ForConstructionPros.com

In an effort to control the rising costs of materials and the impact that has on the amount of work road agencies can accomplish, there seems to be an increasing trend in the number of warranty projects agencies are awarding to asphalt paving contractors.

Warranty projects place more responsibility on the shoulders of the asphalt producer/contractor, who will be required to have accurate and reliable lab and field testing equipment to ensure pavement quality during placement and the duration of the specified warranty period.

We asked several suppliers of quality control products to respond to the following questions. Here's what they had to say...

Will this warranty project trend require asphalt producers/contractors to beef up their testing capabilities? Please explain.
David Apkarian, president, Transtech Systems Inc.: "Absolutely. No longer will it be acceptable for a contractor to push off QCQA. They will need to take responsibility for testing. Wages will have to increase and be equal to machine operators so the QC tech becomes an interracial part of the crew.