MnDOT Guardrail Identification and Inspection Workshop

May 21–May 22, 2024
Day One: 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Central
Day Two: 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Central

MnDOT Shoreview Training and Conference Center
1900 County Road I West
Shoreview, MN 55126

About the Event

A guardrail on the side of a paved road.

This two-day class focuses on guardrail identification and inspection. During the workshop, you will learn about standard guardrail systems, guardrail location and special situations, length of need, guardrail transitions, and guardrail end treatments; participate in identification activities; take a post-assessment; and use a supplemental workshop resource handout. The course curriculum will feature Minnesota-specific examples and interactive demonstrations, and special focus areas will include Minnesota standard plates and plans, bullnose guardrails, and addressing grading standards on guardrail systems.

During the class, participants will:

  • Identify the challenges of roadside safety, the concept of clear zone, and the warrants of barrier systems.
  • Learn how barrier systems are designed to operate.
  • Review installation principles for barrier operation.
  • Discuss installation principles for terminal operation.
  • Demonstrate lab skills, including using measurements and identifying length of need for:
    • Thrie-beam bullnose
    • MSKT end terminal and guardrail
    • SoftStop end terminal and guardrail
    • High-tension cable (Brifen and Gibraltar)

All participants must bring the following PPE to class:

  • High-visibility vest
  • High-visibility hat
  • Safety footwear
  • Safety glasses (for protection from debris)

Registration

If you are a MnDOT employee, please follow these instructions to register:

  1. Obtain supervisory approval for your training request and travel time.
  2. Use your Office/District Training Registration Process.
  3. When your training request is approved, you will receive an email enrollment confirmation.

All other participants should register online. Non-MnDOT participants are charged per seat and seat rate options are available. Interested participants may select either a discounted $200-per-seat rate with no refund due to convenience cancel requests, or they may select the standard $350-per-seat rate with full refund for any reason. Registration limited, so early registration encouraged. A waitlist will be available once registration is full.

Meals will be provided. 

Please let us know how we can ensure that this class is inclusive to you. What accommodations or access needs can we help facilitate? Contact snhahn@umn.edu when you register to help us provide you with the best access.

Cancellation

Standard refund requests are available before the class start date. No refunds will be issued after the class start date.

Who Should Attend

Maintenance managers, supervisors, crew members, and construction inspectors.

More Information

With questions about class content, contact Khamsai Yang, MnDOT state design standards engineer, at khamsai.yang@state.mn.us. For all other questions, contact Samantha Hahn-Douville with the Center for Transportation Studies at snhahn@umn.edu.

Sponsor

This class is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Design Standards Unit and hosted by the Center for Transportation Studies.