QUALITY MANAGEMENT

IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Basic elements of quality

1. Quality characteristics
2. Quality of design
3. Quality conformance
 1. Quality characteristics

• Dimension, strength, colour, temperature, and

for concrete - slump, size of aggregates, water
cement ratio, surface finish, compressive
strength, etc.
 2. Quality of design

• Desired standards for the characteristics

that define a product and also the
tolerances for acceptable variations from
the standard
• If very high standards of quality and stiff
tolerances are set, this will increase the
cost of the project.
 3. Quality conformance
It is affected by
1. The field construction methods – skill of the
workers, the efficiencies of the tools and
equipment used and the quality of the
materials.
2. Supervision enforced and the managerial
controls applied to direct the working crew to
conform to the plans and specifications
3. Inspection and quality control procedures that
are applied.
Requirements Criteria for Engineering & Technical
of the owner design design process specifications

Site construction
methods
Degree of Quality of
Supervision & control conformance to constructed
specifications structure

inspection
Organisation for quality control
Construction Manager is qualified to provide:

• The CM will provide Quality Assurance and monitor

the day-by-day construction quality control
activities performed by construction contractors to
verify compliance with the contract plans and
specifications.
• The CM will also manage, coordinate, and
administer all QC/QA activities and requirements,
including those of subcontractors.
• Construction contractors are responsible for the
quality control of their constructed work product as
well as the necessary inspections and tests required
to ensure that their work complies with the contract
documents.
Site Manager monitors and works to approve each
contractor’s quality, and progress reports to ensure that
the project is meeting the contract requirements.
The SM will manage the field implementation of the
Construction Quality Assurance Plan at the project sites
under control of the senior field engineer (FE) and the
Construction QA Officer.
 Construction Quality Assurance Officer
• The CQAO reports directly to the CM.
 Field Engineer
• The FE reviews QC and QA testing documentation with
contractors, engineers, and inspectors.
• The FE also reviews the plans and specifications and
estimates the type and number of QA tests that should
be accomplished for each activity.
• The FE meets with third-party testing and inspection
firms to review test requirements and coordinate testing
and inspection services.
 INSPECTION AND VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES
• Quality control plans will cover the type, test standard,
frequency, control requirements, and assigned
responsibility for inspections and tests.
• The CM will review and approve these plans
• Contractors shall perform the inspections and tests as
prescribed in the technical specifications
• QA inspection and testing will be used to verify
the adequacy and effectiveness of the contractor
QC program.
• The QA inspection and testing frequency will be at
the discretion of the CQAO based on results of QC
tests, evaluation of daily reports, audits of the QC
program and verification testing conducted by the
CM and owner’s third party testing firm.
 Inspection and Testing Plan
• Materials qualification testing will be done prior
to construction to verify that the materials comply
with requirements of the specifications.
• The contractor will obtain representative samples
of the materials designated at the proposed
source of the materials.
• Test samples will be sent by the contractor to the
Testing Laboratory.
• For soils, sampling and analysis will be performed
by the contractor on the onsite borrow material
source.
 Sampling
• This is the process of determining the quality of a large
group by examining a part of the group that is
representative of the whole group.
• If the size of the sample is large, the reliability of the
information obtained is more, but cost of inspection
increases.
Reliability = 100 – No. of defective units x 100
No. of units tested
 Mean = x = x1 + x2 + x3 +………..+ xn
N

Standard deviation

= ∑( x – x )2
q

^
N–1
q

V = x 100
X
• Smaller the standard deviation higher is the
degree of conformity.
• standard deviation is an absolute measure of
dispersion but coefficient of variation is a
relative measure of dispersion. It is used
when the variability of 2 or more groups are
to be compared.
• If the variation is less means more consistent
and homogeneous is the (eg.)concrete mix.
 Follow-Up Inspection
The contractor and the CM perform follow-up
inspections daily.
• Ensure continuing compliance with Contract
requirements.
• Ensure continuing compliance with control testing
until completion of particular feature of work.
• The CM inspection staff records follow-up
inspections in their daily inspection report.
• Conduct final follow-up inspections and correct test
deficiencies prior to the addition of new features of
work.
 DOCUMENTATION
• Project documents will be managed through a combination
of a secure document filing and storage system and a
computerized document tracking system.
• Sufficient records shall be prepared and maintained as work
is performed to furnish documentary evidence of the
quality of construction and laboratory analysis and of
activities affecting quality.
• Each contractor QC technician shall maintain a daily log of
all inspections performed for both contractor and
subcontractor operations on a form acceptable to the CM.
• The Daily Inspection and Daily Test reports shall be signed
by the responsible QC technician and the QCM.
• The CM shall be provided at least one copy of each daily
inspection and test report on the work day following the
day of record.
 DAILY CONSTRUCTION REPORT
• A daily construction report will be prepared and signed by
each FE and FI.
• The report will include a summary of the contractor’s daily
construction activities.
• Supporting inspection data sheets will be attached to the
daily report where needed.
the daily construction report will include the following
information:
1. Date, project name, location, and other identification
2. Description of weather conditions, including temperature,
cloud cover, and precipitation
3. Reports on any meetings held and their results
4. Record of visitors to site
5. Locations of construction underway during that day
6. Equipment and personnel working in each activity,
including subcontractors
7. Descriptions of work being inspected
8. Decisions made regarding approval of units of
material or of work, and corrective actions to be
taken
9. Description of problems or delays and resolution
10. Communications with contractor staff
11. Construction activities completed and/or in
progress
12. Progress photos, where applicable
13. Signature of the report preparer
 INSPECTION AND TESTING REPORT

1. Description or title of the inspection activity

2. Location of the inspection activity or location
from which the sample was obtained
3. Recorded observation or test data
4. Results of the inspection activity
5. Personnel involved in the inspection activity
6. Signature of the inspector
 Quality control circles
• In addition to the quality control team, quality
control circle, which is a small group formed
voluntarily within the organisation.
• Employees from all hierarchal levels meet to
discuss the problems and find solutions.
Planning of construction projects
 Principles of planning
• The plan should form a basis for project
monitoring and control
• It should be flexible
• It should be realistic
• It should be comprehensive
 roles of planning
• Initial screening
• Designing
• Tendering
• Constructing
• commissioning
 advantages of planning
• When the contractor prepares the network
schedule, he studies the work properly.
• A detailed programme in conjunction with
cost control can prevent the loss of money.
• Planning lays down a preconceived
programme not only for the whole project but
also for the various stages of work.
 stages of planning
• Preplanning
• Detailed planning
• Monitoring and control
 types of plans
• Standing plan
• Single use plan
• Strategic plan
• Administrative plan
 Standing plan

• Plans which are used repeatedly and include

the management’s policies, procedures and
rules.
 Single use plan
• Used for single purpose
• Designed to accomplish specific objective
within a relatively short period of time
 Strategic plan
• Concerned with broad matters that affect the
development of an organisation
• The factors being economic, technological and
environmental
• Emphasis is given to predicting the future
behaviour of external variables and
formulation of alternative types of action in
the light of the expected events
 Administrative plan

• Less subjective than strategic plan

• Focuses on how to accomplish the objective of
the project or the organisation
• Concerned with factors within the control of
the organisation
 Agencies involved in planning
• Owner
• Builder/contractor