All of the test sites have involved bridge decks, but this month, FHWA, working with the Tennessee Valley Authority, will include a test site on a bridge-dam combination. FHWA's goal is to take the mobile corrosion laboratory and training to all 50 States. The mobile laboratory is also being featured at trade shows and conferences. The laboratory is staffed by corrosion specialists, who provide training in the use of equipment to State, local, and Federal engineers and technicians. A secondary objective is to work in conjunction with States to collect data on structures that already have corrosion-protection systems and to determine the effectiveness of the systems.
States can choose one or all of the project's three training modules.
Module I, geared for management personnel, consists of a slide presentation about the corrosion problem and some of the equipment that will be demonstrated in the mobile laboratory. In addition to identifying various problems and related testing methods, this module shows how the computerized data collection process speeds up data manipulation, enabling the results to be obtained more quickly. Module III requires 3 to 4 days, during which time each participant is given hands-on training with the various devices through field evaluations of reinforced concrete structures. Modules II and III also include models to assist in making sound, cost-effective decisions based on the data. Because these two modules together provide a complete training package, they should be presented back to back.