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Dear research colleagues, I have a question/request on how to deal with a new type of contract between goverment/province/municipal and the contractor in which the contractor remains responsible for the maintenance of the road for a certain period (which is shorter than the design life). 1) We ask the contractor to design and construct a road for let say 25 years design life. 2) We require a certain value for a specific parameter(s) (functional requirements) 3) After construction we measure this value 4) The contractor remains responsible (maintenance) for the road for a certain period which is shorter than the design life let say 10 years. 5) After 10 years the governmental authorities measure again the value of the specfic parameter(s) 6) If the increase (or decrease) in value for this parameter is below (or above) a certain value the contractor has fulfilled his contract (discharged) and the road authorities take over the responsibility for the maintenance of the road. The risk that after 12 years large maintenance repairs appear to be necessarily in stead of 25 years is for the roadauthority. At this moment we have a complete prototype of this process for flexible pavements (including semi-rigd pavements). Nevertheless information on the performance of such processes in other countries is still very welcome. My question/request is focussed on rigid pavements (concrete slabs; reinforced concrete etc). In the Netherlands the majority of the roads are flexible pavements and only a few are really rigid pavements. Therefore we don't have the knowledge/experience which specific parameter(s) should be chosen for the judgement of the rigid pavement just after construction and after e.g. 10 years if the road authority want to take over the responsibility of the contractor. For flexible pavement we have developed a system /process based on deflections (in and out the wheel track) measured with the FWD. Still there will be yet unknown risks but we really want to try out this type of contracts leaving more responsibilities to the side of the contractor. However, we feel that the deflection will not be an appropriate parameter in case of a rigid pavement. Dear colleagues, do you know anyone in your organisation or outside who is familar with this type of contracts and has experience with the process (jurispendency; risks et) especially for rigid pavements. If so please send me his/her address/E-mail etc. so I can contact him or if yo have any information about published papers please E-mail them to me Thanks in advance Ad Pronk FEHRL Res.Coord.-NL Road &Hydraulic Eng. Div. The Netherlands E-mail: [log in to unmask] tel. +31-15-2518399 fax +31-15-2518555