Glossary of Highway Quality Assurance Terms

Highway quality assurance, like many other specialized subject areas, has its own unique language containing numerous technical terms or expressions having very specific meanings. Some of these terms are not well understood, and their use is subject to a variety of different interpretations. The purpose of this circular is to provide a reference document containing a recommended standard for usage of highway quality assurance terminology. The publication is divided into three parts: an index, a glossary of highway quality assurance terms, and a list of references. The major part is the glossary. The terms selected for definition include many terms that are frequently misinterpreted, misunderstood, or are generally confusing. The definitions provided are sometimes more than dictionary definitions; they attempt to clarify the sources of confusion. Because terms are not alphabetical in the glossary, the index can be used to assist the user in more quickly locating a term.