This synthesis will be of interest to state Department of Transportation (DOT) materials and construction engineers; contract, procedure, and specification specialists; construction personnel managers; researchers; and private consultants. The synthesis describes the current state of the practice of state DOT management techniques for materials and construction acceptance, including approaches to inspection and testing. The associated requirements for maintaining adequate qualified personnel to operate the acceptance and testing programs are considered in the information reported. The information was collected by surveying state DOTs and by conducting a literature search. This report of the Transportation Research Board presents background information on the changing role of specifications, quality assurance processes, warranties, material certifications, and personnel management regarding the state of the practice for state DOT management techniques for materials and construction acceptance. In addition, detailed information is presented on personnel issues. The details of materials test methods and statistical quality control procedures are not included in the report. However, discussion of these technical aspects of materials and construction acceptance are included on the basis of their influence on personnel training requirements, and changes in administrative requirements.

The purpose of this manual is to provide clear and helpful information for maintaining gravel roads. Very little technical help is available to small agencies that are responsible for managing these roads. Gravel road maintenance has traditionally been "more of an art than a science" and very few formal standards exist. This manual contains guidelines to help answer the questions that arise concerning gravel road maintenance such as: What is enough surface crown? What is too much? What causes corrugation? The information is as nontechnical as possible without sacrificing clear guidelines and instructions on how to do the job right.

TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Report 838: Guidelines for Optimizing the Risk and Cost of Materials QA Programs proposes guidelines for optimizing the risk and cost of materials quality assurance (QA) programs. It develops a methodology for establishing a materials QA program that optimizes risk and cost by providing appropriate types, levels, and frequencies of agency testing and inspection for transportation projects across their full range of type, size, complexity, and project-delivery method.

This synthesis report will be of interest to department of transportation (DOT) preconstruction engineering supervisors and program managers, contract administrators, and project managers. It will also be of interest to engineering consultants who do work for state DOTs. It describes current practice in contracting with consultants for DOT preconstruction engineering work. The synthesis documents the practices in all stages involved with obtaining consulting services, from the initial designation of projects for consultant work to project completion and acceptance procedures. The study also collected the views of selected consultants on DOT practices. Information for the synthesis was collected by surveying U. S. transportation agencies and by conducting a literature search. This report of the Transportation Research Board provides information on the history and trends in outsourcing of preconstruction engineering activities and compares current levels with those found a decade earlier. The steps in the procurement and management of consulting services are provided in detail. These include deciding on when and what to contract out and the selection, negotiation, and consultant management activities that follow. Finally, the appendixes contain numerous samples of collected forms and procedures used by a variety of states to accomplish this work.