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

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications

You may have seen the bumper sticker that says, “If you can read this, thank a teacher,” and we heartily agree. We’ll even take it a step further and say if you can (safely) read that bumper sticker while driving on a smooth stretch of state highway, thank an engineer.

Engineering is one of those professions that can be taken for granted. But we have lots of engineers at ADOT, and we know they deserve more than just a pat on the back for what they do. It takes a great deal of skill and knowledge to develop and maintain a safe, efficient and modern transportation infrastructure.

For example, imagine for a moment that you’re driving on State Route 87 from Mesa to Payson. If you’ve done this, you know that stretch covers about 4,000 feet in elevation and is challenged by numerous mountains, several rivers and creeks, countless washes, as well as canyons and hordes of bloodthirsty Minotaurs.

OK, that last one isn’t true. We think. But still, it’s an impressive engineering feat.

So we can agree that putting a highway through the mountains is a daunting task, Minotaurs or not, and the engineering needs to be precise.

Even a rather ordinary ribbon of highway, say, I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, requires a lot of engineering skill. What may look to mere mortals like a flat roadway is really a series of connected pieces that have to drain rainwater, accommodate everything from wide-loads to motorcycles, and must endure the relentless Arizona heat, which we now seem to have 364 days a year. (Winter was Jan. 19 this year; hope you didn’t miss it.)

It’s not all about highways, either. Our engineers play a huge role in our programs for bicycle and pedestrian safety, transit, aviation and rail corridors and a whole lot more.

Yep, they do a lot, and they usually do it without getting much attention, so now is as good a time as any to say thanks.

Happy National Engineers Week, and thank you!

Engineers are kind of a big deal here at ADOT.

You may already realize the role they play when it comes to designing and building the state’s highway system, but they’re responsible for even more than that.

From electrical and computer engineers who work on the systems that keep traffic moving to geotechnical engineers and traffic engineers, many types of engineers are essential to ADOT’s operations. So, when National Engineers Week rolls around each year, we take it as a chance to highlight ADOT engineers and all the work they do...

Today, we’re doing that by looking back at some of our favorite engineering-focused blog posts from this past year:

• Check it out: Loop 101/90th Street bridge time lapse – learn how (and why) engineers lowered a 160-foot bridge that weighs over 1 million pounds
• Truck escape ramps serve important safety role – hear an engineer explain how truck escape ramps work
• Transportation Defined: Bailey Bridge – see this cool structure that is used (and was designed) by engineers
• Months of US 89 repair work is squeezed down to minutes in new time-lapse videos – see the repair of a landslide-damaged stretch of US 89, a project that involved many engineers
• Hell Canyon Bridge replacement project is underway – learn about a project that, like all ADOT projects, relies on the expertise of engineers
• Why we build roundabouts – learn why traffic engineers use roundabouts to solve traffic problems
• 1.8-million-pound oversize load set to move through Arizona – find out how engineering helped to move a really big truck through our state

More about National Engineers Week
Started by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, National Engineers Week (Feb. 21-27) is marked in February each year to call attention to the contributions of engineers while emphasizing the importance of math, science and technical skills. Visit DiscoverE.org for more.

Saying that engineers are an important part of ADOT is really kind of an understatement.

That’s because they’re absolutely essential to ADOT’s operations. Think about it – civil engineers design and build Arizona’s highways and bridges. Geotechnical engineers are crucial on projects like the US 89 landslide repair. Then we’ve got electrical and computer engineers who work on the systems that allow ADOT to monitor traffic conditions and keep drivers updated. Actually, there are all types of engineers who play vital roles here at ADOT.

So, when Engineers Week rolls around each year, it’s definitely an occasion we like to mark…

Not sure what Engineers Week is? It’s happening now (Feb. 22-28) and according to the official Engineers Week site, the week is meant to celebrate how engineers make a difference in the world. It’s also about increasing public dialogue about the need for engineers and bringing engineering to life for kids, educators and parents.

Since engineers play such a critical role here at ADOT, we thought we’d take this opportunity to look back at some of our favorite engineering-focused blog posts.

• ADOT engineers confirm no damage to 'Stack' following Thursday's fire
• Building a Freeway: Moving a Mountain
• 520-ton oversize load slowly makes its way through state
• Geotechnical section plays important role in roadway and structural design
• Components of a plan set
• Engineer in Training tells what she's learned
• State engineer's responsibilities are numerous
• Engineer in Training program offers new graduates the chance for some real world experience at ADOT
• Future female engineers get an up-close look at Loop 303 construction
• ASU Summer Transportation Institute introduces students to engineering

Visit DiscoverE.org for more information about this year’s Engineers Week. And, be sure to stay tuned to the ADOT Blog for future related posts. Let us know in the comments if you have any transportation engineering-related questions that you’d like us to answer.

Today, we bring you a guest blog post from Engineer in Training Elizabeth Weil (you might remember she also recently blogged about the components of a plan set).

In today's post, she describes what she learned and accomplished during her rotation through ADOT’s communications division. You can read more about the EIT program in this 2012 blog post.

By Elizabeth Weil
Transportation Engineering Associate

As an Engineer in Training, I’ve spent the last two months in the Office of Communications, which is a rare choice so I’ve been told. Some of my other rotations were more typical: Contracts and Specifications, Construction, and Traffic Design to name a few.

But one of the benefits of the Engineer in Training program is the ability to find out how everyone works together to build and maintain our roads. And as I have discovered, Communications is an important part of the process.

If you’re wondering, this blog is part of Communications, along with our other forms of social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. So one of my assignments was to write a blog post, and another was to write traffic-related tweets from the Traffic Operations Center. I watched the video-editing process that occurs before our informational videos show up on YouTube. Social media is one way we communicate with the public; we can answer questions, give up-to-date traffic information, or convey information about a project or event.

Another part of the Communications team is the group of people who work with the media, which is how you see us on TV or hear us on the radio. The Public Information Officers taught me about being interviewed; they asked me difficult questions and filmed my answers, which I later had to watch. I assisted with writing two press releases as well.

I had never been to a public meeting before, and I was finally able to attend one. These meetings are a way for the public to voice concerns over aspects of a project or ask questions. I especially wanted to attend a public meeting because it is closely related to what many engineers do, whether the project is in the process of being designed or constructed. And if you’ve ever wondered whether or not somebody answers that project hotline number we advertise, I was given the opportunity to answer some of your questions about road closures and the locations of ongoing projects.

This is the last of my two-month rotations, and I am about to start my final six months of the Engineer in Training program in Roadway Design. I now have a better understanding of what the different groups of ADOT do, especially Communications. I even spent some time learning about how the Adopt-a-Highway program works and the benefits of having volunteers and sponsors clean our highways. The Office of Communications does much more than I ever knew about, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn (and practice my writing skills).

Building a road or a bridge without engineers would be just about impossible…

Even if you did somehow manage to construct something without an engineer’s expertise, it likely wouldn’t be very sound or safe. It probably wouldn’t last too long either.

So, yes, engineers are pretty important here at ADOT. Much of what the agency does depends on their skill and know-how.

Engineers are important to other fields besides transportation. In fact, engineers help create a lot of the objects we use every single day.

It’s no wonder, there’s a whole week devoted to them. What, you didn’t know that there’s an “engineers week”? There is and it’s happening right now!

Engineers Week

According to the Engineers Week website, this week is about celebrating how engineers make a difference in our world.

Since engineers play such a critical role here at ADOT, we thought we’d take this opportunity to look back at some of our previous engineering-focused blog posts.

• Demolishing the Pantano Union Pacific Railroad Bridge
• Geotechnical section plays important role in roadway and structural design
• Portion of Loop 303 project now nearly 90 percent complete
• Improvements made to Avenue 3E Bridge in Yuma
• Components of a plan set
• Transportation Defined: Geogrid
• Moving oversize loads requires big effort
• State engineer's responsibilities are numerous
• State Engineer gives her take on the job
• Engineer in Training program offers new graduates the chance for some real world experience at ADOT
• STEM studies are at the forefront of upcoming transportation event
• Future female engineers get an up-close look at Loop 303 construction
• ASU Summer Transportation Institute introduces students to engineering

Engineers are a valuable resource for the ADOT Blog. We quote them, film them and use their knowledge so we can better explain to you many of our more complex transportation topics.

Without the expertise of ADOT’s engineers, this blog just wouldn’t be the resource that it has become over the past three years. We definitely appreciate our engineers, which is why we’re so glad to share today’s guest blog post with you.

It comes from one of ADOT’s Engineers in Training. We blogged about this innovative program back in 2012, but basically EITs follow a structured program working in varied sections within ADOT. Their time is divided into training blocks that last two and four months. A few of the blocks are mandatory and others are selected by the EIT.

Our guest blogger Elizabeth Weil made the choice to rotate through ADOT’s communications division for one of her blocks! Her time here has included learning about the many ways ADOT communicates with the public. Today, she writes about construction plans and explains some of their different components…

By Elizabeth Weil

Transportation Engineering Associate

We draw them, we review them, and we use them during construction, because they tell us what to do. Roadway plans are common around ADOT amongst designers and construction personnel, but you’ve probably never seen them for yourself. Here are just a few things that we include in plan sets.

Pavement structural sections (above) describe the layers of a roadway. In this example, above the subgrade (the ground below the roadway material) goes 5 inches of AB (aggregate base, a specific size of rock), then a layer of AC (asphalt, or “asphaltic concrete”), a tack coat (an adhesive oil used to make layers of asphalt stick to each other), and another layer of AC on top.

A typical section shows (above) which structural sections are used in specific areas. They’re accompanied by station limits (in this case 1086+00.00 to 1089+02.07). Those numbers refer to a specific location in the same way a milepost would. This typical section also gives a distance from the right-of-way line to the centerline of the road, the slope of the roadway, and widths of the lanes and shoulders. This way, we know exactly where the roadway will go and how big it will be. Think of the typical section as a cross-section of the roadway; if you were driving, you’d be moving into or out of the page.

Typical Section

This is just part of a sheet showing the plan view of the roadway (a bird’s-eye view). There is a lot of information on each of these sheets- this section of roadway has a taper (where the width of the roadway changes), guardrail (the numbers in diamonds are pointing at it), and right of way (the dashed lines near the outside). Numbers in the shapes are referring to a summary sheet which I haven’t included in this post, but each summary gives much more information (such as guardrail lengths).

Lastly, if you were wondering, we don’t usually have numbers in red; these screenshots were taken from our drafting guidelines which exist so we can make our plans as consistent as possible to avoid confusion.

According to one dictionary’s definition, engineering is “the art or science of making practical application of the knowledge of pure sciences, as physics or chemistry, as in the construction of engines, bridges, buildings, mines, ships and chemical plants.”

Sure, it’s an accurate description, but do you get any real sense of what an engineer does from reading that?

We didn’t think so.

To learn about engineering, it helps to hear firsthand from the men and women who work in the field.

Recently, a group of high school students from around the state got to do just that…

It was all part of ASU’s Summer Transportation Institute – a program designed to teach future engineers what it takes to make traffic flow in a safe and effective way.

The students traveled across Arizona during the three-week program and experienced everything from bridge-building basics to lessons in space travel and water transportation. They learned on-site at several locations, including the Hoover Dam and ADOT’s Deck Park Tunnel (see video above). At ADOT, the students also learned about engineering survey and photogrammetry, traffic engineering and equipment services.

It’s this direct approach to learning that instructor Dr. Jan Snyder says gets the kids engaged and fired up for a future career in engineering.

“You hear about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) … but until recently, the E in STEM was silent,” Dr. Snyder said. “It has become obvious to many of us that really, engineering provides an opportunity to bring the other three aspects of STEM together in a very interesting, enjoyable way.”

The students certainly seemed to agree…

Stefin Nelson, a junior at Kingman High School, said he’s always been interested in engineering and decided to apply for the institute after hearing about it from his biology teacher.

“I didn’t know there were so many different types of engineers,” Nelson said of what he’s learned from the experience.

Liliana Tapia, a senior at Kofa High School, is interested in civil and aeronautical engineering and, like Nelson and many of the other students, said she was surprised to see the numerous options available in engineering.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Tapia said of the summer institute. “It’s cool to see how many jobs are created by this certain field.”

Aaron Witt, an Arcadia High School senior, already knows what he wants to do after college … he is looking toward a career in road building.

“I’ve really enjoyed it because we’ve gone through so many aspects of engineering. I want to get paid to play in the dirt and I wasn’t sure that was possible,” said Witt, adding that the summer transportation institute showed him it is possible.

When it comes to designing a road, just knowing where it’s going to be built isn’t enough – engineers have to really understand the area’s features and terrain before they can even begin to plan.

This is where ADOT’s Engineering Survey section comes in…

It is responsible for conducting field surveys, CAD operations and aerial photography. The section also is in charge of photogrammetry and mapping, which is what we’re blogging about today (but, we promise we’ll cover that other stuff soon).

What is photogrammetry?
Photogrammetry is the science of making precise measurements utilizing aerial photographs to make accurate maps, surveys and Orthophotos.

In other words, photogrammetrists, with the help of computer software, can use a pair of aerial photos (called a stereomodel) and turn it into a useful map capable of showing engineers what the surface of a particular piece of land looks like.

Not only do these maps indicate where things like existing roads, signs, wells, power poles, manholes, fences and cattle guards are, but because they provide so much information the maps can also help engineers calculate how much dirt is going to be needed or moved to build the road.

It all starts with aerial photographs. The photos are taken with a 60-65 percent overlap so photogrammetrists (again with the help of computer software and special 3D glasses) can see a three-dimensional view of the ground. From there they use a specially designed computer mouse (also known as a stealth mouse) to collect all features and draw breaklines (three-dimensional lines used to collect points) that indicate where there’s a change in terrain elevation.

The generation of a DTM (top) and an Orthophoto.

Final result
Depending on the need of any particular project, the ADOT photogrammetry section can create several types of products:

• Digital Terrain Models (DTM), which show a three-dimensional view of what the surface of the ground looks like. A DTM is used to create an Orthophoto and calculate quantities. It is also used for environmental needs and up and down stream for rivers and washes for the construction of bridges.
• Planimetric maps, which are also known as line maps. They indicate the exact position of the features on the ground. They can also show contours that display what the ground surface represents.
• Orthophotos, which are enlarged photographs of an area that have been corrected to show accurate scale.

More on photogrammetry can be found on the ADOT website.

Becoming a licensed, professional engineer takes more than just a college diploma…

After graduation there are some tough exams involved, along with a requirement to obtain four years of engineering experience under a licensed Professional Engineer (PE).

Recent graduates can gain some of that experience through ADOT’s Engineer in Training program.

Here’s how it works

The 24-month program kicks off once a new crop of EITs are hired – usually in the spring.

And, yes, they are hired by ADOT. EITs are full-time employees brought on to contribute to the team and fill real positions at ADOT. The number of EITs hired each year depends on how many openings ADOT has available.

EITs follow a structured program working in varied sections within ADOT’s Intermodal Transportation Division. Their time is divided into training blocks that last two and four months. A few of the blocks are mandatory and others are selected by the EIT.

Some of the blocks include: metro construction, rural construction, roadway design, materials testing, pavement management/design, bridge design, traffic operations and project management.

After 18 months of rotation, EITs choose an area of specialization to spend the remaining six months of training. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, EITs are typically given a permanent assignment with ADOT.

Dorinda Winrow, ADOT’s EIT program manager, says the program has been around in some form at ADOT since the 1950s and interest has continued to grow. There were roughly 200 who applied last year for 15 open spots.

It’s the “real world” experience and the chance to meet and network with others in the engineering field that draws people to the EIT program, she says.

“Basically they get to function as a working team member,” Winrow said. “That is the intent of the program.”

EIT Jessica Hanson says the program is providing her with the training and background needed to have a successful career as a civil engineer with ADOT.

“The EIT program is a valuable learning experience,” she said. “(It) has allowed me the opportunity to participate in various phases of projects including design, construction and maintenance.”

Hanson has completed rotations in pavement design, contracts and specifications, roadway design, regional traffic, regional materials and construction.

“Throughout my rotations, I have increased my technical skills and broadened my knowledge of the state’s transportation system,” Hanson said.

EIT Jeremy Sala agrees.

“I couldn’t ask for a better way to start a career than to go through two years of training blocks in different engineering disciplines,” said Sala, adding the rotation through several different departments helped him identify a career path.

More information on the program, including instructions on how to apply, is available on the EIT webpage.

Did you realize this week is National Engineers Week?

It’s a pretty big deal around here because ADOT has so many engineers who come to work each day to build, operate and maintain the state’s highway system.

Overseeing that work is Arizona State Engineer Jennifer Toth.

We gave a brief overview of the position itself in yesterday’s blog post, but today we wanted to get Toth’s take on the job.

As the head of ADOT’s Intermodal Transportation Division (ITD), Toth's duty is to make sure the employees within ITD have the resources they need to perform their job to implement the Department's vision.

Besides the job responsibilities we blogged about yesterday, Toth also serves on several committees and boards, many of which work to create and maintain partnerships between ADOT and other agencies.

Toth also serves on a standing committee on highways through the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. This group works to develop the technical standards and guidelines that are recognized and adhered to by transportation departments around the world.

She’s also on two planning committees for the Transportation Research Board – an organization devoted to the research of anything and everything related to transportation, including safety, maintenance, operation and geotechnical processes.

Toth got her start with ADOT as an Engineer in Training (we’re going to blog about this program tomorrow).

From there she became a resident engineer in the Kingman district. Later she made a move to Flagstaff and became a senior project manager. Eventually, Toth was promoted to division director in ADOT’s planning division before being appointed state engineer.

Toth says it was this wide range of experiences – from working out in the field as a resident engineer to getting a perspective on funding and programming as a division director – that has helped her in her role as state engineer.

Toth explains that her experiences have allowed her to see many projects go from just an idea on a piece of paper to an actual road that’s been built and is now being maintained and driven on by the public.

Even as she’s driving on the state’s highways, she’ll remember a project and its timeline…

“It is exciting to say we had a problem here and now we’re able to solve it,” she said.