ETTL Engineers & Consultants Inc.

Quality Assurance in ETTL's Contract Soil Laboratory Testing
and All Other ETTL Materials Laboratory Testing Services

Quality control involving both equipment and personnel plays a significant role in maintaining a high degree of performance in the geotechnical and materials engineering fields. For this reason, ETTL Engineers & Consultant Inc. utilizes outside as well as in-house inspection and evaluation programs to insure the highest level of quality in its soil laboratory performance.

QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAMS

ETTL participates in several proficiency sample testing programs, including those conducted by AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (ARML); Cement & Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL); and TxDOT Materials & Test Division Bituminous Proficiency Sampling. These programs involve ETTL's laboratory facilities (as part of their routines), running tests on representative samples prepared by these agencies. ETTL has been certified for numerous ASTM tests by AASHTO, and by TxDOT districts for listed Tex test methods (see ETTL's Contract Soil Laboratory Services page).

In addition, ETTL meets the requirements of ASTM E 329.

And, as the need has arisen, ETTL has been inspected and approved by the Corps of Engineers for work on various Corps projects within ETTL's geographical service area.

EQUIPMENT CALIBRATION

In addition to the above, ETTL's primary pieces of equipment are annually calibrated by an independent calibration service utilizing standards devolving from the National Institute of Standards & Technology. ETTL has been instrumental in developing "Suggested Methods and Schedules for Calibration of Materials Testing Equipment," a document adopted by the Texas Council of Engineering Laboratories (TCEL) for use by member firms.

QUALITY CONTROL OF REPORTS

As a means of insuring client protection and validity of reports produced by our firm, all test results are carefully scrutinized and signed by a registered professional engineer prior to publication.

With respect to geotechnical engineering studies made by this firm, engineering calculations made by staff or project engineers are reviewed by the Manager of Geotechnical Services. Geotechnical reports produced by staff or project engineers are reviewed and cosigned by the Manager of Geotechnical Services and/or the Senior Vice President and/or the Chief Engineer. Computer-generated analyses are verified manually for critical-case situations.

LOG-IN AND OTHER RELEVANT PROCEDURES

Samples are logged in on a "Laboratory Sample Work Order" form.
Data forms have been prepared for each type of test ETTL carries out.
Computer spread sheets are used to do final calculations and prepare reports.

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