New Employee Introduction

Prepared by: Richard 'Mose' Howard (2007)

The following up-to-date links were taken from a recent “Design Manuals / Handbooks” CD from FDOT. They will take you directly to your particular area of interest on the FDOT website. My advice is to click on the link then add it to your “favorites” list (menu bar). I placed the logical name next to each link, in which you can enter into your favorites. Also, I tried to give a down to earth description for all our new engineers.


2007 Plans Preparation Manual (PPM):

The meat and potatoes of roadway design. Volume 1 Chapter 2 contains the main criteria for new construction on a state project (80% of our in house jobs). Volume 2 is useful for example sheets found in a set of FDOT plans.

Plans Preparation Manual Volume I (2007 PPM Volume 1)
Plans Preparation Manual Volume II (2007 PPM Volume 2)

2007 Basis of Estimates Handbook (BOE):

Used for pay item information. This is your bible when compiling a comp. book (quantities). Chapters 11 thru 17 are heavily used when compiling pay items, which is done for 60% and/or 90% (Phase II and/or III) plans.

Basis of Estimates Handbook (2007 BOE)

2006 Design Standards:

Used in conjunction w/ the above PPM in designing state projects. Broken up by index, this manual provides standard information on guardrail (index 400), barrier wall (index 410), maintenance of traffic (index 600), etc…

2006 Design Standards

2005 Flexible Pavement Design Manual:

Used for pavement designs on 95% of our projects. Flexible pavement is the technical name for “asphalt”…the majority of our roadways, hence 95% of our projects.

Flexible Pavement Design Manual (2005)

2006 Rigid Pavement Design Manual:

Used for pavement designs on 5% of our projects. Rigid pavement is the technical name for “concrete”…the minority of our roadways, hence 5% of our projects. This may also be helpful if asked to prepare a pavement type selection report.

Rigid Pavement Design Manual (2006)

2005 Florida Green Book:

This manual is produced by FDOT and contains the bare minimum design standards. It is intended for use on all new construction projects which fall off the state and federal highway systems (local or county roads).

Florida Green Book

2004 Utility Accommodation Manual:

Provides utility information and procedures for handling them.

Utility Accommodation Manual

2006 Structures Manual:

Being a roadway designer, I am not too familiar w/ this manual, but here is the link.

Structures Manual