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Quality control and quality assurance in building design and construction

Article · October 2007

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Quality Control and Quality Assurance in Building Design
and Construction

K S Chahal, Non-member
P Emerson, Non-member

The objectives of quality assurance are to provide an expected level of standard, lay down guidelines to
check quality and, recommend and ensure proper method to control deviations from the standard.
Ultimate beneficiary of quality assurance is the end user. At the macro level, a good quality of work,
satisfying the serviceability criterion, meets the aspired level of the user satisfaction. Subsequently, the
contractor achieves a competitive edge in his field of activity, as the quality of work brings him goodwill
and fame. Down the line, the owner gets a good result for his investment. An examination of buildings
and other structures built during the recent years shows that many of them are in a very bad condition.
This is basically due to lack of quality consciousness amongst all the people associated with the
construction industry. There is an urgent need, therefore, to introduce quality management systems in
construction industry. This of course needs to be done at the conception stage, so that the quality
requirements can be catered to, right from the beginning.

Keywords : Quality in construction; Quality control; Quality assurance; Material and process control

INTRODUCTION the recent past. The single factor behind the long and safe
life of these structures is being asked, in most of the cases
The construction industry plays a significant role in the
will be the quality in construction.
development of national economy and social development
of people. Investment in construction activities in Liberalization of the Indian economy has had a
developing countries may range anywhere from 50% to tremendous impact on the construction industry as well.
60% of planned budgets. In India almost half of the total There is an all round concern of quality, efficiency and
outlay in any five-year plan is utilized for construction economy in the construction of all types of structures. ISO
activities which constitute integral part of all certification has promoted a quest for quality in the
development projects and contributes annually about 10% construction industry also. In engineering sense, quality
of the gross national product(GNP) thus,playing major conveys the concept of compliance with a defined
role in the development of the national economy. requirement of value for money, fitness for purpose, or
Therefore, it is the duty of architects and engineers to customer satisfaction. Quality is a summation of all these
ensure adequate return on huge investment by ensuring characteristics, which together makes a product
quality in various spheres of construction activities. acceptable in market. As per Oxford dictionary, quality is
'degree of excellence relative in nature or kind or
Quality requirement for construction industry is as old as
character'. As per ISO 8402:1986, definition of quality is
the industry itself. Since ancient times, the craftsmen
the totality of features and characteristics of a product
had to undergo long periods of training so that they could
or services that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or
offer evidence of their abilities, which were aimed at the
implied needs.
maintenence of quality. But people now a days are more
cost conscious which leads to poor quality. To seek an Quality is an omnibus term, which means different to
example of construction in India one can see many different people, who are engaged with the project. In any
structures which had constructed years ago and already construction project, there are three principal
crossed their envisaged life, yet they are standing and participants, ie, the owner, design personnel and the
bearing load without showing any major weakness contractor. They visualize quality from their own point of
arising out of old age. These structures are more safe and view but quality is said to be achieved, if the completed
comfortable than many other structutes constructed in project conforms to the applicable codes, safety
requirements and regulations, as well as meets the
K S Chahal and P Emerson are with the Department of
Architecture, Guru Nanak Dev University
University,, Amritsar owners/users requirements at the least possible cost.
143005
The terms quality assurance (QA) and quality control
This paper was received on August 31, 2006. Written discussion on (QC) are frequently used interchangeably. Since quality
this paper will be entertained upto December 31, 2007. control is a part of quality assurance, so to maintain a

16 IE(I) Journal-AR
clear distinction between them is difficult but important. up construction plan should have in-built safety
Quality control can be defined as all those quality requirements in the system.
assurance actions which provide means to control and
Durability of any building depends upon the soundness of
measure the characteristics of material, structure,
material quality. To ensure quality of the material,
components or system to the established requirements. A
verification of the acceptability of material source is as
quality assurance programme covers all aspects of
important as checking the material quality at site. Poor
quality including quality control, quality audit,
quality of material may reduce the initial cost, as well as
inspection and calibration. The system is applicable
the longevity of the service. As a result, repeated
throughout all phases of a project including design,
maintenance work ultimately increases the life cycle cost
procurement, manufacture, testing, site construction,
of the facility manifold.
erection and commissioning. Reliability and other
quality characteristics can only be achieved by exercising Although achievements of the construction industry
control over all phases of work. during this period have been commendable, it is painful to
note that some of these structures are showing signs of
The definition of quality assurance, as given in ISO
deterioration. One of the major reasons for this is lack of
8402:1986, reads as 'all those planned and systematic
quality in construction. The spate of building collapses in
actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a
the recent past in India has put a question mark on the
product or service will satisfy the given requirements for
engineering practices followed in construction. There
quality'.
have been quite a few building collapses in various cities
NECESSITY OF A QUALITY ASSURANCE in the recent years resulting in loss of many human lives.
PROGRAMME These tragic incidents have severely shaken the
In construction projects the two fundamental principles confidence of the general public about the safety and
hold good, namely, stability of buildings. This is true particularly of those
constructed in last twenty years or so. The main reason
l Quality should be built into the project and it may be attributed to poor quality of materials,
cannot be injected in it. workmanship and disrespect for the quality requirements
l Defects should be detected at the beginning stage and sound engineering judgement. The professionals
and not at the inspection stage. involved in building construction, namely, architects,
structural engineers and builders are under severe
Quality in construction is too important to be left to scrutiny about their role and responsibilities in these
chance. Engineers and architects must educate owners collapses and are being seen in poor light at present.
regarding quality control, comprehensive inspection and a There is a need to educate construction personnel about
competent construction programme. The owner should the various aspects of quality management, so as to build
have confidence that the project will function strong and durable structures economically, which will
satisfactorily throughout its life span and at each stage of result in considerable savings of national resources and
design, contractor selection, material procurement,
energy.
fabrication and testing, the level of quality control is to be
assessed. Quality starts with the design, then progresses OBJECTIVES QUALITY ASSURANCE
through drawings, specifications, advertisement for bids, The objectives of quality assurance are to provide an
preparation of estimates for bids by the contractor, expected level of standard, lay down guidelines to check
awarding of the contract, setting up of field organization quality and, recommend and ensure proper method to
by the contractor and by the owner or his engineer, control deviations from the standards. The objectives of
training and indoctrination of the personnel in the quality assurance for different vendors associated with
organization, setting up of control procedures and construction projects differ and are often conflicting. The
inspection by the contractor, acceptance procedures and owner wants to maximize the quality of characteristics
inspection by the owner, and finally the feedback to associated with intended function of project without
the designer to complete the cycle. undue costs. The designer wants a level of quality that
The primary responsibility of quality assurance of will assume satisfactory performance of the structure
construction work lies with the contractor, who actually and be a credit to his professional reputation, but again
works on ground and gives shape to the design. But at the without undue cost over-runs. The contractor would like
same time the designer and the construction supervision to emphasize on minimization of construction problems
consultants can never absolve themselves of their share of which resulting rework. The regulating agency will be
the responsibility in procuring the best quality of work interested in safety, aesthetics and impact on the
from the contractor. The safety of works is an important environment. These desires are not always compatible
aspect of a quality assurance programme. A well-drawn and conflicts are also not as significant as they might
Vol 88, October 2007 17
just appear. Therefore, if the co-operation of all parties is ii) As design stage unfolds, it becomes very important
to be obtained, their interests must be respected and for the designer to be acquainted with the ground
incorporated in quality control system. realities and mould his design to enable the
contractor to meet the standards. This calls for
PRESENT STATUS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
STA
rigorous site appreciation and acclimatization with
Engineers and Technologists have been able to local conditions, by the designer.
considerably reduce cost and time of construction with
iii) The most crucial phase is the construction stage,
increased knowledge and technological development.
when the work actually gets delivered on the
However, in pursuit of economy in construction, present
ground. The key players at this stage are the
day architects/engineer have been losing on quality
contractor and the construction supervision
consciousness. However, it will be wrong to state that the
consultant.
quest for more and more economy is the only reason for
the deviation from the path of quality. In fact, there are The Contractor
many reasons, which have lead to the failure of quality in l Must ensure that the quality of the material to be
recent times. To ensure quality, one would be required to used for work conforms to the specifications.
look ahead towards the long future and not just the
immediate one, as the achievement of immediate goals l Employs right kind of personnel with necessary
may fail in quality in the long run or prove to be costly. skill and competence.
There are requirements and specifications laid down in l Makes sure that the machinery used in the project
the various building codes, to ensure quality, provided is suitable for the work and the prevalent
these are followed effectively. For this purpose, there is a environmental conditions.
need to train construction personnel in quality aspects as
well as to develop their supervisory and individual skills. The Construction Supervision Consultant

Earlier, a single contractor was in complete control of He has the responsibility to oversee the setting up of the
project, including the responsibility of quality control. contractors' laboratory facilities, where material testing
Today, with the allocation of authority and responsibility is to be carried out. A proper laboratory equipped with the
of the entire work through contract, sub-contract and sub- right kind of instruments and equipment is the key to the
sub-contract, the general contractor has also delegated procurement of quality materials for the construction.
the authority and responsibility for quality. At the best Based on the laid down criteria and limits, test results
situation it causes confusion and at worst condition, it should be analyzed by the consultants' quality assurance
becomes a subject of litigation and at the extreme, it experts. The scope of experts' activities should include
becomes the basis for building failure. review of material quality, adequacy of workmanship,
Private clients are still very reluctant to direct demand documentation and statistical analysis of test results.
quality-assurance from their consultants and contractor Review of working of field laboratories setup by the
as they are afraid that in doing so, quality assurance will contractor, is also the responsibility of the consultants.
be viewed as an addition and will be charged as an During construction phase, it is absolutely important to
additional cost of the project. They need to manage quality keep a check on construction materials being used.
in the briefing, designing and specification phases of
building project, rather than trying to merely control Manpower and Machinery
quality in the construction phase. The latter approach Monitoring activities fall under two categories: material
will only solve the problems that come to light during control and process control. Material control involves
construction and not those that remain latent appearing choice of standard material source, testing of samples and
during the life of the building or structure. conformity to standards. An exhaustive and detailed
PATH FOR ACHIEVING QUALITY ASSURANCE proforma is evolved and rigorous testing and inspection
are carried out. This is one of the most critical activities
There are three distinctive stages to achive quality in as the quality of the materials used goes a long way to
construction, namely, inception stage, design stage and achieve the objectives of attaining durability of services
construction stage. and user satisfaction. Similarly, process control involves
i) Quality assurance process starts at the inception skill and competence of manpower and suitability of
stage with the preparation of the contract machinery used.
specification, which forms the basis for further Contractor must ensure that the manpower and the
quality management and monitoring activities. machinery meet the requirement of the project. Regular
Exhaustive acceptance criteria must also be surveillance by quality assurance experts ensures that
evolved, which sets the level of work and quality the proper methodology and technology is applied to the
expected from the contractors. work. Success of any design work depends upon the skill
18 IE(I) Journal-AR
of the workforce who delivers the work on ground. And for lowest to the top level are the major misgivings faced by
the same reason, it is absolutely essential that the construction industry today.
machinery pressed into service is adequate not only in
Architects and engineers are becoming more aware that
terms of quality but also in terms of suitability.
quality in construction cannot be assumed. It must be
Figure 1 shows the necessity, objective, path and benefit of committed to and then planned. Owners must be made
quality assurance program. aware that there may be a cost involved in the assurance
of quality.
EFFECTIVE STRA TEGIES FOR
STRATEGIES
IMPLEMENT
IMPLEMENTAATION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE Architect should play a significant role to assure quality.
He should identify the owner's project objectives and
Human factor is very important in quality, which is
develop the scope to meet those objectives, and also
applicable from the beginning to the end of the
identify cost required to achieve a quality design within
project. With deteriorating quality in every aspect, the
the project parameters and scope.
challenging need of today is to inject the sense of good
quality in every individual concerned with the Quality assurance engineer should be vested with
construction industry. If all the persons involved at authority to develop the quality assurance programme
every stage of the project think of quality, inferior quality and quality control activities for the project. The
job should never be produced. Sense of duty is also programme and methods of implementation will vary
required to be developed in personnel associated with according to the organisations size/type, structure and
construction industry. Lack of sense of duty and type of work to be performed. There should be one person
responsibility, lack of quality consciousness from the committed to administering a programme of procedures

Significance of a Quality Assurance Programme

Necessity Objective Path Benefit

Inception stage
Safety
Contract specifications
Durability Fixing criteria for material and
process
Cost effectiveness control
Design stage
Field realities
Construction stage
Contractor to satisfy
Material quality
Labour skill and competence
suitability of machinery
Construction supervision
Consultant to
Ensure adequacy of
laboratory facility
Check suitability of equipment
Check output

Laying down appropriate To end user

specifications and quality User satisfaction
assurance norms To the owner
Guide to monitor works Return for money

Recommend and effect To contractor

rectifications Competitive edge

Figure 1 Necessity
Necessity,, objectives, path and benefits of Q A programme

Vol 88, October 2007 19

for producing quality work. Quality control and checking the responsibility assigned to individual and
must involve individuals directly invested with design organizations is accompanied by commensurate
work such as design team leader and design authority.
professionals.
CONCLUSION
In the next step, documented quality assurance
Quality in construction is too important to be left to
programme shall be implemented. The establishment of
chance. There is a need to manage quality in design and
the programme shall include consideration of technical
specification phase rather than trying to merely control
aspects of the activities effecting quality. The programme
quality in the construction phase. The latter approach
shall be established at the earliest time consistent with
will only solve the problems that come to light during
the schedule for accomplishment of project objective. The
construction and not those that remain latent and appear
programme shall provide for the planning and
accomplishment of activities affecting quality under during life time of the building.
suitable controlled conditions including the use of The changes required in design practice for the
appropriate equipment, suitable environment conditions implementation of a formal quality management system
and assurance that prerequisites for the given activity that results in quality assurance through quality control
have been satisfied. The programme shall provide for are not necessarily major ones, it may require some
special controls, processes, test equipment, tools, and adjustments to the existing practices to ensure that
skills to attain the required quality and for improvement and assurance and the necessary control
verification of quality. required can take place.
Quality in construction is related to that of There is a need to motivate and train the work force that
conformance to various codes and specifications listed actually executes the work and to provide them with
in the contract document. But to ensure that quality is proper tools and material, so that they can produce
being provided one has to look at the actual personnel quality work.
who are executing the work. Unless the craftsman is
motivated, trained and has proper tools and materials, There is a common misconception that quality costs money.
he will not be able to give the actual quality which But by spending such little extra, greater savings occur on
was initially intended. No amount of planning, higher expenditure due to undesirable maintenance and
designing and laying down of specification can help you removal of poor work. The end objective of a quality
achieve the quality unless the actual workers on assurance programme is to avoid deficiency in work during
ground provide it. the construction process. Quality assurance eliminates
costly re-work resulting in savings in both time and cost.
While considering any particular quality assurance
programme or making a comparative analysis between REFERENCES
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l The organisation responsible for the quality- Journal, July 1985, p 536.
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l When actual costs of alternative programme Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Const Division, October
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20 IE(I) Journal-AR

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