The Road to Quality Assurance
Learn the basic elements of a
statistically-based quality assurance program for highway projects with the
Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI) course
on Materials Control and Acceptance-Quality Assurance. The course features an
introduction to quality management and quality assurance. Participants then
learn techniques for collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting
materials data, as well as assessing the strengths and weaknesses of process
control and acceptance plans. The course also provides an introduction to risk.
The
course is available in both a 4.5-day version (Course No. FHWA-NHI-134042) and a 2-day condensed version (Course No. FHWA-NHI-134042A). Topics covered include:
- Sampling theory.
- Organization of data.
- Analysis of data.
- Sources of variability.
- Process control.
- Acceptance plans and risks.
- Percent Within Limits acceptance plans.
- Implementation.
Among
the skills participants will gain are the ability to describe necessary forms
of data organization; identify population and sample means, standard deviation,
and coefficient of variation; indicate sources of variability and how to use
precision and bias statements; explain process control plans; identify the
elements of acceptance plans; and identify procedures for verifying contractor
tests used in acceptance decisions.
The
course is designed for Federal, State, and local highway agency engineers in
materials, construction, research, and other highway fields. The target
audience also includes technicians involved in specification development and
laboratory and field testing of highway materials. The course has a minimum
class size of 20 and a maximum of 30. The fee is $600 per participant for the
4.5-day class and $270 for the condensed course.
To
schedule the course, complete the "On-Site Course Request-Form 1530"
at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/NHIUPLR/Login.aspx. For more information on the course content, contact Michael Rafalowski at FHWA, 202-366-1571 (email: michael.rafalowski@fhwa.dot.gov). For more information on scheduling a session, contact the NHI Training Team, 703-235-0534 (email: nhitraining@fhwa.dot.gov). The course description for the 2-day class can be found at http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/course_detail.aspx?num=FHWA-NHI-134042A&cat=&key=&num=134042&loc=&sta=%25&tit=&typ=&lev=&ava=&str=&end=&drl=.
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