Expectations Regardless of Program Structure

1
FHWA Midwestern Program/Project Delivery
Workshop Construction Quality Control
Breakout St. Louis, MO October 17, 2001
2
Intent Of This Overview

• Legislation/Policy
• FHWA/STA Roles
• Industry Example
• FHWA Construction Involvement
• Inspections
• Training
• Specifications

3
Legislative/Policy Background Information
4
Expectations Regardless of Program Structure

• Secretary Mineta ensure that the Federal
  government gets what it pays for . . . Major
  transportation projects are managed wisely and
  appropriately
• Congressman Rogers questioned FHWA actions to
  review and ensure accurate project estimates and
  control of overruns
• Federal agencies are accountable for the
  expenditure of all funds

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Legislative Framework

• 49 USC 101 DOT to ensure coordinated and
  effective transportation programs
• 23 USC 302 STA have adequate powers, suitably
  equipped and organized . . . to the satisfaction
  of the Secretary

• 23 USC 106 States may assume . . .for NHS
  States shall assume for non-NHS
• 23 USC 145 Federal-State relationship, States
  determine which projects will be Federally funded

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ISTEA and TEA 21

• Authorized FHWA to delegate specific project
  approval authorities to STA
• Did not alter FHWA program responsibility on all
  programs to Congress and public

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June 22, 2001 Policy PaperFHWA/STA Roles

• FHWA program stewardship oversight
  responsibilities - all programs
• STA can assume project approval authorities
• STA to manage delegated authority included STA
  oversight of LPA projects
• Goal Confidence that federal programs are
  implemented in compliance with laws, regulations
  and policy

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Goal Is Critical

• STAs are facing downsizing, high turnover,
  increased project load
• How are STAs adjusting their project
  administration?
• Greater use of consultants for CE?
• Is quality affected?
• If the program is managed satisfactorily today,
  are there concerns about tomorrow?

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FHWA/STA Roles (Continued)

• FHWA/STA joint assessment of FHWA programs,
  delegated authorities
• Unit performance plans include stewardship and
  oversight strategies
• FHWA sets stewardship and oversight strategy
  based on risk assessment

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FHWA/STA Roles (Continued)

• Oversight through process reviews, program
  evaluation, program management activities, and
  project involvement activities
• Include both NHS and non-NHS project reviews in
  oversight activities

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With All That Said, What Is the Tie to
Construction Quality and the FHWAs Involvement
????
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Lets Start With a Private Industry Situation.

This hands off example is hopefully not
indicative of STA or LPA projects
Credit to the individual who developed the
following 16 slides
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QUALITY ASSURANCE AND THE SINKING OF THE LARGEST
OFFSHOREOIL PLATFORM March 2001
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For those of you who may be involved in project
cost control (at whatever level),
15
please read this quote from a Petrobras
executive,
16
extolling the benefits of cutting quality
assurance and inspection costs,
17
on the project that sunk into the Atlantic Ocean
off the coast of Brazil in March 2001.
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"Petrobras has established new global benchmarks
for the generation of exceptional shareholder
wealth
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through an aggressive and innovative programme of
cost cutting on its P36 production facility.
20
Conventional constraints have been successfully
challenged
21
and replaced with new paradigms appropriate to
the globalised corporate market place.
22
Through an integrated network of facilitated
workshops,
23
the project successfully rejected the established
constricting and negative influences of
prescriptive engineering,
24
onerous quality requirements, and outdated
concepts of inspection and client control.
25
Elimination of these unnecessary straitjackets
has empowered the project's suppliers and
contractors to propose highly economical
solutions,
26
with the win-win bonus of enhanced profitability
margins for themselves.
27
The P36 platform shows the shape of things to
come
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 in unregulated global market economy of the
21st Century.
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Now Back to Highways !
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23 CFR 637.205(a)
Quality Assurance Program. Each SHA shall
develop a quality assurance program which will
assure that the materials and workmanship
incorporated into each Federal-aid highway
construction project on the NHS are in
conformity with the requirements of the approved
plans and specifications, including approved
changes.
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Construction Monitoring

• Is the product in conformity with the plans
  specs?
• Does the completed project meet the original
  intent?
• Have the environmental commitments been
  constructed or adhered to?
• Is it a quality product?
• Are changes needed on future designs or
  specifications?
• Are there opportunities to implement new
  performance specifications or non-traditional
  contracting methods?
• Are there opportunities to save money?

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Its more than just observing if the slump and
air content are within specification tolerance!
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• FEDERAL-AID POLICY GUIDE
  December 9, 1991, Transmittal 1
• G 6042.8
• CHAPTER 6
• CONSTRUCTION MONITORING
• Par.
• Purpose
• Definitions
• Policy
• Annual Construction Monitoring Program
• Construction Inspections
• Frequency of Inspections
• Construction Inspection Reports
• Annual Reports
• Attachment 1 - Construction Inspection Report
  (Form FHWA 1446 A)Attachment 2 - Final
  Acceptance Report (Form FHWA 1446 B)Attachment 3
  - Final Acceptance Report for CA and SRP projects
  (Form FHWA 1446 C)
• PURPOSE. To establish policies, procedures, and
  guidelines relating to the inspection,
  acceptance, and quality of Federal-aid highway
  construction.

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Form FHWA 1446 A
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Form FHWA 1446A

• Generally each time a project visit is made
• Full oversight projects
• Can be brief overview
• Construction problems
• Upcoming changes
• Quality issues
• Construction inspections and final inspection
• Copy to STA

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Form FHWA 1446 B
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The FHWAs non-regulatory Construction Monitoring
guidelines G 6042.8 are implemented through the
division/STA stewardship plans
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You cant inspect in quality, it has to be a
Contractor/STA/FHWA team effort !!!
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Construction Focus Areas

• Grading and Drainage
• Foundations
• Plant mix Bituminous Paving
• Concrete Paving
• Structural Concrete
• Structural Steel

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Construction Focus Areas

• Work Zone Traffic Control
• Erosion Control (temporary and permanent)
• Environmental Commitments
• Measurement and Payment
• Contract Administration
• Project Records and Documentation

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Use the division/STA risk analysis to decide
where to focus resources
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Common Quality Threads

• Properly trained contractor and owner personnel
• Quality materials
• Quality construction/fabrication techniques
• Quality plans and specifications
• Qualified laboratories
• Pride in workmanship

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How Do You Identify Problems?

• Know the plans and specifications better than the
  individual constructing (LOFTY GOAL !!!)
• Take time to thoroughly understand the activity
  (the PROCESS)
• Ask questions (very IMPORTANT)
• Have a written plan of attack (inspection
  documentation form)

44
How Do You Identify Problems?

• Develop a good working relationship with the STA
  project personnel based on trust and mutual
  understanding
• Measure of Success is Having the
  resident/project engineer call you and ask for
  your opinion on how to resolve a construction
  problem

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Inspection Documentation Forms

• Inspection documentation forms
• Process reviews/product evaluations
• Continuous improvement reviews
• Quality reviews
• In-depth inspections
• Each Division has their own
• Old Region 5 compilation
• WRC compilation

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WRC Compilation
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Training Opportunities

• NHI/FHWA courses
• American Association of State Highway and
  Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
• Regional/State technician certification programs
• National Institute for Certification in
  Engineering Technologies (NICET)
• American Concrete Institute (ACI)
• National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)
• Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)

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Training Opportunities

• National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT)
• American Road Transportation Builders
  Association (ARTBA)
• American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA)
• American Public Works Association (APWA)
• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA)
• Internet

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Technician Qualification or Certification Program

• A program that allows a person to become
  qualified to perform quality assurance testing,
  which may include process control, acceptance, or
  verification, by taking an established training
  curriculum and passing written and hands-on
  examinations.

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Why Qualify/Certify ?

• Minimize sampling testing errors
• Better assurance that material meet
  specifications
• Reduce project failures
• High project costs demand accurate and reliable
  test results
• Improve overall construction quality through
  improved sampling and testing performance

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Tester/inspector Certification

• Regional (5)
• Western Alliance for Quality Transportation
  Construction (WAQTC)
• Mid-Atlantic Region Technician Certification
  Program (MARTCP)
• North Central Multi-Regional Training and
  Certification Program (M-TRAC)
• Southeast Task Force on Technician Training and
  Certification (SETFTTC)
• New England Transportation Technician
  Certification Program (NETTCP)

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Benefits of Regional Programs

• Reciprocity between states
• Promotes uniform testing through common program
• Provide standard levels of work performance
• Provide personnel with opportunities for growth
  and advancement
• Efficiency
• Allows for the exchange of information
• Cost effective

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Regional Programs
WAQTC
NETTCP
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Tester/Inspector Certification (Cont.)

• Non-Regional Groups
• State specific
• I.E. Illinois technician certification program
• Often coordinated with local NAPA, ACI, or AGC
• I.E. Colorado Laboratory Certification of
  Asphalt Technicians LabCAT New Mexico
  Technician Training and Certification Program
  TTCP

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National Transportation Curriculum Coordination
Council
TCCC
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TCCC Members

• Industry
• AGC
• ARTBA
• ACPA
• NAPA
• NRMCA

• Agency
• AASHTO SOC
• AASHTO SOM
• FHWA
• NHI

• Regional
• MARTCP
• NETTCP
• M-TRAC
• SETFTTC
• WAQTC

TCCC formation facilitated by FHWA Office of
Asset Management (OAM)
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TCCC Activities

• National coordination in the development of
  construction, materials, and project management
  training
• Technical panels in specific subject areas
• Identified need for national training web site to
  list courses and share information
• Contacts
• John Perry (HIAM) 202-366-2023
• Howe Crockett (WFLHD) 360-696-7750

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Qualified Laboratories

• Laboratories that are capable as defined by
  appropriate programs established by each SHA. As
  a minimum, the qualifications program shall
  include provisions for checking test equipment
  and the laboratory shall keep records of
  calibration checks
• 23 CFR 637.209
• Key point test results need to be accurate and
  reproducible

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Quality Specifications

• Method Specifications
• End Result Specifications
• Quality Assurance Specifications
• Performance Related Specifications

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Quality Assurance Specifications

• QA Definition All those planned and systematic
  actions necessary to provide confidence that a
  product or service will satisfy given
  requirements for quality. 23CFR637
• Distinguishing Elements in QA Specification
• Clearly defined and measurable quality levels and
  characteristics
• Statistically Based random testing
• Price adjustment for variation in quality
• Balanced Risk owner/contractor
• Defined QC and QA test responsibility

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Performance Related Specifications

• PRS are improved QA Specifications that
• have defined construction and material quality
  levels that are directly related to the long term
  performance of the product
• Provide a rational price adjustment system, based
  on the predicted life cycle cost of the product
• In pavements, they provide a critical
  construction connection to pavement management
  systems

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(No Transcript)
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You Find A Concern During a Review..What Do
You Do???
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Look for the Cause

• Is is project specific or does it have wider
  applicability
• Resolve the concern at hand and work with the STA
  to correct the process if necessary
• Pink slips are generally a last resort

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Resolving Concerns

• Do not direct the contractors operations
• STA/Contractor contractual relationship
• Work with the RE/PE to resolve concern before you
  leave the project
• Your report should reflect positive resolution or
  recommend the process be further reviewed

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Remember Your Goals

• Confidence that federal programs are
  implemented in compliance with laws, regulations
  and policy
• Confidence that the public is receiving a long
  lasting, quality product
• Confidence that the construction process is as
  efficient and effective as possible

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If I can be of assistance. Bill
Hakala Construction and Contract Administration
Engineer Western Resource Center 303-716-2151 303-
969-6727 fax william.hakala_at_fhwa.dot.gov
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Lets Discuss Two Division Specific Programs