Evaluation of the Asphalt Binder Quality Tester (2022)
Chapter: Appendix B - SME Interview Guide
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Previous Chapter:
Appendix A - Overview of the ABQT Device
Next Chapter: Appendix C - Follow-Up Electronic Survey
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B - SME Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Evaluation of the Asphalt Binder Quality Tester. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26603.
APPENDIX B
SME Interview Guide
As described in the main body of this report, the SME Interview Guide lists baseline questions for all SMEs and specific questions for each major stakeholder or user group. This interview guide was not distributed to SMEs because of length, but the evaluation team used it to guide interviews and collect key data points for analysis.
Section 1. Respondent Background
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Please give a brief description of your background. |
| 2 | Are you familiar with the Asphalt Binder Quality Tester product? If so, where did you learn about ABQT? |
| 3 | Do you have any reason to believe you would have an actual or perceived conflict of interest with respect to participating in this interview? |
| 4 | Referring to the attached overview of ABQT (see Figure A-1, Appendix A), do you agree with the general characterization of the supply chain? |
| 5 | What portions of the supply chain do you have experience working in? |
| 6 | Based on your knowledge of the product, what is the most promising use case for the ABQT? |
Section 2. Process Evaluation
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Can you describe the timeline of funding for ABQT research? |
| 2 | Where did funds come from for ABQT research? |
| 3 | Was there a formal process that selected ABQT for research funding? |
| 4 | What kinds of steps were taken to evaluate the business case for ABQT before this evaluation? |
| 5 | Are there any pre-defined stage gates or decision points that were in place to evaluate whether to continue ABQT research at pre-determined time intervals or stages in the research process? |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B - SME Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Evaluation of the Asphalt Binder Quality Tester. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26603.
Section 3. Questions for Laser Tech, Inc.
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Please describe how Laser Tech came to be engaged in the ABQT CRADA with FHWA. |
| 2 | Is Laser Tech prepared to begin manufacturing ABQT units for sale? |
| 3 | What is the anticipated retail price of an ABQT unit? |
| 4 | Do you anticipate that this price could come down if demand were sufficient to achieve economies of scale? |
| 5 | Are there any limitations that would impede production if demand for the ABQT was too high? |
| 6 | What kinds of support or service do you anticipate offering with purchase of the ABQT? |
Section 4. SME Category: Binder Suppliers
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Describe the asphalt binder QA program at your site. |
| 2 | How frequently do you conduct binder QC testing? (Both required by a QA plan and voluntary.) |
| 3 | How frequently do you conduct binder acceptance testing? |
| 4 | Do you conduct testing on site, or do you send samples to approved testing facilities? |
| 5 | How often do binder samples not meet the required standard specifications? |
| 6 | How long does it take to receive QC or acceptance testing results? |
| 7 | How often does QC testing catch issues in binder production or modification? |
| 8 | Where could the ABQT fit within the QA program your facility adheres to? |
| 9 | Would the use of the ABQT help in the binder formulation process? |
| 10 | What are the barriers to adoption for the ABQT at your site? |
| 11 | Would you consider adoption of the ABQT without regulatory agency pressure? |
| 12 | How would the ABQT change your testing costs? Less labor, fewer other tests needed? |
| 13 | Would the ABQT allow you to catch more issues with binder quality than your current testing procedures? |
| 14 | What penalties are associated with the binder not meeting specifications? |
| 15 | How often are penalties levied on binder suppliers? |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B - SME Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Evaluation of the Asphalt Binder Quality Tester. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26603.
Section 5. SME Category: Asphalt Mix Plants
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Describe the binder QA program at your mix plants. |
| 2 | How frequently is binder QC testing conducted? (Both required by a QA plan and voluntary.) |
| 3 | How frequently is binder acceptance testing conducted? |
| 4 | Do you conduct tests on site, or send them to an approved binder testing facility? |
| 5 | How long does it take to receive QC or acceptance testing results? |
| 6 | How often do QC or acceptance tests return failing results? |
| 7 | Where could the ABQT fit within the QA program? |
| 8 | What are the barriers to adoption for the ABQT at the mix plant? |
| 9 | Would mix plants consider adoption of the ABQT without regulatory agency pressure? |
| 10 | What is the most likely adoption scenario for the ABQT with mix plants? |
| 11 | If adopted, would each mix plant have an ABQT, or would they be shared by multiple plants? |
| 12 | Would use of the ABQT on site increase your confidence in the quality of the binder used in your asphalt mixes? |
| 13 | Are there penalties levied on binder suppliers if you receive binder that does not meet specifications? |
| 14 | What are the penalties for poor asphalt mix that is placed? What are the specific penalties for poor binder quality? |
| 15 | How often are penalties levied for poor asphalt or binder? How often are these penalties due to poor asphalt binder quality? |
Section 6. SME Category: Owner Agencies
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Describe the binder QA program requirements for your agency. |
| 2 | How many approved binder testing facilities does your agency use for testing? |
| 3 | Do most binder suppliers your agency uses do on-site testing, or do they send samples to agency approved binder testing facilities? |
| 4 | Do most mix plants your agency uses do on-site binder testing, or do they send samples to agency approved testing facilities? |
| 5 | How many binder samples are tested per week? |
| 6 | What is the average turnaround time for testing results on a binder sample? |
| 7 | How often do QC or acceptance tests return failing results? |
| 8 | Where could the ABQT fit within the binder supply chain? |
| 9 | What are the barriers to adoption of the ABQT? |
| 10 | Would the ABQT be a good screening tool to prioritize which samples need to be tested more quickly? |
| 11 | Would the ABQT likely lead to more samples not meeting specifications being identified? |
| 12 | Would adoption of the ABQT lead to decreased labor or costs associated with testing? |
| 13 | Do you think the ABQT would be considered for use as an acceptance test either adding to the standard specifications or replacing a current test used? |
| 14 | What penalties are associated with binder not meeting specifications? |
| 15 | Have you had to replace a paved road because of improper asphalt? Was it the result of poor binder? |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix B - SME Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Evaluation of the Asphalt Binder Quality Tester. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26603.
Section 7. SME Category: Other industry Experts (Consultants, Academia, Trade Associations)
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Describe the current QA processes for the binder supply chain for the stakeholders you are familiar with. |
| 2 | How frequently is binder QC testing conducted by each stakeholder you are familiar with? (Both required by a QA plan and voluntary.) |
| 3 | How frequently is acceptance testing conducted for each stakeholder you are familiar with? |
| 4 | Where could the ABQT fit within the supply chain? |
| 5 | What are the barriers to adoption for the ABQT? |
| 6 | Would stakeholders consider adoption of the ABQT without regulatory agency pressure? |
| 7 | What adoption scenarios do you think are likely for ABQT? |
| 8 | What would the cost impacts of ABQT adoption be for key stakeholders? |
| 9 | Would the ABQT catch out-of-specification binders that may be missed currently? |
Section 8. Impact of Binder Quality on Roadways
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | How does degraded binder quality affect roadways if the binder is still used? For a minor, moderate, and severe degradation? |
| 2 | How are roadways affected if the wrong binder is used? |
| 3 | Do roadways with poor-quality binder require more maintenance? If so, could this be quantified? |
| 4 | How often do roads have to be removed and repaved because of poor-quality asphalt? |
| 5 | How does degraded binder quality affect roadways if the binder is still used? For a minor, moderate, and severe degradation? |
| 6 | How does asphalt quality impact vehicles (e.g., tire wear, alignment, fuel economy)? |
Section 9. Concluding Questions
| Q | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Would you like to share any other comments? |
| 2 | Who else should we contact for this study? |
| 3 | Would you be willing to answer brief follow-up questions via email or phone? |
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