CN5301

QUALITY CONTROL AND

ASSURANCE IN CONSTRUCTION
 UNIT-1

QUALITY MANAGEMENT
 INTRODUCTION
Quality Management For Construction Projects
• To define the function and importance of Construction
Quality Assurance.
• To define the function and importance of Contractor
Quality Control
o for construction contracts
o for design-build contracts
• Provide the purpose of the Project Quality
Management Plan. This document should be tailored
to fit the particular project needs. Identify which
project(s), product(s), and/or the portion of the project
life cycle that are covered by this plan and the overall
quality objectives for this project.
 Contd…,
Means of Implementation of Project Quality
Management
Quality Planning
Quality Assurance
Quality Control
• These processes interact with each other as well
as with the processes of other knowledge areas
• Each process involves an effort of one or more
individual or group of individuals based on the
need of the project.
• Each process occurs at least once in every project
phase during the project life cycle.
contd…,
Contd…,
 DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVES
Quality Planning
Quality Planning is identifying which quality standards are
relevant to the project and determining how to satisfy
them.

Quality Assurance
Quality assurance is evaluating the overall project
performance on a regular basis to provide a confidence
that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards.

Quality Assurance: The primary function of quality assurance

is to obtain completed construction that meets all
contract requirements. Assurance is defined as a degree of
certainty. Quality assurance personnel continually assure
or make certain that the contractor's work complies with
contract requirements.
Quality Control
Quality Control is the monitoring of specific
project results to determine if they comply
with the relevant quality standards and
identifying ways to eliminate causes of
unsatisfactory performance.
Quality Assurance Personnel:
The role of quality assurance personnel is to
assure that the CQC system is functioning
properly.
 Contd…,
Duties of QA personnel:
• Examine the quality control methods being used to
determine if the contractor is properly controlling design
activities in design-build contracts.
• Examine the quality control methods being used to
determine if the contractor is properly controlling
construction activities.
• Make certain that the necessary changes are made in the
contractor's
• QC system, if excessive construction deficiencies occur.
• Assist the contractor in understanding and implementing
the contract requirements.
• Examine ongoing and completed work. Review QC
documentation to assure adequacy
 Contd…,
Contractor Quality Control:
• The primary function of CQC is the successful execution of
a realistic plan to ensure that the required standards of
quality construction will be met.
• In CQC, the contractor defines procedures to manage and
control his own, designer of record, consultant, architect-
engineer, all subcontractor and all supplier activities so that
the completed project complies with contract
requirements.
• For design-build contracts this includes providing and
maintaining a Design Quality Control plan as a part of the
overall contract QC plan.
 Contd…,
• This plan, as a minimum, must assure that all documents
are reviewed by a technically competent, independent
reviewer specifically named in the plan.
• This review cannot be performed by the same designers
that produced the product.
• The design QC plan shall be managed by a Design QC
Manager who has verifiable engineering or architectural
design experience or is a registered engineer or architect.
• The Design QC Manager is under the supervision of the QC
Manager
 FACTOR INFLUENCING
CONSTRUCTION QUALITY
Project
• Scope of the project (type and nature)
• Location of the project
• Site access
• Period of the project

• Design
• Completeness and consistency of design documents
• Drawings are prepared in full details
• Conformance to codes and standards
• Adherence to specifications
• Bill of quantity is detailed and accurate
 Contd…,
Contract
• Cooperation between parties involved in contract
• Pervious successful relations between parties
• A written contract with clear conditions
• Using a standard contract
• Types of awarding system

Material
• Using a comprehensive material management system
• Cooperation between contractor and material suppliers
• Availability of good quality construction materials
• Using storage and handling system
• Construction materials monopoly
 contd…,
Labour
• Labor management system
• Using labor with high experience
• Using motivation system
• Training courses for labor
• Income level and wages of labor

Equipment
• Availability of equipment
• Equipment management system
• Measurement of equipment productivity
• Good utilization of equipment
• Equipment maintenance
 Contd…,
Subcontractors
• Company’s procedures of selecting subcontractors
• High cooperation between subcontractors and general
• contractor
• Using a system to evaluate subcontractors performance
• Good and fair subcontract conditions

Site layout
• Site layout is large
• Site layout is organized well
• Site layout has storage areas for materials
• Site layout is clean
 Contd…,
Systems
• Software and computer applications
• Implement quality control and assurance system
• Using time schedule
• Using cost control system
• Implementing a safety program

Site staff
• Cooperation between Supervision and Contractor’s staff
• Understanding of contract administration by Supervision
• Skill and experience of Supervision staff
• Skill and experience of Contractor’s staff
 Contd…,
Execution
• Using integrated project execution system
• Testing for final products only
• Clear procedure for accepting performed activities
• Preparing and using shop drawings

Financial Issues
• Amount of contractor’s cash flow
• Non-delay of interim payments
 Contd…,
Owner
• Nature of Owner’s organization ( Public or Private)
• Owner’s quick response (no delays in making decisions)
• Owner’s contribution to design
• Owner’s emphasis on quality

Environment
• Socio-economic environment
• Stability of Political environment
• Closure of Gaza Strip
• The relations between construction industry and other
• Industries
 Contd…,
Other FACTORS. . . .
• Experience in construction industry
• Government company
• Private company
• Joint-venture
• ISO 9000 compliant company
• Non-ISO 9000 compliant company
• In-House quality system
• Qualification A company
• Qualification B company
• Multistorey building
 Contd…,
• Infrastructure
• Other project types
• Delays to schedule
• Repair on finishing works
• Damaged materials on site
• Waiting for equipment repair
• Waiting for equipment repair
• Waiting for equipment to arrive
• Equipment frequently breaks
 RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY
FOR QUALITY
Construction Coordinator
• Reviews and accepts the contractor’s Quality Control Plan.
• Audits the contractor’s work activities to his plan.
• Assures contractor’s performance to the contract
documents.
Task Manager
• Responsible for quality per the contract documents and the
“Work Smart Standards”.
• Documents the quality of the work performed.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Terms used in the guidelines
• “Agency”
• “Audit”
• “Certification”
• “Construction”
• “Customer”
• “Guidelines”
• “ITP” means Inspection and Test Plan
• “QMP” means Quality Management Plan (including design
plan)
• “QMS” means Quality Management System.
• “Service Provider”
 Contd…,
• Scope and purpose
• These Quality Management Systems Guidelines are
designed to assist agencies and other customers in the
subcontract delivery chain, and their service providers,
in agency construction works (including ancillary asset
maintenance and operation) procurement, by providing
a framework, based on the current AS/NZS ISO 9001,
• Quality management systems – Requirements, for
applying a systematic approach to the management of
quality.
 Contd…,
This includes:
• Customers developing and implementing Quality
Management Systems
• Service providers developing and implementing Quality
Management Systems, Quality Management Plans, and
Inspection and Test Plans
• Service providers achieving a certified Quality Management
System for agency contracts valued at $1 million or more
with sufficient risk to quality, as determined by the agency,
from a date to be determined by the agency
 QUALITY CIRCLES
Introduction
• One major characteristic of Japanese Company-Wide
Quality Control is the Quality Control Circle Movement
started in 1962, with the first circle being registered with
the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation.
Starting in industry in Japan, these have now spread to
banks and retailing, and been exported world-wide.
Success in the West has not been so extensive as in Japan.
• The nature and role of quality circles varies between
companies. In Japan a quality circle is a typically voluntary
group of some 5-10 workers from the same workshop, who
meet regularly and are led by a foreman, assistant foreman,
work leader or one of the workers
 Contd…,
The aims of the quality circle activities are:
1. To contribute to the improvement and development
of the enterprise.
2. To respect human relations and build a happy
workshop offering job satisfaction.
3. To deploy human capabilities fully and draw out
infinite potential.
• The members of the circle have mastered statistical
quality control and related methods and all utilise them
to achieve significant results in quality improvement, cost
reduction, productivity and safety.
 Contd…,

The seven tools of quality control are taught to all employees:

1. Pareto charts
2. Cause and effects diagrams
3. Stratification
4. Check sheets
5. Histograms
6. Scatter diagrams
7. Shewhart's control charts and graphs.
 Contd…,
All members of the circle are continuously engaged in self-
and-mutual development, control and improvement
whenever possible, the circles implement solutions
themselves, otherwise they put strong pressure on
management to introduce them. Since management are
already committed to the circles, it is ready to listen or act.
Circle members receive no direct financial reward for their
improvements.
definition:
• Quality Circle -is a small group of 6 to 12
employees doing similar work who voluntarily
meet together on a regular basis to identify
improvements in their respective work areas
using proven techniques for analyzing and solving
work related problems coming in the way of
achieving and sustaining excellence leading to
mutual upliftment of employees as well as the
organization.
 Contd…,
• A method of continuous quality improvement in an
organization by direct involvement of employees in quality.
• They operate on the basic principle that employee
participation in decision making and problem solving
improves the quality of work
They are:
• Voluntary group of persons
• Meet on regular basis
• Work on similar tasks
• Share area of responsibility
• Solve problems related to work
 Contd…,
Characteristics of Quality Circles
• Volunteers
• Set Rules and Priorities
• Decision made by consensus
• Organized approach to problem solving
• Members of a circle need to receive training
• support of senior management required
• Members need to be empowered

• Basics of Quality Circle

• Adopt prevention procedures rather than corrective measures
• Minimize scrap and downtime
• Improving quality -» increase productivity, theory of Total Quality Control
(TQC)
• QC relies on visual representations:
• scatter diagrams,
• flow charts,
• cause & effect diagram etc
 Contd…,
Three major attributes of QC
• Quality Circle is a form of participation management.
• Quality Circle is a human resource development technique.
• Quality Circle is a problem solving technique.

The operation of quality circle

• Problem selection
• Problem analysis
• Generate alternative solutions
• Select the most appropriate solution
• Problem identification
• Prepare plan of action
• Present solution to management for approval
• Implementation of solution
Contd…,