SECTION 37 - QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL - General Requirements - Purpose - Definitions

Oct 28, 2026

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Section 37 establishes minimum Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) requirements for CDOT deliverables, covering all design construction documents, reports, studies, and related submissions. It explains that QA corresponds to Owner Acceptance and QC corresponds to Process Control, then states the program’s objectives, including safe, low-maintenance structures, error prevention, cost-effective solutions, consistency, and ingenuity. The section defines QA and QC, outlines key document and design deliverables, and specifies independent design checks and independent technical reviews.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

37.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

37.2 PURPOSE

37.3 DEFINITIONS

Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality Control (QC)

Design

Independent Design Check

Independent Technical Review

SECTION 37 QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL 37.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS All design construction documents, reports, studies, and any other documents delivered to CDOT must comply with the minimum requirements of this BDMand the documents referenced in the Policies and Procedures. Deliverables are subject to both Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) as described herein. In the standard specifications, Quality Assurance is contractually described as Owner Acceptance and Quality Control is contractually described as Process Control. 37.2 PURPOSE All entities (CDOT and Consultants) producing deliverables for CDOT must use a rigorous QA/QC program to accomplish the following objectives , which include but are not limited to: • Ensure safe structures for the traveling public • Provide structures that are low maintenance for the life of the structure • Prevent problems from occurring during construction • Provide cost-effective solutions • Prevent errors • Provide consistency • Promote ingenuity The purpose of this section is not to supplant QA/QC programs and policy already established internally within CDOT or with individual consulting firms but rather it describes the minimum requirements that must be included in a QA/QC program applied to a CDOT project. Unless otherwise described in this BDM, specific methodologies for conducting and documenting QA/QC procedures are the prerogative of the entity executing a project. For example, an independent technical review, described in Section 37.3 , is required, but the entity performing the work is responsible for determining the exact procedure and forms necessary to perform the review and to document that it has occurred. This section defines the types of QA/QC reviews, discusses project planning, and identifies the required QA/QC reviews for each design phase in the order in which each design phase occurs. 37.3 DEFINITIONS For definitions not included in this section, refer to the Policies and Procedures Section of this BDM. Quality Assurance (QA): The procedure that verifies and documents that established QC procedures have been implemented during the execution of a project. QA is performed through audits as defined below. Quality Control (QC): A systematic procedure that checks the accuracy of design calculations, construction plans, specifications, and other pertinent documents to achieve the objectives noted in Section 37.2. When properly used, QC procedures detect and correct errors and omissions before a project is constructed. QC procedures include the independent design check, independent technical review, constructability review, and CDOT structural review on consultant projects as defined below. Design: Design includes generation of the following: • Structure Selection Report • Structural design calculations that support structural elements • Bridge geometry • Detailing construction drawings • Quantity calculations • Estimates of probable costs for the Structure Selection Report (Note that final design includes only quantity calculations, not cost estimates) • Project Special Provisions • Structure Load Rating (Refer to the CDOT Bridge Load Rating Manual for QA/QC requirements) • Design calculations and detailing drawings resulting from changes during construction The Project Structural Engineer is responsible for assigning these tasks to the Structural Design Engineer(s) . Independent Design Check: The process that uses a person or party separate from those who prepared the documents to verify the contract documents. This key QC requirement involves the Independent Design Engineer verifying all design work, drawings, specifications , quantities, reports and any construction changes generated by the Structural Design Engineer to ensure structural integrity, constructability, and satisfaction of all applicable standards listed in this BDM , utilizing independent structural calculations. As such, the ind

FAQs

What minimum QA/QC requirements must CDOT deliverables follow?

All design construction documents, reports, studies, and other delivered materials must meet the minimum requirements of the referenced BDM and the documents in the Policies and Procedures, and be subject to QA/QC.

What is the purpose of Section 37’s QA/QC program?

The program is required to ensure safe structures, low maintenance over a structure’s life, prevention of construction problems and errors, cost-effective solutions, consistency, and promotion of ingenuity.

How does the section define Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)?

QA verifies and documents that established QC procedures were implemented during project execution via audits. QC is a systematic procedure that checks the accuracy of design calculations, plans, specifications, and related documents, detecting and correcting errors and omissions before construction.

Oct 28, 2026

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