Development Of Acceptance Criteria Research Articles

Improved performance grading of asphalt cement and hot mix asphalt in Ontario, Canada

Ontario municipal government agencies have recently been afflicted by significant premature pavement cracking. In response, stricter specifications were developed and implemented for acceptance on contracts. All but a few proven additives are banned in order to provide a cleaner product and the asphalt is graded after extraction and recovery from the loose mix. A set of highly sensitive rheological and failure properties are used to effectively control hard to detect constituents (e.g., reclaimed asphalt, oils, waxes, other unknowns). This paper discusses the background to the specification, the development of acceptance criteria, potential moisture susceptibility issues to be monitored, and early implementation experience.

Measuring Cement Paste Rheology Using a Modified Dynamic Shear Rheometer: An Approach to Detect Cement-Admixtures Incompatibilities

Abstract The objective of this research is (1) to develop an easy-to-use Superpave dynamic shear rheometer (DSR)–based device that could measure cement paste rheology with permissible repeatability and sensitivity, and (2) to investigate whether potential cement-admixtures (mineral and chemical) incompatibilities can clearly be identified through direct measurement of cement paste rheology. The DSR was modified to make it suitable for measuring cement paste rheology and a DSR-based rheology test procedure with optimum parameters and test conditions was subsequently developed. An extensive laboratory investigation using the modified and optimized DSR-based rheology test procedure with varieties of cements, supplementary cementitious materials, and different types and dosages of commonly used chemical admixtures under different temperature conditions was conducted. The heat of hydration (HOH) and setting time tests were also performed for all of the studied mixtures as supporting tools. The rheology tests were conducted using both static and dynamic mode of operations. The rate of change of plastic viscosity and yield stress was found to be the most sensitive parameter to identify the studied incompatible mixtures in the static mode and used to develop acceptance criteria. Similarly, monitoring storage modulus over time followed by determining ultimate storage modulus was used to detect the same incompatible mixtures in the dynamic mode. The rheology-based test results are strongly supported by the HOH and setting time results. The test results show that DSR in modified form is capable of measuring cement paste rheology with permissible reproducibility and sensitivity and detecting incompatible mixtures. The modified DSR-based procedure has a great potential to detect problematic combinations of concrete ingredients during the mixture-design process and thereby avoid concrete cracking and other durability issues resulting from incompatibilities.

Acceptable sustainability in the fishing fleet

Abstract This article discusses the performance of the Norwegian fishing fleet within an acceptable level of sustainability. Previously, the cod-fishing fleet has been evaluated at the attributes—accident risk, employment, profitability, quality of the fish meat, catch capacity, greenhouse gas emissions/acidification, and bycatch/selection. The assessments focused on the first four steps of the systems engineering process, i.e., from needs identification to trade-offs of system alternatives. The objective of this paper is to focus on the last steps of the process; design, solve, verify, and test, to improve the decision-basis for fisheries management in order to increase sustainability in the fishing fleet. More specifically, this means to analyze the decision-making situation and develop acceptance criteria of a sustainable Norwegian cod-fishing fleet to enable fisheries management to monitor the sustainability performance of the fleet on a regular basis.

Performance-Based Material Evaluation of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-Wood Interfaces in Reinforced Glulam Members

Abstract A performance-based material evaluation methodology is reviewed as part of a broader project on the development of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite reinforced glued-laminated (glulam) members. The glueline interface was examined under test conditions that included the presence of moisture and temperature fluctuations, and the effect of wood preservatives. The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine if the current test methods used to assess durability of wood-wood bonds for exterior use (ANSI/AITC and ASTM D 2559 protocols) can be adopted for testing FRP composite reinforcement of wood; 2) to research possible modifications to the standard procedures when necessary to accommodate specifics of the adhesive bonds in hybrid FRP-wood assemblies; and 3) to propose a unified interpretation approach for FRP-wood interface test results focusing on development of acceptance criteria. Four commercially available FRP composite systems exhibiting exterior durability potential for glulam reinforcement were selected to validate the material qualification protocol. Two wood species were considered in this study: southern yellow pine and Douglas-fir. The four FRP composite material systems represented a broad spectrum of fiber reinforcement, matrix, adhesives, and fabrication processes. Experimental studies using the composite systems were conducted to validate the proposed methodology.

Developing cone calorimeter acceptance criteria for materials used in high speed craft

This paper presents an overview of a research programme to develop reaction-to-fire acceptance criteria for materials tested in the cone calorimeter. This work, sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard, includes the testing of eight composite materials and one textile wall covering in several standard test methods. Materials were tested in the ISO 9705 room corner test, the cone calorimeter, the International Maritime Organization's surface flammability test apparatus, the smoke chamber, and in real-scale configurations as furniture items and overhead luggage racks. Summary data from these tests are presented, with particular emphasis on correlations between the room corner test and the cone calorimeter. Data from this research programme were used to develop cone calorimeter acceptance criteria for materials used in furniture and other room contents in high-speed craft. Future work will include more data analysis and fire growth modelling in order to further develop acceptance criteria for other materials, especially compartment Linings. This programme has served as an example of how well-planned and coordinated research can be effective tool in the evaluation of existing regulations and the development of new safety standards, helping to ensure public safety through technically justified standards.

Using computer simulated results of a bulk drug substance assay to determine acceptance criteria for method validation.

To determine the statistical variability expected for a well designed HPLC assay of a bulk drug substance (BDS). The results are used to develop appropriate acceptance criteria for a method validation protocol as well as to evaluate the level of uncertainty expected for assay results using a variety of sampling/injection schemes. Computer simulation was used to generate a large quantity of data and the variability of the mock results was evaluated. Error propagation was also calculated, whenever possible, to confirm results obtained from the simulations. Protocol acceptance criteria were developed that were consistent with the expected variability for data resulting from the execution of the validation protocol. In certain cases simulations provided the only avenue of obtaining results that could not otherwise be readily determined. Computer modeling can be used to obtain suitable acceptance criteria for validation results which are consistent with method variability. This is particularly significant in the case of linearity where it has been difficult to develop acceptance criteria based on anything other than analyst intuition and experience. Assay simulations clearly demonstrated that the variability expected for a typical BDS assay is large relative to the average specification range and therefore little insight about relative purity can be gained comparing individual passing assay results.

Burnup in Criticality Safety for Spent Fuel Casks

AbstractCriticality safety margins must be based upon the combination of the best available prediction of the margin and all uncertainties in the prediction. Inclusion of the effects of burnup in the evaluation of spent fuel shipping or storage casks must be based upon a thorough understanding of the prediction of the effects of burnup and the uncertainties in the measurements (or predictions) of burnup and predictions of the effects. A preliminary estimate of the effects of burnup and its uncertainties is presented. This will serve as a first step in the effort to develop acceptance criteria that assure public safety. An assembly average burnup of 20,000 MWD/MTU represents an increase in the criticality safety margin of about 20% (δk/k), and the current estimate of the uncertainty in this value is close to 4% (δk/k). The uncertainties in the components of the effects of burnup were based upon relevant literature citations and — where no other information was available — upon estimates. Consequently, the ...

Developing the request for proposal

The development of a request for proposal (RFP) to computer hardware and software vendors is described. The RFP functions as a planning document, facilitating communication with a selection of vendors, contract negotiations, and development of acceptance criteria. Development of the pharmacy specifications for the RFP involves evaluating and collecting statistics on the existing manual system, planning future services to be provided by the pharmacy and the hospital, evaluating any computer systems already within the hospital, and assessing the impact of pharmacy's interaction with other departments. This information is translated into descriptions of exactly what is to be provided by computerization. The resulting RFP should include a description of the current manual or electronic data processing system. The priority of each function requested, requests for vendor-specific data, contract information, and instructions for the vendor to use in submitting a proposal. Because the RFP's purpose is to communicate unique system needs, the less specific it is written, the greater the opportunity for misinterpretation.