Jean starting in construction inspection while earning money to pay for college. She spent her summers working for KDOT as a temporary summer employee helping perform construction/materials testing for project inspection. Upon receiving her degree in Civil Engineering degree from KSU she started working for KDOT as an EIT @ the Junction City Construction office, promoting to Construction Engineer at Salina a couple years later. She is currently the Construction Engineer at the Belleville Construction office with 29+ years’ experience applying the details of Contract Administration
Inspection
The CIT Program provides the following methods for obtaining certification.
1. Inspection Course - Basic, Structures, Asphalt Paving and Concrete Paving
Online course - course is online and available upon registration. The course is available to you year round with the course period designated in your registration confirmation email and the CanvasPro course page. You must complete the course and subsequent exam(s) by the stated completion date in your confirmation email and in CanvasPro. This course can be taken for initial and/or recertification. The written exam is administered online at the student’s location and requires a supervisor or supervisor approved proctor.
In-Person class - five day course instructed in Salina, KS and written exams are administered after each section. This class is for new hires only.
Prerequisite: Pass Basic Math test prior to enrolling in the online course. Basic Inspection is the prerequisite for Structures, Asphalt and Concrete Paving and must be taken first. Basic Inspection is a seperate online course from Structures, Asphalt and Concrete Paving.
Workbook Sections
K-State will provide the following four workbook sections to the students who attend the in person Inspection Class in February 2025.
Basic Inspection including the TE Standards
Books and materials the student is responsible to bring to the in person class in February 2025.
Special Provisions needed for class
2014 Construction Manual Parts I-IV
2022 Construction Manual Part V
Standard Specifications for State Road and Bridge Construction Volumes I & II Edition.
The Construction Manual, Part V and Spec Books can be ordered from KDOT as well by clicking on this link. Order them at least 3 weeks in advance of the in person class.
Basic Inspection (BI)
Course Description
It is required for inspecting various KDOT projects.
Instructors
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Jean Istas - Construction Engineer |
Andrew Wilson - Area Engineer Andrew (AJ) Wilson was raised in Derby, Kansas and is a dedicated professional with a passion for gardening, nerdy things, and teaching. He earned his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University, along with a Minor in Physics. With 15 years of experience at the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), AJ has served as a UAS pilot, CIT instructor, angry phone call taker, and the Area Engineer for Winfield, Kansas. Outside of work, AJ finds joy in hiking, vegetable and berry gardening, and spending time with his wife and five children. |
Learning Objectives
- Focus on various aspects of contact administration.
- Review standard specifications, documentation manual, and construction manual.
- Understanding project documentation required for a construction project.
- Learn frequently used templates and appropriate data input.
- Understand traffic control and pavement markings.
- Review specifications and traffic engineering sheets associated with the safe and appropriate installation of work zone traffic control devices.
- View traffic control plan and the materials, installation, maintenance, and payment of pavement markings.
- Introduce types of earthwork equipment and their use.
- Learn about the excavation, removal of existing structures, waste and borrow, erosion and pollution control, and compaction earthwork.
- Examine the use of slope and grade stakes.
- Review base materials and their use.
Testing Information
Exam: Exam includes Contract Administration; Traffic Control and Pavement Markings; Grading and Bases
Score: A score of 70% or higher on each exam is needed to pass.
Structures (STR)
Course Description
It is required for inspecting various KDOT projects.
Instructors
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Cooper Bettis - KDOT Bridge Designer Cooper Bettis is a Bridge Designer for the Kansas Department of Transportation out of Lawrence, KS. He has been with the State since he graduated from the University of Missouri in 2020. Since joining KDOT, Cooper has designed bridges throughout Kansas. |
Learning Objectives
- Understand the many parts of structure construction and their specifications.
- Learn the specifications that apply to structures.
- Discuss the materials incorporated into structures.
- Determine the documentation for various structures.
Testing Information
Score: A score of 70% or higher is needed to pass.
Asphalt Inspection (AI)
Course Description
It is required for inspecting structures, bituminous pavement and concrete pavement on KDOT projects.
Instructors
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Linda Liester - Engineer Technician Linda has worked for KDOT since March 2014. She began her career as and EO at the Hoxie subarea shop before transferring to the Oakley construction office in September. Currently she is the Engineer Technician Specialist Supervisor for the Atwood construction office. Linda loves her new grand babies and her kitties hold a special place in her heart. |
Mitchel Johnson - Construction Engineer Mitchel is the Hays Construction Engineer, a position he has been in since February 2022. Prior to that he was an EA in the Oakley Construction office and before that worked in the private sector as a field engineer in Wisconsin. In his spare time Mitchel likes to hunt and fish, hike, and fix up old houses.
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Learning Objectives
- Examine the methods of construction and how to inspect each.
- Understand the construction of bituminous pavements.
- Learn the types of bituminous mixtures and the types of plant tests required.
- Discuss the types of equipment used to produce, place, and compact bituminous surfaces.
- Learn what the inspector should look for and proper documentation.
Testing Information
Score: A score of 70% or higher is needed to pass.
Concrete Paving Inspection (CPI)
Course Description
It is required for inspecting structures, bituminous pavement and concrete pavement on KDOT projects.
Instructors
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David Johnson - Engineering Technician Specialist Dave works out of the KDOT-KC Metro Materials lab. He joined KDOT in 1993 as an Engineering Technician Associate and has served his entire career in the same location. He became an ET-Specialist in 2010 and has been responsible for supervising the lab since. Dave’s lab is responsible for all the plant and aggregate testing for KDOT inspected projects in the KC Metro area. He has enjoyed his time with KDOT and worked around some really great people and contractors thru the years. |
Learning Objectives
- Understand the materials, equipment, placement, and inspection of concrete pavement.
- Examine quality control/quality assurance concepts, aggregate base fundamentals, concrete plant fundamentals, and concrete paving fundamentals.
- Learn inspection and documentation requirements.
Testing Information
- Score: A score of 70% or higher on each section is needed to pass. For the three sections that make up Basic Inspection (Contract Admin, Grading & Bases, Traffic Control), you need to get a 70% or higher on each of those sections in order to pass Basic Inspection.
Contact Us
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Office Hours
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST