Input from this session will greatly assist the TQI Steering Committee in charting the future path of our quality journey. As the Electronic Age strengthens its grip on every aspect of our lives, it presents opportunities for real gains in accuracy, cost-cutting, efficiency, and convenience in TxDOT's letting of highway projects. TQI is pleased to include this breakout session in its 1997 meeting so that these potential gains can be discussed. Each month TxDOT moves 700,000 to 1,000,000 sheets of paper in distributing Notice to Contractors, bid proposals, and informational proposals. These 1,000,000 sheets of paper amount to 2,000 reams or a stack of paper approximately 333 feet tall.
Much effort is expended in distributing revised information on several projects each month.
The current bidding methodology also requires many manual activities by the bidders. In addition, on the days bids are received, a considerable number of people are involved in the manual processes that are required to open, read, and tabulate the bids, deal with the several bidder errors that are present each month, distribute the letting results, and handle the hundreds of bidders checks. This breakout group will afford an opportunity for good ideas to be suggested, refined, and recommended to TxDOT for consideration for use in its project advertising and bidding procedures. Use of local Material and Recycled Materials - Economic vs Performance A discussion of the development and use of local and recycled materials in the industry. This transition utilizes the resources of TxDOT, academia and the P.C. concrete industry.