ANRS Bureau of Agriculture

2. Construction Supervision
and
Quality Control

Obtober,2012
Kombolcha
2.1. Introduction

Construction management is
• The way and methods of transferring the design and drawing parameters
in to a concrete shape and volume at exact location.

Achieving
• Good quality,
• Enough strength for varied situations,
• Recommended service life and beyond.

Inspection during supervision is the art of checking of the construction

process including:
• Materials
• Construction procedures,
• Finished products,
• Comparing with established standards etc.
Objective of supervision and quality control is
to:

• Improve the quality of the work,

• Increase the lifespan, durability and stability of the structure,
• Place and shape all available resources in economical output,
• Reduce unnecessary costs for repairs and maintenance,
• Accomplish with planned time and budget,
• Maintain the reputation of the institute and credibility of the
program.
2.2. CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION

• Construction management requires full knowledge of implementation process

with appropriate construction supervision.
• In order to ensure the safety and quality of the irrigation structures construction
appropriate supervision with responsible expert shall be carried out.
• The whole construction process requires supervision works.
• Supervision shall be carried out in accordance with the specification of the
design and drawings.
• Supervision inspection include issue as in
• Checking the validity of the design assumption,
• Identifying the difference between the actual ground condition and
those assumed in the design,
• Checking that construction is completed according to the design and
possibly modified, and,
• Checking quality, quantity and time of construction.
 Supervision of construction schemes needs assigning supervisor
with action plan:

Specifying the
 type,
 quality and
 frequency of supervision,

The degree of uncertainty in the design

 the complexity of the ground,
 the potential risk of failure during construction and
 implementing corrective measures during construction.
 2.2.1. Minimum professional requirements of a supervising Engineer

• He should understand the ultimate goal of quality control of any construction

project,

• He must have knowledge of the general ways and method of testing of

construction material and finished works,

• He has to well understand the agreement document and all technical

specifications available,

• He should be able to control various deteriorating factors of the quality,

• He should be able to investigate the deteriorating factors and suggest ways and
methods of improvements without hindering the progress,

• He must always try to stick to specifications,

 2.2.1. Minimum professional requirements of a supervising Engineer

• He should understand the ultimate goal of quality control of any

construction project,
• He must have knowledge of the general ways and method of testing of
construction material and finished works,
• He has to well understand the agreement document and all technical
specifications available,
• He should be able to control various deteriorating factors of the quality,
• He should be able to investigate the deteriorating factors and suggest
ways and methods of improvements without hindering the progress,
• He must always try to stick to specifications,
 2.2.1. Minimum professional requirements of a supervising Engineer

• Understand design and drawing very well and has to be able to modify on
the way,
• Capable of understanding any material changes and must know the
properties of cement, sand, gravel, stone, concrete grades very well,
• He has to clearly know different aggregates depending on the type of
work,
• Able to scan the existing environment /sunny, cloudy, rainy/ and must
justify the existing work in relation to such sever climate. He is also
responsible to make adjustments accordingly.
• Have standard construction material specifications on his logbook and
check the actual material property by comparing with the standard,
 2.2.1. Minimum professional requirements of a supervising Engineer

• He must have the design material test results approved by the designer. For
example.
• Soil physical condition,
• Stone size and quality,
• Course aggregate size and quality,
• Fine aggregate size and quality,
• Cement type and quality,
• Reinforcement steel diameter and quality of steel,
• Steel sheets thickness,
• Pipe dimension and nominal thickness,
• Water quality /clean/,
• Minimum number of curing days for concrete and masonry works,
2.2.2. Minimum Guiding Statements for construction field supervision and quality
inspection
 
Major supervision checklists:

• Checking all drawings & agreement document available at site,

• Checking project construction profile (construction crew),
• Checking contractors action plan with actual activity process,
• Checking that the site engineer is available at site or not,
• What is the current work force in each activity currently working?
• How many daily laborers are undertaking?
• How many types and or number of machinery are working?
• How many types and/or number of equipment are working?
• How much construction materials of each major item are there?
• What is the daily performance norm for each machinery? And daily laborers?
• What volumes or lengths of work are being done per day per crew? Is this
compatible with the regions intention?
2.2.2. Minimum Guiding Statements for construction field supervision and quality inspection
 
Major supervision checklists:

• What do you conclude on the quality of construction materials (cement? Sand? Gravel?
Stone? And the concrete or earth work?)
• What is your expectation on observed cement mix ratio for specific work item?
• Have you interviewed the local people for their comments?
• What are sequential works undergoing? And parallel works?
• What is the percentage of the remaining total physical work?
• How many days is required to complete the rest task?
• What is the percentage of the remaining payment to be effected?
• Can you give grade the performance of the contractor as (delayed/timely/progressing)?
• How clean is the work in general?
• What do you conclude from the supervision observation?
2.3. CONSTRUCTION QUALITY CONTROL

• Construction work shall be inspected visually on continuous basis and results must be
obtained with appropriate measurements or standards.
• Inspection is the process of ensuring the required quality of construction through daily
controlling and checking of each items of construction materials and workmanship.
• Each workmanship has acceptable range of quality in which each volume of work shall be
measured in situ.
• Inspection should be followed by a good record. The
• sequential works,
• quality of materials,
• deviations from the design,
• as-built drawings,
• environmental conditions,
• unforeseen events etc should be recorded and presented to decision makers.
 2.3.1 Common Mistakes of Construction Contractors

• The most repeatedly mistakes during construction committed by

the contractors are listed below.

• Miss-positioning of weirs, and protection walls or

alignment of structures,

• Lack of readiness for modification of structures for

example wing walls with the abatement height and
anchorage, constructing canals on heavy clay soil which
need good foundation (did not take care about the
foundation condition existed),
Fig. Canal constructed on heavy clay soil (Leza-2 SSI
scheme IFAD-PASIDP)
 Though not a mandate to contractors; Unable to properly organize
construction processes for example excavated soil can help to
protect flood as it could serve as a cut off drain (considering flood),

 Fig. excavated soil could be used to construct cutoff drain (Leza-2 SSI
scheme IFAD-PASIDP)
• Miss alignment of canals,
• Miss-procedural completion of work components,
• Inaccuracy of canal slopes and profiles,
• Use of poor quality sands (poorly graded, and soil mixed),
• Use of oval, poor graded and soil coated (dirty)
masonry/stones/,
• Water un-tightness and contact with freshly concrete mixes
/poor workmanship/ causes leakage before completion,
• Concentrating on rock excavation beyond the agreement
because of its high unit rate,
• Inadequate or non compaction of foundations and back fills,
• Use of extremely sun or air exposed (expired) cement
mixes,

• Use of un-recommended cement mix/ reducing the

cement amount/,

• Dalliance in completion and being claimant,

• Rejecting any comments generated from Woreda and

community excluding them as non client bodies,
Fig. Comments of communities were accepted during few projects
construction (Leza-2 SSI scheme IFAD-PASIDP)
 Not suggest and create harmonized link and communication with the
community and other stakeholders.

Fig. Traditional bridge constructed to supplement constructions as to the

design (Leza-2 SSI scheme IFAD-PASIDP)
2.3.2. Common mistakes committed by Construction supervision
Engineers
• Less organized and less check list- based supervision,
• Unplanned supervision
• Missing all components of the work to monitor and conduct
inadequate thorough inspection as the rule obeys,
• Little written feedback given to the contractor whether the contractor
is highly delayed or progressively doing very well according to the
agreed upon schedule,
• Little involvement of the Woreda concerned and administrative body
(stakeholders),
• Inadequate ways or mechanism to inspect the quality except visual
observation (the work is not tested either in laboratory or by other
means).
2.3.3. Outstanding Points to check before handing over
construction

• Is the alignment of the whole project right?

• Is there enough cut off trench or keying?
• Is there right water way?
• Is the compaction of any earth work done in the right way?
• Check the quality of all work items before handing over the project,
• Check the quantity of work items,
• Cross-check the structures on the ground and in the working drawing
given by the designer,
• Checking the sectional dimensions of canal and weir,
• Check all items of work accordingly done on the basis of the
agreement document,
• Check the additional work-done or omitted of some activities.
2.3.4. Regional construction quality control directions

On contractor’s side:
• During handing over for construction every contractor shall receive every
items of work both in drawing form and checking all design items on
ground before any start of construction; any variations and claims not
raised during hand over are not reliable unless natural forcing conditions.

• The quality of each construction materials and/or the final work item
shall be as per the quality standards indicated in specifications.

• The contractor has also a full responsibility for the loss of any
construction quality.

• Care has to be made on the reduction of cement mix ratio.

3.7 Regional construction quality control directions
On contractor’s side:
• The contractor shall submit any items of additional (variation) of works to the
client before he has to continue in construction.
– However, the supervision engineer has the right to make changes up to 15%.
– Any changes beyond 15% shall be transferred to the higher officials for decision.
• The contractor shall call upon the supervising engineer at important steps of work
before proceeding to the next step for approval what he has done.

• Every contractor shall submit to the client his construction schedule, the assigned
engineer, construction management schedule and others.

• He shall also submit periodic performance report to the client which is to be

governed by the agreement.
On the client side:

• The supervising engineer shall investigate on field that if there are any design
changes, overlooked items of work and check that all those variation lie in the
ranges of up to 15% of the total including VAT. He shall also submit to higher
officials the details of work items greater than 15%.

• The engineer shall observe the nature of work components whether it can be
done sequentially or in parallel. But he should check that the total manpower and
machinery whether it is enough or not when work is being done in parallel.

• He shall submit to the client any misconstruction items that are bad in quality. He
has also the right to stop, to make demolish it and to reject or make action
according to the agreement document.

• He should also check all the construction materials, the workman force, and the
proportion of mixes in detail and record accordingly.
 2.3.5 Properties of basic construction
materials
Aggregates

• Use fine aggregates or sands and coarse aggregates (gravel) that comply
with the standards approved and in addition they should be chemically
inert,
• Use coarse aggregates or gravels not rounded in shape,
• Ensure that the nature and grading of aggregates remain reasonably
constant to ensure that the overall grading remains constant for each
section of the work,
• Don’t allow dust during mixing,
• Use clean gravel and sand aggregates of various sizes separately,
• Deliver aggregates to the site in clean and suitable vehicles, and
• Store it in appropriate site for ease of use during construction.
Gravel
Gravel is a coarse aggregate (natural or crushed)
used in concrete making,
Use the following gravel sizes for the specified
purpose:
 10mm maximum size, graded, for all "fine" concrete for
foundation spreading.
 20mm maximum size, graded, for all reinforced concrete for
weirs, walls and slabs.
 36mm maximum size graded for all mass concrete walls and
slabs.
Sand
• Sand is a fine aggregate to be used in concrete making,
• For common mixes, natural sand aggregate is used
• Sand size range between 0.075mm to 4.75mm.
• Using sieve analysis when we sieve the sand with 4mm diameter
sieve the sand will pass and the remaining is the gravel.
• Then when we sieve the sand with a sieve of diameter 200 micro
mm all clay and silt will pass and the sand will remain.
• Good sand is that which contains equal proportions of fines and
courses free from silt and clay.
• In any case the percentage of silt plus clay in usable sand should
not be greater than 5%.
• If the sand is too dirty washing with water is strongly
recommended.
Cement
• Use ordinary Portland cement of an approved type in the
permanent works complying with approved standards,
• Cement should be free flowing and free of lumps and must be
supplied in sealed bags,
• Use protected cement from weather effect,
• Cement in bags should be stored in a suitable weatherproof, dry
and well ventilated store house, the floor must be raised above the
surrounding ground level,
• Cement from unfasten bags should not be used in the permanent
works,
• Remove cement, which has become hardened or lumpy.
• Cement which is stored more than six months should not be used.
Mortar
• Mortar is the mixture of cement and sand with water the mix cement: sand
proportions must be as in the ratio of 1:2, 1:3 or 1:4 parts by weight.
• Small quantities of mortar may be hand mixed, for over 0.5 m3 mechanical mixer
is needed.
• Use appropriate water content for the mortar so as to make it consistent with the
use for which it is required but in any case the water/cement ratio shall not be
more than 0.5 by weight.

Reinforcement (iron)
 
• Reinforcement used for attaining strength of concrete and protects tension
failure.
• At the time of fixing, reinforcement should be free from rust, and should not be
contaminated by grease, dirt, oil, paint, soil.
• Tying (black) wire for steel reinforcement shall be 1.6mm diameter soft iron wire.
• Space bars shall be of rustproof material and shall not produce staining, or
otherwise be detrimental to the concrete or steel.
Form work
• The form work may be of seasoned, planed, blackboard or steel.
• All forms must be protected from injury of any source while using to
prevent fresh concrete they are holding from damage.

Standard Concrete Specification and properties

• Select concrete mix proportions to ensure that the workability of the

fresh concrete is suitable for the conditions of:
• Handling and placing,
• The nature of reinforcement, and
• The climatic conditions prevailing.

• Use the Concrete and water-Cement relationships in Table 6 to ensure

adequate durability of the finished concrete.
• Water for mixing or curing of concrete or mortar must be as pure as
possible. Not mixed with soil or other chemicals or impurities.
Strength

• The basis for assessing the strength of concrete must be related to the
characteristic strength, defined as the Strength of the concrete at 28 days, as
determined by an approved standard method of testing below which not more
than 5% of the test results falls.
• The relationship between the class of the concrete and characteristic strength
may accord with indicated in annex 1.

Mixes

• Aggregates, cement and water must be proportioned by volume.

• A highly workability of fresh concrete must be such that the concrete can be
handled and placed without segregation and, after compaction, shall completely
fill the Form work and around all reinforcement .
• The quantity of water used must not exceed that required to produce a concrete
with appropriate workability to be placed and compacted in the required location.
Any quality below the above property looks medium to low workability.
• Standard sand and gravel volume measuring Boxes used in manual mixes is
the following size.

• Its volume is 0.2 X 0.40 X 0.40=0.0347m3 which is the volume of one bag of
cement.

• All volume calculations are done using measurement box full up to top level.

• The average dry volume of the mix per cubic meter of finished concrete is
1.54.
Concrete Placement and compaction

• Use any batch of concrete mix as immediately as practicable. If the

placing of any batch of concrete is delayed beyond the period, the
concrete should not be placed in the permanent works.

• Protect any freshly prepared concrete mixes from any flow of

water into it,

• The mortar must be kept ahead of the concrete. The mortar shall
be well worked into all parts of the excavated surfaces and shall be
not less than 5 mm thick.

• The amount of mortar placed at any one time shall be limited so

that it does not necessarily dry out or set before being covered
with concrete.
• Deposit the concrete as neatly as possible in its final position so as to
avoid segregation of the concrete and displacement of the reinforcement.

• Don’t place concrete during rain, which is sufficiently heavy or prolonged

to wash mortar from coarse aggregate on the exposed faces of fresh
concrete. Means shall be provide to remove any water accumulating on
the surface of the placed concrete.

• In dry weather, covers shall be provided for all fresh concrete surfaces,
which are not being worked on. Water shall not be added to concrete for
any reason.

• Compact the concrete fully throughout the full extent of the placed layer.
It shall be thoroughly worked against the formwork and around any
reinforcement and other embedded items, without displacing them.
Curing

• Protect the concrete during the first stage of hardening from loss of
moisture and from the development of temperature differentials within
the concrete sufficient to cause cracking.

• Continue curing for 21 days but in any case for at least ten days or until
the concrete is covered by later construction whichever is the shorter
period.

• The curing process shall commence as soon as the concrete is hard

enough to resist damage from the process, and in the case of large areas
or continuous pours shall commence on the completed section of the
pour before the rest of the pour is finished.

• Exposed concrete surfaces may be closely covered with impermeable

sheeting, properly secured to prevent its removal by wind and the
development of air spaces beneath it.
• Protect freshly placed concrete from rainfall and from water running over
the surface until it is sufficiently hard to resist damage from this cause.

• Don’t allow any traffic on any concrete surface until such time as it is hard
enough to resist damage by such traffic.

• Protect the placed concrete from any structural loading until it has
attained at least its minimum average strength.
Reinforcement bars

• When placed in the work reinforcement should be free from coatings or

dirt, detrimental scale, paint, oil or other foreign substances.

• All reinforcing bars, ties links and fabric must be fixed in the positions.
Displacement of reinforcement beyond the specified tolerance shall be
prevented by supporting the bars sufficiently and securely fixing them
together at intersections where necessary.

• The ends of all tying wires shall be turned into the body of the concrete
and not allowed to project towards the surfaces of the concrete.

• Maintain Space bars to be made of dense cement mortar of one part

cement and three parts sand.
Stone /Masonry/ work

• Stone for all kinds of work shall be of good quality, solid and durable,
void-less and without soft weathered or decomposed parts.

Stone Pitching

• Pitching is used for paving of horizontal or sloping ground surfaces. It

includes one layer of manually placed stone forming an even smooth
surface.

• “Dry pitching” means pitching without using of binding material, instead

of it, the clearances are wedged by stone fragments and filled with well
compacted gravel or sand.

• “Pitching on mortar” means pitching in which clearances are filled with

cement mortar. Stone shall be placed in the layer of fresh concrete the
grade of which is indicated on the drawings.
• For all pitching types the quality of stone must be of random length and
width but not less than 0.2 X 0.2 X 0.2cm thickness. The sides of all stones
shall be roughly shaped with a hammer to obtain a sufficiently good fit.

• The site for pitching shall be well compacted and even.

• For pitching on mortar, the under the joints shall consist of concrete of
the grade specified on the drawings and 5-20mm thick. Over this layer the
stones are laid with each stone rigidly fixed with its natural surface square
to the open surface to form an even face with broken joints.
2.3.6. Stone for Masonry Works

• Use sound and clean stones. Any stones, which in perfectly clean, washed
before use. Stones shall be set in position with their natural beds as near
as possible to the horizontal between the stones shall be completely filled
with mortar.

• The stones are to be selected and placed so as to keep the amount of

mortar to a minimum. One exposed face, stones shall be selected and
where necessary roughly dressed so as to provide a fair face showing an
even distribution of stone sizes.

• Building Stones must be similar in size the longer side placed horizontal.
Plastering

• Plaster the inner face of the structure and the face where water is
available,

• Good sand should be used in plaster and the plaster is to be 5-10mm

thick,

• The proportion of sand and cement should be 1:3 by volume,

• Plaster should be kept wet for a period of not less than 14 days,

• plastering concrete/masonry surface and rounding at angles,

• Preparing, cleaning and watering surfaces to be plastered,

• Watering and protecting completed plastered surfaces.

Foundation and Concrete work
• Verify dimensions and foundation levels as per drawing,
• Wet the foundation surface to a depth of 150mm or to impermeable
material,
• Compact with suitable bedding materials in case of over excavation and
with C-5 concrete in case of rock,
• Ensure the rock surface free from oil, contaminating coating, soils,
• Check the correct mix ratios,
• Cure with water for 28 days,
• Don’t allow segregation of concretes,
• Don’t lay the concrete under water and over mud,
• Don’t lay the foundation concrete without wetting the surface,
• Don’t allow admixtures which will harm the strength.
END