QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS Henry P. Turalde Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges 1.

Abstract Quality management should be a prime responsibility and function of project construction management. In order for quality management to be rationally realized, quality must be carefully considered as a built-in component in design and detailing, construction and maintenance works of every engineering project. Quality can not be effectively attained without appropriate quality control program. The quality control program should be recognized as essential aggregate not as simply as admix. Effective project management should never depart from quality control and quality assurance programs. Quality management plans are guidelines for construction activities in order to ensure specified quality for all materials and works performed in the project. Quality management involves many aspects of the total design of structures and construction process; from the selection of the design team and their suitability for the project, to the capabilities of the construction contractor(s) and sub-contractor(s) whether selected by qualification or by low bid. This continues to the execution of every work to completion, up to turn-over and extends even to maintenance program. The role of organization in design control, material control, handling and storage, inspection control, testing control, workmanship control, specifications and corrective actions is fundamental to quality requirement in project execution. 2. Introduction Quality never goes out of style, a popular advertisement goes saying to trademark its commitment to excellence. And the difference is clear, quality has been the distinct element of development. Recently, quality has emerged as a positive requirement, no longer just a choice. We usually think of quality in terms of an excellent product or service that fulfills or exceeds our expectations. These expectations are based on the intended use and its cost. According Dale Besterfield (Quality Contol, A Practical Approach, 7 th edition, 2004) , Quality can be expressed as: Q=P/E

where: Q = quality P = performance E = expectation If Q is greater than 1.0, then the customer has a feeling of great satisfaction about the product or service rendered. Of course the determination of Q is based on perception, with the contractor determining performance and the customer determining expectations. As observed, customer expectations are continually becoming more demanding. ISO 9000: 2000 defines quality as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements. Degree means that quality can be described with adjectives such as poor, good, and excellent. Inherent is something existing as a permanent characteristic. Requirement is a need or expectation that is stated; generally implied by the organization, its customers, and other interested parties; or obligatory. Quality can be measured with nine different dimensions as shown in table 1.
Table 1. The Dimensions of Quality Dimension Performance Features Conformance Reliability Durability Service Response Aesthetics Reputation Meaning and Example Primary product characteristics, such as the brightness of the picture Secondary characteristics, added features, such as remote control Meeting specifications or industry standards, workmanship Consistency of performance over time, average time for the unit to fail Useful life, includes repair Resolution of problems and complaints, ease of repair Human-to-human interface, such as the courtesy of the dealer Sensory characteristics, such as exterior finish Past performance and other intangibles, such as being ranked first

Source: David A. Garvin, Managing Quality: The Strategic and Competitive Edge (New York: Free Press, 1988)

These dimensions are independent from one another; therefore, a product can be excellent in one and not in the others. Quality products can be determined by using a few of the dimensions. These dimensions can be identified on their relative importance and then translated into the requirements for the development of new products or improvement of existing ones. 3. Quality Control (QC), Quality Assurance (QA) and Total Quality Management (TQM) Quality control (QC) is the use of techniques and activities to achieve, sustain, and check the product or service which involves integrating the following related techniques and activities: Specifications of what is needed Design of the product or service to meet the specification

 Production or installation to meet the full intent of the specifications Inspection to determine conformance to specifications Review of usage to provide information for the revision of specification if needed Quality assurance (QA), on the other hand, are those planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality. QC and QA normally complement each other, thus the term QA/QC. QC is the actual examination of physical characteristics of the products or service rendered; Project Management Institute Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) refers to QC as the technical aspect of quality management. QA is the independent function that monitors the quality control programs and assures that the desired results within specified limits and tolerances are obtained, PMBOK refers to QA as the management section of quality management. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management philosophy that focuses to satisfy or even exceed the needs of the customer, realigns the organization from detection to prevention, and aims to continuously improve the organization integrating fundamental management techniques, improvement efforts and technical tools. TQM requires six basic concepts: A committed and involved management to provide long-term top-to-bottom organizational support. An unwavering focus on the customer, both internally and externally. Effective involvement of the entire workforce. Continuous improvement of the business and production processes. Treating suppliers as partners. Establishing performance measures for the processes.

Table 2. Comparison between the new and old cultures in Quality Management
Quality Element Definition Priorities Decisions Emphasis Errors Responsibility Problem solving Procurement Managers role TQM Customer-oriented First among equals Long-term Prevention System Everyone Teams Life-cycle costs Delegate, coach, facilitate and mentor Previous state Product-oriented Second to service and cost Short-term Detection Operations Quality control group Managers Price Plan, assign, control and enforce

Source: Dale H. Besterfield, Quality Control: A Practical Approach (Pearson Education South Asia, 2004)

4. Why is quality management in construction important? The improvement of quality provides many benefits. The employ of quality management warrants fewer mistakes by ensuring that work is being performed according to specified limits

and errors are within tolerance. Eliminating the need for correction or rework, and therefore, reduces waste of project resources. Lower costs, higher productivity and income, improved worker morale will then lead to better competitive position in the construction industry. Table 3. High quality vs. poor quality
High quality Lower costs Happy, productive, high morale project team Customer satisfied Lower risks Poor quality Increased costs Low morale team Low customer satisfaction Increased risks

Additionally, defects are not free. Someone was paid when mistake was made and someone would be paid to correct that defective work. Additional material and equipment costs will also apply to this correction process. In the past, construction managers viewed quality, cost, and timeliness as three views in conflict with each other. In essence, it was viewed that maintaining quality incurred greater costs and caused delays in the project completion. Quality was often "sacrificed" to save time and cut costs. However, quality does indeed save time and money. Nothing saves time and money more than doing work right the first time and eliminating the rework. Quality management is an emphasis developed on results-oriented management. Quality performance (adapted from Reinventing Government) must be measured because: If you dont measure results, you cant tell success from failure If you cant see success, you cant reward it If you cant reward success, youre probably rewarding failure If you cant see success, you cant learn from it If you cant recognize failure, you cant correct it If you cant demonstrate results, you cant win support.

5. Design Engineering Design and detail engineering translates the customers quality requirements into working drawings within the exact specifications and appropriate tolerances. As most project designers said, the simplest and least costly design that will meet the customers requirements is the best design. Whenever possible, design engineering should use proven designs and standard components, especially industry and government standards.

The designer usually determines the materials to be used in the project based on written specifications, which include physical characteristics, reliability, acceptance criteria, safety, costs, and most importantly, its maintenance process and repair. Design reviews are conducted at appropriate stages in the development of the proposal. These reviews should determine and anticipate problem areas and inadequacies, and initiate corrective measures to ensure that final design meets customer requirements. The final quality requirements are designed into the proposal before it is finally approved for construction. No design is perfect over time; therefore, provision must be made for design-change control. Even during the construction of the project, periodic reevaluation should be done to ensure that the design is still appropriate. 6. Contractor/Sub-contractor Selection The practice in the construction industry of awarding project contracts based on low bid may need some rethinking because low bid has no meaning without quality. The industry can develop a contractor selection process based on track record of quality performances complemented by the quality of current bid or project proposal. Although, contractors are required to pre-qualify and post-qualify for eligibility, quality performance is not given that much weight as a requisite. Assessment of the contractors compliance to the quality requirements of projects previously contracted may form the major criteria for qualification. 7. Construction Stage Quality management during the construction phase typically involves ensuring compliance with standards of material and workmanship in order to ensure the performance of the project according to design. These standards are contained in the bases of limits and tolerances: contracts specifications codes plans working drawings

site instructions approved method of construction other supplemental documents.

During the construction phase, quality management plan may be outlined in accordance with the following components (as applicable): 1. Design-change control 2. Document control 3. Control of materials 4. Control of equipments 5. Control of setting-out of location points (line and grade) 6. Control of workmanship 7. Progress inspection 8. Quality testing 9. Performance testing 10. Control of testing equipments 11. Corrective action to non-conforming materials and works 12. Final inspection and acceptance

7.1 Design-change control The presence of some obstacles or unforeseen elements particularly on foundation or underground works which are unknown during the design phase have become exposed and made clearly known on-site during the initial construction stage. Its discoveries may render already approved designs inappropriate or impractical, and therefore, may require some modifications or revisions on the detailed plans. However, design changes including field changes must be within the applicable regulatory requirements (bases of limits and tolerances) to assure quality standards. Periodic reevaluation should be made to check that the design is appropriate. 7.2 Document control

Keeping track of quality control activities is an important duty of quality control personnel. Measures should be established to organize the preparation and issuance of documents. Proper documentation of events and activities in the construction of the project should specifically illustrate the quality of works being performed on site. Recording logs, inspection requests, inspection reports, quality tests results, performance test results, and conformance to materials, parts and workmanship documents should correspond with the periodic progress on site. Pre-installation inspection reports forms are helpful when trying to schedule an inspection for work-in-place prior to being covered up by the next phase of work. These forms are signed once the stated portion of work is completed. Each construction deficiency discovered on the jobsite including its remedial work or rework must be documented to ensure that the proper action is taken to correct the deficiency. Test reports folder must be properly arranged and ready for inspection. Progress photographs, as-built measurements and as-built drawings should be available for reference, evaluation and review. The solid proof to support proper QA/QC program is complete and accurate document. 7.3 Control of materials Measures should be established for the identification and control of materials, parts and components, including partially fabricated assemblies. Materials and components specifications including manufacturers quality test certificate should be submitted for inspection, checking and evaluation. Items such as dimensions, standards, test reports, performance requirements, color/texture, and coordination with other trades should be reviewed and verified carefully. Standard procedures should be established to control handling, storage, transporting, cleaning, and preservation of materials in accordance with quality requirements to prevent damage and deterioration. When necessary for particular materials, special protective environments such as inert gas atmosphere, moisture content levels and temperature levels, should be specified and provided. When fabricated material is necessary, contract plans and specifications must be provided to the supplier. Basically, every item that is fabricated off-site requires a shop drawing. Due to the fact that most contract drawings do not provide enough detailed information to fabricate material, suppliers submit their own shop (as-built) drawings prepared accordingly to meet the standards set forth in the contract plans and specifications. Each item on the owners shop drawings

submitted must be checked and meticulously reviewed. Any mistakes not discovered in the submittal review process will lead to potential problems involving extra cost and/or additional time for correction. This part of QA/QC program may need the application of appropriate quality tests to verify by actual tests the vital characteristics and properties of materials. If all material information is in agreement with the specifications, then the material can be approved for off-loading to the storage site. It should be noted that any "unapproved" material that is allowed to be stored on-site has the possibility of being included in the construction process and may lead to rework or other corrective action. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that each item coming onto the site is verified to comply with the contract requirements. 7.4 Control of equipments Project owner may require the testing of equipment, particularly when it is of different type from previously approved or employed ones. Quality certificate and other documentary evidence of the equipment showing the efficiency rating, operational properties and other essential descriptions must be available for inspection and evaluation. Specialist professionals must be hired to demonstrate its operation. Actual demonstration of operational functions should be checked and verified and compared against the efficiency and quality requirements based on the specifications. When the equipment is approved for use in the construction, training of operators and crews must be conducted to ensure proper operations and maintenance. An equipment testing checklist should be prepared to specify the type and frequency of periodic testing required for the equipment. Measures should be established to ensure proper and efficient operation of the equipment. 7.5 Control of laying-out of location points (line and grade) The layout of work and the verification of correct placement, orientation, and elevation of work are extremely important. As a rule, in laying out or setting out, marking the construction points (from the first set of reference points) is just half the work; checking the correctness of the marked points (from the other set of reference points) completes the other 50%. If practicable, marking of points should be done by the first group, and checking should be done by another group. Care must be observed to ensure errors within acceptable tolerance.

Work that is not placed correctly will result in an extra cost for rework. For example, the misplacement of anchor bolts for structural steel columns will lead to both expensive correction work and delays or low quality work such as using an acetylene torch to "cut" new holes in steel. Elevations of work to be performed must be verified. Some important elevations to be checked are height of concrete during placement, road levels, door, floor and drainage lines. Practical methods for checking alignment of work in the field must be properly done by QC personnel by employing the exact materials available on site as reference. The checking of square-ness and plumb-ness of building lines should be properly done, particularly, if floor and wall tiles will be laid or pre-fabricated components will be installed. Measures to assure proper identification of points on site may be employed by using different colors for each type of mark or proper labeling of points to eliminate confusion of many different types of marks on site. 7.6 Control of workmanship Poor workmanship is the most frequent cause of deficiency in construction works, first, because it speaks of the different skill levels and personalities of every individual worker in the workforce. Secondly, it reflects the work culture of the contracting organization, and the rests, probably, many other factors. However complicated the control of workmanship is, it may be simplified by focusing to answer the following questions: Are the materials, parts and components measured according to specified volumes and weights, limits and tolerances? Did they employ the appropriate equipments and tools? Is it done in proper place, time, and weather condition? Are the methods of construction properly followed? Are actual results obtained within the specified expected results? Will it work according to intended purpose? Is the work acceptable according to prescribed requirements? Finally, does it satisfy the customers need?

Negative answer to any of these questions may require meticulous checking and reevaluation. Sometimes, it could happen that even the best effort of the work organization is not enough to yield acceptable results. Corrective action and rework needs cost and time, but it may

not seem alright just to keep it as it is. Hence, the work of quality management is crucial; otherwise the project may eventually be placed in jeopardy. 7.7 Progress inspection Inspection before the commencement of work This portion of inspection is called the "preparatory inspection phase" by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This inspection is made for each major work activity. Most of the time, a preparatory inspection is held. This involves holding a meeting to perform the pre-inspection of materials, methods, and personnel that are used to perform the work. Submittals and industry standards are used to verify that the work to be performed will be completed in compliance with the project documents. The use of sample panels for work such as masonry or stucco finishes or pre-cast components is a prime example of this type of inspection. The workmanship and materials of the sample panel are inspected and approved prior to its implementation into the construction process. Corrections made at this level of inspection will cost less and will not impact the project schedule as much as if work was started before problems were discovered. Inspection during work-in-progress The inspection of work-in-progress must be performed on a continual basis. QC personnel must maintain constant watch on work as it begins and heads toward completion. It is very important to verify that work starts out correctly (doing work right the first time), otherwise rework to correct the problem will occur. It is easier, and less expensive, to correct work as the work progresses instead of discovering defects after the work is completed. No one likes to perform the same item of work more than once. Inspection of work after completion Each work activity must also be inspected upon completion. This action is necessary to detect any deficient work prior to the next work activity to be performed. A "punchlist" consisting of the list of deficiencies discovered should be made and given to the parties responsible for the defective work. Verification that each deficiency has been corrected must be made to ensure that

there are not any outstanding deficiencies. This stage of inspection will also require the performance testing of installed materials/equipment. Once tests have been performed, a test report documenting the results of the tests should be kept on file or put into a "test report" folder for future reference. 7.8 Quality testing Quality tests are different measures and procedures to determine descriptive characteristics of the materials, parts and components actually used in the construction project. It has been proven in construction that garbage in = garbage in; quality in = quality out. These tests are conducted to make sure that materials being used in the project are actually of the quality prescribed in the specifications. Example of these quality tests are conducted for aggregates, cement, reinforcing steel bars and bituminous materials. 7.9 Performance testing Performance tests are required for many of the components of simple or complicated systems that are installed or erected in the project; to check if whether they are fundamentally performing as expected or they can basically carry the load as intended, within the standard limits and tolerances. These components may be as simple as the sub-base, base or foundation and pavement; or may be as complicated as the structural parts, systems that include the fire alarm system, drainage system, water supply, elevators, power and communications systems. These types of tests are usually performed by the installer of the component or system, as witnessed and verified by QC personnel. However, it is important for the QC personnel to check that these works are satisfactory within the prescribed quality requirements as stated in the project specifications. Use of diagnostic tools in this QA/QC portion is highly important. Example of performance tests are: FDT or compaction test for sub-grade, sub-base, base and earth pavements Penetration test for foundation Strength test for concrete Pressure test for sewerage, drainage and water systems Trial run for power, HVAC and telecommunications systems

7.10 Control of testing equipments Measures should be established to assure that tools, gauges, instruments and other measuring and testing devices used in activities affecting the QA/QC are properly controlled, calibrated, and adjusted as required to maintain standard accuracy within specified limits and tolerances. When necessary for particular equipments, special protective environments should be specified and provided. 7.11 Corrective action to non-conforming materials and works Standard policy should established controls of non-conforming materials, components and works including proper procedures for information, identification, documentation, segregation, disposition and notification of affected organizations. Measures should also be established to assure that conditions adverse to quality, such as failures, malfunctions, deficiencies, deviations, defective material and equipment and non-conformances are promptly identified and corrected. In case of significant adverse conditions, the measure shall assure that the cause of the non-conformance is determined and corrective action taken promptly to preclude repetition. The identification of such adverse condition to quality, the cause of the condition, and the corrective action should be properly documented and reported to appropriate levels of project management. Nonconforming items should be reviewed comprehensively; then repaired or reworked; and then rejected or accepted in accordance with the prescribed quality requirements. 7.12 Final inspection and acceptance When all the works prescribed in the contract of the project are completed, the project is subjected to final inspection to bring the project into conclusion. Construction documents, such as progress photographs, as-built drawings, field measurements, test reports and other related documents are reviewed as all executed works and the whole project in its entirety is evaluated. A team of inspectorate (composed of professional engineers) acting as representative of the owner (or customer) performs this final inspection, comparing all executed works against the contract, plans and specifications. Right after the scrutiny, the team would prepare an inspection

report stating the observations relating to the conformance or non-conformance of the works according to prescribed requirements, in particular. When non-conforming works are observed, corrective actions will be required to these deficient works. Once deficiencies are corrected, another inspection date is organized to check and re-evaluate the corrective works done. As every work executed conforms to the plans and specifications, the project is finally turned-over to and accepted by the customer. Notwithstanding, warranty of the executed works is still outstanding on the contractors account. 8. Conclusion There can be no other ultimate measurement of success for the construction management than the eventual project acceptance by the customer. However, the degree of success of every construction project is assessed through the conformance of every executed work to the prescribed quality requirements, as: Doing work right the first time eliminates corrective action or rework. Eliminating corrective action or rework eliminates delay. Eliminating corrective action and delay decreases costs. Decreased costs increase productivity and profit. Eliminating corrective action and delay satisfies customer. Satisfied customer boosts organizations morale. Satisfied customer boosts organizations integrity and reputation. Satisfied customer increases degree of success. Boosting organizations integrity and reputation increases contract demands. Increasing contract demands increase productivity and profit. High productivity and profit means good business.

References: 1. Abdulaziz A. Bubshait, ISO Quality Standards in Construction 2. Dale H. Besterfield, Quality Control: A Practical Approach , Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd., Singapore, 2004 3. Farzad Shahbodaghlou and Ronald Haven, A Model for a Quality Safety Program, University of Washington, 1997 4. James L. Jenkins, Implementing Quality Control Topics into the Building Construction Curriculum, CA, 1999

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9.

MTA Bridges & Tunnels Engineering and Construction Dept. Model Quality Management System Manual for Design-Build Projects, 2005 R. Lewis, Quality Management for Projects and Programs, Ireland, 1991 Syed M. Ahmed and Salman Azhar, Adoption and Implementation of Total Quality Management in Florida Construction Industry, Colorado, 2006 Todd W. Loushine et al, Safety and Quality Management Systems in Construction: Some Insight from Contractors, Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement Willem de Vries, Performance, Quality, Management, UNSD New York