This purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of the hot mix asphalt concrete produced under quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) specification item 3063. During the first phase of this project, conducted between September 1996 and February 1997, an extensive amount of technical information and numerical information was gathered and analyzed. During the second phase of this project, various other activities were carried out, including a survey of other states to assess their approach in developing and implementing QC/QA specifications, a physical survey of QC/QA and non-QC/QA specification projects in Texas, and a limited evaluation of the cost of the projects. This report presents the results, findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on the collected information and on the work performed during the course of this research program.

Polish value and 5-cycle magnesium sulfate soundness are the primary quality requirements in current Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) specifications for bituminous coarse aggregate sources in two critical categories - (I) aggregates with high polish value but poor skid performance, and (II) aggregates with low polish value but good performance. This report summarizes the background and deficiencies of the current polish value specification and test procedures.

Design related project level pavement management - Economic evaluation of alternative pavement design strategies - Reliability / - Pavement design procedures for new construction or reconstruction : Design requirements - Highway pavement structural design - Low-volume road design / - Pavement design procedures for rehabilitation of existing pavements : Rehabilitation concepts - Guides for field data collection - Rehabilitation methods other than overlay - Rehabilitation methods with overlays / - Mechanistic-empirical design procedures.