FHWA Introduces Quality Assurance Specification Course
A new online course available from the Federal Highway
Administration's (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI) provides participants
with an introduction to statistical analysis and the development of
statistically valid quality assurance (QA) specifications for highway
construction projects. By using statistically valid QA specifications, agencies
can obtain a more uniform product, better link project payment to the product
received, and reward contractors for quality. The free 8-hour course, SpecRisk
Quality Assurance Specification Development and Validation (Course No.
FHWA-NHI-134070), also introduces SpecRisk, a new software program available
from FHWA that enables users to successfully develop statistically valid
specifications. Participants will have the opportunity to download SpecRisk for
future use.
Upon completion of the course,
participants will be able to:
- Understand
key concepts necessary to develop an effective, statistically valid QA
specification.
- Make an
informed selection among available options when developing a project acceptance
plan.
- Develop QA
specifications in alignment with best practices, Federal regulations, and FHWA
policy.
- Use the
SpecRisk software to understand risks and develop statistically valid
specifications.
The course requires a solid
foundation in basic statistics. Prior completion of the NHI course, Materials
Control and Acceptance—Quality Assurance (Course No. FHWA-NHI-134042), is also
recommended.
Quality Assurance Training
NHI, in partnership with FHWA's Office of Infrastructure and
Resource Center, offers a suite of QA training courses and workshops to meet
the needs of State and local transportation agencies and industry. The goal is
to emphasize the importance of implementing a QA program, as well as to
standardize QA practices across the country. "The training courses are geared
toward different levels of expertise, covering everyone from construction
personnel to staff who develop specifications," says Mike Rafalowski of FHWA.
In addition to the new SpecRisk course, the following training is now
available:
- Materials
Control and Acceptance—Quality Assurance (Course No. FHWA-NHI-134042). This
recently updated introductory course provides participants with an
understanding of the basic elements of a statistically based QA program. Participants
will learn techniques for collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting
data. The course is designed for personnel who develop specifications. It also
serves as a 1-week module for the 6-week Highway Materials Engineering Academy
(Course No. FHWA-NHI-131023).
- Transportation
Construction Quality Assurance (Course No. FHWA-NHI-134064). This
intermediate-level course was developed to ensure that agency, contractor, and
consultant personnel responsible for interpreting and applying QA specifications
in transportation construction are properly qualified. The course is available
in both 1.5-day and 3-day versions. Topics covered include QA program elements,
quality measurement, the evolution of QA specifications, and the roles and
responsibilities of both contractor and agency personnel.
Also under development is a course
on QA Specification Development and Validation.
In addition to the NHI courses, the
FHWA Resource Center is offering a 1-day workshop, Introduction to Percent
Within Limits: The Quality Measure of Choice. The workshop provides
participants with an overview of quality measures, details on how to use
percent within limits (PWL), and specifics on computing PWL. Hands-on exercises
provide participants with the opportunity to compare and contrast quality
measures and compute PWL for sample materials data. The workshop is offered at
no cost to the host agency. For more information on scheduling the workshop,
contact Dennis Dvorak at the FHWA Resource Center, 708-283-3542 (email: dennis.dvorak@fhwa.dot.gov).
To learn more about the various NHI
courses, visit the online NHI Training Catalog at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/brows_catalog.aspx. For more information on
FHWA's QA resources, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/qa/index.cfm. |
The SpecRisk course is designed for
Federal, State, and local highway agency engineers in the areas of materials,
construction, and research who are developing statistical specifications. The
training is also appropriate for industry personnel who are involved in
reviewing and providing input to the specification development process.
 |
| By using statistically valid quality assurance specifications for projects, transportation agencies can obtain a more uniform product. |
"The Michigan Department of
Transportation and FHWA's Michigan Division office are looking forward to using
SpecRisk when we begin reevaluating the concrete pavement acceptance program in
Michigan this spring. The online training was easy to follow, and the
downloadable presentations will be useful as a reference once we begin the risk
analysis," says Robert Conway of FHWA's Michigan Division office.
For more information on scheduling
the course, visit www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov, or contact the NHI Scheduler at
703-235-0534 (email: NHITraining@fhwa.dot.gov). For more information on QA
specifications, contact Mike Rafalowski at FHWA, 202-366-1571 (email: michael.rafalowski@fhwa.dot.gov), or Matt Corrigan at FHWA, 202-366-1549
(email: matt.corrigan@fhwa.dot.gov).
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