1、Standard Practice for Technician Training and Qualification Programs AASHTO Designation: R 25-00 (2013) American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 444 North Capitol Street N.W., Suite 249 Washington, D.C. 20001 TS-5c R 25-1 AASHTO Standard Practice for Technician Training and
2、 Qualification Programs AASHTO Designation: R 25-00 (2013) 1. SCOPE AND LIMITATION 1.1. This document provides a guideline for establishing evaluation and qualification procedures for personnel engaged in sampling and testing of soils, aggregates, hot mix asphalt, and portland cement concrete in acc
3、ordance with AASHTO test methods. The guideline is intended for use by organizations providing qualification of sampling and testing technicians at the basic testing level for acceptance of materials and independent assurance testing. 1.2. The terms used in this standard regarding “technician” or “q
4、ualification” are meant to be generic descriptions. Each state will need to use appropriate terminology consistent with state law and practices. 1.3. This guideline does not purport to address all possible events and procedures inherent in the administration and use of a technician qualification pro
5、gram (TQP). 2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS 2.1. AASHTO Standards and Publications: R 60, Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete T 2, Sampling of Aggregates T 11, Materials Finer Than 75-m (No. 200) Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing T l9M/T 19, Bulk Density (“Unit Weight”) and Voids in Aggregate T 21, Organic
6、 Impurities in Fine Aggregates for Concrete T 22, Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens T 23, Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field T 27, Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates T 71, Effect of Organic Impurities in Fine Aggregate on Strength of Mortar T 84, Sp
7、ecific Gravity and Absorption of Fine Aggregate T 85, Specific Gravity and Absorption of Coarse Aggregate T 89, Determining the Liquid Limit of Soils T 90, Determining the Plastic Limit and Plasticity Index of Soils T 99, Moisture-Density Relations of Soils Using a 2.5-kg (5.5-lb) Rammer and a 305-m
8、m (12-in.) Drop T 100, Specific Gravity of Soils T 112, Clay Lumps and Friable Particles in Aggregate T 113, Lightweight Pieces in Aggregate T 119M/T 119, Slump of Hydraulic Cement Concrete 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.All rights reserved. Duplicatio
9、n is a violation of applicable law.TS-5c R 25-2 AASHTO T 121M/T 121, Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete T 152, Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method T 164, Quantitative Extraction of Asphalt Binder from Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) T 166, Bulk Spe
10、cific Gravity (Gmb) of Compacted Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Using Saturated Surface-Dry Specimens T 168, Sampling Bituminous Paving Mixtures T 176, Plastic Fines in Graded Aggregates and Soils by Use of the Sand Equivalent Test T 180, Moisture-Density Relations of Soils Using a 4.54-kg (10-lb) Rammer and
11、 a 457-mm (18-in.) Drop T 194, Determination of Organic Matter in Soils by Wet Combustion T 196M/T 196, Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Volumetric Method T 209, Theoretical Maximum Specific Gravity (Gmm) and Density of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) T 245, Resistance to Plastic Flow of Asphalt M
12、ixtures Using Marshall Apparatus T 248, Reducing Samples of Aggregate to Testing Size T 255, Total Evaporable Moisture Content of Aggregate by Drying T 267, Determination of Organic Content in Soils by Loss on Ignition T 269, Percent Air Voids in Compacted Dense and Open Asphalt Mixtures T 283, Resi
13、stance of Compacted Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) to Moisture-Induced Damage T 287, Asphalt Binder Content of Asphalt Mixtures by the Nuclear Method T 304, Uncompacted Void Content of Fine Aggregate T 308, Determining the Asphalt Binder Content of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) by the Ignition Method T 312, Preparin
14、g and Determining the Density of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Specimens by Means of the Superpave Gyratory Compactor “Guidelines for Establishing a Technician Training and Certification Program,” National Quality Initiative Steering Committee, September 1997 Implementation Manual for Quality Assurance, Joi
15、nt Construction Quality Assurance Task Force, 1995 Quality Assurance Guide Specification, Joint Construction Quality Assurance Task Force, 1995 2.2. ASTM Standards: C 1064/C 1064M, Standard Test Method for Temperature of Freshly Mixed Hydraulic-Cement Concrete D 1560, Standard Test Methods for Resis
16、tance to Deformation and Cohesion of Bituminous Mixtures by Means of Hveem Apparatus D 4791, Standard Test Method for Flat Particles, Elongated Particles, or Flat and Elongated Particles in Coarse Aggregate D 5821, Standard Test Method for Determining the Percentage of Fractured Particles in Coarse
17、Aggregate 2.3. Federal Highway Administration: “Quality Control/Quality AssuranceTechnician Training and Certification/Qualification,” June 1997, National Task Group for Technician Training and Certification, sponsored by FHWA 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Offi
18、cials.All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.TS-5c R 25-3 AASHTO 3. INTRODUCTION 3.1. This guideline is provided to: a) Help individual states, and where desired, combinations of states and other public agencies develop a TQP for use in conjunction with quality assurance (
19、QA) specifications as described in the Implementation Manual for Quality Assurance and the Quality Assurance Guide Specification. b) Describe the activities and organizational needs for the development and operation of a technician qualification program that provides a flexible and effective means f
20、or ensuring qualified personnel perform sampling and testing. c) Describe coverage for Level I tests, the basic tests performed to identify material or product characteristics, for acceptance and/or payment under project contracts incorporating soils, aggregates, portland cement concrete, and hot mi
21、x asphalt. Examples of the basic tests that could be included under Level I are shown in Appendix A. d) More advanced levels of training and qualification within a TQP are not covered by this guideline but may be considered to address mix designs, plant control, and quality control/quality assurance
22、 (QC/QA) operations. 3.1.1. A successful TQP requires the full support and commitment from agencies and industry that have a vested interest in technician training and qualification. Involvement of all those with a common interest in technician training and qualification helps in understanding the m
23、ultiple perspectives of the team members, and this, in turn, helps develop policies and procedures that will be supported by their respective organizations. 3.1.2. Development of an agreement at the program inception and prior to major changes is recommended as the best means for gaining the needed
24、understanding and support for the program. 3.1.3. Consideration of reciprocal agreements between states, and where feasible, regions, regarding materials technician qualification acceptance is a means of addressing economy and business process efficiencies and should be an integral part of all TQPs.
25、 3.2. Background: 3.2.1. Historic roles and responsibilities of industry and agencies have changed for sampling and testing activities under QA specifications. QA specifications allow the use of contractor test results in making acceptance decisions, and the use of consultants in independent assuran
26、ce and verification sampling and testing programs, for materials and construction quality control. 3.2.2. Qualification programs and associated training have been shown to be an effective tool for improving the quality of highways and bridges by verifying that essential knowledge and skills are poss
27、essed by agency or industry personnel who monitor, inspect, and control construction operations. Qualification programs for personnel have proven to be useful, common “yardsticks” for measuring expertise and performance among public transportation agencies, private construction contractors, and inde
28、pendent materials laboratories. 3.2.3. As the use of QC/QA specifications increases, the need for TQPs as an equitable means for test result comparison and credibility between contract parties has become apparent. Each state using QC/QA specifications should have provisions requiring the use of qual
29、ified technicians involved in construction project testing and inspection activities. 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.TS-5c R 25-4 AASHTO 4. PROGRAM ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMEN
30、T 4.1. Joint Sponsorship, Key to SuccessA successful TQP works best with the full support and commitment from all parties (agency and industry) that have a vested interest in technician training and qualification. Developing a partnership agreement at program inception and prior to any major changes
31、 is recommended as the best means for gaining needed understanding and support for a TQP. Using a team approach helps provide an understanding of the multiple perspectives of the team members, and helps develop policies and procedures that will be supported by their organizations. 4.2. TQP Oversight
32、 CommitteeState laws and state highway agencies (SHAs) policies may dictate a state or regional TQP structure, and restrictions on the language of the program charter and operation. Therefore, each state should coordinate with its attorney general when developing their legal charter and bylaws for T
33、QP governance and organizational structure. Note 1When developing a state or regional program whose bylaws will include rules that require qualification, requalification, and/or provision for disqualification, legal review is needed. It is highly recommended that the TQP rules and governing provisio
34、ns for everyone performing this type of work under the TQP receive legal review by the state attorney general. The identification of legal restrictions and identification of the TQP charter or franchise requirements, based on applicable state laws, will help the TQP manager and oversight committee i
35、n the course of their duties to administer the program. 4.2.1. It is recommended that a TQP have an oversight committee to provide TQP governance. Several alternatives are recommended for establishing an oversight committee: a) Establish a joint venture between public and private industry; b) Have t
36、he SHA take the lead; or c) Have an educational institution or industry group take the lead. 4.2.2. Members of the oversight committee typically include representatives from the following areas: SHA personnel, contractors, suppliers, producers, independent laboratories, academia, private consultants
37、, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Because these programs will impact contract requirements, an agency manager should chair the oversight committee. Program oversight should be a joint effort of all of the entities represented on the oversight committee. 4.2.3. If the organization is a
38、 joint venture between agency and industry or between states, it may be incorporated as a nonprofit organization in order to receive and disburse funds on a regular basis. 4.3. TQP ManagerIt is recommended that the oversight committee should identify a TQP manager as a single contact point. The TQP
39、manager may coordinate all the following training activities: course development and curriculum; instructors and hands-on trainers; test development and qualification; training locations; manual development; class registration; and provision of supplies. 4.4. LocationIt is advisable to have a centra
40、lized administration at a regional or state level, which would include management, record keeping, scheduling, etc. It is possible to have a regional program without having a centralized qualification and training location. Qualification and training may also be done at the local level to better mee
41、t the customers needs. 4.5. FundingStart-up funds will be needed immediately to facilitate meetings, travel, printing, and other organizational functions. Possible start-up and developmental funding sources may include the following: a) State; b) Industry contributions; c) State Planning and Researc
42、h (SP 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.TS-5c R 25-5 AASHTO d) Federal Highway Administration; e) Contributed time, facilities or equipment from industry, consultants, and academia; or f) O
43、ther innovative funding mechanisms, such as loans paid back from generated income for courses. 4.5.1. Multi-state or regional involvement may result in additional funding sources and a decrease in costs to the individual participants. 4.5.2. Course fees should be reasonable but adequate to enable th
44、e program to become self-sufficient. It is necessary to make a long-term commitment and conduct the program as if it were a business, knowing that the program may lose money initially but should become self-sufficient after several years of operation. Areas where operational support may be available
45、 include the following: a) Manuals that are developed for qualification and training may be sold publicly provided that copyright laws are followed; b) Continued financial support from the agency and industry; c) Continued use of contributed facilities, equipment, etc., from the agency and industry.
46、 4.6. Organizational Task GroupsTask groups should be formed as soon as possible to simultaneously address the many TQP start-up issues. Each task group should be made up of four to six members with its chairman coming from the oversight committee. Other participating members may or may not be on th
47、e oversight committee. All members of the task group should have a working relationship and experience with the function of the particular task group. The task groups should be established and used to develop programs, plans, and policies for presentation and approval from the oversight committee. R
48、ecommended areas where task groups should be formed initially include the following: 4.6.1. A funding task group: a) To identify areas of financial support; and b) To develop operational budgets and cost review of courses, manuals, etc. 4.6.2. An administrative task group: a) To set guidelines and w
49、rite contracts for third-party administrators (e.g., director, university, or consultant); b) To work with oversight committee to ensure proper representation and replacement as necessary; c) To conduct program reviews; d) To address and resolve candidates issues; and e) To identify roles and responsibilities of operational components of the program. 4.6.3. A record-keeping and documentation task group: a) To establish security guidelines for records and designate support staff; and
