Citation

No Author(s) Listed. Transp. Res. Circular 2009; (E-C137): 44p.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, U.S. National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Highway quality assurance (QA), like many other specialized subject areas, has its own unique language containing numerous technical terms or expressions having very specific meanings. Some of these terms are not well understood, and their use is subject to a variety of different interpretations. The highway QA language, moreover, is continually changing to keep pace with advances in QA. As new terms come into general use, older terms must often be perceived in a new light. The terminology has grown and evolved steadily since the mid-1960s, when much of it was first introduced to the highway community; however, its growth and evolution have been to a large degree uncontrolled. This circular contains terms of common usage and accepted practice. Its purpose is to provide a reference document for usage of highway QA terminology. In developing this publication, the Transportation Research Board Committee on Management of Quality Assurance (AFH20) reviewed the evolution of the highway QA language to date. It is the Committee’s hope that those who are involved in highway QA will use this publication to promote better communications. The circular is divided into four parts: an index, a glossary of highway QA terms, a list of abbreviations and symbols, and a list of references.