QUALITY ASSURANCE--A SYSTEM IN PRACTICE

The trend toward rapid highway construction and maintenance operations has resulted in certain deficiencies in the classical specifications and procedures of past years. This has resulted in a decision to begin an ordered restructuring of the system then in existence. The objective was eventual establishment of a quality-assurance system that would be adequate for the department's needs and use the resources that would be made available. Major areas that have been substantially affected by the decision are briefly discussed. These areas include training, specifications, sampling and testing, information handling, and the owner-contractor relations. Changes noted that have been implemented in these areas include: (a) technician certification, (b) routine application of the concepts of probability, (c) clear definitions of the contractor's responsibility for quality control and the department's responsibility for acceptance, (d) use of contractor-developed data by the department, (e) development and application of rapid test and evaluation methods, and (f) the routine use of electronic data processing in daily operating procedures. Based on the favorable results obtained, performance specifications are workable, and the continued use of systems engineering techniques is the most practical way to maintain an overall course of action that is directed toward the achievement of our goal-a quality-assurance system that works in practice.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1981/792/792-002.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=QUALITY+ASSURANCE--A+SYSTEM+IN+PRACTICE&author=G.+Steele&author=F.+Higgins&publication_year=1981
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309032067
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Quality Assurance and Acceptance Procedures. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Steele, G W
  • Higgins Jr, F T
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 3-7
• Monograph Title: Contractual Relationships: An Essential Ingredient of the Quality-Assurance System and Other Quality-Control Papers
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 792
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Certification; Contractors; Contracts; Highway maintenance; Probability theory; Quality assurance; Road construction; Sampling; Specifications; Test procedures; Training
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Construction; Data and Information Technology; Education and Training; Highways; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00341145
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309032067
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 28 1981 12:00AM