Advanced Quality Systems: Guidelines for Establishing and Maintaining Construction Quality Databases

CHAPTER 6. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1 SUMMARY

SHA QA programs are designed to provide a means for the State and the contractor to build good quality and long-life pavements. A variety of laboratory and field tests are conducted at different stages of the project, from material selection and mix design to final construction. These tests measure the properties of materials placed and the overall quality of construction. In the process, both the agency and the contractor collect a large amount of data that are stored in different formats, depending on the agency’s practices. Most agencies either maintain a construction quality database or are moving towards automating the data collection and storage process. Across different States, these databases have been designed to meet their specific needs, and current systems differ considerably in their architecture, purpose, and data collection procedures.

The main objective of this study was to recommend guidelines for SHAs to establish and maintain efficient database systems to record construction quality information for asphalt and concrete paving projects. These recommendations are based on a summary of best practices gathered from various States and on the project team’s vision of a model construction quality database system.

As a first step, researchers contacted SHAs that have been proactive in establishing and maintaining construction quality systems. A detailed survey helped to understand their practices on their general database system, QA program, data collection procedures, acceptance process, data analysis, and integration with other agency databases. With some of the agencies, the surveys were then followed up with in-depth reviews and site visits to collect detailed information. Generally speaking, it was found that while agencies possess a system that meets their current needs with good data storage facility, the current systems do not offer them the flexibility to easily perform data analysis for broader use. In other words, while the agencies are able to calculate pay factors and make acceptance decisions, the database cannot easily be linked to other databases in the agency to monitor effectiveness of their specifications, or correlate construction quality to field performance, or to tie it back with life-cycle cost analysis. The reasons for these limitations were identified.

The product of this study is the development of a model database that has attempted to address the current and future needs of the surveyed agencies, while also incorporating the positive features that exist in the current database systems across the nation. These recommendations can be used as guidelines by agencies that are either establishing a new database or are in the process of upgrading their current versions. Also suggested are statistical analyses that can be performed using data solely in the construction quality database system, as well as with data linked to other databases. Overall, there are a multitude of benefits to using an efficient construction quality database system, as it can help support several vital activities.

6.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommended database is a Web-based system with client server architecture with a feature to use a standalone machine or a hand-held device for field data collection and subsequent uploading to the server. The system consists of four main modules, as described in chapter 4:

• Database Server Module—the core of the architecture storing all system data information and that all client machines connect to through the internet.
• QA Data Input Module—the module which provides the framework and format to make data inputs in several categories including general contract information, materials and design, QC testing, acceptance testing, construction records, checklists, and IA testing.
• QA Management Module—the module providing the necessary information from State specifications and that uses the data from the QA data input module to calculate pay factors, establish acceptance or rejection decisions, and perform statistical analysis.
• Data Translation (Referencing) Module—the module that provides the necessary link and tools to translate data from other agency databases to carry out the analysis on datasets created by integrating two or more databases. This is the critical "missing link" in all current construction quality databases.

In addition to providing an automated project test data entry and storage, a well-designed construction quality database offers several other very important benefits that should be driving agencies to improve and redesign their current systems. These benefits include the generation of several critical outputs and generation of advanced engineering analysis to constantly improve construction quality, pavement performance, and improved life-cycle costs. Benefit analyses are needed that show the costs and benefits of additional staffing to support and conduct these advanced engineering analyses. There are definitely several States that recognize this importance and would like to pursue it.

Events

• 9th International Conference on Concrete Pavements
  San Francisco Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, CA
  August 17-21, 2008

• View all Upcoming Pavements Events

Contact

Peter Kopac
Turner Fairbank
202-493-3151
E-mail Peter