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Asphalt samples on a lab bench
Materials sampling, testing and acceptance

Every test result tied to its sample, its lot and the field it came from.

For agencies, contractors, producers and their labs: pull samples and run density and field tests on site, receive them at the lab with a scan, check every result against spec as it is entered, and accept the lot on the record. Mix designs, the JMF and the state’s forms come from the same record.

Book a 20-minute walkthrough What’s included
Samples

Sample S-24-0412 · HMA core

Project 24-118 · Lot 7 · Spec year 2024
Awaiting acceptance
Tests 3 of 3Custody Unbroken
07:52
Collected at station 142+50Field · QR label printed
Field
11:02
Received at district labChain of custody · scanned
Lab
14:30
Bulk specific gravityTest method · within tolerance
2.318
Every result meets spec · 3Accept lot
Illustrative product view
One chain, five steps

From the sample plan to the accepted lot, on one chain of custody.

  1. 1

    Plan

    Sample plans and frequencies from your spec year, set for each project and lot.

    Sampling & Testing
  2. 2

    Sample

    Samples pulled with location, lot and time; density readings and cores logged by sublot.

    Sampling & Testing
  3. 3

    Test

    Received at the lab with a scan, run on your methods, and checked against spec as results are entered.

    Materials Lab
  4. 4

    Accept

    Pass or fail on the lot, QC compared with verification, and pay factors sent on to the pay estimate.

    Acceptance & Pay
  5. 5

    Report

    The state’s forms, official test reports and the project materials certification, from the same record.

    Every package

The people and equipment behind every result Pro

Technician qualifications with their expiry dates, equipment calibration due dates, and split and proficiency samples, kept with the tests they stand behind.

For producers and contractors

Start with what the state asks for.

Each starter covers one plant, its materials and the state’s forms. Add the rest when you need it.

Mix Design Submittals

From the design request and batch sheet to the test battery, the state’s mix design packet and the JMF.

Production Submittals

Plant QC by lot and sublot, blend control and running averages against the JMF, and the daily QC submittal on the state’s form.

Source & Product Approvals

Aggregate source approvals, on the state’s forms.

Priced per plant, and moves up to the full solution with credit.

Materials covered

Asphalt, aggregates, concrete and soils.

Test methods from AASHTO, ASTM and your agency, with the tolerances of your spec year.

  • Asphalt
  • Aggregates
  • Concrete
  • Soils
Who uses it

One chain of custody, six people who depend on it.

Field samplers and testers

Pull samples on site, take density readings and cores, and start chain of custody with a QR label.

Lab technicians

Run asphalt, concrete, soils and aggregate methods, and record results at the bench.

Lab managers

Track throughput, sample plans and equipment calibration across the lab.

Agency materials engineers

Accept or reject lots from results already checked against spec, and answer audits from the record.

Plant QC managers

Keep production on the JMF with running averages, and send the state its submittals on its own forms.

Office managers

Onboard lab users, set up sample plans and pull lab reports.

Coring a pavement sample

Sample

Labeled where it is pulled, with location and lot.

Collecting a materials sample on site

Transfer

Custody recorded at every hand-off.

Asphalt samples on a lab bench

Test

Results checked against spec as they are entered.

What changes

From spreadsheets and paper to one record that travels with the sample.

Legacy process
With HeadLight

Legacy processSample plans and frequencies kept in a spreadsheet, and missed tests found at audit

With HeadLightSample plans tracked as the project runs, so a missed test shows while it can still be taken

Legacy processDensity readings and core results written on paper, then typed into spreadsheets

With HeadLightReadings and cores logged by sublot on site, and checked against spec as they are entered

Legacy processRunning averages worked out in a workbook only one person understands

With HeadLightRunning averages and control charts against the JMF, updated with every result

Legacy processLab results emailed as PDFs, and pay factors calculated in a spreadsheet at the end of the job

With HeadLightPass or fail on each lot as results arrive, and pay factors sent on to the pay estimate

Legacy processThe state’s forms filled in by hand from the workbook

With HeadLightThe state’s forms produced from the record, ready to submit

31,600+ projects in 25+ states run on HeadLight today, from single contracts to agency-wide programs.

60+public agencies
130+engineering and construction firms
30M+field observations captured
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What’s included

Start where your work starts, and add the rest along the chain.

Sampling & Testing in the field, Materials Lab at the bench (the LIMS for construction materials), and Acceptance & Pay for the lot.

Untagged: in every editionPro from Pro upCustom Custom onlyCompare editions

Sampling & Testing

Field testing, sample collection, and plant and pit production records — lot-tracked from the jobsite and the plant, photographed, and tied to the daily report.

Field documents and test forms

  • Standard field test forms for asphalt, concrete, soils, aggregates
  • Engineering grade calculations and automations (densities, ratios, slumps)
  • Master list references and lookups built into each form
  • Submittal workflows to support review and approval of test results
  • Density readings by roller pass and test location; core logs by sublot
  • Build custom test method forms with conditional logicPro

Plant and pit production

  • Stockpile gradations and moisture by product and pit
  • Daily blend record against the job mix formula with a variance check; foreman and approver sign-off
  • Stockpile statistics and product moisture dashboards
  • Scale house and ticketing integration: truck tickets and tonnage into the production recordCustom
  • Plant control system integration: batch and blend data straight from the plantCustom
Show all 32 capabilities

Sample collection & lot tracking

  • Capture sample with GPS, timestamp, and field sampler attribution
  • Tag samples with lot number, station, and source location
  • Generate QR codes and printable labels for sample containersPro
  • View samples by lot, location, or test statusPro
  • Sample plans and frequenciesPro
  • Configure custom material source locationsPro

On-site spec checks

  • On-site spec checks against standard tolerancesPro
  • Auto-flag non-conforming results at the point of capturePro
  • Trigger retest workflow for out-of-spec materialsPro
  • Configure spec-specific acceptance rules and tolerancesPro
  • Custom reporting beyond standard formatsCustom

Qualifications & calibration

  • Technician qualification recordsPro
  • Equipment calibration due datesPro

Reference data

  • Standard reference data: specs by spec year, mix designations, targets, sources, plants, labs, grades and binders
  • Your own reference data: specs, product targets and limits, and approved sourcesPro

Photo documentation

  • Photo documentation linked to lot/sample records
  • GPS-tagged photos for source locations and test sites
  • Annotated photos for non-conformance documentation

Lab integration & handoff

  • Hand-off to Materials Lab for lab-side workflow (when paired)Pro
  • Initiate chain of custody at the moment of sample collectionPro
  • Two-way live connection with your existing lab system: samples out, results inCustom

Materials Lab

Lab testing, production QC, mix design, chain of custody, and the state's submittals — from sample receipt to the approved job mix formula, audit-ready and traceable.

Lab forms & test methods

  • Standard lab forms for common test methods (AASHTO, ASTM, agency)
  • Structured forms with required-field validation and auto-calculations
  • Generate official test report for stakeholders
  • HMA data sheet with state variants (Gmb, Gmm, Va, VMA, VFA, binder content, gradation)
  • Performance test battery: gyratory, TSR, Hamburg or IDEAL-CT, Rice
  • Build custom test method forms with agency-specific fieldsPro

Production QC & state submittals

  • Running-average control charts against the job mix formula and warning limits
  • The state's verification results overlaid on QC charts
  • Daily QC submittal to the state
  • Aggregate source approvals on the state's forms
  • Integrations with your ERP and accounting systemsCustom
Show all 36 capabilities

Mix design

  • Mix design request, batch sheet, trial blends, and sieve analysisPro
  • Blending optimizationPro
  • Mix design to approved job mix formula workflowPro
  • State mix design submittal packetsPro

Samples, plans & custody

  • Generate a QR code for each sample at field collection (printable stickers)
  • Scan a QR code to receive a sample at the lab
  • Track sample location and status by scanning QR
  • Create a sample plan with frequency, locations, and methods
  • Monitor plan completion in real time and identify gaps before audits notice
  • Adjust a sample plan mid-project as conditions change
  • Initiate chain of custody at field collection
  • Transfer custody during transport with attribution; receive at the lab
  • View complete custody history per sample and flag any breaks
  • Configure custom material source locations and routingPro

Test results against spec

  • Enter test results manually or import from lab LIMS
  • Automatic pass/fail against spec tolerances
  • Review and act on out-of-spec results; trigger retest workflow
  • Spec results dashboard across all materials, lots, and projectsPro
  • Custom spec rules and dashboardsPro
  • Two-way live connection with your existing lab system: samples out, results inCustom

Quality program & reference data

  • Technician qualification recordsPro
  • Equipment calibration due datesPro
  • Split and proficiency samplesPro
  • Standard reference data: specs by spec year, mix designations, targets, sources, plants, labs, grades and binders
  • Your own reference data: specs, product targets and limits, and approved sourcesPro

Acceptance & Pay

Acceptance decisions against the spec, QC compared with verification, and pay factors — from the test result to the price adjustment on the pay estimate, with the materials certification at the end.

Acceptance against the spec

  • Acceptance decisions against the spec by lot and sublot
  • Density and core acceptance forms

Verification & pay

  • QC-versus-verification comparisonPro
  • Pay factors and price adjustments sent to Contract AdministrationPro
  • Dispute resolution for results under challengePro
  • Project materials certificationPro
Show all 9 capabilities

Agency acceptance models

  • Agency-specific acceptance modelsCustom

Reference data

  • Standard reference data: specs by spec year, mix designations, targets, sources, plants, labs, grades and binders
  • Your own reference data: specs, product targets and limits, and approved sourcesPro

Platform and support come with every package. See what each edition adds

In production

Used on public work every day.

1.2M+
samples and tests tracked in HeadLight
30M+
field observations, the record each sample ties back to
100%
chain-of-custody traceability: every sample, every transfer
We were able to pull these reports in less than a day because they were in HeadLight. Had we used an alternative platform, pulling all these reports would have taken probably 3–4 weeks.
Senior InspectorState DOT
No workarounds

Set up for your program, not a generic one.

Every agency has its own test methods, every spec year its own tolerances, and every lab its own routing. HeadLight is configured to match, so technicians record results the way your methods define them, with no side spreadsheets.

Test method forms

Your methods, with agency-specific fields and conditional logic.

Sample plans

Frequencies, locations and methods from your spec year’s template, adjusted per project.

Tolerances and spec rules

Your spec limits, applied as each result is entered.

Source locations and routing

Your material sources, and where each sample goes next.

Official test reports

Laid out in the format your stakeholders expect.

Dashboards

Results against spec across materials, lots and projects, set up by configuration.

Essentials

Standard

Start on HeadLight’s standard forms and workflows, the same day.

Pro

Configured, without code

Your administrators set up forms, rules, reports and approvals to your standards.

Custom

Engineered with you

We build what is genuinely unique to your program: forms, data and integrations.

Pricing is quoted: per user, on an annual term, based on the solutions and edition you choose. How pricing works →

Questions

What teams ask first.

Do we need every package?
No. Start where your work starts, with Sampling & Testing in the field, Materials Lab at the bench, or a submittal starter at the plant, and add Acceptance & Pay when you are ready to accept lots on the record.
Can we bring our history from our current system?
Yes. HeadLight offers push-button import of existing data from legacy systems, so your history comes with you.
Does it work with the LIMS our lab already runs?
Yes, both ways. Test results from your existing LIMS come into HeadLight and join its auditable sampling and testing record. Samples captured and tracked in the field can be pushed to your lab’s LIMS, so the lab works from them as it tests.
How long does it take to get running?
Standard setups take 2–4 days. Configured rollouts typically take 2–4 weeks. Bespoke methods and lab-system integrations are scoped.
Can we start on the standard setup and configure later?
Yes. Most labs start on the standard methods and forms, and configure their own as they go.
How is it priced?
Quoted. Per user, annual term, based on the solutions and edition you choose. Submittal starters for producers are priced per plant.
Connects to

The same record carries on.

Field Data

Where your samples come from, and the quantities your results pay for.

Field Data

Funding

Testing spend tied to the results that justify acceptance.

Funding

Assets

Quality data that informs condition over the life of the asset.

Assets
HeadLight and agency staff walking a site

See it in 20 minutes.

A short walkthrough of a sample, from the QR label in the field to the lot the owner accepts.

Book a 20-minute walkthrough