This is supporting research to document and critically review the pilot application of the “incentive-only provision for rideability” on selected asphalt-resurfacing schedules for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s 2013 construction season.

The project also will analyze whether the added costs of a broader program can be justified by any improvement in constructed quality. 

• Key questions to ask during this study will include:
  
• Do contractors respond to the potential additional incentives by modifying paving procedures that result with higher-quality work?
  
• If so, does the higher quality justify the incentive being applied?
  
• Does the incentive payment offset costs for the modified paving procedures and provide a reasonable profit to the contractor?
  
• Does the incentive-only clause, as written, represent a sufficient balance of risk and reward for VDOT and the contractor?
  
• Should the provision include overall project quality for incentives, even in the absence of disincentives?