Priority-Ranking Workload Reduction Strategies to Address Challenges of Transportation Construction Inspection

Abstract

Throughout the past decade, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has experienced an average increase in funding for projects of more than 44%. Similarly, other state departments of transportation (DOTs) have also seen significant funding increases. As a result, DOTs have been able to complete projects that would not have been feasible without the additional funding. However, the additional funding has also brought about an increase in the construction inspection and testing workload for these projects, but DOTs have not seen a sufficient increase in personnel to manage the additional work. As a result, TxDOT was motivated to identify efficient strategies for reducing the construction testing and inspection workload without decreasing the quality of the end product. TxDOT turned to other states facing a similar situation that were innovatively and efficiently addressing their challenges. Other states have implemented programs that include increasing contractor testing and inspection responsibilities, outsourcing testing and inspection to third parties, creating extensive training and certification programs, and modifying their specifications to minimize time-intensive testing and measurement. This study investigated current practices in other state DOTS and summarized workload reduction strategies that can reduce inspection workload. A list has been developed of the best workload reduction strategies that show the greatest potential for efficiently reducing the testing and inspection workload for TxDOT. The workload reduction strategies have also been priority-ranked for future implementation at TxDOT.