BITUMEN INDIA 1998: IMPROVEMENT OF ROAD TECHNOLOGY IN INDIA "QUALITY ASSURANCE IN SLURRY/MICROSURFACING/CHIPSEAL AND HMA OVERLAYS: PART II Glynn Holleran, Vice President, V.S.S Asphalt Technologies, USA Dejan Ristic, Director, ITG, USA Back to VSS Technology Papers Library ABSTRACT: This paper examines quality assurance and total quality management practices as a tool for performance improvement in road surfacing and construction contracting applications. Total quality management principles are discussed with reference to an asphalt contracting company which has used these principles for development of active field programs to create innovative solutions to unique problems in its international programs. The ISO standards on Quality assurance are discussed with respect to this aim and the areas of special use are highlighted. The ISO standards are an excellent way to structure the whole company approach. A model for development of projects that optimize customer and contractor cooperation to ensure optimization of performance is suggested. Different techniques such as " the voice of the customer", "failure modes and effects analysis" and just plain cooperation are considered. Two case studies, one a project in Russia and the other a project in China are discussed to highlight some of the more important points. 1. INTRODUCTION Phillip Crosby, the well known guru of quality wrote that the first thing he learned about quality was how complicated it was.(1) Quality is a much abused term, many people interchange quality with price. Everyone, as Crosby points out, seems to believe that they know quality when they see it, hence the incessant quarrels!!! What is not well understood is that quality is a relative term. That is quality is what we agree it to be. This is not much of a working definition and unlikely to help in argument resolution! So to put it another way, quality should be about planning to avoid quarrels; it is about agreeing ahead of time what is a successful result and about conflict resolution. Quality is about understanding the work, it is a technical issue, it is a training issue, the procedures and specifications should flow from it. Most importantly quality is about learning and development. Quality is harmonizing between supplier/customer and processes within the constraints of economy and technology. In road surfacing quality is concerned with serviceability, that is will the process meet the needs of the community both in the application phase and in its performance? This may seem to be an obvious point but what constitutes success is different in different places. What is acceptable in USA may not be acceptable in India. There is a tendency in developing countries to want to use the "best " technology. In many countries this has lead to inappropriate expenditures on hot mix asphalt pavements where slurry surfacing, chip seal or even gravel roads would be a less expensive solution. Road construction must be selected with a view to its service requirements. Then there is the question of maintenance, in 1996 a crucial stretch of M1 motorway near London was shut down in both directions (2) at just four hours notice, this was reported to be due to a 33% reduction in pavement maintenance dollars. The road was falling apart. In the USA similarly the FHWA has recognized the critical need for pavement maintenance not just to improve roads but to prevent them from falling apart. (3). In developing countries where infrastructure is being built or is relatively new the need for maintenance may seem far off but if the cost of replacement of the system is taken into account then planning and systems need to be implemented now. It should also be understood that roads are more than super highways and freeways. Much commerce and people moving is carried by secondary roads and disrepair of these systems can also lead to significant cost to the economy. Pavement maintenance and rehabilitation needs to be cost effective. It must take into account the ability of the local authority to fund it on a continuing basis. Maintenance is on going and needs to be timely. (4). In the following sections quality will be defined and the VSS approach to quality and development of Slurry, Microsurfacing, Chipseals and hot mix projects will be discussed. Slurry and Microsurfacing will be concentrated on due to demands of space. Two case studies will be considered one from Russia where materials issues are paramount and one in China where materials and field applications are significant. The total approach is considered. 2. QUALITY DEFINITIONS The most important standards on quality were written as compilations of various military and governmental standards (5) these are the ISO, or International Standards Organization 9000 series. These have become fairly much universally applied in the world. They are not a specification. The ISO standards area checklist, a framework on how to approach quality management. ISO 9003 (6) is a standard for a quality system for companies that design, manufacture and distribute has twenty clauses or elements that are needed in a quality system. They cover contract review to shipping,application and after sales service and all stages in between. ISO standards on quality are about improvement by understanding,and help the user to place his own procedures and expertise within a framework that will allow measurement and improvement of all processes. For the purposes of this development: Quality is defined as: The totality of characteristics on an entity that bear on its ability to satisfy STATED and IMPLIED needs. This definition is important for pavement and maintenance applications as "stated needs" are the current understanding of the performance, empirical or otherwise as imposed by a specification. "Implied needs" on the other hand may or may not be quantifiable. As understanding grows, the stated needs can be expanded and the implied needs will reduce. This is the function of improvement. Quality Assurance is defined as: All the planned and systematic activities that are implemented by the contractor to provide adequate confidence that an entity will be able to satisfy stated and implied needs. This must be measurable and demonstrable. This definition simply points out that you need to know what to do, take into account the variables and control them. Also you need to be able to demonstrate that you have done this. To achieve the above aims it is clear that the contractor must employ a quality management system.This gives both a mechanism of continuous improvement or stepwise improvement but also, when combined with a technically based approach to product development (both in materials and practice) can lead to greater breakthroughs. In essence it is creating greater understanding of what is required, those implied needs mentioned above, and converting them by quantification and then measurement into stated needs. VSS have taken the first steps in the road maintenance areas to achieving this. The rest of this paper discusses this system and its outcomes both current and potential. This is largely taken from the paper " Quality Assurance of Slurry and Microsurfacing projects" by Jiang, Holleran and Reed presented to the International Road Federation in Taiwan in 1996. (7) 3. VSS QUALITY SYSTEM APPROACH 3.1 Microsurfacing,Slurry Seal, Chip Seals and Hot Mixed asphalt overlays All of the above treatments are examples of pavement maintenance. They are used in situations where the pavement is in distress or where pavements may have their life extended by timely application of these treatments, before distress has occurred. These treatments would form a part of a total strategy to maintain pavements to avoid premature breakdown and costly reconstruction. Such strategies are a vital component of any Pavement management system and the understanding generated by controlled application and continuous improvement of such systems is a means to improvement of any PMS. Microsurfacing and slurry seal are thin surfacing layers applied by means of a specialized travel paver. They consist of a mixture of crushed and graded aggregates, fillers, asphalt emulsion and water. Often additives are used to moderate the setting characteristics of the mixture. The mixture is made in the pugmill of a traveling machine and laid through a drag box. This box may be specialized for rut filling or as a full lane width (or greater) surfacing. The main difference between microsurfacing and slurry seal is the thickness of the layer. The slurry seal is laid one stone thick (up to 9.5mm or so), the microsurfacing is laid at 2-3 times the thickness of the top size stone and may be laid in several lifts. (up to about 100mm). To achieve this, requires a highly cohesive mixture, and special care is taken with aggregate selection, binder selection (polymer modified systems with latex or solid polymer pre-blended with the asphalt), and emulsifiers to ensure rapid break and cure, when compared to slurry seal. They are both aggregate/asphalt mixes and so will obey the principles of all such mixes. Being cold applied they are more convenient than hot systems, particularly in remote areas. They also exhibit special properties associated with a dense, high asphalt content structure. That is, they are very durable, have high resistance to traffic and can restore aged and worn pavements and overcome flushing and raveling. If used in conjunction with a membrane they can overcome reflective cracking. (8). Such systems have been successfully applied on all pavement surfaces from heavily trafficked Interstates to residential streets and under all weather conditions. (9). Microsurfacings and slurry seals are often difficult to implement in new areas, particularly in underdeveloped countries. The reasons for this are related to the need for timely application, that is before the pavement is too far gone for a surface treatment to be of help, the proprietary nature of the products, and the need for close attention to quality in aggregates, emulsion, mix design, and application, particularly workmanship. From an engineering viewpoint design has not been standardized to the point where expertise and experience is not the most critical factor. Despite this the cost effectiveness and performance of slurry and microsurfacing has been well documented and the process deserves close consideration.(10). Chipseals are a surfacing consisting of an application of a binder by spraying with a subsequent application of a single sized aggregate (11, 12, 13). This may be repeated to build up multiple layers. Often chip seals can be used in combination with slurry or microsurfacing to create hard wearing Cape Seals (8) that may be used on heavily trafficked roads. HMA overlays (14) are an expensive but often preferred method of surfacing as they are smooth and seen as superior. However this is not true for surfacing systems and slurry type systems will always be more cost effective. 3.2 Quality Requirements There are several basic items that need to be considered for a good surfacing job. They are: Appropriate applications: Knowing what is required and expected by the customer. This includes aspects of stated and implied needs. That is will it meet the expectations. Allied to this is the need to properly pretreat the surface, that is repair, pot hole filling, rut filling, removal of contamination or line markings. Decisions need to be made on traffic level, the existing texture and what is required, the skid resistance, the appearance and the climate that is prevalent. Specifications in existence: Ensure that the customer and the contractor agree on what is to be done and what the outcome will be. This may be in terms of performance, construction outcomes or materials requirements. Materials: What type of binder, what size and grading of aggregate, additives,fillers, water (in emulsion systems). How will these be assessed in the laboratory to produce a mix design? What equipment should be used, how should it be calibrated or otherwise certified as accurate. What standards of workmanship are required? What field inspection and quality control testing is required to audit the job to ascertain compliance with the design and customer expectations (specification). These aspects must be included in any quality plan and addressed to both the contractor and customers satisfaction. All are part of the slurry process. They will have extended elements of having to work with the suppliers of materials and equipment to ensure that the elements of the process are reproducible at all stages. Special requirements must be taken into account: For example: Microsurfacing is to be laid in thicker layers than slurry fill ruts and carry heavy traffic on high volume, high speed roads. This makes the requirements as indicated above even more stringent. The rapid break and cure makes aspects like handwork more difficult and materials selection narrower. (15). Joints are more difficult to make and equipment requirements more demanding. This means that a quality plan for microsurfacing is more detailed to cover these aspects. HMA overlays are designed to allow for deforming pavements and choice of material eg polymer modified must be considered. The distress mode must be clearly understood. (12). The following is directed to Slurry and microsurfacing but the principles are the same for any surfacing system. 3.3 General requirements Of Quality Assurance Development- VSS Quality systems must work in the interest of the contractor and the customer (5). Thus the contractor must be able to identify quality as a positive factor in their business and not as an imposed burden costing more money! The first step in developing a quality assurance system for a company is to outline the primary business processes of the company. In the case of VSS three core business processes could be identified. They are general in nature but are still essential to understanding the overall process. This is sometimes referred to as developing a vision and a mission. In the case of VSS the three core processes are: Making and laying the paving products Servicing the paving industry Synergising the business. This paper will not discuss these aspects in detail. They are about examining the origin and control mechanisms required for the processes that result in the final application and are vital. They also contain elements of strategic planning, which in turn are related to resource allocation and providing the framework for successful field work. Synergising refers to combination of elements within the company, for example the manufacture of sophisticated equipment to control the process of making and laying the product. This covers both the Macropaver field lay-down and Emultech emulsion plants as well as control of the quarry sources. The main elements of the QA system are then straight forward and can be related to the elements of the standard. Incidentally this approach relates to all business, not just microsurfacing and slurry seal. 3.4 Key Elements Of QA Development (6) Quality Assurance is about control of systems. The ISO standards clearly map out the programs. Again we are looking at establishing a reproducible system. Below are some key areas that effect total performance in project work. Management Responsibility (ISO 9001 Clause 4.1) The management must define and communicate a Quality policy. This policy relates to the overall mission and vision of the company and sets the stage for all that follows. Responsibility and authority must be defined and adhered to. When a plan for a project is put together the responsibility must also be assigned. The senior management must review periodically progress and address any problems. This should be the case for all projects. This review is also useful to meld and synergise projects. Quality System (ISO 9001 Clause 4.2) A Quality manual that sets guidelines on each of the clauses of ISO 9001 is required. This clearly tells the customer and the work force what the company will do. Quality Planning is critical and will be covered in more detail. Quality plans are the mapping out of what, when and how things will be done, a blueprint for a successful job. Document and data control (ISO 9001 clause 4.5) Documents such as procedures, work instructions and quality records need to be identified and adhered to. Corrective and preventative action (ISO 9001 Clause 4.14) What to do when a problem arises, not in terms of the solution but in terms of how to arrive at a solution. That is, what resources, who will collect data? Preventative action is about continuous improvement in the process, when information is collated on a job, its successes, problems, unforeseen events. All this experience and information needs to be fed back into the system for incorporation into the process. Training (ISO 9001 Clause 4.18) Training is critical to any process. Traditionally this has been on the job. On the job training is important but must be to a pre-decided process and set of required standards. Often, particularly where technology is being transferred to a third party this is overlooked or skimped on, in fact many technologies flounder on this basic point. For example, if workmanship, and the methods for achieving it, are not emphasized, (for example squeegee methods are not taught) then such visual surface finishes as joints and turn outs will be poor and the process will look bad and the job will not be durable. Most of QA is about management of information. Information is often considered as power and not shared. This leads directly to problems - a segmented approach based on fragmented knowledge. All information is useful and should be assigned to the process via the review function. For example in a given job it may be found that if a secondary strike off is used on a particular surface then a better texture is achieved for the final finish. There needs to be a means where objective information on this is conveyed back for inclusion in the process. In VSS this is the foreman's report but other mechanisms are possible. 3.5 Quality Plans The main quality items in slurry seal and micro surfacing were discussed in 3.2. These must be incorporated into an overall Quality Plan. This plan is to be adhered to and reported on. The elements of the VSS approach are: Review the defining parameters; These have been discussed above, they include the company philosophy, the management review and approach, the goals of the company. Design a map to reach these goals; What are the points on the way, the landmarks that tell us we are going in the right direction. Where do we need to stop and collect information and what information should it be before taking the next step? How do we know when we have succeeded, and when we have failed? Corrective action and who is responsible. Not to blame but to put things right. The quality plan is a way of building a good foundation so that a good construction results. Quality plans should be continuously monitored, improved on and adhered to!! The main elements of a VSS quality plan are: Description Of Work - what is to be done, what is to be achieved. this should contain a complete description of the job, the job type, base condition, distress modes to be addressed, and expected outcomes. In this section any special specifications are quoted. Documents Referenced - Where specifications exist or are imposed then they are listed here. These will include raw materials specification, work methods, sampling, handling, application, equipment requirements, calibration schedules, mix design methods etc. Statement Of Quality Assurance Objectives - This is the standards that the QA process will adhere to. This includes any requirements of the customer as well as VSS internal system. At this stage a process called " Quality Function Deployment- QFD" may be used. Customers are interviewed to find out what they think is important as outcome. This is translated into technical objectives and the current capability is assessed against these objectives. Improvements required, e.g. in training and equipment are highlighted and can be addressed before the job takes place. This is a powerful product development tool as well. Management Responsibility - This sets out the personnel and their duties in relation to the project. For example in many projects there will be a project manager who will be responsible for overall management, approval of non conformances, liaison and have overall accountability. The section will include every responsible person for all parts of the project. Nominated personnel - For major projects the actual people involved and their qualifications and experience will be included. In most cases this simply highlights what experience and training is required to carry out the tasks. Management review - This refers to the need for management to review the quality plan and ensure that it is consistent with overall company requirements. For example it may be planned that 6 machines are used on a job and only 4 are required. Contract Review - This ensures that the quality planning actually meets the contractual requirements and provision is made to audit this. Document Control - Simply states to whom documents go and how amendments are made. Purchasing - How product will be purchased, from whom, to what standards and how it will be documented. If there is to be product supplied by the customer, this section allows for checking suitability and acceptability. If for example a base is soft in a new construction or failing in a maintenance project, it will allow for the contractor to reject this section until repair is made whilst still meeting its contractual obligations. Identification and Traceability - This sets out what is a lot, how it will be identified and how it will be traced back to its raw materials, manufacture and design. This is very important if there are outside suppliers and provides a blueprint by which supplier and the company can work together to a common final result- as distinct from disputes if things go wrong. It also allows the supplier a starting point for his own improvement program for his customer - you. Process Control - This is the key area, This is a clearly set out flow chart that shows the steps to be taken, the order and the hold points, or where checks must be made before the next step is taken. In some instances this will be broken down to the individual steps of the process and the equipment and responsibilities therein. For example, what will be done with waste and by whom. In instances where a totally new project is being developed, i.e. non routine work, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is often used. This is particularly useful in new countries and is a sort of brainstorming that examines each stage of a proposed process and what may go wrong. Measures are then taken within the planning stage that can head off problems. This is also a powerful product development tool. Even if not adopted at the time of planning it still provides a powerful trouble shooting guideline. Inspection and Testing - This states how and what must be tested. It sets out what laboratories are to be used, includes elements of design and documentation that is required. Separate Inspection and test plans are prepared that set out the actions required for each of the elements. Inspection Measuring and Test equipment - This includes what is acceptable for testing, although the details are in the inspection and test plans the general calibration requirements and test types are referenced. Inspection and Test status - This tells the customer and the personnel where to find he status(inspection and test plans and reports) and to whom they go. Control Of Non Conforming product - What to do when something does not meet specification. How to decide if it should be removed, left or repaired. This sets out who decides and a process for conflict resolution. Corrective action - When a non conformance is raised, this sets out who will take action to ensure that it does not reoccur. This would have elements of redesign, raw material checking etc. This a very key requirement as it is about what to do- other than litigation, if things go wrong. Often having a strong corrective action system in place will ensure the job continues to go smoothly and is a great catalyst for development of understanding with the customer on technical and design issues. Handling/ Storage/ packaging - This will include elements of how to handle the final product and raw materials. How to store aggregates, stockpiling, emulsion storage, sampling, etc. Auditing - How many audits, when and by whom during the course of the job. All of the above will generate reports and these must be to predetermined formats created in the original procedures and work instructions. These separate documents and must be referenced so the accountable people can use them. This is a total system. 3.6 Quality Control and Field Verification. Microsurfacing and slurry seal are often proprietary products and sometimes the properties are oversold. This makes it vital that the process of the quality plan is adhered to. The elements of quality control are bound up in the inspection and test plans. They may be broken down into raw material and product control, an important element in quality assurance, and field verification. Raw Materials Control: Emulsion: The source and type of emulsion must be identified and quantified. Specifications are useful in this but specifications are not always all encompassing and rarely performance based. Because the slurry/micro systems are complex then there must be a loop back to this point after the aggregate is also characterized. The emulsion must be chosen with respect to the type of job to be done, that is what are the properties of the final mix? This will decide if a latex modified emulsion or polymer emulsion is chosen. Aggregate: The source and type of aggregate must be identified and quantified in relation to the work to be carried out. What sort of surface texture is required for example. What sort of grading needs to be chosen? Again this can be referenced to existing specifications and a feed back loop is required with the emulsion to see that they match. Fillers: These are then chosen based on the grading and emulsion requirements. The inspection and test plans will clearly set out what properties are to be met and how often testing is to be done. In areas where supply may be erratic or quality variable the frequency of testing will be increased until the quality is assured. Other: Additives and water need to be defined and a plan set up for testing to conformity with the requirements. Again if there is more variability there must be more testing. Equipment Control: The equipment calibration requirements, control features and condition, including any requirements for cleaning and operation must be clearly defined and able to be checked, whether this is an internal procedure of the contractor or a specification requirement. Correct set up can be the difference between segregation occurring, fatty spots, raveling or job failure. It is the function of the equipment to deliver the mix design to the road surface. Field Verification Of Product. This is an important question. Due to the travel nature of the paving it is difficult to sample easily and produce reproducible results. For example wet track abrasion testing is sometimes used as a check. However for the coarser gradings the correlation's between laboratory and roads is poor (see figure 1). This is because the test is geared around finer aggregates and the coarser aggregates are taken out in the mix design process. In the field they are not. Extraction of binder to determine content is also difficult and poor correlation exists between the field and the laboratory mix design (figure 1). These difficulties are related usually to sampling and the difficulty of simulation of laboratory tests in the field. The quality assurance system is thus required to assure the mixed product by assuring the grading in the stockpile, the emulsion in the tanker and the process of handling and mixing and laying so that segregation and non reproducible mixes do not occur. Test Type r squared value Wet Track Abrasion 0.5 Extraction 0.75 Grading (Based on Extraction) 0.6 Figure 1 Correlation factors for a 95% Confidence Limit of Laboratory Made Mixes Compared to field sampled Mixes.(7) This creates a need to assure that all aspects of the job are done correctly and inspection and planning needs to go in this area. The model proposed and outlined in Figure 2. In this model the steps of quality assurance are outlined. Assess the job- what distress mode, can the product do the job? (should another product be chosen?) What raw materials are required? What sources are available? What is the variability of these materials? Does data exist? Statistics? From this information write inspection and test plans to control quality. Design mix to meet criteria. What equipment is required? What is available? Write Inspection and Test plan for equipment. What personnel are available? Consider extra training. What application conditions are required? Write Quality plan; submit to customer and discuss. Modify if necessary. Agree with customer on success criteria. and any monitoring requirements or warranty requirements. Carry out work according to plan. Monitor and use information to improve next job. Figure 2. Overall Model For Carrying Out Slurry Microsurfacing Work. (7) Clearly this presents a dilemma for the agency or customer. How to quantify performance? The answer is to be found in the development of performance based specifications and the potential for warranty on jobs. This is not a popular approach for many contractors however who are moving from recipe specifications with inspection to full quality systems. IN many cases performance based specifications are too controlling and specific and little better than the recipe specifications they replace. Performance based specifications need to be broad to protect the customer and to give the contractor an incentive to develop new materials, practices and to purchase costly equipment. The system requires cooperation and contractors to be substantial companies with a significant track record and financial stability. Pre-qualification systems and their content are a worthwhile pursuit of public agencies! The trend in many countries on pavement maintenance (16,11) is to maintenance contracts with contractors which are for several years. 1-3 year maintenance clauses for major work are becoming more common. To determine if a warranty is applicable to slurry and microsurfacing requires an assessment to be made of the required performance and, more importantly, how to quantify it. Put simply, the surface must perform to the customers requirements but within a clearly defined framework based on what is possible and within limits of traffic and climate. This requires a clear definition of what is to be done. Taking microsurfacing as an example. Firstly it is important to make clear definitions. Chamberlain (16) defines a performance specification as " how the finished product should perform over time", he contends that such specifications cannot be applied to surfaces as the technology is not advanced enough.. Performance Based. Specifications are defined as " The desired levels of fundamental engineering properties that are predictors of performance that appear in primary prediction models". This may have some relationship to surfacing, especially with respect to asphalt properties but the act of emulsification is an extra variable. In any case these types of properties are not amenable to rapid acceptance testing. Performance Related Specification, this is defined as " key materials and construction quality characteristics that have been found to correlate with fundamental engineering properties and can be measured at the time of construction". This last approach may be applied to processes and so is consistent with quality assurance as discussed earlier. This can provide the payment point. The customer however is not merely concerned with the question of payment and a warranty needs to address end results. The key requirements of a surfacing are: To make the road surface waterproof To control dust To make a smooth and non skid surface To stop disintegration of the pavement So warranty items should address these factors. In North America some steps have been made to this end (18,19,20). It is not the purpose of this paper to review these but the use requirements of microsurfacing may be quantified in the property areas of, roughness, Skid resistance and surface texture, raveling and weathering, surface loss or de-bonding, rutting and flushing. These properties can be quantified in the initial job set up and the quality assurance system and quality plan set up to accommodate them. Warranty is controlled by a performance bond as a percentage of the contract price. The advantage of such systems is that they promote workmanship and product quality. The provision of bonds ensures that the customer receives what he has paid for. Elements and questions that need to be considered on a localized basis are: How long should the warranty be for. What are the duties for repair or collection on the bond. How should contractors be pre-qualified? A QA system is a good start. What should the level of performance be set at? This requires a practical approach to outcomes! 4. Case Studies: These case studies have been selected because they represent perhaps the worst scenarios. They come from China and Russia, two developing countries with needs to expand roads at the lowest cost and to maintain those they already have. Slurry and Microsurfacing have been chosen. A. Russian Experience: Background: South of Moscow the roads are in often poor condition. One Oblast has recognized that they must improve roads to allow the steady development of commerce. Instabilities in currency and economic conditions have made this need more acute. The economic difficulties of the past years have lead to a decline in funding available for the maintenance of roads so an economic system is critically required. The Oblast carried out an international survey of methods and companies and selected slurry surfacing and VSS. With VSS's Russian associate ITG a program was developed over three years and is ongoing. The development of the project was undertaken on a solid,quality basis. It was in fact a combination of product development and quality execution. A quality program was worked out. To do this a TEAM was set up that consisted of the following people: George Jenkins, President ITG for high level coordination and direction. Including liaison to high level Russian officials. Jeffrey Reed, President VSS for high level advice. Glynn Holleran, Vice President VSS for VSS commercial interests, technology transfer seminars, specifications, laboratory, chemicals, plant design and high level technical direction and advice. (FMEA,QFD) (VSS team leader) Dejan Ristic, International Sales Director for ITG commercial interests and project coordination in USA and Russia.(QFD) (ITG team leader). Michael Baronov, ITG Russian Director for customer Liaison QFD). Alexander Ronov, ITG Russian Chief Engineer for technical liaison (QFD, FMEA) Masha Popov, Baker ITG translator for customer liaison. (QFD) Rocky Tavernier, VSS equipment for equipment design and chemical shipment. Bob Jeffers, General Mgr. VSS emulsions for plant design and commissioning and training. Bob Fakes, Technical Superintendent and field supervisor VSS for training and equipment commissioning. Catherine Cheah, Quality Director ITG for laboratory and manufacturing training post commissioning. This may seem like a large team so the team leaders were important in ensuring that each member contributed and it was assembled into a whole. A quality plan was written and has been progressively adjusted as the project has progressed. The basics of the plan were as follows. To create effective road maintenance requires a number of elements: Raw Materials Equipment Training Technology Laboratory Services Technical and materials back up. Raw Materials: Making quality slurry surfacings requires consistent raw materials. This means quality emulsions and aggregates that meet specification and can consistently be supplied. Making a quality emulsion requires an emulsifier that is compatible with the local asphalt and the local aggregates. VSS developed emulsion formulations, not just for slurry mixes but also for a range of other emulsion types. These formulations tapped into VSS knowledge in asphalt, aggregate and colloid chemistry. Mix designs and emulsion formulations were developed to match the harsh Russian climate where winter temperatures can are as low as -40 F (- 40C) and summer temperatures can reach 100F (38C). VSS supplied Roadchem® emulsifiers designed to optimize compatibility and performance. Aggregates from Voronezh needed to be assessed and the customer assisted to provide the correct grading and sand equivalent. In the Russian situation asphalt (bitumen) is a source of some concern on the grounds of consistency and chemistry. VSS ran extensive chemical and rheological tests to ensure that the bitumen would perform in the emulsion and the mix. It was found that the bitumen was variable and this led to poor stability in the final emulsion. This was overcome by the use of additives and co emulsifiers. An integrated approach was essential. Material handling issues such as screening oversize aggregate were approached systematically. Specifications were established with the customer and outcomes pre determined. The main aim was to apply slurry surfacing that was smooth, allowed traffic within 1-1.5 hours and could stand up to harsh traffic and climatic conditions. This section of the planning employed FMEA to determine what the materials needs were and QFD to determine what limitations there really were on materials. Inputs were derived from visits by ITG and VSS personnel to the customer and visits from the customer to USA and VSS/ITG. This was supplemented by an email and phone/fax program of asking questions. That is we wanted a solution for our customer's convenience, not ours and we had to distinguish between the two. This is represented in a typical FMEA diagram shown in figure 3. (for emulsion production showing risk factor reduction by use of this program. Figure 3 FMEA Risk Reduction- Emulsion production Equipment: To make an emulsion with a fine particle size and narrow distribution was the aim of the emulsion side of the project. Of course this requires good equipment. A VSS Emultech ® emulsion plant was chosen as it provides tight control of dosing of components and a very high shear mill (Charlotte ®). VSS assisted the customer in plant layout, tank design, heating and general management. The chemical soap system was similarly chosen. A semi continuous batch system was installed which allows a tight control on critical emulsion parameters such as pH, temperature and emulsifier reaction. In many cases direct injection systems have been used under the erroneous idea that automation can replace operator understanding and training. With such systems large amounts of off specification product can be made before the operator becomes aware of it. In the semi continuous system all emulsifier solution is checked first and the operator learns about the critical manufacturing factors and can solve problems swiftly. The system was found to have a very high capability level with a 99% confidence limit of specification compliance on soap solution with a trained operator. The emulsion plant is a key quality component in raw material control. The relatively poor bitumen can be partially off set by creation of a very fine particle distribution, increasing emulsion stability. FMEA and QFD were employed in the emulsion plant and process design. This is shown in figures 3 and 4. Figure 4 The principle of QFD For application of slurry Voronezh chose the Macropaver. This is a high performance, low maintenance and high out put machine. Precise addition of emulsion, aggregate, water and additives is ensured by the auto sequencing system, computer monitoring and accurate control systems. The heavy duty truck, hydraulic system and steel gauge allows for continuous use in hostile conditions. As aspects of aggregate handling have become more apparent to the customer and initial solutions have been discarded for more sophisticated ones power screens were required to separate oversize stone. This is extra cost and this was a "Voice of the customer" that needed to be heeded. That is,the problem was seen ahead of time and provided for within the framework of customer's constraints and desires. Training Equipment is only as good as its operators. Training is a key factor in any QA program. The training program had several main components: Observation by customers of VSS processes and personnel- background-= what is possible. (part of the QFD process). Adaptation to Russia - a part of the QFD and FMEA process. Development of a training program on emulsions and mix application and laboratory testing. Visits and execution in Russia- improvement of process. Commissioning of plant. Follow up on plant in Russia Monitoring Training of ITG personnel in areas found to be lacking. Application in Russia Follow up trips. Technology "If you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, if you give him a fishing rod he can eat every day", so goes the old saying. But you need to do more, you need to tell him how to use the rod, what fish are and how to catch them. The why is as important as the how. VSS Asphalt technologies, a division of VSS, and ITG put together a comprehensive technology transfer program. It started with a presentation by the authors at a Russian Road Association meeting in 1997 at the invitation of the General Director,. It continued with two weeks of technical discussions, and seminars in Russia, laboratory training, mix design training, emulsion chemistry and formulation, applications technology training, distress mode analysis, and field trouble shooting. Technology included organization, quality systems set up and field reporting. Mr. Holleran also presented a lecture at a local University to young engineering students. These students and their teachers are the practitioners, designers and technicians of today and the future. Transfer has included extensive seminars in technical and job organization methods to allow reporting and product and application improvements. The process has been established on a sound quality basis. This is a comprehensive transfer and will go on for several years. The program is continuously monitored (QFD) and the FMEA analysis that was made initially is employed and updated as the project develops. Laboratory Services The Oblast has been making hotmix and carrying out chip sealing for many years. Their laboratory staff are skilled in these areas. VSS/ITG have trained the staff in aggregate assessment, emulsion testing and formulation and mix design. With the equipment provided from the Roadchem® range the laboratory is now equipped to carry out any mix design or emulsion/aggregate testing. VSS are also providing laboratory services for more advanced testing and analysis as problems appear and need to be countered. Conclusions The managed quality process has now produced an emulsion plant operational, a slurry system that is operating well and over 30km of road has been completed. Problems remain in raw materials and further training is being done. The quality system allows for cooperation and is allowing VSS/ITG to harmonize its interests with those of the customer and the needs of the process in a continuous feed back loop to create a real quality partnering situation. B. Chinese Experience Background In the province of Liaoning, in China, tradition and technology go hand in hand. The traditional Chinese approach of prevention and the Maintenance of well being, so prevalent in medicine and everyday life,is being used in engineering -.specifically roads. Liaoning lies in the northeastern part of China. Bounded in the north by Jin Li and Inner Mongolia, in the west by Hebie and in the east by Korea. Liaoning is an important province of the emerging China. Once a part of Manchuria this province has traditionally been an engineering powerhouse of the region. Liaoning has over 44 thousand kilometers (> 27,000miles) of roads. These roads vary from provincial highways to secondary roads. Since China became more open to the world Liaoning has studied modern road management, construction and Maintenance extensively. A team was formed to work with this customer: George Jenkins, President ITG for high level coordination and direction. Including liaison to high level Chinese officials. Jeffrey Reed, President VSS for high level advice. Glynn Holleran, Vice President VSS for VSS commercial interests, technology transfer seminars, specifications, laboratory, chemicals, plant design and high level technical direction and advice. (FMEA,QFD) (VSS team leader) Bill Yuan, Vice President for ITG commercial interests and project coordination in USA and Russia.(QFD) (ITG team leader). Dejan Ristic, International sales director for ITG for project coordination. Dai Jie, ITG Chinese Director for customer Liaison (QFD). Shu Mei, ITG Chinese sales mgr for customer liaison. Richard Biao, ITG Chinese Chief Engineer for technical liaison (QFD, FMEA) Rocky Tavernier, VSS equipment for equipment design and chemical shipment. Bob Jeffers, General Mgr. VSS emulsions for plant design and commissioning and training. Jon James, Technical Superintendent and field supervisor for training and equipment commissioning. Development The elements of the plan included: Development of customer needs QFD and basic information. Raw Materials Equipment Training Technology Laboratory Services Development of Customer needs and QFD In early 1998 Glynn Holleran of VSS and Bill Yuan of ITG visited Shenyang, Liaoning at the invitation of Provincial Road Administrator Mr Yan Peng Li. This invitation was procured by the excellent work of Ms Shu Mei and Mr Dai Jie, the representatives of VSS/ITG local distributor Dialin Yinglian. A presentation was made to 30 engineers over two days to explain the range of VSS equipment, particularly the Emultech line of emulsion plants. Liaoning required a sophisticated plant that was capable of making superfine polymer modified emulsion for slurry surfacing applications. This presentation included theoretical aspects of emulsifiers and emulsions to give the engineers a framework with which to discuss their needs. This group were well advanced technically and VSS/ITG were able to collect information for the QFD analysis. Raw Materials Although well served by engineers and scientist and well into existing emulsion manufacture the customer had not done work with slurry systems. This therefore provided the direction for VSS/ITG to concentrate on. Samples of local aggregates and asphalt together with emulsion were provided for VSS/ITG assessment. An FMEA analysis was carried out. Equipment The customers' engineers quickly recognized that for application in their region a semi continuous batch system was superior. This would allow them to easily manufacture the relatively high emulsifier content for slurry and microsurfacing emulsions with no injection problems, and a high level of quality control. The semi-continuous system ensures that the emulsifiers had been fully neutralized before milling and optimizes formulation parameters. An FMEA analysis was carried out to determine the plant design. VSS/ITG assisted the local engineers in design of a soap plant system to reduce costs, a QFD stimulus that was answered to ensure the project could meet the customers financial limitations. The emulsion plant chosen was a Charlotte® mill based unit manufactured by VSS in Hickman California.-The Emultech ® G 100. It has an integral latex injection system and capable of producing in excess of 20 tonnes of emulsion per hour. The high shear of the mill and the technical assistance of VSS showed that suitable emulsions could be made without solvent using this system. This is another significant benefit. Training Training requirements were limited by the customers financial situation but this is still an important part of the QFD and FMEA analysis as training is the key to success. The plant was commissioned and assistance given in the soap plant set up. This enabled, with the raw materials assessment the development of a program for materials development. The customer had purchased, previous to VSS/ITG involvement, two German slurry machines, while these are satisfactory machines they were sold with no implementation program and VSS/ITG, having factored this in as a part of the QFD and FMEA analysis have taken the initiative and opportunity to provide this. This approach also creates a partnering situation which will create a mutually rewarding relationship into the future. Technology The development of technical programs is key and information on many subjects is exchanged and provided. Laboratory Services This is a development area and the presence of quality local technicians and engineers already with the customer (as in Russia) makes this a less difficult provision. FMEA and QFD are key inputs for implementation. Conclusions This project is moving smoothly and problem resolution is made less difficult by good communication and quality planning. 5. Overall Conclusions VSS has instituted a quality assurance approach to all aspects of asphalt and pavement maintenance. This is a process based on the approach using the elements of the ISO 9000 quality standards and total quality management tools and principles. The aim is to improve total performance to optimize the final surfaces. This addresses both the requirements of the customer for serviceability and the VSS need to carry out work efficiently and economically. The work done so far allows the following conclusions to be drawn. To ensure that road surfaces are carried out reproducibly and correctly to the satisfaction of the customer and the benefit of the economy requires control of the total process. This begins from the organization of the company and requires attention to Quality. Quality Assurance systems are essential to achieving the end result requirements of the customer and for optimizing the performance, both economic and technically of the contractor. Quality requires close cooperation between suppliers, manufacturers contractors and customers. It is the process that is the key. Quality plans must be prepared for all major projects with clearly defined processes and responsibilities. For proprietary systems this is essential. An important part of this is the determination of what the customer wants (QFD) and the use of tools like FMEA to ensure that this is achieved and that information goes back into a continuous improvement loop. Improvement of the quality performance cannot be achieved by field testing alone. Poor correlation exists between standard tests in the field and the laboratory. At best they can only be used as indicators. Warrantees are a potential approach to give the customer a level of comfort in the process of micro surfacing, however the end properties may be assured by a good quality system. Case studies are useful as they demonstrate the high level of flexibility that can be achieved without compromising standards that can lead to successful projects an ongoing work. 6. REFERENCES (1980) Crosby, P.B " Quality Is Free" Mentor Books N.Y (1996) September Edition World Highways London (1996) Zaniewski, J.P Mamiouk, MS FHWA report FHWA-SA-96-027 (1997) Holleran G Reed J.R " Asphalt Emulsion Applications for an Economic Maintenance Program" X111th International Road Federation Conference Toronto. (1992) Holleran G, Wilks B.J " Contractors and Quality, How to Make it Pay" IRF/ARF Asia Pacific Regional Conference, Queensland. (1994) AS/NZS ISO 9001-9003 Australian Standards Association Sydney. (1996) Holleran, G, Jiang, Y,H, Reed J,R " Quality Assurance of Slurry and Microsurfacing Projects. IRF Asia regional conference Taiwan. (1996) Holleran, G. " Cape Seal Development Design and Performance" Proc ISSA conference Phoenix. (1997) Holleran, G " Slurry Surfacing" Russian Road Federation meeting Tambov October. (1994) Raza, H " State of The Practice Design and Construction of Microsurfacing" FHWA report -SA-94-051. (1996) Holleran G, Bryant J " Chip Sealing Emulsions: Australian and New Zealand Developments" Proc AEAMA conference Phoenix. (1997) Holleran G, " Distress In Pavement Surfaces" Bitumen Asia Workshop Singapore. (1991) Holleran G "Sealing Principles" Tasmanian Dot Hobart. (1996) Holleran G " Innovations in Binders and Mixes" Bitumen Asia 1996 Workshop Singapore. (1994) ISSA " Microsurfacing- a Guide to Quality Construction" Washington D.C (1997) Holleran G, "Warranties and Performance Related Specifications" Wisconsin University Of Wisconsin Engineering professional Development Seminar New Contracting Practices. (1995) Chamberlain, W.P " Performance Related Specifications For Highway Construction and Rehabilitation. NHCRP Synthesis 212 Washington DC. (1995) Bradbury,A. Kazmierowski, T.J " Implementation of Microsurfacing Specifications in Ontario" Proc 4oth Annual Conf CTAA Vol XL Nov. (1995) FHWA/ISSA " Guideline for Warranty Specifications for Microsurfacing" Washington D.C (1996) Moulthrup,J " Aspects and Considerations For Specifications containing Warranty Provisions" AAPT. Back to VSS Technology Papers Library Copyright © 2000 Valley Slurry Seal Co All Rights Reserved.