Construction Quality Assurance and Improvement
505A – Final Exam Revision
1. Causes of Unsatisfactory Results in Construction
a. List and Identify Two Causes of Unsatisfactory Results
- Human Errors: Mistakes made by workers during various stages of construction.
- Low-Quality Materials: Using substandard materials that do not meet project specifications.
b. Describe the Sources of Data Used to Identify Defects
- Knowledge of understanding the cause and cost of defects.
- Computer modeling and technology to assess and identify defects.
c. Describe the Process for Continuous Quality Improvement
Continuous improvement in quality outcomes involves several key steps:
- Replacing tradespeople who consistently underperform.
- Providing adequate training and supervision to all workers.
- Enforcing contracts with tradespeople to ensure accountability.
- Conducting regular quality inspections to monitor progress and identify issues early.
2. Conducting Inspections of Quality Processes
An Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) is crucial. The contractor prepares and submits this plan to the engineer for approval before any work begins. The ITP outlines the program of inspections, material testing, and surveys. It serves as a tool to measure the quality of work. The quality engineer creates the ITP, which is then reviewed by the quality manager and construction manager. Finally, the project manager approves it before submission to the engineer.
3. Maintaining a Quality Management System
To maintain a quality management system and effectively communicate quality issues and outcomes, you need comprehensive documentation, primarily through the ITP. This includes collecting evidence and results. For example, when ordering materials like tiles, a visual inspection is mandatory. Without this inspection, the item is at a “hold point” and cannot be used until it’s checked against the ITP.
4. Ensuring Continuous Quality Improvement
A professional builder ensures continuous quality improvement throughout the project lifecycle by:
- Providing proper training, mentoring, and inductions.
- Setting benchmarks for the desired quality.
- Supervising and monitoring work to ensure standards are met.
- Using previous projects as examples of expected quality.
- Changing contractors if they fail to meet performance standards.
5. Using Lessons Learned in Future Projects
A professional builder leverages lessons learned (both positive and negative) in future projects by:
- Setting low and high benchmarks based on past performance.
- Using photos and images of previous work to illustrate expectations.
- Providing additional training to employees to address skill gaps.
- Ordering high-quality materials to avoid defects.
- Improving communication to ensure clear expectations.
- Using past experiences as a reference to meet expectations.