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1.1 This practice establishes minimum qualifications for agencies engaged in the testing and inspection of soil and rock. Minimum requirements for field and laboratory personnel are defined. The practice also covers the establishment and maintenance of a quality system.

1.2 Criteria are provided for evaluating the capability of an agency to properly perform designated tests on soil and rock, and for establishing essential characteristics pertaining to an agency's organization, personnel, facilities, and quality system. This practice may be supplemented by more specific criteria and requirements for particular projects.

1.3 This practice can be used as a basis to evaluate testing and inspection agencies, or both, and is intended for use for the qualifying or accrediting, or both, of testing or inspection agencies, public or private, engaged in the testing and inspection of soil and rock as used in engineering design and construction.

1.4 To qualify for accreditation to this standard, the agency must include at least five standards relating to testing methods, inspection methods, or both, from the standards covered under the jurisdictions of Committee D18, in its certificate of accreditation.

1.5 This practice is applicable to all standards which include a reference to Practice D3740.

1.6 The text of this standard references notes and footnotes that provide explanatory material. These notes and footnotes (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be considered as requirements of the standard.

1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.8 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project's many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.

1.9 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

4.1 This practice provides the basic minimum criteria for use in evaluating the qualifications of a testing or inspection agency, or both, for soil and rock. The criteria may be supplemented by more specific criteria and requirements. An individual user can also use it to judge the qualification of an agency. The existence of a formal accrediting body such as a federal, state, or independent agency is not necessary for the use of this standard.

4.2 The intent of this practice is to provide a consensus basis for evaluating a testing or inspection agency, or both, with respect to that agency's capability to objectively and competently provide the specific services needed by the user.

4.3 This practice may be used as a basis for accreditation.

4.4 The users of an accredited agency must review the agency's scope of accreditation to make sure the agency has been accredited for its technical competence to perform the tasks requested by the user.