Course Catalogue.

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the evolution of specification systems
• Identify the key components necessary to develop specification systems
• Recognize the value of performance specifications
• Avoid early age deterioration or failure of pavement assets
• Understand the connection between performance specifications and transportation asset management

Description

The delivery of transportation infrastructure has transitioned from method to performance-based specifications. Method specifications relied on owner expertise to dictate the materials, equipment and methods to be used by a contractor to produce the product desired by the agency. In the late 1980s, agencies began to endorse end result specifications. Parameters outside of the specified ranges could result in financial penalties or a requirement to remove and replace installed product. 

Agencies are moving beyond quality assurance specifications that specify end product quality to Performance-Related Specifications (PRS) that specify quality in terms of desired performance over the long term. PRS is helping agencies build better, longer-lasting roads and build them more cost-effectively. 

Construction quality characteristics, such as smoothness, pavement thickness, air voids, and concrete strength, have been found to correlate with fundamental engineering properties that can predict performance. Performance related specifications describe the desired levels of these, or other, key quality characteristics and uses models to predict pavement performance.

One of the major benefits of PRS is the ability of a contractor to be innovative in achieving the PRS objectives. They can use PRS to improve their products and methods to meet the agency objectives without the need for approval of their means and methods. 

This webinar outlines the progression of agency specifications and provides an overview of the steps necessary to adopt PRS. Examples of various types of contracts incorporating PRS as provide along with lessons learned in their adoption

Course Outline

This course covers:

• Evolution of specifications for roadway construction and rehabilitation
• Critical elements for the adoption of performance specifications
• Current status of performance specifications
• Examples of the use of performance specifications
• Lessons learned from the adoption of performance specifications

Who Should Attend

• Architects, engineers and technicians involved in roadway design, construction and maintenance
• Agency personnel involved in the delivery of transportation infrastructure
• Consultants involved in the evaluation of pavement condition
• Specifiers and purchasers of pavement testing equipment
• Specifiers and other technical staff involved in the development of performance specifications