ASSIGNMENT

Subject: Construction Quality, Safety and Environment

 SUBMITTED BY: Prabhakar Sanganna

Khairate
 REG No.: . 29-08-32-7432-2111
 PGP IDM
 NICMAR SODE

Course No. : IDM 22

Course Title : - Construction Quality, Safety and Environment

Assignment No. : -
 

  Assignment Topic

You have been selected as a project manager for a prestigious high rise building in Mumbai, which
will be housing very rich personalities from industry and film world.

Your company management has asked you to formalize Quality Management System QMS! for
interior finishes, "lumbing and prevention of rainwater seepage so that the overall #uality standard and
image of company is raised.

Quality in Civil Work Project:  

Quality $ontrol in any project construction site is as important as any other project related
activity such as design, e%ecution of construction activities!, planning and so on. Quality
control succeeds #uality assurance.
&nce the re#uired #uality personnel for a project are available, the first and foremost
responsibility for them is to set the '#uality( ball rolling, ie, to set the process of ensuring
#uality in motion. )he '#uality( domain broadly consists of two subdomains namely #uality
control and #uality assurance. * major step in setting the '#uality( ball in motion is to create
 

the very important subdomain called Q*. +nless Q* is in place Q$ cant be initiated and
continued properly.
)hats because Q* means creating the necessary #uality framework so that using that or taking
guidance from it the process of Q$ can be successfully initiated, continued and completed in a
systematic and timely manner. "erforming Q* or creating the Q* framework means
identifying all the #uality parameters or #uality targets for a project- identifying and obtaining
all e%isting general #uality documents such as codes, specifications, local #uality related
regulations or norms if any! relevant to the project- preparing new project specific #uality
documents such as "roject Quality "lan or Quality *ssurance "lan, nspection / )esting "lans
)"s!, Quality forms, 0ob "rocedures 0"s! etc.
1#uipped with these Q* documents and the necessary #uality control personnel such as Q$
manager, Q$ engineers or Q$ inspectors, laboratory technicians etc., the process of #uality
control can now be set in motion. &f course, one of the most important step into this is
establishing a good #uality control laboratory at the project site at a convenient location. )hats
a must for any mid2sized to large construction project.
3or a small project or one involving #uite less civil works, it could be more practical or 
economical to get the #uality tests done in some other Q$ laboratory e%isting nearby rather 
than establishing a new one. 3or a large project site a fully2fledged Q$ laboratory is the
 backbone of most of the Q$ activities. n fact, often there are more than one laboratories in
such project sites.
*n effective #uality control laboratory is incomplete without all or, at least, most of the #uality
control laboratory apparatus or e#uipments relevant to the civil construction activities in the
 project. 4igh2#uality laboratory apparatus of reputed brands are of utmost importance for a
standard Q$ laboratory. Several lists of important civil #uality control laboratory e#uipments
have been already mentioned in some of the earlier posts in this site. )o read them go to the
'Q*5Q$( category of this website. 3urther, there are also other useful technical info such as
calibration and maintenance of #uality control laboratory e#uipments.
1stablishing the site #uality control laboratory is the responsibility of the Q$ personnel. &nce
the Q$ laboratory facility is in the place the Q$ manager, inspectors etc. need to follow the
already established Q* framework 5 guidelines. )his includes, but is not limited to, conducting
all the necessary laboratory tests as per codes, specifications etc. at prescribed fre#uencies-
 periodic calibration and maintenance of testing and measuring e#uipments or instruments!,
Q$ documentation, reporting, #uality review meetings and so on. )his also often includes
other #uality control activities like #uality audits, training personnel on #uality matters,
reviewing or improving the e%isting Q* framework etc.
Yes, #uality assurance and #uality control are the two sides of the same coin named '#uality(.
6ithout one the other is meaningless.
 

Standards & Specifications for making & transport concrete:  

)he #uality of construction depends upon right material used. )he correct method followed and
 produce end product of acceptable performance. )he means of #uality control are tests,
inspection, supervision and analysis of data etc. Quality tests are conducted in laboratories and
inspection and supervision are carried out on the site and data analysis done by e%perts in the
office.
Specification: )he standards and specifications for concrete and various ingredients are
universally standardized and they are re#uired to be in conformity with same. ndian Standards
S for concrete and its basic ingredients viz cement aggregate coarse and fine, water 
admi%tures and various of concreting, its placement and final acceptance should be as per S
specification.

Making of Concrete: n its simplest form, concrete is a mi%ture of paste and aggregates, or 
rocks. )he paste, composed of "ortland cement and water, coats the surface of the fine small!
and coarse larger! aggregates. )hrough a chemical reaction called hydration, the paste hardens
and gains strength to form the rock2like mass known as concrete.
6ithin this process lies the key to a remarkable trait of concrete7 it8s plastic and malleable
when newly mi%ed, strong and durable when hardened. )hese #ualities e%plain why one
material, concrete, can build skyscrapers, bridges, sidewalks and superhighways, houses and
dams.

Proportioning:   )he key to achieving a strong, durable concrete rests in the careful
 proportioning and mi%ing of the ingredients. * mi%ture that does not have enough paste to fill
all the voids between the aggregates will be difficult to place and will produce rough surfaces
and porous concrete. * mi%ture with an e%cess of cement paste will be easy to place and will
 produce a smooth surface- however, the resulting concrete is not cost2effective and can more
easily crack.

"ortland cement8s chemistry comes to life in the presence of water. $ement and water form a
 paste that coats each particle of stone and sand9the aggregates. )hrough a chemical reaction
called hydration, the cement paste hardens and gains strength.

)he #uality of the paste determines the character of the concrete. )he strength of the paste, in
turn, depends on the ratio of water to cement. )he water2cement ratio is the weight of the
mi%ing water divided by the weight of the cement. 4igh2#uality concrete is produced by
 

lowering the water2cement ratio as much as possible without sacrificing the workability of 
fresh concrete, allowing it to be properly placed, consolidated, and cured.

* properly designed mi%ture possesses the desired workability for the fresh concrete and the
re#uired durability and strength for the hardened concrete. )ypically, a mi% is about :; to :<
 percent cement, =; to >< percent aggregate and :< to ?; percent water. 1ntrained air in many
concrete mi%es may also take up another < to @ percent.

ydration !egins: Soon after the aggregates, water, and the cement are combined, the
mi%ture starts to harden. *ll "ortland cements are hydraulic cements that set and harden
through a chemical reaction with water call hydration. Auring this reaction, a node forms on
the surface of each cement particle. )he node grows and e%pands until it links up with nodes
from other cement particles or adheres to adjacent aggregates.

&nce the concrete is thoroughly mi%ed and workable it should be placed in forms before the
mi%ture becomes too stiff.

Auring placement, the concrete is consolidated to compact it within the forms and to eliminate
 potential flaws, such as honeycombs and air pockets.

3or slabs, concrete is left to stand until the surface moisture film disappears, then a wood or 
metal hand float is used to smooth off the concrete. 3loating produces a relatively even, but
slightly rough, te%ture that has good slip resistance and is fre#uently used as a final finish for 
e%terior slabs. f a smooth, hard, dense surface is re#uired, floating is followed by steel
troweling.

$uring begins after the e%posed surfaces of the concrete have hardened sufficiently to resist
marring. $uring ensures the continued hydration of the cement so that the concrete continues
to gain strength. $oncrete surfaces are cured by sprinkling with water fog, or by using
moisture2retaining fabrics such as burlap or cotton mats. &ther curing methods prevent
evaporation of the water by sealing the surface with plastic or special sprays called curing
compounds.

Special techni#ues are used for curing concrete during e%tremely cold or hot weather to protect
the concrete. )he longer the concrete is kept moist, the stronger and more durable it will
 become. )he rate of hardening depends upon the composition and fineness of the cement, the
mi% proportions, and the moisture and temperature conditions. $oncrete continues to get
 

stronger as it gets older. Most of the hydration and strength gain take place within the first
month of concrete8s life cycle, but hydration continues at a slower rate for many years.

Transporting Concrete: )ransporting the concrete mi% is defined as the transferring of 
concrete from the mi%ing plant to the construction site. Beep in mind that not all concrete is
mi%ed on the actual construction site and could re#uire some significant travel. )his is most
common for ready2mi%ed concretes. )he main objective in transporting concrete is to ensure
that the water2cement ratio, slump or consistency, air content, and homogeneity are not
modified from their intended states.

"mportant #actors in C$oosing Transportation:  )here are many elements of transporting

that need to be considered in order to ensure that a mi% does not change its state as specified in
the contract. )he two key goals when transporting concrete from the mi%ing plant to the
construction site are to prevent segregation and to not reduce the workability of the mi%. )his
transportation process must be well thought out and organized efficiently. *s a general rule of 
thumb, thirty to si%ty minutes of transportation are acceptable on small jobs. *t a central or 
 portable ready2mi% plant, concrete should be discharged from a truck mi%er or agitator truck 
within two hours. f non2agitating transporting e#uipment is used, this time is reduced to one
hour. *ll delays must be avoided in order prevent honeycombing, as shown in 3igure :, or cold
 joints.

Many factors determine which type of transportation is most suitable. )ype and constituents of 
the concrete mi%, size and type of construction, topography, weather conditions i.e.
temperature, humidity, and wind speed!, location of the batch plant, and cost are all taken into
consideration when choosing a mode of transport for your concrete. f you choose the wrong
mode of transportation, your concrete could be segregated, which would in effect, make it
useless. )herefore it is essential that ade#uate thought be given to the type of transportation
you actually need.
Categories of Transportation: )here are many modes of transportation as shown below7

• 6heelbarrow or motorized buggy

• )ruck mi%er 

• Cucket or steel skip

• $hute

• Celt conveyor 

• $oncrete pump
 

• "neumatic placer 

"nspection and C$ecklist:

W$at are t$ey:  nspection and checklist refers to the verification of the #uality standard is
implemented at the site level or not, it is nearly the validation of the #uality control work 
implemented at site. "reparation of inspection and checklists are very important at each stage
to control the #uality work in time also. f no inspections or checklists are prepared then there
may be a blunder in construction either in specification or in structural details. $hecklists are
 prepared for the record of inspection done at different stages. )o prepare checklists, is an
essential and legal for any type of work. $hecklist of all services D sanitary fittings,
1lectrification work2 wiring, surface and conduit wiring, *ir $onditioning, cable laying,
Aucting.

o% muc$ use is made of t$em:

+se of an inspection or checklist could be after a short time or along time period if any
uncertainty happens. *t that moment the authorities can calculate the conditions that what
could have been happened on disaster time and that where was the fault.

"n my eperience & opinion:

)here should be regular inspections and preparation of checklists at the start of the event, then
in midway of the activity and at last and at the end of the event.

Quality Assurance:
* program for the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project,
service, or facility to ensure that standards of #uality are being met
)he #uality should be assured by periodic validation in the implementation of the proper 
inspection plan and comparison of #uality standard to the actual work.

Quality Assurance Team:

)he #uality assurance team has a particular organization structure with repect to the
re#uirement of the site.

Person'(fficers) t$eir *ualifications & eperiences:

• Cuilding n charge with a min #ualification C.1. $ivil and an e%perience of :; yrs. in
the building industry

• Site 1ngineer with min #ualification as diploma in civil engineering

 

• Surveyor with min #ualification as diploma in civil engineering

• Eesident *rchitect with min #ualification as C.*rch.

#unctions & +uties: 1very day development at the site for the various jobs need to be
checked as per the bar chart submitted by the builder at the beginning of the activities. 1very
day the surveyor will go at the site and measure the various #uantities of the items 5jobs done.
*fter noting down he shall handover the same to the site engineer employed. Site engineer 
shall accordingly go to the site, check the #uality of work and can recheck the detail of the
#uantities submitted to him by the surveyor. )his shall continue for a week .*t the end of the
week this information shall be made in a tabular form and shall be sent to the building in2
charge duly signed by the surveyor and the site engineer. *long with this report will also be
sent mentioning the bar chart followed for the jobs to be done.

* representative from the architects firm Eesident architect! shall visit the site at least on the
alternative days. Eesident architect will check that the details of the design submitted by them,
are being followed or not.

,eporting to %$om: )he surveyor at the site shall submit the detail of #uantities to the site
engineer.
)he site engineer shall make his weekly reports of the works done and the re#uirement of the
drawings needed at site and submit it to the building in charge.

)he building in charge shall accordingly make his own summery of the project and shall
instruct the builder and the architect according to the re#uirement. 4e shall be visiting the site
often or make surprise visits.

 Met$ods of *uality assurance:

Testing of incoming materials:  already discussed in specifications and standards for making
concrete.

"n process inspections & testing:  for the #uality assurance of the various jobs being done at
site by regular visits of the site engineer and the building in charge at different stages.

Testing at finis$ing stages:   *t finishing stage for all the different activities, one needs to
check the alignment of the internal finishes with the walls and floors respectively. )he slopes
and the finishes are in compliance with the specifications submitted by the construction
agencies.
 

"enalties for non2compliance / incentives for compliance7 *s  have already mentioned earlier 
that the bar chart for all the jobs to be done shall be prepared in the beginning of the project.
*fter all the discussions of the builder, architect / building in charge, a flow chart shall be
made duly signed by all showing that which job is to be completed at which time. 6hile the
construction is going on if the building in charge notices the delay in any activity will send a
notice to the concerned agency. t then becomes the duty of the agency to look into the delay
and cover up till the ne%t stage of the bar chart. Fow if this agency fails to do so, the building
in charge5employer shall have all the right to impose the penalty clause according to the
agreement.

Conclusion
$ivil engineering projects and construction companies have begun to attract the attention of social
scientist and management e%perts. Social scientist argue that it takes more than just SQ$ and technical
skills to produce #uality. t re#uires the restructuring of the project organization the way they think,
work and interact. Management e%pert suggests that #uality monitoring evaluation and management
information systems should be built in to the construction process at all stages from design to
e%ecution.

,eference:

•  Ficmar study Materials

• Good sources of internet

• Quality Management "MC&B