The Role of Quality Assurance in Delivering Long-Life Concrete Pavements

The fundamental goal of any pavement design and construction project is to provide a pavement system that will survive the predicted traffic and environment for the pavement design life. Structural design is primarily considered as the way to meet that goal. Concrete mixtures and construction practices are generally assumed to be acceptable, but the properties that most affect pavement life are either not tested or not tested in real time while corrections could be accomplished.

This paper will provide an overview of the two sides of quality assurance, quality control and agency acceptance, and the role each plays in ensuring that pavements both meet specifications and provide a long service life. The quality assurance roles of both agencies and contractors must be clearly understood. New technologies are available for both quality control and agency assurance that could significantly improve pavement quality and improve contractor profitability.