Laboratory Accreditation and the Quality of Testing of Construction Materials Used in Transportation Systems.
Laboratory Accreditation and the Quality of Testing of
Construction Materials Used in Transportation Systems.
(595 K)
Pielert, J. H.
Quality Assurance: A National Commitment Conference.
Proceedings. American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE). October 1997, Reston, VA, 71-80 pp, 1997.
Keywords:
construction materials; transportation
Abstract:
An important contribution to the quality of a
constructed facility is accurate testing of materials
which go into the project. In recognition of this fact,
laboratory accrediation programs are being used to a
greater extent in the United States to ensure that
materials used in highways and other transportation
projects are being tested in conformance with
appropriate standards and specifications. The largest
of these programs in the United States is the AASHTO
Accreditation Program (AAP) which was established by the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO) in 1988. It provides a mechanism for
formally recognizing the competency of testing
laboratories to perform specific tests on asphalt
binders, hot-mix asphalt, aggregates, hydraulic cement,
and portland cement concrete. AAP utilizes the
laboratory inspection and proficiency sample programs of
the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL) and the
Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL) to
accredit laboratories. The Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) is requiring that certain state
and private laboratories which test materials used in
Federal transportation projects be accredited by AAP.
This paper provides an overview of AMRL and CCRL
programs, and discusses how the approach to laboratory
accreditation used by AAP assists FHWA in promoting the
quality of laboratory testing of highway construction
materials.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899