Educating Technicians to Elevate Asphalt Pavement Quality in Texas Since 1993

Texas has an exceptional history of providing a quality, safe, and efficient highway transportation system for the traveling public. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and asphalt paving industry in Texas through the Hot Mix Asphalt Center (HMAC) and Texas Asphalt Pavement Association (TXAPA) have partnered together for many years to build, rehabilitate, and maintain more than 80,000 miles of roadways that exist on the state’s system.

Since 1993, nearly 11,000 field inspectors and laboratory technicians have attended certification courses at the Center. The HMAC currently provides three levels of certification for inspection and testing of hot mix asphalt: field laboratory testing (Level 1A), quality management and mix design (Level 2), and roadway testing (Level 1B). In 2019, aggregates specialist (AGG 101) was implemented. The HMAC also administers TxDOT’s approved training and certification for individuals in five levels of Soils and Base certification: SB 101, SB 102, SB 103, SB 201, and SB 202.

The teamwork philosophy that TxDOT and TXAPA used to develop the certification program has enabled the HMAC to gain national recognition as a superior program. Many states have visited the Center and have used it as a model to develop their own certification programs, and we are committed to continuing to raise the bar for quality in Texas and across the country.