Highway construction companies encounter many facets of the road construction industry. The road construction project begins with contractors knowing how to seek and complete road construction bid proposals, secure any necessary bonding for the road project and ensure they have the proper resources such as labor, equipment and materials to complete the project on time. In addition, highway construction companies must also be aware of safety regulations and highway construction funding at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as advancements made to road construction materials and equipment.

In order for one to be a successful road contractor and business owner, one must be knowledgeable on all of these issues. Road construction contractors education and training can occur through different channels:

1. Subscribing to magazines for road construction contractors.

2. Joining trade organizations for road work contractors.

3. Attending road construction trade shows

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about the latest laws and techniques from highway and road construction magazines

Publications can educate road construction companies on products and equipment used in the road construction industry, as well as legislative and funding issues that may affect the future of highway construction.

I recommend: Roads & Bridges and Better Roads are two magazines that benefit highway construction contractors. Examples of topics covered by these publications include products utilized in road and bridge construction, construction equipment overviews, proposed legislation that may have an impact on freeway construction projects and a list of events related to the road construction industry.

Join road construction contractors trade organizations for educational opportunities

Trade associations are an effective resource for road construction firms to learn the road construction industry. The services that trade associations offer to highway construction firms include education and training, product reviews, safety requirements and legislative initiatives pertaining to the road construction industry.

I recommend: The American Concrete Pavement Association provides education and training regarding the use of concrete in the design, construction and maintenance of road construction projects. A function of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, in addition to offering professional development programs, is to convey the interests of road construction contractors to Congress and other federal agencies. These interests can be in the form of increased funding for road construction or providing input on legislation pertaining to the environment or worker safety.

Attend trade shows focusing on road construction contractors education and training

Trade shows not only educate individuals on issues affecting the road construction industry, but also allow road construction contractors to see products and equipment firsthand through demonstrations provided by exhibitors.

I recommend: The National Asphalt Pavement Association’s annual meeting provides educational opportunities to road work contractors that include topics focusing on asphalt construction and legislation affecting highway construction funding. The Arizona Pavements/Materials Conference provides freeway construction companies demonstrations on asphalt and concrete pavement practices using exhibitors, workshops and seminars.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While magazines and trade shows provide you information on materials used in roadway construction, before investing in these materials, it is a good idea for road construction companies to contact other road construction firms and gain insight on their experiences of the product such as ease of use, durability and any cost benefits they may have encountered.

Whether you are building a shopping center or a new subdivision, finding the right road construction contractors can help you pave the way to a successful project. A good road construction contractor will see the job through from beginning to end, then follow up after completion to make sure that every specification of the project was met to your satisfaction.

Before you start interviewing highway construction contractors for your job, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I need help with the engineering and design of my project?

2. Do I have a large project that will require a road construction firm with a large amount of equipment and employees?

3. Do I have a small project that requires road construction contractors that can provide specialized services?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find an engineering firm to help with your road and freeway construction

Before you begin, start with an engineering and planning firm that can ensure your project's success from the beginning. Full service firms can provide everything you need, including project design, land surveying and construction management.

I recommend: AB Consultants is a consulting engineering and construction firm that has worked on projects that include Redskins stadium, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait and highways in the state of Maryland. Civiltech Engineering is a full-service engineering firm that focuses on transportation. The company can help you keep your project running smoothly from inception to completion.

Find road construction companies for large jobs

If you have a large job, you're going to want to choose highway construction companies with a large fleet and a vast amount of experience. Also, if your project involves highway and road construction on a road that is currently in use, you'll want to find a road contractor that knows how to get the job done with minimal disruption to motorists.

I recommend: Daisy Construction Company has a fleet of more than 200 pieces of heavy construction equipment that can handle jobs ranging from rebuilding a highway interchange to paving a subdivision. Dobson Brothers Construction Company is a road and freeway contractor based in Nebraska. The company has experience paving interstate highways and roads with both asphalt and concrete.

Find road construction companies for small jobs

Smaller road construction firms can provide you with a specialized level of service and detail.

I recommend: C J Asphalt Paving is a Virginia-based company that works on commercial and residential projects. The company has a fleet of dump trucks, pavers and rollers that can complete projects as small as a driveway and as big as a road. Four Lakes Paving is one of the road construction contractors based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company specializes in paving driveways, parking lots and roads.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are looking for recommendations on road and highway construction firms in your area, contact your local city or town offices. Municipalities often have experience working with road construction contractors and can let you know who will get the job done right and on time.

Licensed road construction contractors are the people who undertake the job of laying the road and the work related to it. These contractors help in proper planning, surveying, designing and landscaping of roads and the surroundings keeping in mind the environmental regulations.

If you want to pursue a career as a road construction contractor, you will need to understand various technical terms related to the laying of the roads. In this guide, we will cover some key terms related to road construction contractors, such as the contractor’s license, insurance, asphalt overlays, culvert and potholes repairs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Contractor's license

Whether it's a small road or a freeway, it's mandatory for a road contractor to posses a license for road construction projects. All 50 states have different conditions for the qualifications for obtaining a road construction contractor license.

I recommend: You can find more about different licensing classifications at the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Contractor’s License also provides information about the requirements of a contractor’s license.

Insurance

A contractor must have insurance coverage for the construction work that is to be completed. The requirements for the insurance vary from state to state and premium for this insurance depends upon the liability coverage.

I recommend: Construction Insurance Solutions provides information about general construction work of a contractor and the types of insurance coverage that are provided.

Asphalt overlays

Asphalt overlays are the layers of the asphalt concrete that are placed on the roadway with a paver. Overlays can have a thickness from 1 inch to 6 inches.

I recommend: For information about asphalt overlays, read through the glossary of road construction terms on the Tompkins County Highway Divison Web site.

Culverts

A culvert is a pipe or tube structure that allows water to pass from one side to the other under a railway track, road or bridge. Culverts are available with many types of materials, shapes and sizes.

I recommend: You can find detailed information about the culvert designing and water control on the LMNO Engineering, Research, and Software, Ltd. Web site. Oxford Plastics Inc. is another source of information about culverts and the benefits of using polyethylene for culvert pipes.

Potholes repairs

Potholes repairs is part of the road construction and repair job. Various methods have been cited for the pothole repairs. Cold mix is used to fill the potholes temporarily.

I recommend: The Better Roads Magazine provides an informative article that discusses problems due to potholes and repair methods.

NIOSH research on health hazards by the asphalt fumes

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is an organization that recommends the safety of workers. It also has many documents that relate to the conditions in asphalt-related work.

I recommend: NIOSH provides guidelines for paving hot mix asphalt (HMA).

Corrugations

Corrugations are the deformities in asphalt paving across the pavement surface. This occurs due to the improper mix of asphalt during the laying of the overlays.

I recommend: To learn more about the corrugations you can go through the contractor’s glossary at Contractor School Online.