By Tracy Barnhart, Quality Manager
Posted: April 2014
Why can’t AASHTO re:source conduct on-site assessments only during the winter instead of during the busy construction season? We are swamped in the summer!
AASHTO re:source certainly understands this concern, but such a request simply isn’t feasible. There were approximately 1,500 individual laboratories that requested an AASHTO re:source on-site assessment during the previous tour. In order for us to complete the work in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner, we must schedule assessments during every month in the year.
Scheduling the assessments by geographic region significantly minimizes the cost to the laboratory and allows AASHTO re:source assessors to efficiently complete their work. The length of a typical assessment tour is approximately 20-24 months. Therefore, the assessment month for any given laboratory will normally vary by several months from one tour to the next.
On a related note, can you also please stop sending proficiency samples during the summer?!
Again, we empathize but we are limited by time constraints and resources. AASHTO re:source shares its proficiency sample production facility with our “sister” group, CCRL (the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory). CCRL produces proficiency samples for materials such as cement, pozzolan, and masonry. Between AASHTO re:source and CCRL, over twenty different types of samples are produced each year, and some of the samples are produced twice a year.
It typically takes several weeks to process each type of sample for both AASHTO re:source and CCRL. The production schedule is very tight and materials are being prepared constantly throughout the year, one right after the other. It is not possible for us to squeeze all that effort into just the winter months, and we don’t have the storage space to stockpile thousands of samples. Consequently, we must ship some samples during the warmer months.
We understand the effort involved in completing the proficiency testing, particularly for laboratories that are enrolled in many different sample types. We do our best to space out the shipment of AASHTO re:source samples throughout the year in an effort to alleviate the burden on customers. Additionally, we try to give laboratories ample time to complete testing, which is typically about 6 weeks from the time the samples are shipped until the time results are due.
Send us your questions. Or check out the FAQ pages on our website to see if it has already been answered.
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