KDOT Values Series: District mentors help employees grow and improve

By Deb Gruver, Public Affairs Manager, south central Kansas

When Robin Gregory, the Acting Construction Engineer in Winfield, needed some advice recently about a bridge replacement project on U.S. 166 in Arkansas City, she called District Construction Mentor John Gatz.

Gatz, who works out of the District Five office in Hutchinson, drove down to the project site to lend a hand – and some expertise.

“We talked about driving the piling on the abutments on that bridge and the PDA (pile driving analyzer) that was run. She wanted another set of eyes to look at it,” Gatz said.

Gatz and Gregory met briefly that day as construction crews continued work on the bridge over the Arkansas River.

 “A mentor is great to have, especially when it’s been a while since you’ve done something” such as a bridge replacement, Gregory said.

In addition to reviewing paperwork, “he helps build confidence too,” Gregory said of Gatz. “He’s very easy to talk to and gives me feedback on my inspectors when I ask about their work.”

District Five Construction Mentor John Gatz helped teach some classes recently at the District Five materials lab in Hutchinson, working here with Engineering Technician Alan Perry.

KDOT has District Construction Mentors in each of its six districts across the state. Their role is to share their experience, problem-solve and help Engineering Technicians and others improve their skills. The department began hiring mentors in about 2005 or 2006, said Kevin Palic, Field Construction Engineer.

“They help with training and improving consistency across the district,” Palic said of mentors. “They’re kind of an assistant to the District Construction and Materials Engineer and help train our ETs (Engineering Technicians) across the district.”

Mentors play an important role at KDOT and provide valuable knowledge to newer employees, Palic said.

“I think they’re a valuable asset to have in every district. Not very long ago not every district had one,” he said. “We made a push to make sure every position was filled.”

District Five Engineer Brent Terstriep said mentors are someone newer Construction Engineers and Engineering Technicians can turn to to bounce ideas off of, and “it’s really important to have someone who can work with people.”

Mentors also provide important help cross-training KDOT employees, Terstriep said.

Gatz, who has worked for KDOT for 17 years, recently helped teach some classes at the District Five materials lab in Hutchinson. He became the District Construction Mentor in April 2018.

Formerly an Engineering Technician Senior in Pratt, Gatz said “I’m getting more comfortable in this role. I’m not on a specific project all the time like I was before. I go to a lot more projects.”

The KDOT Values series focuses on specific standards and goals that the agency strives to reach so transportation in Kansas can continue to move forward. Every district in the state has stories that share how KDOT is achieving our core values and we are sharing a story from different parts of the state every week!

TBT: Pig poop pavement

March 1 is National Pig Day, and it just happens that today is also Thursday, so let's have a throwback post from July 2016, where we discussed the exploration of using pig poop in pavement:

Is pig poop the future of pavement?

We have all heard the story of the three little pigs. That third little pig was an engineering pro who stopped the Big Bad Wolf from blowing his house down. That was a great story, but what pigs could do for the future of transportation is no fairy tale.

Although still in the testing stage, students at North Carolina A&T State University and the National Science Foundation have teamed up to explore the possibilities of using pig manure as a binder, or bio-adhesive, for an asphalt substitute. Currently, asphalt requires petroleum, which is a fossil fuel and cannot be replenished as quickly. 

With asphalt created with bio-adhesives, the opposite is true.  According to a video produced by the NSF, 43 billion pounds of swine manure is generated in one year. In fact, some places in the world have so much pig waste that their water supplies are being contaminated.  At 56 cents per gallon this renewable resource could pave the road for a more environmentally and financially-sound solution to fossil fuel dependency. 

It’s not just the transportation industry that could benefit from successful bio-adhesive roads; the farming industry around the world would still be able to use the leftovers from the manufacturing process as fertilizer.

Think this idea is full of it? Check out The National Science Foundation’s video for a closer look at how the process is being tested. And tell us what you think. Would you be willing to travel down a road made from pig poop?