GEM Engserv Pvt. Ltd is an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization, certified by TUV India in accreditation with National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB).
GEM Engserv Pvt. Ltd is an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization, certified by TUV India in accreditation with National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB).
Previously, we presented the various actions taken in order to achieve quality in construction, as depicted by the Quality Loop. That article also captured construction quality documentation that establish policy and set up the controls for how information shall be presented and recorded, within the Quality Management System.
In the first part of this article, we discussed about the purpose and boundaries of documents such as drawings, technical specifications, Contract conditions and BOQ. All these documents are developed by different service providers (departments) and relate to the phase of designing and specifying a product.
We will now focus on the construction documents which are required in the make product and check product stage. All the documents discussed in the part 1 of this article continue to be relevant in the make-check phase, but there are some documents which are exclusively required in the make product stage. This construction documentation framework is a part of the Project Quality efforts and can be considered as the core of any Project Quality Plan (PQP). These include the following:
Each of these quality documents has a specific significance in the Project Quality Plan. Let us examine these in greater details.
Planning for testing the materials that go into the construction and ensuring that every item and unit of the material (often referred to as ‘incoming material’) is documented through the ITP. The ITP lays down various critical to quality characteristics of the material, how to sample the material for testing, the testing frequency, reference to the applicable code of practice that describes the test method and the acceptance criteria for each characteristic.
It also lays down roles and responsibilities of various stake holders about testing, witnessing, reviewing and decision making about allowing the materials to be used or rejecting it. Tests could be performed at the site or through an external laboratory. Many provisions of an ITP are drawn from the applicable codes of practices. However, the codes of practice do not legislate everything about testing of materials, and it is the prerogative of the buyer (client) to determine such issues that are left to the mutual agreement between the client and the contractor. Use of statistical tools for Quality control can be gainfully deployed in drafting the ITP. Developing and implementing an effective ITP is the first step towards achieving product quality.
All tests on incoming materials must be performed as specified in the applicable code of practice.
To ensure traceability of test results, it is desirable that every parameter of the test be properly recorded. The format for recording tests result aims to specify how the measured value is designated, its unit, how it is to be recorded, what steps are there in the calculations to arrive at the result. Standardising the format helps the laboratory technicians ensure completeness and correctness of the test procedure and reliability of the test results.
The construction process involves receiving the incoming materials and processing these in a time-tested manner to achieve the output that is the constructed element of work. Use of the correct sequence of work and use of proper tools and tackles are key elements of the method statement.
Other aspects that find a place in the method statement are types and quantity on input materials, productivity norms, checkpoints at various stages of the work procedure and appreciation of hazard and how to control/minimize the same. Needless to say, there are many different ways to execute the same item of work, and it is the prerogative and responsibility of the contractor to lay all these down in method statement documents. The client can exercise some control by reviewing the method statements and ensuring that it conforms to the industry best practices.
It is an important feature of construction that the quality of the product does not merely depend on the quality of incoming materials but also on quality of workmanship. In addition, there are many hidden defects that can not be identified by inspecting the product. Assurance that the product does not have such defects or deviation requires that the representative of the client has access to check the ‘work in progress’ at predetermined stage of production/construction.
Checklists are documents that guide in Quality inspectors to record the result of such checks. It is desirable that for every item of work, such checks are carried out before, during and after completion of the activity. A well though through checklist ensures that the Quality inspector is guided in her checks and no critical to quality item is missed out. Proper Quality records maintained through the checklist are valuable source of data for analysis and improvement. Different stakeholders are best placed to develop these documents so that the responsibility and authority towards the product quality are in line with contractual provisions. The table below summarises what these documents should contain and who should be responsible for developing it.
Document | What should it contain? | Reference documents | Who should develop? |
ITP | Tests to be performed on incoming materials | Applicable codes, technical specifications | Client/Owner |
Test Record Format | All parameters to be measured, formula for calculating the test result | Applicable codes of practice. | Technical domain experts |
Method statement | Step by step instruction of carrying out any activity. Resources, sequence, tools | Technical literature, record of best practices | Contractor |
Checklist | Exhaustive list of items to be checked at the stage of construction | Technical specifications, record of best practices | Client/owner |
Given the large number of activities / items of work that have to be executed and large volume of incoming materials, the quality control records generated thru the ITP and checklists can be humungous. Thankfully, use of digital tools can be extremely useful not only in recording the quality control checks but also providing ready access to construction quality documentation at the touch of a button and provide inputs for continual improvement of product quality.
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