Pavia Systems: Online training saves paving industry time and money

Researchers at UW’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering created a startup company to deliver online, rich-media content and software to train the nearly 1 million employees in the construction paving industry.

The company, Pavia Systems, Inc., is now selling modular, customizable training systems to construction paving companies around the world.

Professors Joe Mahoney and Steve Muench, and Senior Research Engineer George White created the content and delivery system. Pavia Systems merges the subject expertise of the UW research team with the business and startup expertise of Si Katara, Pavia's president.

The high-quality interactive training solution represents the largest collection of digital media and information resources available on construction asphalt paving materials, methods, and practices.

Katara said, “Combining the content license from the UW and our online training platform, we are ready to change the way knowledge is delivered to the asphalt industry.” Traditionally, employees were required to spend hours in the classroom, which was expensive and time-consuming. Pavia’s Web-delivered system of courses provides personalized training that can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. Video, animation, and voice-over narration provide a rich user experience, and users can track their progress.

The company recently partnered with the National Asphalt Pavement Association to market, sell, endorse, and produce training modules.

Pavia represents the first startup to come out of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Department Chair Scott Rutherford commented, “This effort by the UW and Pavia is an excellent example of how public-private partnerships can help to deploy UW research and education around the globe. We hope to extend this example in other areas of Civil and Environmental Engineering and will watch this initial startup with great interest.”

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