INDOT Wants Money Back From Contractors

[2trailertrucker]

INDOT says asphalt was poor quality, contractor says it was INDOT's standards.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/10/02/road-builder-rejects-state-refund-demand/73222210/

[Rothman]

INDOT says asphalt was poor quality, contractor says it was INDOT's standards.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/10/02/road-builder-rejects-state-refund-demand/73222210/

Good for INDOT to go after them.  I wish NYSDOT had gone after the I-90 overlay contractors from a few years ago (Washington Ave / NY 85 vicinity).

[silverback1065]

I'm not sure INDOT is totally innocent in this issue, it's best to wait and see.

[mukade]

I'm not sure INDOT is totally innocent in this issue, it's best to wait and see.

Why then are the other contractors' HMA sections of the Hoosier Heartland not failing?

From casual observation, the work on SR 931 has a lot of cracks for being three years old. I would not say that one is failing, but the quality of a lot of work does not appear what it used to be. Perhaps INDOT had so many Major Moves projects underway then that they could not perform adequate QC. Even so, aren't contractors on the hook to deliver quality work?

[silverback1065]

I'm not sure INDOT is totally innocent in this issue, it's best to wait and see.

Why then are the other contractors' HMA sections of the Hoosier Heartland not failing?

From casual observation, the work on SR 931 has a lot of cracks for being three years old. I would not say that one is failing, but the quality of a lot of work does not appear what it used to be. Perhaps INDOT had so many Major Moves projects underway then that they could not perform adequate QC. Even so, aren't contractors on the hook to deliver quality work?

Of course they are, but it's indots job to test and approve everything. Why did they test and approve all of these asphalt samples? I think indot dropped the ball in that respect, every indot job requires testing and if the testing was done and approved by indot, it makes me wonder if they are truly clean too. Contractors take their samples and the inspector is supposed to take random ones to be sent to indot. Either way I don't think I'm ready to solely blame the contractors here until I see more information.
And if they got swamped with samples, I don't think that's an excuse for indot.

In a nutshell, if INDOT took samples during construction and tested and approved them, I don't see why they're mad, they approved them.  If they didn't take samples, that's their fault, INDOT jobs almost always have INDOT inspectors and they should have taken samples of the asphalt.  Until further info comes out that's my opinion on it.

[mukade]

I assume concrete pavement is also tested in the field, but you can see where INDOT made contractors remove and replace sections after it was laid. For example, on all three US 31 sections. What's the difference other than it is more pavement? The alternative is that taxpayers eat the cost for replacement.