In November, AASHTO re:source will host a two-day virtual Technical Exchange or “Virtual TechEx” where professionals in the construction materials testing industry can come together to share insights, experiences, and best practices.
[Above image by AASHTO]
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 or PSP, and the AASHTO Accreditation Program or AAP.
AASHTO re:source’s Virtual TechEx – to be held November 5-6 – will feature meetings on aggregate, asphalt, and concrete testing errors and how to correct them; equipment calibration methods; and a virtual networking session for members of the construction materials testing industry.
In three separate 50-minute “testing errors” sessions – one each focused on aggregate, asphalt, and concrete materials – attendees will have the opportunity to participate in breakout sessions, fostering collaborative problem-solving and the sharing of best practices.
Those separate sessions aim to enhance understanding of the various material involved in road building, how to improve laboratory testing practices, and, ultimately, contribute to the quality and reliability of construction materials testing – especially in terms of evaluating the impact of testing errors and the possible preventative measures available to help avoid them in the first place.
Another 50-minute session focuses on how to maintain accurate and reliable testing equipment; something foundational to quality results in construction materials testing. Participants in that session will learn the distinctions between calibration, standardization, and equipment checks—and why those distinctions matter.
Using earlier discussions of common findings as a foundation, this session will explore how improper equipment checks can lead to repeat issues and testing errors using real-world examples, interactive polling, and breakout discussions.
Two other 50-minute sessions concentrate on how to develop practical and tailored quality management system or QMS strategies to enhance efficiency, foster staff engagement, and drive continual improvement.
One of those two sessions examines the multiple ways to document and present a QMS process that meets the suite of requirements in QMS standards such as AASHTO R 18, ASTM C1077, ASTM D3666, and more. That process explores how the laboratory would like to structure its QMS documents, how the laboratory would like to deploy and market those documents, and what risks and costs the laboratory is willing to accept regarding QMS management.
To register for the AASHTO re:source Virtual TechEx, click here.
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