in engineering do as opposed to getting a job at a specific group where all you experience is what that one group does,” she said.  “I also really enjoyed going to different parts of the state and meeting so many people!”

Here are some of her training experiences:

• In the Kingman construction field office, she worked on a mill and fill project for US 93 to Las Vegas. A mill and fill project is when a layer of asphalt pavement is removed and replaced with a new layer.
• In the Prescott Regional Laboratory, Joselyn tested materials before they were  put into highways.

“I was able to run every test that we do when testing asphalt, soils and concrete,” Joselyn said.

• In the Contracts and Specifications Group, Joselyn worked on the plans and contract for the Earley Road to Interstate 8 project. This was part of the I-10 widening project between mileposts 196 and 200 near Casa Grande.

For Joselyn, working for ADOT is a career dream come true.

You can make YOUR dream come true, too! Are you interested in being an “engineer-as-a-career?” We hope so! There are many different kinds of engineers at ADOT.

Check out more ADOT Kids videos, blogs and activities during National Engineers week. You can search for #ADOTKids on Twitter and Facebook. If you want to learn even more about engineering, go to the ADOT Kids website: azdot.gov/ADOTKids.

We love engineers!

But do you know that there are many different types of engineers? Just at ADOT we have many different kinds who look at everything from the best way to get cars over a bridge to the water and power lines that go underground. 

If you've ever thought about being an engineer, here are some of the options available to you!

And once you have read about all the different types of engineers, click on the photo to have your parents download our seek-and-find activity to match them with the type of work they do!

Civil Engineers:

If you’ve got the inclination to draw, design, problem solve and create order, you might want to be a civil engineer. Civil engineers uses computer-aided design and drafting to prepare the technical drawings used to build freeways, bridges, and more. Civil engineering deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment. This includes public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage systems, pipelines as well as structural components of buildings and railways.

ADOT has many specific kinds of civil engineers. These include:

• Geotechnical engineers, whose knowledge of soils and rocks are important to building roads and bridges.
• Drainage engineers with expertise in designing for flooding and erosion control.
• Environmental engineers with expertise in minimizing the negative impacts to the environment while constructing and maintaining transportation features.

Civil engineering also includes what we are going to look at next: roadway, traffic and bridge engineers. 

Roadway, Bridge and Traffic Engineers:

Roadway, Bridge and Traffic engineers use mathematics and science to determine where or how to build new highways and to make existing highways better.

• Roadway engineers work with many other types of engineers and together they make plans for construction to make the highways. Roadway engineers design the geometric parts of a road such as widths, curves and slopes.  They also design road safety hardware like guardrails.
• Bridge engineers use computer programs to design the bridges that carry cars and trucks over waterways, rivers, washes, railroads and other roadways.  
• Traffic engineers design the signs, pavement markings and roadway lighting that help make the highways safe to drive on and help people understand where they need to go. They also design traffic control plans used to help traffic move safely through a work zone.

Resident Engineers:

Resident engineers work in ADOT district offices around the state and make sure contractors who build the projects follow the design plans. They also help resolve challenges and find solutions while the project is being constructed.

Survey Engineers and Surveyors:

Before a designer can prepare construction plans for highways, roads and bridges, they need more information about the land they wish to build on.

• Surveyors use tools to measure and locate features like mountains and rivers that can be used to make topographic maps. Topographic maps detail the “topography” of the land, showing the surface of the earth and features such as hills, rivers and houses. These maps and plans help engineers design highways and bridges. Aerial photography is done by planes or drones taking pictures from the sky. Did you know that George Washington was a surveyor?
• Survey engineers and surveyors provide engineering surveys and topographic maps to assist designers of ADOT highway projects. They collect and analyze 3-D information about the land, roads and bridges. They use sophisticated equipment such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), levels and electronic theodolites. Theodolites are special telescopes that help them measure angles while surveying. They then use computers to make 3-D digital drawings for other engineers to use while designing highways. Survey engineers and surveyors also help ADOT’s Right of Way group by performing property surveys. 

Transportation technology engineers:

Transportation technology engineers use computers, electronics, control systems (like traffic lights), communications technologies and management strategies for transportation systems to provide travel information to improve road safety and efficiency. As new transportation technologies emerge, like self-driving vehicles and smart/connected cars, transportation technology engineers are needed to make sure our infrastructure safely accommodates these new transportation trends.

Have you seen the message boards along the freeway? These are types of transportation technology. Technology is also used to calculate the travel times displayed on the boards like how long it will take to get from Phoenix to Tucson based on distance and how fast cars are traveling. If there is a crash on a road and a lane is closed, it will take much longer to get to Tucson from Phoenix. 

Utility and railroad engineers:

Utility and railroad engineers work with utility companies and design engineers to locate underground utilities. Did you know that things like the water, electricity and gas that come into your house are called “utilities?” The pipes and wires that bring these utilities are located underground or strung from large poles. Utility engineers help place all these pipes and wires under the ground or on poles.

When highway projects are happening, utility engineers help locate these utilities and other items that could interfere with construction. They use non-invasive technology and techniques along with carefully controlled excavation methods to provide detailed information on underground features so they can either be avoided or relocated. This process is important to construction workers’ safety, controlling costs and making sure people nearby can still have water and electricity.

ADOT does not have engineers that drive trains but they have engineers to determine what to do when a road and a railroad meet at a crossing or when a bridge goes over or under a railroad. To ensure that trains and cars can travel safely while sometimes crossing paths, utility and railroad engineers ensure the safety of motorists and train operators by using signs, signals and pavement markings.

Engineer as a career

There you have it! There are so many different types of engineers you can grow up to be. But all of them are important in designing and building highways and bridges, not to mention keeping people safe. 

While deciding what kind of engineer you want to be, have fun with the seek-and-find activity! And if you are really interested in being an "engineer-as-a-career," watch for more ADOT Kids videos, blogs and activities running this week for National Engineers Week. And make sure to check out the ADOT Kids website or find #ADOTKids on social media!

Designing bridges and roads. Surveying land and streams. Improving road safety. Maintaining existing transportation infrastructure. These responsibilities and more reflect the work our engineers perform daily at the Arizona Department of Transportation. Whether you are a bridge, civil, roadway, survey, traffic or transportation technology engineer, your work matters and makes a difference in the communities we serve. Therefore, I am proud to recognize our engineers for National Engineers Week, Feb. 21-27, under the theme “Inspiring Wonder.”

Building a safe and efficient transportation system requires the skills of many talented engineers and support staff. It takes knowledge and teamwork to design and operate a state transportation system. I see the accomplishments our engineers achieve every day. It is especially rewarding when our teams are recognized, both locally and nationally, for projects that serve the traveling public. Examples are the wrong-way driver detection and dust storm detection systems, and the one-year-old Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway.

Having the right skill set to build bridges and roads, and implement safety measures requires an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education. It is never too early to pique the interest of children in the field of engineering and inspire a world of wonder.

Our national award-winning ADOT Kids program is an example of teamwork and the work of our engineers. We created ADOT Kids in an effort to educate children about transportation and to keep it fun. From learning how snowplows operate, to building a bridge and decorating our roadways with unique designs, to creating highway safety messages and Keeping Arizona Grand, ADOT Kids has been a huge hit with children, parents and educators. Our ADOT engineers and employees have enlightened the community by serving as subject matter experts in answering questions from children. 

I have the most deep respect for the engineering community. I congratulate our engineers on this special week of recognition. They do indeed inspire wonder in our communities and are worthy of us saying ‘thank you’ for the work they do.

With children spending more time at home because of the public health situation, parents, grandparents and teachers are looking for ways to educate and entertain them. 

That's why in April 2020 we launched ADOT Kids to pique youngsters’ interest in math, science and creativity through engineering-related activities. From building toothpick bridges and creating chalk art drawings, to writing safety messages and solving word jumbles, ADOT Kids activities pique youngsters’ interest in math, science and creativity. 

Now, with National Engineers Week kicking on Feb. 21, ADOT Kids activities will focus on the topic of “engineer as a career.” Expect posts and activities next week that focus on what it means to be an engineer. 

Development Engineer Joselyn Valero and Engineer-in-Training Babak Dehghani are sharing their stories to encourage children to pursue engineering careers. 

“I always loved math and I wanted to be where math is a big part of it. The idea of building a bridge or a skyscraper fascinated me,” Valero said. 

Dehghani, a construction engineer, is gaining experience in different aspects of engineering through ADOT’s Engineer-In-Training program. 

“With an engineering degree, you could ensure that every road, bridge, airport, water supply and mass transit system is well-planned and completed,” he said. 

Bridge Design Manager David Benton, who discusses bridges in an ADOT Kids video, praised the ADOT Kids initiative.

“ADOT Kids helps young kids understand how employees at ADOT help people get to where they want to go and help keep them safe on the road,” Benton said. 

ADOT staff creates all the interactive educational content, which can be be found on ADOT Kids website, azdot.gov/ADOTKids. There you'll find cartoon characters, games, photos, videos and Zoom video backgrounds of large equipment and Arizona landscapes. Communications team members even created an original song for ADOT Kids about dust storm safety. 

ADOT employees like East Flagstaff Highway Operations Tech Supervisor Tod Skinner are helping to promote ADOT Kids. His wife, Kelsey, is area director of the Boys and Girls Club of Williams where children participated in ADOT Kids snow plow activities. Tod even brought a TowPlow to the club so youngsters could see it up close. 

“We talked about the science involved in snow and ice removal, the technology and engineering of the truck, and the math involved in the price of the TowPlow versus two regular size plows and the cost of manpower and fuel,” Kelsey said. 

Check out ADOT Kids activities and help spread the word to your friends, schools and youth organizations. Look for #ADOTKids activities on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Send suggestions for ADOT Kids activities to [email protected]. 

And make sure to be on the lookout next week for special National Engineers Week content!

Motorists traveling to Payson from the Valley along State Route 87 may be familiar with the road and scenery, but are probably unaware of the feats of science and engineering designed to keep them safe as they pass along the way.

“On State Route 87 we rebuilt things so we don’t have steep grades and windy roads and much of it is safer,” said ADOT Geologist James Lemmon. “We don’t want streams flooding and rocks falling onto the road.”

One such project is the soil cement and hydro-seeded mulch mixture that covers grouted riprap along the banks of Slate Creek on SR 87 northbound, at milepost 227. This is about 7 miles before SR 87 intersects with State Route 188. 

The hydro-seeded mulch mixture was created by E. LeRoy Brady, manager/chief landscape architect for the ADOT Roadside Development Section-Roadway Engineering.

Here are some of the components: hydraulically applied compost containing, among other elements, seeds of about 30 plants chosen specifically to suit the environment. These plants include desert senna, incienso brittlebush, desert marigold, arroyo lupine and more.  

The hydro-seeded mulch mixture feels spongy and light to walk on, almost like paper-mache. It stretches along the sides of the highway and parallels the guardrails. It follows the creek bank and hugs the sides of the culvert that carries the creek under SR 87.

Under the surface, on the banks of Slate Creek, are large quantities of massive stones and soil, known as riprap. The riprap is secured with grouted cement, allowed to cure, and then covered with the hydro-seeded mulch. Together, this prevents the earth from eroding and washing the road away. It also keeps Slate Creek’s water where is should be – in the creek, according to Lemmon, who works as a member of ADOT's Geotechnical Design Section-Bridge Group.

We know that most drivers won't even think about these bits of engineering the next time they escape to the cooler weather of the high country, but that's okay. If it's doing its job, you don't have to.

EDITOR'S NOTE: During this unprecedented time, ADOT is creating transportation activities for kids. Please visit azdot.gov/ADOTKids or use the hashtag #ADOTKids on ADOT's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to see what we have going on. 

By Garin Groff / ADOT Communications

We’re excited that so many kids wanted to learn more about bridges and also that so many of you shared your bridge drawings with us!

We’ve already explained some of the work that goes into designing, building and maintaining bridges, and then we asked you to share questions you have about bridges. And you had lots of great questions! The video at right has answers from David Benton, ADOT’s bridge design manager. And here are some others, also with Mr. Benton's help: 

What is the longest bridge in Arizona?

While the video highlights the Mile-Long Bridge on Loop 202 in Tempe (a mile is 5,280 feet), after this activity ended we realized there's an even longer one. An elevated section of Interstate 10 near the "Stack" interchange with Interstate 17, just west of downtown Phoenix, is 7,111 feet long, making it the longest bridge in Arizona. Those are two very long bridges!  

How do bridges withstand earthquakes?

You might be surprised by this, but bridges can be built to move and wiggle like a spring when an earthquake hits. This allows the bridge to move along with the earthquake so the bridge parts don’t get damaged. And if they do get damaged, those parts can be fixed and the bridge can still stand.

How do you fix the parts of a bridge that are underwater if they break?

Fixing bridge parts underwater is tricky. In most cases, the best way to fix a bridge part that is underwater is to pump the water away so the construction workers can get to it and make repairs.

Why are triangles strong?

Triangles are strong when you put them together with a lot of other triangles. The reason they can be so strong is because some of the three sides of that triangle can be pushed and pulled. When those sides work together as a team, they can take a lot of weight. Check out how to build a popsicle stick bridge on the internet and you can find out ways to build these triangles!

Thanks again for all these great questions. Now let’s look at everyone’s great artwork!

When ADOT constructs a new road or bridge, you can thank somebody like Patrice Brun for being one of the first engineers to turn over the soil or move the rock.

But Brun isn’t putting down asphalt or building bridge piers. As a geotechnical engineer, his job is to understand the makeup of the earth beneath a future project. With that knowledge, other engineers can then determine the best type of pavement for that location, what efforts are needed to stabilize a slope or how to ensure a bridge will stand up to the forces of Mother Nature.

Brun’s work is critical for projects that will serve motorists for decades to come, yet the work is virtually invisible to the public.

“Probably 9 out of 10 times when people ask me what I do for a living, I get a blank stare when I say geotechnical engineer and then have to explain what I do: I play with rocks and dirt and then tell you what to do with them,” he said.

Brun, who holds a degree in mineral engineering, oversees eight other employees in ADOT’s geotechnical unit. It includes three licensed civil engineers, a registered geologist and a field crew of two who operate a backhoe and coring machine. There is no degree specific to geotechnical engineers, with members of the profession having degrees in civil/geological/mineral engineering or geology.

Much of the work centers around geology, as engineers need to account for soil or rock type, stability, moisture and strength. ADOT’s own soil and aggregate lab analyzes multiple samples from work sites early in the process of projects and often as the work continues.

There’s more to the group’s work than planning future projects. Employees frequently monitor or respond to situations in which highways cut into all kinds of geological features, including steep and geologically active formations. Sudden forensic issues throughout the state have the geotechnical engineer quickly putting on his or her detective hat and seeking solutions for remediation.

Their most high-profile work in recent years involved the 2013 landslide that ripped apart a 500-foot section of US 89 in northern Arizona between Page and Bitter Springs. Extensive geotechnical and geological work was required to determine what was occurring underground so engineers could decide how to safely rebuild the road. The highway reopened after two years, following a $25 million reconstruction project.

The group also surveys for potential rockfall, which could result in working with maintenance crews to remove a single rock or something as vast as recommending larger mitigation projects. ADOT monitors approximately 1,200 locations for geological movement along highways, which involves installing monitoring devices on roadside slopes that can be steep and rocky and difficult to access.

“The No. 1 thing about being a successful geotechnical engineer is you cannot be afraid of heights, because you do a lot of climbing,” Brun said.

And sometimes the work reveals historical surprises. Brun recalls when a pedestrian reported a sinkhole on the shoulder of State Route 80 near the mining community of Bisbee. The geotechnical unit discovered a 4-foot wide sinkhole that exposed an historic mine shaft that a mining historian figured was from a 1880s-era mine that had been covered over decades ago. An ADOT crew with cooperation from the local mine filled in the hole quickly so it wouldn’t damage the highway or become a hazard to the public.

Brun said a geotechnical engineer’s job is to find potential problems and design solutions at the start of a project so they don’t have to return later for potentially disruptive repairs.

“Our best work you won’t see,” he said.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: During National Engineers Week, which calls attention to the importance of engineering and career opportunities in engineering, blog posts are featuring different aspects of engineering at ADOT.

Depending on the job, ADOT’s team of engineers has different responsibilities and experiences. Delivering the state’s massive highway infrastructure system involves a variety of roles for engineers.

During National Engineers Week, we bring you the story of one ADOT engineer who knows her job is much more than math and measurements.

Project Manager Tafwachi Katapa certainly knows that a lot of work, including communication, goes into getting a highway improvement project ready for construction.

“We are responsible for managing the design of projects typically from the scoping level through final design and advertisement for construction,” says Katapa, who has been working with ADOT’s Project Management Group for more than two years.

You may not be familiar with a term like scoping level or what it means to advertise a project for construction. Just know those are basically start and finish points when Katapa is managing one of her projects, including the upcoming Interstate 17 regional drainage system to be built within the next two years between Peoria Avenue and Greenway Road in Phoenix.

“My work always goes beyond engineering and I have to work with various communities and other stakeholders during the project development process. For the I-17 drainage system project we worked closely with the city of Phoenix and our regional partners at the Maricopa Association of Governments.”

The I-17 drainage system improvements are designed to mitigate flooding that can happen at cross street underpasses beneath the freeway. A gravity controlled pipeline system will replace the outmoded pump stations at freeway interchanges. Getting other agency partners actively engaged in the project is an engineer’s, and yes, a project manager’s challenge. That’s where communication pays off.

“It’s always good to have the involvement of stakeholders early in the design process,” Katapa says. “This way the team gets to know their expectations, applicable requirements, as well as other development plans in the area that may impact the project or vice versa.”

Yes, the job involves much more than engineering. But Katapa also says being a professional engineer benefits her as a project manager.

“While I am not conducting or leading a technical discipline as I have done previously in my career, my engineering background allows me to ask the technical teams and design consultants pertinent questions and to understand the basis of the work being done.”

And getting the work done has its rewards.

“It is rewarding to know that I helped improve roadway conditions and safety as well as the general commute of the traveling public,” Katapa says. “The gratitude expressed by the various stakeholders makes it all worthwhile.”  

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EDITOR'S NOTE: During National Engineers Week, which calls attention to the importance of engineering and career opportunities in engineering, blog posts are featuring different aspects of engineering at ADOT.

While the most visible aspect of engineering at ADOT is building, maintaining and operating state highways, there’s a lot of prep work that goes into projects. One area of ADOT that does a lot of preparation work to help keep important highway projects moving on schedule is the Utility and Railroad Engineering section.

The Utility and Railroad Engineering’s mission is supporting ADOT’s construction program by making sure utilities don't conflict with the design of a project before it goes to construction. Its engineers also set the standards for when and where utilities like power lines, gas lines, telecommunication lines, sanitary lines, water lines and other utilities can encroach on ADOT’s right of way and cross highways.

Mohamed Noun (shown at right) is the Statewide Utility Engineer for ADOT. His job is to oversee coordination with utility companies and municipalities to ensure all utility issues are taken care of while a highway project is in development. He says it’s the partnering aspect of his job that attracted him to it.

“I enjoy coordinating and working with others to achieve a common goal,” he said.

Mohamed was born in Lebanon and came to the United States in 1987. He earned a Master of Science degree in structural engineering from New York University’s Polytechnic School of Engineering and joined ADOT in 2008 as a Transportation Engineering Specialist.

Mohamed manages a program known as Subsurface Utility Engineering to create a utility map marking of the locations of all utility facilities within the boundaries of a project area to help foresee and identify utility conflicts with project construction plans.

The knowledge of these utility locations helps the development team to know where to move utility facilities that will be impacted by construction so that construction workers will not break a gas line, for example. Safety is a key component of the job he and other members of the Utility and Railroad Engineering team perform.

While the work the Utility and Railroad Engineering section does may not be the most visible part of construction, the support Mohamed and his colleagues provide is crucial to keeping highway projects on schedule and construction crews safe.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: During National Engineers Week, which calls attention to the importance of engineering and career opportunities in engineering, blog posts are featuring different aspects of engineering at ADOT.