Guidebook on Alternative Quality Management Systems for Highway Construction

Abstract

This guidebook provides recommendations and tools to assist in developing quality management systems (QMSs) and assistance in creating a better definition of quality management in the context of alternative project delivery. The roles of owners and contractors in QMSs are changing, leading to variation in the roles and responsibilities of quality assurance organization (QAO). These range from the agency-dominated system of quality management associated with the traditional design-bid-build (DBB) method to design-build (DB)/public-private partnership (PPP) agreements where the responsibility for quality management is shared to varying degrees between the contractor and owner. The chapters in this report address the business case for alternative QMSs, QAOs, QAO selection, and useful tools for an alternative QMS. This report will be valuable to highway construction engineers by facilitating the development of QMSs for evolving alternative project delivery methods.