Office Links

• Office of Roadway Materials Testing
• Office of Structural Materials

Materials Engineering and Testing Services

Office of Roadway Materials Testing

Independent Assurance Program (IAP)

The purpose of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Quality Assurance requirement described in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations 637 Subpart B - Quality Assurance Procedures for Construction, is to prescribe policies, procedures, and guidelines to assure the quality of materials and construction in all Federal-aid highway projects on the National Highway System (NHS). The federal requirement generally states that each state highway agency shall develop a quality assurance program that will assure that the materials and workmanship incorporated into each Federal-aid highway construction project on the NHS are in conformity with the requirements of the approved plans and specifications.

A quality assurance program includes an independent assurance program where independent assurance samples and tests or other procedures shall be performed by qualified sampling and testing personnel employed by Caltrans. The Independent Assurance Manual describes procedures that Caltrans has established for independent assurance on roadway construction projects. This manual, along with the Caltrans Construction Manual, Chapter Six, lists Caltrans procedures regarding testing. Caltrans uses a system approach to the IA program.

For further information regarding Independent Assurance including proficiency sample testing with RSP, please contact Cathrina Barros at 916-227-7162, or cathrina_barros@dot.ca.gov