KNOW ABOUT CONSTRUCTION QUALITY ASSURANCE

Construction Construction quality assurance is a necessary process that is followed during any construction activity such as construction of residential or commercial buildings, roads, industrial

buildings, manufacturing plants, sports stadiums, flyovers, bridges and so on.

 Assurance and monitoring of quality in any of the above construction process is very important as even a minor defect in the quality can cause a lot of serious problems. Any lapse could also cause damage to the property. The cost of quality is very high especially in the case of structures.

Steps in Construction Quality Assurance

Define Requirements

The first step for assurance of quality in the construction business is to define the requirements. Based on the exact requirements, the structural designs of the buildings or structures are developed. During the design phase, all the material that would be used in the construction is also decided. The quality standards of the structure are defined to decide the subsequent stages of the construction quality assurance process. 

Material Requirements

During this stage, all the material and supplies that would be required in the construction process are listed along with their respective specifications. The specific brand and certification of the products and supplies which should be used in the construction are also specified. Utmost care is taken during this stage to ensure that the specified materials meet the design and quality requirements as defined.

Planning

Once the design and material specifications have been decided, the next step is to plan the workflow for the successful completion of the task. Various tenders are invited for getting the supplies of the building material. The entire process is documented for future reference.

Material Testing

Before using the construction material, the materials are tested. The procedure includes testing the tensile strength of steel, compressive strength of bricks and mortar etc. The materials can be tested by internal laboratories or by third party laboratories. Various work quality standards issued by institutes and are used. Based on the trial results, the material is approved or disapproved.

Quality During Construction Phase

Adherence to quality standards that have been decided in the preceding stages is important. Various construction QA measures are taken to ensure that there is no breach of any quality requirements at this stage. The quality of workmanship is also checked. Various kinds of tests are conducted to

ensure conformance. Quality is checked with the aid of internal and external audits. If quality at any stage is not as per standard, then the cause is determined and accordingly rework is undertaken.

In short, quality cannot be neglected in construction industry, as the cost of the rework is quite high. 

Also, the damage that can happen due to poor quality can be very huge. During construction QA process, various quality and environment concerns have to be considered.

Consider These for Quality Assurance Procedures

One of the steps in developing quality systems is to develop good quality assurance procedures . These quality procedures are set instructions that describe in detail the entire process of QA. Having a good QA program has become a necessity to survive in this cut-throat environment. 

Most reputed firms have very good quality management systems which is one of the reasons behind their success. Whether you have a small or big business, you are in a service or manufacturing industry, it is essential that you develop good quality systems. These systems ensure that all your deliverables are of good quality and satisfy all the requirements of your customers.

Things to Consider While Writing QA Procedures

Goals

Based on the vision and mission of the organization, the quality goals should be established. One of the best ways to set the targets is to benchmark the performance of the organization with respect to the best in the world and aim to bridge those gaps.

Requirements

Review the requirements of your present and prospective customers. Also review the regulatory and statutory requirements for conducting the business. The requirements of different standards for quality, health and safety management systems also form a part of these requirements. The procedures established should be such so as to consistently meet or exceed all these requirements. The procedures should also aim at addressing all system and product certification requirements.

Responsibilities

For establishing QA procedures, it is very important to define the roles and responsibilities of each and every individual in each department. This will ensure role clarity and lesser conflicts. This will also promote teamwork resulting in smooth flow of information, materials and products.

Processes

The quality level that an organization can achieve depends upon the efficiency and efficacy of various processes in the organization. The process could be a purchase, design or any other process. The garbage in- garbage out philosophy works very well here.

 Hence, before writing the QA procedures, it is very important to understand the various processes. The inputs and outputs of each process should be well defined. The controls that are in place to ensure the quality of inputs and outputs should be studied. This helps in understanding where and why the process can go wrong and that assists in addressing those areas in the respective procedures.

Matrices

Once the various processes and their inter linkages have been understood, it becomes important to define the matrices that will be used to measure and monitor the performance of these processes. These matrices should be clearly defined in the procedures. Also the records required, reports to be generated, periodicity of the reports, responsibility of the action etc. should be adequately addressed in the procedures. Early warning systems should be put in place to highlight any deviation from the procedures which may become critical for the business of the organization.

Involvement

While establishing the QA procedures, it is very important to involve all stakeholders. Each department from design to sales, production to purchase, should be involved. This is required since quality is everybody’s responsibility. Involvement of critical suppliers and customers is also a good idea.

QA procedures are very important for any organization. These can effectively serve their purpose if they are available to all concerned and are updated regularly.