Meeting the Quality Management Issue on Highway Construction

Rebuilding the nation's highways is a challenge facing our highway engineers and contractors. Changes in materials, evolving construction practices, major turnovers of experienced personnel in both the private and public sector, and accomplishing large volumes of work under increasing traffic loads contribute to this challenge. Maintaining and improving the quality of the completed work can be addressed through the development and implementation of quality management programs. These programs must be broad and answer four basic questions: (1) What do we want?; (2) how do we order it?; (3) how do we determine that we got what we ordered?; and (4) what do we do if we don't get what we ordered? Designs, specifications, production controls, inspection, and materials acceptance procedures must be carefully developed to provide for high quality, and individuals involved in the processes must be well trained and motivated toward providing a quality product.