DEVELOPMENT OF A QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM FOR ASPHALT PAVING MIXTURES IN SOUTH CAROLINA - PHASE II

In February 2000, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) implemented a new hot mix asphalt (HMA) specification that used Percent Within Limits (PWL) to determine the amount of payment a contractor receives. This report summarizes efforts to determine how well this PWL specification had performed and what, if any, modifications were needed. Personnel from 10 SC contractors and from all 7 SCDOT districts were interviewed to get comments on how well the specification was working and to determine what procedures in the specification could be modified to improve it. The interviews identified problems with open lots, excessive paperwork, too great a workload for contractor quality control (QC) personnel, and inconsistent interpretation of the specification provisions. In addition, test result data from PWL projects were obtained for asphalt content, air voids, voids in mineral aggregate, and density. These data were analyzed to determine values for typical process variability for each characteristic. Based on the interviews and data analysis a revised quality assurance (QA) specification was developed by a joint SCDOT/industry committee and was implemented in 2003. Changes were made in the specification limits, in the payment factor equations, and in the provisions that identify material to be removed and replaced. Other changes included a new definition of lots for payment acceptance and payment determination, reduction of the workload for contractor QC inspectors, and the elimination of the requirement that contractors maintain control charts.

• Corporate Authors:

  Clemson University

  Department of Civil Engineering
  Clemson, SC  United States  29634

  South Carolina Department of Transportation

  Silas N. Pearman Building, 955 Park Street
  Columbia, SC  United States  29202

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Burati, J L
  • Corbin, B D
• Publication Date: 2003-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 222 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air voids; Asphalt content; Asphalt mixtures; Asphalt pavements; Density; Hot mix asphalt; Inspectors; Interviewing; Laboratory tests; Payment; Problem identification; Quality assurance; Quality control; Road construction; Specifications; Workload
• Uncontrolled Terms: Percent within limits; Voids in mineral aggregate
• Geographic Terms: South Carolina
• Subject Areas: Construction; Finance; Highways; Materials; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00964854
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-SC-03-06,, Final Report
• Contract Numbers: 616
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 13 2003 12:00AM