The testing agencies that will be used should also be decided upon. It s very important that detailed records be kept of all of the testing activities that go on for the project. A log should be kept of the materials that have been sent to laboratories detailing where and when they were sent. All test results should be documented. Also, a log of all submittals should be kept as well as a copy of each submittal.
Specifications contain provisions for quality assurance.
The purpose of these is to make sure that the contractor supplies the owner with the proper items to guarantee the quality of product that is specified. Construction activities and materials that are especially important or those that are prone to failure are required to be tested if the quality of them can not be assessed by simple observation. The specifications for a project call out what items are to be tested, the method of testing, the organization who is to perform the test and the performance requirements for each test. Many tests are discussed in this paper. The Standard Proctor Test, Modified Proctor Test, Direct Shear Test, Standard Penetration Test, Cone Penetration Test and Load Test are used to test soils.