Nebraska Department of Roads Homepage

 


Lists, Manuals & Guides

Approved Products List
Materials Sampling Guide

Standard Test Methods Manual
Ready Mix Plant List
Gravel and Rock Producers
Geotechnical Manual

New Product Information
Research & Lab Information

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Materials & Research Photos
Materials & Research
Division Responsibilities
Sections & Responsibilities

Mission Statement

We design, research and test highway materials for use in constructing and maintaining a quality highway system that meets the needs of Nebraska.

Division Contacts

Materials and Research Engineer  

M & R Manager / Site Manager Administrator  
Site Manager Program Administrator 
IT Support  
Office Services Administrative Assistant
Final Project Review
Technical Repair

P.C. Concrete, Physical Tests, Special Projects, Aggregates Engineer
Assistant Special Projects and Aggregates Engineer  
P. C. Concrete Laboratory Unit
P. C. Materials Unit   
Physical Tests Laboratory  
Coring Unit  
Tests and Equipment

Geotechnical Engineer  
Soil Survey Unit Supervisor  
Soil Mechanics Unit Manager
Soil Laboratory Supervisor  
Bridge Foundation Engineer

Flexible Pavement, Bituminous, Aggregate, Chemicals Engineer  
Chemical Laboratory 
Bituminous Aggregate Laboratory  
Bituminous Laboratory  
Branch Laboratories  

Pavement Design Engineer  
Assistant Pavement Design Engineer   
Pavement Design Manager  
Pavement Design/Specifications 

Research Engineer 

Classifications, Needs & Pavement Management Engineer 
Pavement Management Unit Leader
Classifications & Needs Unit Leader

Pavement Management Coordinator

Materials & Research Pagemaster

 



Materials and Research Responsibility Phone
Mostafa "Moe" Jamshidi  Materials and Research Engineer 402-479-4750

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Project Review/Site Manager

Responsibility Phone
Rhonda DeButts M & R Manager / Site Manager Administrator 402-479-4760
Brad Finch Infrastructure Support Analyst 402-479-3670

Barb Traudt

Office Services / Administrative Assistant  402-479-4697
Mike Ondrak Site Manager Program Administrator 402-479-3686
Dave Hall Final Project Review 402-479-4837
Pat Whitenack Technical Repair 402-479-4737

Site Manager, Office Services, Final Project Review,IT Support, & Technical Repair

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P.C. Concrete ,
Physical Tests &
Special Projects
   

Responsibility Phone
George Woolstrum P.C. Concrete & Physical Tests & Special Projects & Aggregates Laboratory Engineer 402-479-4791
Claudette Wagner Assistant Special Projects and Aggregates Engineer 402-479-4755
Scott Grossenbacher P.C.C. Laboratory Unit Supervisor 402-479-4740
Tim Krason P.C.C. Materials Unit Supervisor 402-479-4709
Ron Bohling   Tests and Equipment and Coring Unit Manager 402-479-4610
Kate Dodson Coring Unit 402-479-4757
Mark Burham Physical Tests Manager 402-479-4746
Stan Karel Physical Tests Unit Supervisor 402-479-3849

Dalyce Ronnau

Preventive Maintenance 402-479-4544

Portland Cement Concrete, Physical Tests, and Special Projects

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Geotechnical              

Responsibility Phone
Omar Qudus Geotechnical Engineer 402-479-4394
Chris Dowding Soil Survey Unit Supervisor 402-479-4850
Mark Lindemann Soil Mechanics Unit Manager 402-479-4752
Jordan Larsen Bridge Foundation Engineer 402-479-3691
Doug Churchwell Soil Lab Supervisor 402-479-4678

Geotechnical

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Flexible Pavement,
Bituminous, Aggregates,
Chemical & Branch Labs  

Responsibility Phone
Laird Weishahn Flexible Pavement Engineer 402-479-4675
Bruce Norton Chemical Tests Laboratory Manager 402-479-4758
Larry Koves Bituminous Aggregate Laboratory Supervisor 402-479-3851
Larry Koves Bituminous Laboratory Supervisor 402-479-3851
Ron Vajgrt QA, District 1 - Lincoln 402-479-4543
Gary Mangen QA & Branch Lab - Omaha (Dist 2) 402-595-2534, ext 286 
E. Leon Schaefer  QA & Branch Lab - Norfolk -(Dist 3),
402-370-3476,
ext 219
Charles Maas Branch Lab-Norfolk 402-370-3476,
ext 218
Calvin Splattstoesser   QA & Branch Lab - Grand Island
(Dist's 4 & 7)
308-385-6271,
ext 218
Rodney McNeel

QA & Branch Lab - North Platte ,
(Dist's 5,6,7 & 8)

308-535-8111,
ext 226

Flexible Pavement, Chemicals, and Aggregates

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Pavement Design

Responsibility Phone
Robert Rea Pavement Design Engineer 402-479-4677
Don Mazour Assistant Pavement Design Engineer 402-479-3638
Mark Bamesberger Pavement Design Manager 402-479-4759
Jim Miller Pavement Design / Specifications 402-479-3920

Pavement Design

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Research
Responsibility Phone
Amy Starr Research Engineer 402-479-3861

Research

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Classifications, Needs and Pavement Management

Responsibility Phone
Dan Nichols Classifications, Needs & Pavement Management Engineer 402-479-4783
Gary Brhel Pavement Management Unit Leader 402-479-3620
Dave Brokaw Classifications & Needs Unit Leader 402-479-4896
Dave Medinger Pavement Management Coordinator 402-479-4807

Classifications, Needs and Pavement Management

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Division Web Page

Responsibility Phone

Terry Masters  

Materials and Research Web Content 402-479-4754


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Division Responsibilities

The Materials and Research Division is responsible for:

  • Developing materials specifications and quality control standards.
  • Determining pavement type and thickness.
  • Conducting pavement research.
  • Managing and administering the department's research program
  • Testing and inspecting construction/maintenance materials to assure compliance with specifications.
  • Performing field investigations to determine materials performance.
  • Preparing materials manuals and guides and maintaining representation on the American Society for Testing and Materials, AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Materials, and other engineering organizations.
  • Providing advisory support on material related question/concerns.

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Sections & Responsibilities

Site Manager Administration, Office Services, Final Project Review, IT Support & Technical Repair

Responsible for:

  • Coordinating project estimates in the Division.
  • Preparing, distributing and maintaining the Materials Sampling Guide.
  • Preparing, and distributing a required documents list for highway construction projects.
  • Administering the Materials Management portion of Site Manager.
  • Maintaining and repairing of laboratory equipment in the central and branch laboratories.
  • All clerical tasks within the Division.
  • Provide IT support to the Division.

Portland Cement Concrete, Physical Tests, and Special Projects

Responsible for:

  • Conducting tests on Portland cement, Portland cement concrete, curing compounds, joint sealers, concrete and clay pipe, metal products and related items, and developing materials specifications.
  • Providing technical guidance and coordination for precast/prestressed concrete fabrication and inspection of steel bridge fabrication.
  • Pavement friction testing, pavement deflection testing, bridge deck testing, pavement roughness measurements, petrographic tests and studies, and obtaining pavement core samples.
  • Conducting foundation investigations and monitoring embankment foundations during construction.

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Geotechnical

Geotechnical Section performs geotechnical investigation and providing recommendation for the design and construction of roadway and structures for all NDOR projects as needed and helps in other public projects if requested. This section is also responsible for the review of geotechnical reports prepared by a geotechnical consultant for NDOR projects.

The Geotechnical Section consists of three units and their responsibilities are:

  • Bridge Foundation Unit:
    • Performed subsurface investigations for state bridge foundations as needed and county bridge foundations when requested.
    • Design appropriate foundation systems.
    • Review state and county bridge foundations plans.
    • Perform on site integrity and capacity tests for foundation systems.
    • Update historical information.
  • Soil Survey Unit:
    • Investigate and define subsurface materials and conditions for roadway design.
    • Predict the probable stability of cut slopes.
    • Creat th 2K plan sheets.
  • Soil Mechanics Unit:
    • Perform subsurface investgations, install analyze field instrumentation during embankment construction.
    • Perform geotechnical analysis of embankments, MSE Walls and culverts, to evaluate settlement magnitude, settlement time, slope stability and foundation soil suitability.
    • Perform and evaluate soil mechanic testing.
    • Provide geotechnical support during construction.

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Flexible Pavement, Chemicals, and Aggregates

Responsible for:

  • Testing asphalt cements, petroleum products, bituminous aggregate mixes, soils and aggregates.
  • Conducting chemical tests on various types of materials.
  • Administering technical control of the branch laboratories.

Pavement Design

Responsible for:

  • Conducting pavement research.
  • Determining pavement type and thickness.
  • Computing quantities and developing cost estimates, specifications, typical cross-sections and mix designs for flexible pavement projects.
  • Maintaining a historical file for each flexible pavement project.
  • Managing and administering the department's research program.

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Research Activities:

  • Administers the department’s research program to include:
    • Chairs the department’s Research Advisory Committee.
    • Solicits for Research Statements of Need.
    • Reviews all research proposals and budgets.
    • Conducts literature searches.
    • Prepares the annual budget for administration of Research Program and conduct of research.
    • Processes agreements, billings and payments for research.
    • Reviews, approves, and distributes final reports.
    • Publishes quarterly status report of Research Program.
  • Administers, as lead state, two regional pooled fund projects to include:
    • Chairs and serves as secretary for one of these projects which includes:
      • Hosts the annual meeting of the ten member states.
      • Prepares the agenda and handouts.
      • Takes and distributes minutes and actions of the members.
  • Coordinates with the researchers at the University of Nebraska.
  • Processes agreements, billings, payments, and reimbursements for the research.
  • Represents the department as a member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Region III Research Advisory Committee and attends annual (regional or national) meetings.
  • Coordinates the department’s administrative functions with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).
  • Attends the annual TRB meeting, as the department’s representative.

Classifications, Needs and Pavement Management

Responsible for:

  • Pavement Management
    • Rate the pavement condition of the 10,000 mile highway system,
      ( faulting/rutting measurements, surface distress, digital images)
    • Rate the pavement condition of the State Recreation Road System.
    • Interstate Needs Study.
    • Publish the Interstate Pavement Condition Report.
    • Respond to any requests for reporting on pavement condition,
      (prepare lists for District Planning meetings, PEP candidate lists, NSI, PSI, IRI maps, etc.)
  • Classification & Needs
    • Needs Study
    • State Highway Inventory Report
    • State & National Classifications
    • Relinquishments
    • Interstate Needs Study
    • Route Number change request to AASHTO
    • Urban Area Limits
    • Minimum Maintenance
    • Updating of IHI data
    • 28' Top System, Expressway System, Priority Commercial System

 

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