PMSS Project Details

Project ID:	FHWA-PROJ-09-0016
Project Name:	Quantifying the Effectiveness of State Quality Assurance Programs
Status:	Active
Contact:	Last Name: Faridazar First Name: Fred Telephone: 202-493-3076 E-mail: fred.faridazar@dot.gov
Organization:	FHWA/Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
Office:	Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Team:	Pavement Design and Construction Team
Roadmap/Focus area(s):	Infrastructure Research and Technology Strategic Plan and Roadmap
Project Description:	State highway administrations do not currently have an objective way to determine how well their quality assurance programs and their specifications are working. A procedure has been developed to assist State highway administrations and Federal Highway Administration Divisions in evaluating the effectiveness of construction quality assurance programs and specifications. The procedure (see "Procedure for Monitoring and Improving the Effectiveness of QA Specifications" in Transportation Research Record 1813) calls for data analysis of the State's construction quality database to determine whether what the State wants (in terms of construction quality) is actually being specified by the State and delivered by the contractor. The procedure can be used to quantify the effectiveness of a quality assurance program, while at the same time identifying problem areas so they can be corrected. It also has the potential for use as a benchmarking tool for State highway agencies. The procedure was used to analyze the Florida Department of Transportation's Construction Quality Reporting (CQR) database, and make recommendations to that State. This is an activity that calls for analyzing various States' databases, making recommendations for quality assurance program improvements, and promoting good database development and analysis.
Laboratories:	Not Applicable
Start Date:	June 23, 2009
End Date:	July 29, 2011
Funding Amount:	$125,000.00
FHWA Program Name:	Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
Goals:	5-2 Quality Assurance Program Effectiveness
Project Type:	Offsite
Background Information:	Data not yet available
Test Methodology:	Data not yet available
Other Information:	Data not yet available
Partners:	Data not yet available
More Information URL(s):
Fieldtest:	Data not yet available
Expected Benefits:	This activity ties directly to improving the effectiveness of quality assurance programs. It will allow quantification and tracking of the effectiveness of quality assurance programs. Even more importantly, it will provide both a scientific benchmarking tool for State highway administrations as well as a tool they can use to identify and correct problems with their specifications and quality assurance/quality control programs.
Deliverables:	Data not yet available
Related URL(s):
Project Findings:	Data not yet available
FHWA Topics:	Roads and Bridges--Construction and Project Management
TRT Terms:	Specifications Quality Control Quality Assurance Construction Infrastructure Research Bridges
FHWA Disciplines:	Construction and Project Management
Subject Areas:	Pavements Construction Research