AASHTO Journal - AASHTO Re:source Q&A Podcast Talks R 18 Pitfalls

The latest episode of the AASHTO re:source Q&A podcast delves into the intricacies of AASHTO R 18 conformance, the basis of the AASHTO Accreditation Program.

[Above image by AASHTO re:source]

AASHTO re:source is a technical service program offered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials that provides services and tools through three major programs: the Laboratory Assessment Program, the Proficiency Sample Program, and the AASHTO Accreditation Program. Its mission is to collaborate with key stakeholders to provide services that ensure the integrity of the materials in our nation’s infrastructure.

This episode of the Q&A podcast – which originally launched in September 2020 – uncovers common problem areas and offers actionable strategies to help laboratories excel in quality management.

Achieving and maintaining AASHTO Accreditation is a cornerstone for more than 2,000 laboratories in the construction materials industry, and this podcast episode highlights their most frequent “nonconformities” to AASHTO standards – such as calibration record-keeping, training and competency evaluation, and internal audits – and the ways to fix them.

One of the key takeaways of this episode is that conformance to AASHTO R 18 is important, but laboratories must never lose sight of the importance of quality and the value of a culture of continual improvement.

To listen to the full episode, click here.