ForConstructionPros.com

Maurice Arbelaez, marketing director, InstroTek Inc.: "Most contractors that I have spoken with have told me that the equipment they have in place can assure quality pavements, but it will mean a tightening of procedures and making sure all testing standards are followed with special attention to key indicators of asphalt performance.

What type of lab testing equipment will asphalt producers need to perform the quality control tests a typical DOT warranty project requires? Detail the basic equipment requirements and what each piece of equipment is designed to test.
Apkarian, Transtech Systems Inc.: "This will vary from state to state and greatly depend if the contractor subs out there testing or elects to perform it all in house. My experience is field related, so I can tell you what is required to perform field testing to ensure quality.

"First and foremost is an experienced quality control technician that has responsibility and authority to perform the job at hand and a work vehicle. A density gauge that is in good working order and is factory calibrated. The user must be trained on its operation — not just safety trained, but trained on how to take readings.

"We can not simply hand the tech a gauge and say, 'Here take readings with this.' We need to have gauges that can obtain fast and accurate readings and be able to interoperate those readings to correct any problems and do this on the fly.