State of the practice of warranty specifications in the United States.

36550905Technical assistance report.Jan. 1996Dec. 1996.PDFTech ReportVTRC 97-TAR5VirginiaVirginia Transportation Research CouncilHughes, ChuckVirginia Transportation Research CouncilUS Transportation CollectionWarranty contracts (in which the contractor guarantees the product and assumes responsibility for repair and maintenance for a designated period) are either being used or being critically examined for use by many states. In years past, the greatest use of warranties was in areas such as bridge painting, pavement markings, and freeway management. More recently, California, Michigan, and Wisconsin have let warranty contracts for flexible rehabilitation paving projects. Warranty contracts also have been developed for surface treatments and micro-surfacing projects. With the publication of the FHWA Final rule on Warranty Clauses (April 19, 1996), which allows states to develop warranty contracts for many items, more states will take a critical look at the feasibility of warranty contracts. The FHWA and states that have successfully developed warranty contracts, such as Wisconsin, suggest developing these contracts with the input of industry in order to minimize fears of inadequate design, bonding problems, increased costs, etc. Several aspects of Wisconsin's recent experience with warranty contracts for asphalt pavement are discussed