The Development of a Contract Quality Assurance Program Within the Virginia Department of Highways

Report No: 89-R18

Published in 1989

About the report:

In order to assure the quality of construction products and processes, the Virginia Department of Transportation has established three levels of construction control. First, contractors themselves provide oversight and quality control as set out in the Department's Road and Bridge specifications and in their contract stipulations. Second, the Department's construction inspectors provide quality acceptance in that they determine whether contractors are adhering to specifications and either accept or reject the work in progress. Finally, the Department's quality assurance program examines the methods for inspecting projects and determines where new procedures are necessary to keep the construction process under departmental control. In 1987, the quality assurance effort for highway construction In Virginia was redesigned and retitled the Contract Quality Assurance Program, and steps were taken to put the program on a sound statistical footing and to improve its reliability among field personnel. Sample size requirements were calculated, and a stratified random sampling plan was instituted. A list of inspectable items was developed and prioritized to assist inspectors in managing their time and to ensure agreement on what field inspection entailed. New reporting procedures were developed to change the focus of the program from "inspecting inspectors" to evaluating the inspection process, thus removing the punitive aspects of the previous program.

Disclaimer Statement:The contents of this report reflect the views of the author(s), who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Any inclusion of manufacturer names, trade names, or trademarks is for identification purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement.

Authors

  • Cheryl W. Lynn

Last updated: December 28, 2023

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