MODULE -3

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY, SAFETY

AND HUMAN VALUES

3.1 INTRODUCTION
Quality not only impacts aesthetics, appearance, durability and it also impacts performance.
And poor performance can lead to failures in everything from an improperly installed section of
roof flashing resulting in a leak to the deflection of a structural steel beam resulting in a roof
collapse. There is no question that failures due topoor quality cost money and time, but in some
1nstances, poor quality can even cost lives or serious injury. The characteristics of a good quality
management plan and a good safety management plan are quite similar. Although each is defined
by distinct concepts and specific mechanisms of control, which, it makes sense to administer quality
and safety plans as one integrated management function.
Good contractors stake their reputations on quality and safety. Successful construction
managers/ Site engineers are well aware of what they must do to achieve quality results and
maintain high safety performance.They must do the following:
>Insist upon good quality plans and specifications whenever possible.
Provide experienced and adequate supervision on all jobs.
Provide thorough and adequate inspections.
Make sure that all workers are qualified to do the job they are hired to do.
Never accept inferior work.
However, sometimes even these are not enough. Although the project manager and
superintendent are accountable for developing and implementing the quality and safety plans on the
job, they must have support and participation from the field: quality and safety are ultimately achieved
at the labour force level. Employees and subcontractors alike must embrace the plans and be
encouraged in and recognized for their efforts to produce high-quality work and a safe work
environment. And when they are, it sends a loud message, not only to other workers on the job but
also to the project owner and the public at large. This is the goal of the construction manager.
High quality on the job site, or anyplace else, does not just happen automatically. There must
be an intention about it. In other words, quality happens on purpose. The construction manager/site
engineer must have aquality management plan in place long before the first shovel of dirt is turned
on the job. Achieving high quality in construction requires a comprehensive, systematic approach
that looks at every detail involved with moving the project from an idea on paper to the final product
abuilding, a bridge, or a highway.
 Construction Management and
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|Entreprerneurship
AS the cOnstruction project are uniaue. the
following few characteristics listed make aual:.
management great challenge.
under uncontroled
Unlike products produced in a factory. the constnction project is built on-site,
climate conditions.
Every projcct is built as a prototype.
to topography, accessibility and
P Every building site presents a unique set of conditions relative
security.
consistencv
Many materials must be fabricated from scratch, so we can not depend on the
that comes from mass production.
The workforce is primarily transient, with various specialty trades moving into and off of the
site as needed.
Evenunder the most stable of conditions, achieving consistent quality results is no easy task
In construction,quality becomes a huge undertaking and constitutes a large part of the construction
management goal. To achieve success, one must consider the challenge from both a project
perspective and a process perspective.
3.2 DEFINING QUALITY
The term "quality" implies that a product or deliverable is fit for the intended purpose. Fitnes
normally involves a wide range of criteria, such as performance, safety, reliability, ease of
handling, maintainability, logistical support, and no harmful erivironmental impacts.
Quality also implies an absence of defects, which is why people often associate the terms
quality and defect. Adefect is a nonconformity-something other than what the customer had
expected, aproblem or mistake. One way to achieve quality is to identify and correct as many
nonconformities as possible, and to identify them as soon as possible.
In construction, quality isdefined as meeting or exceeding the requirements established in the
design documents.Fundamentally, the quality of the construction project is set through the plans
and specifications provided by the architects and engineers. There are various levels of quality that
can be specified for any given project. The design team works with the owner to determine exactly
what their expectations for quality are. Budget is usually a factor that must be considered when
setting the quality standard. Obviously there is a range of products and materials that can be
selected for utilization in a new facility.
Inconstruction, the job of the project team is to deliver whatever quality standard has been set
for the facility by the design team.
Construction is not aperfect science, and it would be impossible to produce aproject without
some defects,failures, or complaints. However, the goal of the construction manager is to produce
a project with as few defects, failures, and complaints as possible.
Fundamentally, quality plan must focus on three primary objectives:
>Doing things right the first time.
Preventing things from going wrong.
> Continually improving the process.
Construction Quality, Safety and Human Values 195

Doing Things Right the First Time

ne irst goal of the quality managemcnt plan is to get things done right the first time. Getting
it right in construction doesn't always mean getting it perfect. For example, It 1S rale t
concrete iloor slab that is perfectly level, But it is commonly expccted that a floor slab be level or
flat within certain tolerances. This is not perfect, but itis acommon standard of quality expected in
the industry. However, before focus on doing things right, the project team must first know what
the quality standards are and the best way toachieve them. Workers can't do the joh right the first
time if they don t have the proper skills,the necessary level of experience, adequate supervision,
and the tools and equipment needed to perform the task. In most cases, the supervisors 0s responsible
for seeing toit that the workforce isprepared and motivated to complete the task at hand. This is
just one more reason why supervisors are such a valuable asset to the company.
Preventing Things from GoingWrong
Meeting this objective requires a high sense of awareness, adequate preparations, and clear
communications. To prevent things from going wrong, the team must stay one step ahead of the
work in terms of oversight and supervision. A preparatory inspection is one of the best ways to
avoid miscues and rework that can disrupt the schedule and negatively impact the budget. This job
must be the responsibility of the entire project team, not just the supervisor.
Continually Improving the Process
The third goal of the quality management plan is to continually improve the work processes
and systems that support the work. The concept of continuous improvement is grounded in the
work of Edward Deming and is commonly known as Total Quality Management (TQM). His
theories suggest that no matter how good your product, process, or performance is, it can always
and forever be enhanced. The key is to approach quality as a never-ending, incremental., continuous
improvement process.
The aim of quality control is to ensure the. production of items for their intended use with
defects and variations from their prescribed standards within limits prescribed. Quality control also
aims to avoid wastage of time, materials and money by highlighting the point at which a production
process is becoming defective.
The major items of the project over which quality control is to be exercised are as follows:
Controls before start of projects
a) Verification of bearing capacity of the soil with reference to the designed loads.
b) Verification of the design with respect to the job requirement, structural safety, durability and
economy.
c) Checking the quality of materials to be incorporated in the project at source.

Control during construction

a) Execution of work as per specifications.
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vi) Manpower and other resources to be used for the project. Entrepreneurship
vi) Project completion schedule.
3.4.2 Quality Assurance
Project quality assurance relates to the cxecution of the project quality management plan. It
reduces the risks related to not meeting desired features or performancc requirements of.
Quality assurance covers the following:
> Activities performed in a specific project to ensure that requirements are being
deliverables,
met andthat
ne project is being executed according to the quality plan.
P Activities that contribute to the continuous improvement of current and future projects
According to ISO, Quality assurance is defined as a set of activities whose purpose is to
demonstrate that an entity(such as product, processes, person, department andl organization) meets
all quality requirements.
Quality assurance (QA) takes a long-range view toward developing systems that produce
high-quality work consistently over time. To be effective, agood quality assurance plan must influenee
every aspect of the company, from the management to the field. The concept implies that if the
proper procedures, policies, and systems are institutionalized throughout the organization up fron!
the outcome atthe project level willbe much more reliable.
Projectorganizations that strive to continually improve their technical operations and managerial
processes conduct a formal closeout or post-completion review for every project. The review
happens upon completion of the project or, ideally, upon completion of each phase of the project. Its
purpose is to understand what happened, and to learn lessons that can be applied to other projects
to avoid repeating mistakes. The reviews enable the organization to improve its technical processes
and project management.
With respect to construction industry, quality assurance activities include all those planned and
systematic administrative and surveillance functions initiated by project owner or regulatory agents
to enforce and certify, with adequate confidence, compliance with established project quality standards
toensure that the completed structure and/or its components will fulfil the desired purposes efficiently.
effectively and economically.
Quality assurance programmes cover the following:
i) Establishing the procedure for defining, developing and establishing quality standards in design.
construction and occasionally the operational stages of the structure and/or its components.
ii) Establishing the procedure to be used to monitor, test, inspect, measure and perform curre
and review activities toassure compliance with established quality standards, with regra
construction material_, methods and personne.
ü) Defining the administrative procedure and requirements, organizational relationships a0
responsibilities,communications and information patterns, and other management actv
required toexecute, document and assure attainment of the established quality standardS.
 3.4.3 2uality
Quality control (QC) addresses guality atthe project level andis implemented.on the job site,
Control
Quality control is the ongoing process of monitoring and appraising work, and taking cOrective
action so as to achieve the planned quality outcomes. The process also verifies hat quality assuranca
activities are being performed according to the quality plan, and that project requirements and
Specitications are being met, All of the materials, systems, and workmanship applied to the proje
documents. Quality controlis
using a number
must conform of different
to the mechanisms:
requirenents

callcd
thc

the project
for incontrol
contract
set forth insubmittals,
manual.
ac ompished
mock-ups, shop drawings, inspections, and

testing,According
which aretoall
ISO, quality is defined as aset of activities or echniques whose purpose
mel.
1s to ensure that all quality requirements are being
scope verification alsorefers
Quality control to verifying adherence
to specifications and standards previously
set
includes verifying acceptability of those specifications and standards. Controj
activities, include both planned quality control activities and adhoc problem-solving. | Planned activities
include. for eexample, site inspections on aconstruction project, tests on a product component, or an
ensure that it is using correct materials. Adhoc problem-solving raf
audit of a supplier to
handling problems and risks as they emerge.
QA is a construction management process while QC is asampling or inspection process. The
focus in quality control is on defos
focus in quality assurance is on defect prevention, while the control isan clement of.
detectiononce the item is canstructed, In fact, it can be said that quality-
quality assurance progranmme.
contractors orhy
With respect to construction industry, quality control is administered by the
quality
the specialist consultants such as consulting engineers or testing laboratories. Construction
control needs performing inspection, test, measurement and documentation necessary to check.
verify and correct the quality of construction materials and methods. Primary objectives of
construction quality control are to produce a safe, reliable and durable structure so that the owner
gets the best value for his investment.
Three major quality control methods commonly used on construction projects are:
Inspection
Testing
Sampling
3.5 QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION
Quality of construction projects can be evolved as follows:
1. Properly defined scope of work.
2. Owner, project manager, design team leader, consultant, and constructor 's manager
responsible to implement quality.
 Construction Quality, Safety and Human Values 201

3. Continuous improvement can be achieved at

different levels as follows:
OwnerSpecify the latest needs.
Designer- Specification should include the latest quality materials, products andequipment.
> Constructor-Use the latest constuction cauipment to build the Faciy.
4. Establishment of perfornmance measures
a) Owner
l0 review and ensure that designer has prepared the contract documents that satisfy his
needs.

Tochcck the progress of work toensure compliance with the contract documents.
b) Consultant
> Asa consultant designer, to include the owner's requirements explicitly and clearly define
them in the contract documents.
As a supervision consultant, supervise contractor's work per contract documents and the
specified standards.
c) Contractor
To construct the facility as specified and use the materials, products, and equipment that
satisfy the specified requirements.
5. Team approach
Every member of the project team should know that TÌM is a collaborative effort, and
everybody should participate in all the functional areas to improve the quality of the projectwork.
They should know that it is a collective effort by all the participants.
6. Training and education
Both consultant and contractor should have customized training plans for their management,
engineers, supervisors,office staff, technicians,and labourers.
7. Establish leadership
Organizational leadership should be established to achieve the specified quality. Encourage
and help the staff and labourers to understand the quality to be achieved for the project. These
definitions when applied to construction projects relate to the contract specifications or ownerlend
user requirements to be formulated in such a way that construction of the facility is suitable for the
owner's use or meets the owner's requirements. Quality in construction is achieved through the
complex interaction of many participants in the facilities developmnent process.
Participation of all three parties (Owner, Engineer and Contractor) at different levels during
construction is required to develop aquality system and apply quality tools and techniques. With the
application of various quality principles, tools, and methods by all the participants at different stages
of construction, rework can be reduced, resulting in savings in the project cost and making the
project qualitative and economical. This will ensure completion of aconstruction project and make
the project qualitative, competitive, and economical in a way that will meet the owner's needs and
specification requirements.
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Entrepreneurship
3.6 COSTS OF QUALITY INCONSTRUCTION
Quality of construction is definedas
i) Scope of work
i) Time
ii) Budgcet

Defined
sCope

Quality

(Schedule Budget

Fig. 3.2

i) Scope of work
Cost of quality refers to the total cost incurred during the entire life cycle of construction
project in preventing nonconformance to owner requirements (defined scope). There are certain
hidden costs that may not directlyaffect the overall costof the project;however, it may cost the
consultantdesigner to complete the design within the stipulated schedule to meet owner requirements
and conformance to all the regulatory codes/standards, and for the contractor to construct the
project within the stipulated schedule meeting all the contract requirements. Rejection/non-approval
of executed/installed works by the supervisor due to noncompliance with specifications will cause
the contractor loss in termsof
Material
Manpower
Time
The contractor shall have to rework or rectify the work, which will need additional resources
and will need extra time to do the work as specified.
This may disturb the contractor's work schedule and affect execution of other activities. Tne
contractor has to emphasize the "ZeroDefect" policy, particularly for concrete works. To avou
rejection of works, the contractor has to take the following measures:
> Executionof works per approved shop drawings using approved material.
Following approved method of statement or manufacturer's recommended method of installato
> Conduct continuous inspectionduring construction/installation process.
> Employ properly trained workforce.
> Maintain good workmanship.
Construction Quality, Safety and Human Values 203
ldentify and correct deficiencies before submiting the checklist for inspection and
of work. approval
}Coordinate requirements of othertrades, for example, if any opening is required in the concrete
beam for crossing of services pipc.
ii) Time
Timelycompletion of a project is one of the objectives to be achieved. To avoid delay
planning and scheduling of construction activities are necessary. Since construction projectsproper
have
the involvementof many participants, it is essential that the requirements of all the
participants are
fullycoordinated. This willensure execution of activities as planned resulting in timely
of the project. Completton
iii) Budget
Normally, the construction budget is fixed at the inception of the project, therefore it is necessary
to avoid variations during the construction process as it may take time to get approval of an
additional budget resulting in time extension to the project.
Since quality is always related to value for the money spent, quality planning should consider
the costsand benefits of quality activities. Acost-benefit analysis is performed to evaluate and
justify proposed quality activities, and to compare the costs of quality assurance and control activities
with the savings or benefits from fewer or eliminated nonconformities owing to those activities.
Money spent on quality assurance and control should be justified in terms of reduced risk of not
meeting requirements. Costs of quality can be classified as prevention, apprisal and control costs
(costs of conformance),and internal failure and external failure costs(cost of nonconformance):
1. Prevention: costs of training, design reviews, and any activity aimed at preventing errors;
includes cost of quality planning.
2. Appraisal and control: costsof evaluating products and processes, including product reviews,
audits, tests, and inspections.
3. Internal failure: costs associated with nonconformities discovered by the producer; includes
costs for scrap, rework, and retest.
4. External failure: costs incurred as a result of product failures after delivery to the customer;
includes costs for replacements, warranty repairs, liability, lost sales, and damaged reputation.
While the costs of quality for a company with a sound quality management system can be as
little as 2percent of the company proceeds, for acompany with apoor quality management system
they can exceed 20 percent. It therefore makes sense to invest in a good quality management
systemi.e., to spend more on design reviews, audits, training, and modeling and testing so as to
spend less on internal and external failures. For projects, the costs of external failures occur after
the project is completed, whereas the costs of prevention, appraisal, and control are incurred during
the project. Therefore, costs for prevention,appraisal, and control should be estimated, included in
the project plan, and covered in the project budget. They are among the many costs the project
manager must justify to management and the customer.
 Construction Management and
204

QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Entrepreneurshin
3.7 TOTAL
Total Quality Management (TQM) is an enhancementtothetraditional way of doing busines
It is a proven technique to guarantee survival in world-class competition. Only by changing the
transformed
of an cntire organization be
actions of management will the culture and actionsthree words, we have:
IS 10r the most part common
sense. Analvzine the TQM
Total: Make up of the whole.
Quality: Degree of excellence aproduct or service provIdes.
directing,etc.
Management: Act, art,or manner of handling, controlling,
defi.,
ThereforeTÌM is the art of managing the whole to achieve excellence (TOMa is
both a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation of
ContiinmuOusprovely
improving organization It isthe application of quantitative methods and human resources-to o
all the processes within an organization and exceed customer needs now and in the future
integrates fundamental management techniques,existing improvement efforts, and technical toois
under adisciplined approach.
The TQM includes all activities like quality planning, quality operation and systematic evaluation
For attaining TQM in theorganization, atotal commitment and participation of all the members whn
are in the organization is essential The responsibility for quality management should belong to ton
management of the organization.
Total quality management is accomplished through an integrated effort among all levels in a
company to increase customer satisfaction by continuously improving current performance. TOM
is a management-led approach applicable in all the operations of a company and the responsibility
of ensuring quality is collective. The philosophy of TQM is one of prevention rather than
defect
detection. According to Pheng and Teo (2004), TQM is a way of thinking about goals,
processes and people to ensure that the right things are done right the first time. It isorganizations,
an approach
toimproving the competitiveness and effectiveness, and flexibility of the whole organization.
The essential elements of TÌM are:
} Management commitment and leadership
> Training
Teamwork
Statistical methods
Cost of quality
Supplier involvement
TQM is based on the following
1. Primary
principles:
2.
responsibility for product quality rests with top
management.
Quality should be customer focused and
3. The production process and evaluated using customer-based standaras.
work methods must be designed
conformance. consciously to achieve qu
 Construction Quality, Safety and Hunman Values 205
4. Every employee is
responsible for
3. Quality cannot be inspected intoa achieving good productquality.
product, so make it right thc first time.
6. Quality must be monitored to identify
7. The organization must
problems quickly and correct quality problems immediately.
strive for continuous improvement.
8. Companies must work with, and extend TÌM
inputs. programs to their suppliers to ensure quality

FÓM helps in
i) Achieving customer satisfaction. COMPLIMENTARY COPY
i) Continuous improvement.
Kindly Recommend this Bock
iü) Developing teamwork. for Studies Arnongst Studenis
iv) Establishing vision for the employees. &for College Library.
v) Setting standards and goals for the employees. Thank yOu
vi) Building motivation within the organization.
vi) Developing corporate culture.
Table 3.1 :Cultural Changes Required to Meet TQM

From To

Inspection orientation " Defect prevention

"Meet the specification "Continuous improvement
" Get the product out Customer satisfaction
" Individual input Cooperative efforts
Sequential engineering " Team approach
Quality control department Organizational involvement
" Departmental responsibility " Management commitment
" Short-term objective " Long-term vision
" Human resources as an aSset
" People as cost burden
" Purchase on total cost minimization basis
" Purchase of products or services on
price-alone basis
"Mutual beneficial supplier relationship
"Minimum cost suppliers
 Construction Management and Entrepreneurship
206

Zotal Quality Management in Construction Industry

in nature need specified attention to
Construction projects being unique and non-repetitivebuilt to serve a specific need. TOM in
designed and
maintain the quality. Each project has to be compliancewith minimum standards of material
construction projects typically involves ensuring TOM
workmanship in order to ensure the performance of the facility according to the design.
talents and
and of doing the business that relies on the
is a coopcrative form
in a construction project continually improvequality. The important factor in
capabilities of both labour and management to
scope of works to customer/owner satisfaction
construction projects is tocomplete the facility per the to meet the owner's
within the specified schedule
within the budget and to complete the work
defined purpose.
companies will result inhigher customer
It is believed that adoption of TÌM by construction However, adoption of TQM requires
satisfaction, better quality products and higher market share.
management approach, as compared to the
a complete turnaround in the corporate culture and merely obeying those.
traditional way of top management giving orders and employees
38INTRODUCTION TO ISO 9000
federation of national
USO (International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide
standards bodies from each country) The object of ISOis to promoteinternational the development of
exchange
standardization and related activities in theworld with a view to facilitating
intellectual, scientific,
of goods and services, and to developing cooperation in the spheres of International
technological and economic activity. The results of ISO technical work are published as
Standards.
and was
ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. It is located in Switzerland
come
established in 1947 to develop common international standards in many areas. Its members
Standards.
from over 150national standards. ISO has published more than 16 500 International
ranging from standards for activities such as agriculture and construction, through mechanical
engineering,to medical devices, to the newest information technology developments. ISO9000 is
sweeping the world. It is rapidly becoming the most important quality standard. Thousands of
companies in over 100countries have already adopted it.
ISO 9000applies to alltypes of organizations. It doesn't matter what size they are or whatl
they do. It can help both product and service oriented organizations achieve standards of quality
that are recognized and respected throughout the world)
The term ISO 9000refers to a set of three standárds ISO9000, ISO 9001, and ISO 9004. All
three are referred to as quality management system standards. ISO's purpose is to facilitate
international trade by providing asingle set of standards that people everywhere would recognize
and respect.
Management principles
ISO9000 is based on eight management principles:
1. Customer focus, resulting in meeting customer requirements and striving to exceed them:
 207
Construction Quality, Safety and Human Values
beadersnp, aiming to create an internal environment inwhich people are fully involvea;
3. Involvement of people who are the essence of an organ1zaion;
4. Process approach. resulting in improved efficiency to obtain desired results;
D. System approach to management, leading to improved effectiveness and efficiency througn
identification,understanding and management of interrelated processes;
6. Continual improvement, which becomes a permanent objective of the organization;
information; and
7. Factualapproach to decision-making, based on the analysis of data and
8. Mutually beneficial supplier relationships, based on an
understanding of their
interdependence.
How to implement ISO 9000
Following procedure adopted to get ISO certification:
1. Select an appropriate quality system model.
2. Conduct status review against the standard.
3. Develop quality system as per standard.
4. Implement quality system in line with the standard.
5. Apply for registration with certification body.
6. Get thequality system verified and certified by a recognised
certification body.

Benefits of ISO 9000

The following are the benefits of ISO certification:
services
i) Customer satisfaction and confidence in the organization'sproducts/
i) Management's confidence.
im) Improvement in staff performance.
iv) Effectiveness in the utilization of staff.
v) Efficient utilization of time, money, and other resources.
profitability.
vi) Improved quality , higher productivity and
vii) Consistency in products/services quality.
Vii) Access to global market.
i Organisations become system dependent and not people dependent.
Registeredcompanies all over the
x) Organisations get benefit of listing in Public Directories of
world.
continuous improvement and
xi) Establishes procedures at all stages for consistent quality and
cost reduction.
xii) Continuous improvement in organizationalprocess.
 Construction Management and
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Entrepreneurship
Benefits of implementing ISO 9000in construction management
systems, tools, and
uaity measures can be embedded in various philosophies, management
Techniques/1SO certification can help construction companies with)
customer or regulatory compliance,
gain acompetitiveadvantage,
improve operational efficiency, and
send a credible signal of guality to current and potential clients.
Although 1SOdoes not define product quality, it ensures that customer feedback is captured
and measured to improve future processes.
To enhance efficiency, competitiveness, and customer satisfaction, an increasing number
of
organizations are adopting thephilosophy of total quality management (TQM). In many instances
this philosophy is operationalized through the implementation of a quality management system (QMS)
that uses ISO 9000 series of standards.