AASHTO re:source Q & A Podcast

We sound the alarm on AI-generated lab policies, procedures, and records showing up in accreditation submissions, and why that pattern signals deeper competency problems. We lay out where AI use crosses legal and ethical lines with standards, and where it can still help as a supervised tool without weakening data integrity or public safety. 

• red flags we see in AI-generated quality management system documents 
• why on-site assessments matter more than “easy” desktop accreditation 
• AASHTO and ASTM standards limits on derivative works and copyright concerns 
• examples of acceptable AI support like formatting, Excel help, and shuffling an exam you already wrote 
• telltale signs of nonsense procedures and why we often reject them outright 
• how weak documentation becomes a public safety risk for roads, bridges, and buildings 
• why AI can amplify record falsification and technician incompetence 
• the checks and balances we use: application review, on-site observation, and proficiency testing 

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Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

After many years of balloting, the 2026 edition of AASHTO R 18 was finally released on July 31, 2026, the first major update since 2018. In this video, Accreditation Program Director Brian Johnson sits down with Communications Manager Kim Swanson to talk through what actually changed in the new standard, the thinking behind those changes, and what it all means for AASHTO Accredited laboratories.

Since AASHTO R 18 is the foundation of AASHTO Accreditation, these updates touch every accredited lab. The good news is there's nothing earth-shattering here, but there are some new items labs will want to build into their Quality Management Systems.

AASHTO re:source and CCRL won't begin assessing conformance to the updated requirements until January 1, 2027, so you have time between now and the end of the year to get your QMS updated.

Send us Fan Mail

Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

After many years of balloting, the 2026 edition of AASHTO R 18 was finally released on July 31, 2026, the first major update since 2018. In this video, Accreditation Program Director Brian Johnson sits down with Communications Manager Kim Swanson to talk through what actually changed in the new standard, the thinking behind those changes, and what it all means for AASHTO Accredited laboratories.

Since AASHTO R 18 is the foundation of AASHTO Accreditation, these updates touch every accredited lab. The good news is there's nothing earth-shattering here, but there are some new items labs will want to build into their Quality Management Systems.

AASHTO re:source and CCRL won't begin assessing conformance to the updated requirements until January 1, 2027, so you have time between now and the end of the year to get your QMS updated.

Send us Fan Mail

Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

After many years of balloting, the 2026 edition of AASHTO R 18 was finally released on July 31, 2026, the first major update since 2018. In this video, Accreditation Program Director Brian Johnson sits down with Communications Manager Kim Swanson to talk through what actually changed in the new standard, the thinking behind those changes, and what it all means for AASHTO Accredited laboratories.

Since AASHTO R 18 is the foundation of AASHTO Accreditation, these updates touch every accredited lab. The good news is there's nothing earth-shattering here, but there are some new items labs will want to build into their Quality Management Systems.

AASHTO re:source and CCRL won't begin assessing conformance to the updated requirements until January 1, 2027, so you have time between now and the end of the year to get your QMS updated.

Send us Fan Mail

Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

We turn loose resolutions into real quality improvements by focusing on knowledge sharing and outcome-driven goals. Along the way, we normalize failure as a learning tool and announce an accreditation update for core drilling vs testing. If you are attending the Technical Exchange, make sure to ask Brian for his autograph. 

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Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

AASHTO re:source Quality Manager, Tracy Barnhart, joins us to talk about continual improvement. We share some tips on how to build a culture of quality and ask listeners to send us their quality-related New Year’s resolutions.

Share your resolutions here: New Year’s Resolutions for Continual Improvement – Fill out form

Related Information: 

• aashtoresource.org/quality
• aashtoresource.org/events

Send us Fan Mail

Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

Get a glimpse inside November’s Virtual Technical Exchange’s Mastering Laboratory Management Panel Discussion. In this episode, we take clips from that session to share insights from industry professionals Zack McKay, Joseph Kerstetter, Kishore Kotha, and Seth Winters. 

Send us Fan Mail

Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

Brian and Kim discuss the newly redesigned AAP Procedures Manual. It presents the requirements of the AASHTO Accreditation Program in a new format that is easier to read and understand.  This new version integrates the old procedures manual with the newer policy and guidance documents that AASHTO re:source had been issuing on its website.  It also includes helpful links that can take the reader to other documents or websites to learn more.

There are also additions to the procedures manual that are the result of AASHTO re:source Administrative Task Group (ATG) precedents that are not being stated directly in this document to promote transparency such as more specific language about the minimum acceptable situations for approval of situations in which management is provided to more than one facility and other shared personnel situations.

Due to the release of this new version, a few of the policy and guidance documents were retired and others revised because the content was incorporated into the main body of the procedures manual. There will still be policy and guidance documents that explain some of the requirements in greater detail, but the intent is to incorporate the requirements into the procedures manual where possible.

The organization of the procedures manual is intended to present some of the essential information that everyone needs to know up front, and then starting in Section 7, it takes the reader through the accreditation process.

Starting in Section 14, the procedures manual starts to describe other situations that could be of interest like ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, project laboratories, and mobile laboratories.

Finally, there are other important topics explained like confidentiality, external complaints, refusal of service, and information about certificates of accreditation, accreditation directory listings and how to properly promote laboratory accreditation.

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Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

Pete Unger takes us behind the curtain of the global laboratory accreditation system that quietly protects our everyday safety. With nearly five decades of experience, Pete reveals how a problem with redundant product testing in the 1970s sparked an international movement that revolutionized how we ensure quality in construction materials and beyond.

The conversation unravels the fascinating evolution of laboratory standards from early negotiations between the US and Denmark to today's sophisticated global network. Pete, who helped write the original ISO Guide 25 (predecessor to ISO/IEC 17025) and chaired ILAC for nine years, shares insider perspectives on how these systems developed and why they matter. His firsthand accounts of international diplomacy and standards development provide rare insights into a system most people never think about.

What makes this discussion particularly compelling is Pete's candid explanation of how accreditation prevents dangerous practices. He recounts troubling examples of laboratories that would test just one concrete cylinder but report values for three - shortcuts that could lead to catastrophic structural failures. These stories highlight the real-world importance of proper testing oversight, especially in construction where lives depend on accurate results.

The episode also demystifies complex topics like Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) and Multilateral Agreements (MLAs), explaining how they facilitate international trade while maintaining quality standards. Pete's work with organizations like the Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board demonstrates how these agreements eliminate redundant testing of products crossing borders, saving money without compromising safety.

Whether you work in quality assurance, construction, international trade, or simply care about the safety of the buildings and bridges you use daily, this conversation offers valuable perspective on the hidden systems that protect public safety. As Pete emphasizes, accreditation isn't about bureaucracy – it's about ensuring that when test results matter, they're reliable every time.

Send us Fan Mail

Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org. 

The digital revolution has reached the world of construction materials testing, and it's happening faster than many of us realize. In this eye-opening conversation with Mike Copeland, Quality Program Manager at the Idaho Department of Transportation, we explore the remarkable ways artificial intelligence is transforming how state DOTs handle testing data, quality assurance, and technical decision-making.

Mike shares his journey from struggling with data trapped in PDFs to developing sophisticated AI tools that now save his agency countless hours of manual work. We witness firsthand demonstrations of AI applications that extract testing data in seconds instead of hours, plot complex gyratory compactor data with simple drag-and-drop functionality, and even predict material properties with surprising accuracy. But this isn't just about efficiency—it's about reimagining what's possible.

Perhaps most valuable is our frank discussion about the double-edged nature of these powerful technologies. While AI offers unprecedented capabilities to streamline workflows and enhance decision-making, it also creates new vulnerabilities in our quality assurance systems. Mike explains how traditional approaches to sample custody and verification testing may need fundamental reconsideration as we enter an era where data itself requires security and verification.

Throughout our conversation, practical examples bring these concepts to life: an AI chatbot that instantly answers technical questions about specifications while identifying conflicts between manuals; tools that transform handwritten test sheets into structured data without error-prone manual entry; and exploratory models that challenge our assumptions about which physical tests are truly necessary.

Whether you're already experimenting with AI or just beginning to consider its implications for materials testing, this episode provides both inspiration and caution from someone at the leading edge of this technological transformation. Join us to discover how these tools might reshape your own testing program while maintaining the integrity that ensures public safety in our infrastructure.

Send us Fan Mail

Have questions, comments, or want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Email [email protected].

Related information on this and other episodes can be found at aashtoresource.org.