LECTURE 5

• Quality Management systems
• project quality management must follow through from:

  design phase to the implementation phases of construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and data feedback.
• Quality management systems


  Ensure that the quality of the project is not overlooked just to beat a tight deadline. Involve both quality control and quality assurance.
• Project quality management


  Follow through from design phase to implementation phases of construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and data feedback.
• Quality Control (QC)


  Depends on the contract but best practices are usually required. The contractor must prepare a detailed quality control plan for each definable feature of work detailing how the quality standards will be achieved.
• Construction Quality Control Process

  Very important to have a good quality control process on a project. QC is usually the contractor's responsibility to ensure the work is completed safely and in compliance with the contract.
• Three Phase Inspection System

  1. Preparatory: Before work starts, QC manager conducts a meeting to go over all approved submittals, work plan, safety plan, etc.

  2. Initial: As work begins, QC manager conducts an inspection to ensure work is being performed as planned.

  3. Follow-up: Throughout the work, QC manager conducts inspections as per contract.
• Contract Approach to Quality

  Includes self-monitoring/reporting criteria such as construction availability faults, failure to meet minimum performance requirements, construction closures, and noncompliance.
• Roles of QA/QC Department

  • Verify requirements are followed
  • Verify controlling and checking activities have been done
  • Ensure approved working methods are established
  • Evaluate reported causes of non-conformances
  • Evaluate effectiveness of corrective action
  • Determine where improvements are required
• Construction Quality Assurance


  A complex and detailed process to guarantee the finished facility is built to the standards desired by the owner as defined in the design documents.
• Types of Specifications Used in Construction

  • Methods and materials specifications
  • Recipe specifications
  • End-result or end-product specifications
  • Performance-based specifications
  • Guarantee or warranty specifications for a specified time or utilization period
• Quality Management System Levels


  • Level 1 - Quality Manual
  • Level 2 - Quality Procedures
  • Level 3 - Quality Plan
  • Level 4 - Forms, Formats, Records
• Quality Assurance (QA)


  Usually the government or an outside third party is responsible for performing QA, which is spot checking contract compliance, test results, and ensuring the Quality Control Processes are working.
• Why do QA?


  • At the organizational level, QA activities oversee the system implementation necessary for individual projects in the program, and making sure activities have the resources they need to be successful.
  • At the project level, QA activities ensure that accurate information is channeled to the right people at the right time so that decisions can be made during project implementation.
  • At the technical level, QA activities ensure that the individual technical activities that generate, process or synthesize data (or other information) for the decision process are performing within accepted limits.
• Differences in Responsibilities: Quality Assurance vs Quality Control

  • Quality Assurance: Establishes and evaluates the process, helps establish processes, sets up measurement programs, identifies weaknesses, prevents introduction of issues or defects
  • Quality Control: Verifies if products meet pre-defined standards, implements the process, verifies specific attributes, identifies and corrects defects
• It is essential to have both QA and QC in a project. Without one or both, the quality of the construction project will be compromised.