Agency Certification

State & Local Agency Certification

  • The state and local agency certification is a voluntary program.
  • Certifications are valid for three years.
  • Agency personnel may be individually certified for one treatment category or multiple treatment categories. The treatment categories are:
    • (1) Slurry Systems (Micro Surfacing, Slurry Seal & Polymer Modified Slurry)
    • (2) Chip Seals and Fog Seals
    • (3) Crack Treatments
  • Agency personnel are encouraged to complete the web-based training on the specific treatment as a prerequisite to other training. For instructions to register for the free web-based training, please visit: https://www.tsp2.org/certification-information/web-based-training-courses/
  • Agency personnel may attend the training by the National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP) at the agency’s facilities.  The NCPP training is one-day for each treatment category requested.  The certification examination will be administered immediately upon the completion of a treatment review session or a one-day training class.
  • Agency personnel must pass a treatment specific examination with a score of 70% or better. The examination is focused on agency needs and will consist of approximately 50 questions depending on the treatment category.
  • Personnel to be considered for certification should include:
    • (1) One senior level inspector and designer from each district/region/division (based on agency nomenclature)
    • (2) One engineering preservation specialist from headquarters/central office
    • (3) Outside consultants providing inspection services for the agency.

Benefits and a Recommended Oversight Process for a State & Local Agency

Having agency personnel certified in specific pavement preservation treatments will ensure that future investments in those treatments are properly designed, constructed, and perform as intended.  Certification will give agency employees the knowledge necessary to monitor contractor performance.

It is understood that project oversight is completely defined and managed by the agency, but a few helpful recommendations can alleviate potential problems:

  • Certified personnel within the agency can help serve as the over-arching technical expert for the treatment(s) in the district/region/division.
  • Certified personnel can provide peer-to-peer training with other agency staff.
  • Certified personnel should attend the pre-construction meeting with the assigned inspector and help review the Contractor’s Quality Control Plan; material sources and tests requirements; equipment requirements; and treatment mix design documents if a slurry system will be constructed.
  • Certified personnel should witness the on-site calibration of placement equipment used for micro surfacing, slurry seal, polymer-modified slurry, chip seal, or fog seal.
  • Certified personnel should be available to respond to treatment issues that may arise in the field.

Costs for Training and Examination (Per Treatment Category)

Agency Employees                                         $200

Consultants                                                     $325

Examination Retake                                        $200

Verification of Certification

Employees who pass the certification exam will be issued an electronic certificate stating their name and qualification which will be listed in a searchable certification database located here: Certified Employees Database

Certification Program Administration

The Certification Program for pavement preservation treatments is approved and endorsed by the AASHTO Preservation Management program (formerly TSP•2) and is administered by the National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP) at Michigan State University.

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