Are pavement warranties for you? Learn more about implementing or expanding the use of pavement warranties at a new one-day workshop offered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). “Basic Warranties” highlights pavement warranty best practices used both in the U.S. and abroad, as well as research and industry news.
Since the Warren Brothers Co. patented their product known as “Warrenite Bitulithic Pavement” in 1901 and offered 15-year warranties, the use of pavement warranties has gone up and down. When interstate construction began in the 1950s, warranties were not allowed, resulting in only limited warranty use by state and local transportation agencies over the next 40 years. Following the revision of federal regulations in 1994 to permit the use of warranties, state implementation has been on the rise, with 33 states now having used different types of warranties. Some states have adopted legislative mandates that require their use.
FHWA’s new workshop includes information on the history of warranties and the different types of warranties that can be implemented, including materials, workmanship and performance. Featured topics also include the components of warranty specifications, elements needed to get started with a warranty program, quality control programs and warranty verification and acceptance. Successful use of pavement warranties depends on the understanding of the contract, as well as the support of the parties involved. Agency and contractor risk also has to be minimized.
The workshop is designed for state agencies that want to introduce, expand or update their warranty programs, including those that have had problems implementing warranties in the past. The intended audience includes state highway agency, contractor and FHWA representatives.
Among the states that have found success using short-term warranties is Wisconsin, which has incorporated them on all types of roadway projects, including entire pavement replacements. The Indiana Department of Transportation, meanwhile, has used warranties on both asphalt and concrete pavements. Indiana reports that the performance of its hot-mix asphalt short-term warranty projects exceeded that of equivalent nonwarranty projects when evaluating pavement smoothness and rutting.
Information on warranty use also is available in three new guidance documents developed by FHWA. The documents highlight points that should be considered in all warranty programs.
Background for pavement warranties—What they are and why they should be used includes materials and workmanship warranties and performance warranties. Issues such as cost-effectiveness and agency and industry concerns also are addressed.
Selection procedures for pavement warranties—How to establish criteria and how to select projects also covers acceptance and verification procedures for projects and the warranty experiences of various states.
The third document is Management of pavement warranties—Elements of managing a warranty program and state warranty specification examples.
The guidance documents are available online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/ warranty. FHWA also has set up a Warranty Team that can provide technical assistance in developing and implementing warranty programs. For more information on warranties or to schedule the “Basic Warranties” workshop in your state, contact the author at 317/226-7493, e-mail: victor.gallivan@ fhwa.dot.gov, or Dennis Dvorak at the FHWA Resource Center, 708/283-3542, e-mail: dennis.dvorak@fhwa.dot.gov.
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