Efficient Construction Material Testing and Inspection Based on Risk Levels

Details

• Creators:
  Harper, Christofer ; Nguyen, Phuong ; Tran, Dan ; Taylor, Timothy ; Elliott, Jon
• Corporate Creators:
  Colorado State University
• Corporate Contributors:
  South Dakota. Department of Transportation. Office of Research ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Materials tests
  • Construction
  • Inspection
  • Risk analysis
  • Data analysis
  • Quantitative analysis
  • Literature reviews
  • Focus groups
  • Construction Inspection
  • Risk-Based
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  SD2024-02
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; South Dakota
• Edition:
  Final Report: January 2025 - June 2026
• Corporate Publisher:
  South Dakota. Department of Transportation. Office of Research
• Description:
  The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) uses a traditional approach to construction inspection and material testing. Research in the early 1990s, Project SD91-05: Essential Testing and Inspection Levels help set the current inspection and testing program. Due to this report being more than 30 years old, SDDOT has taken steps to review the feasibility of implementing risk-based approaches to construction inspection and material testing. Risk-based approaches focus on the value of each material test and inspection type, helping agencies direct resources to where they provide the most value and reduce the risk to end quality and performance. This, in turn, reduces impacts on cost, schedule, and safety. Therefore, due to limited resources, this research project investigates the current construction material testing and inspection program to determine frequencies and, if appropriate, modify it using risk-based approaches. To accomplish this, the research team conducted an intensive literature review, focus group interviews with SDDOT personnel and third-party contractors and consultants, and case studies with five state DOTs. A risk assessment was conducted using a list of material testing and construction inspection activities. Each activity was rated by 19 SDDOT field personnel, and an average expected value was calculated to identify the top-risky material testing and construction inspection activities. The risk assessment condensed down the list of material testing activities to 72 and construction inspection activities to 35.Then, a quantitative analysis of material testing and construction inspection data for189 projects from the material sampling and testing (MS&T) was conducted. This analysis confirmed the risk assessment and yielded failure rates for material testing activities. Furthermore, the rankings were validated using construction inspection diaries (287 field events across 51 projects, 2020-2026), with nearly 90% of the top-ranked inspection activities confirmed by field evidence. A staffing analysis of 83 projects found that inspection effort tracks project size rather than activity risk and is concentrated among a few lead inspectors, which reinforces the case for a risk-based program that directs limited resources to where they add the most value. The results of the data collection, review, and subsequent analyses result in a series of recommendations and priorities to adjust material testing and construction inspection frequencies at SDDOT using risk-based approaches.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  311674
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/93722/dot_93722_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.39 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e1ec73813f011811c70aae8bb3b9378a6f1fd4d168120948989e23968f78afa983a2a6b4adbab9b7e61a0a668ea523bf32994d7e33efdd71229ff484f7bb0960