Expert Task Groups
An Expert Task Group (ETG) is a group of expert individuals possessing broad knowledge in a particular discipline who provide technical advice to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Preservation related ETGs trace their roots back to 1990 when the FHWA formed working groups in four geographic regions of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to evaluate preventive maintenance treatments. Two important ETGs are the Pavement Preservation ETG (PPETG), one of the oldest such groups, having been formally established in 1997, and the Bridge Preservation ETG (BPETG), established in 2010.
Both ETGs, the PPETG with approximately 70 members and the BPETG with approximately 21 members, represent a broad spectrum of public and private organizations and individuals with interests and expertise in pavement and bridge preservation. These include federal, state, county and municipal highway officials, consulting engineers, academics, contractors, and materials suppliers. Two co-chairs (one from the FHWA and one appointed by the FHWA from the ETG membership) provide direction and guidance and develop meeting agendas. Both ETGs generally hold two meetings a year at which updates on action items are presented by members working through several subcommittees, or new items are presented for discussion or action.
Further information on the role of ETGs may be found in an article titled “Expert Task Group Plays Lead Role in Pavement Preservation”, by Paul Fournier and presented in the Fall 2010 edition of “Pavement Preservation Journal”.
Page last modified: July 29, 2011