There is a continuing need to improve the management of the quality of highway construction and to reduce life cycle costs. Budget restrictions, loss of skilled personnel, increased responsibility placed on quality assurance personnel, changing role of the contractor in the area of quality control, and demands to construct projects faster have all affected the highway construction process in the United States.

An approach for meeting this need is improved training programs for field and office personnel at the highway construction site. Current training programs for these personnel are not comprehensive, are localized in their application, and lack national acceptance. A national training program for highway agency, consultant, and contractor personnel will respond to this need.

The ultimate goal of this research is the development of a nationally acceptable training program that specifically supports certification for agency, consultant, and contractor personnel involved in highway construction. The objective of this project is to provide a needs assessment and design a framework for a training program to improve the quality of highway construction.

Research on the first phase of the project has been completed, and the final report was reviewed. The agency report has been distributed to Program sponsors and other interested persons. It will not be published in the regular NCHRP report series, but loan copies are available upon written request to the NCHRP. See NCHRP Project 20-25(2) for the next phase to follow in this area to develop a comprehensive training program that will lead to nationally accepted certification based on the results of this project.