DEFINATION OF QUALITY

Different books, Quality Gurus, Institute define quality in the different ways.

Definition of Quality Books, Quality Definition of Quality Gurus, Quality Institutes

Oxford dictionary Quality is the degree of goodness. Joseph M Juran Quality is fitness for use Eugene Lodewick Grant & Richard S Quality is convenient to think of all matters Leavenworth related to Q of manufactured product in terms of these functions of --- specification, production and inspection. Philip B Crosby Quality is conformance to requirement, it is respect to Humanity. W Edwards Deming Quality should be aimed at the needs of the consumer present and future. Armand V Feigenbaum Quality is the total product and service characteristics of marketing, engineering, manufacturing and maintenance through which the product and service in use will meet the expectation of the customer. Shigeru Mizuno Product quality encompasses those characteristics which the product must possess, if it is to be used in the intended manner. Genechi Teguchi Quality is the loss (from function variation and harmful effects) a product causes to society after being shipped, other than any losses caused by its intrinsic functions. ISO 9000 Planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality. American National Standards Institute Totality of the features and characteristics of a product that bears on its ability to satisfy the stated or implied needs. David A Gravins Five Definition of Quality Transcendent Definition (Relative Quality): Quality is universally recognizable; it is related to a comparison of features and characteristics of products. Product-Based: Quality is a precise and measurable variable. Differences in quality reflect differences in quantity of some product attribute.

User-Based Definition: Quality is fitness for intended use. Manufacturing-Based Definition: Quality is conformance to specifications. Value-Based Definition: Quality is defined in terms of costs and prices. A quality product is one that provides performance at an acceptable price or conformance at acceptable costs. As per ISO 9000 quality is the totality of feature and characteristics a product or service that bears on its ability to safely stated or implied needs. There is an urgent need for observance of quality in all aspects of construction via quality of materials, quality of workmanship and proper balance in the quality attained vis a vis the quality desired.

HIERARCHY OF QUALITY
As principles of quality developed, is was understood to be part of a hierarchical process which saw inspection develop through to quality control, within the context of systems of quality assurance under the wider management approach of total quality management

STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR MAKING AND TRANSPORTING CONCRETE

The quality of construction depends upon right materials used, the correct methods followed and produce end product of acceptable performance. The means of quality control are tests, inspection, supervision and analysis of data etc. Quality tests are conducted in laboratories and inspection & supervision are carried out on the site and the data analysis is done by experts in office.

SPECIFICATIONS

The project authorities prepare the process of working out specifications of various facilities where concrete will be used. However, the standards and specifications for concrete and its various ingredients are universally standardized and they are required to be in conformity with same. Indian Standards IS for concrete and its basic ingredients viz cement, coarse and fine aggregates, water admixtures and various aspects of concreting its placement and final acceptance should be as per IS specifications. The quality control of concrete comprises of the following four functions: Control of ingredients of concrete viz. cement, coarse and fine aggregates, water and admixtures. Concrete mix proportioning of concrete mix design to attain the required strength specifications. Concrete production and placement operations. Acceptance The responsibility of all the four functions is shared by contractor, the department or client and the quality control staff.

INSPECTION
Inspection is the act of physical verification of the subject work on the site and under normal day to day working conditions. The inspection for quality is done by quality control inspectors who are posted at all active sites and who should be persons at deputy engineer and above levels. They are member of the quality control team and unrelated to the production process directly. Once quality standards and other things are laid out inspection becomes a routine matter. Inspection stages are as follow: Material inspection at suppliers end Material inspection at the stage of receipt Material inspection at the stage of issue Inspection of the process at the time of initial setting of machine /equipment Inspection of the trial run batch Inspection while the execution is in progress Inspection of finished process Inspection before erection and commissioning Inspection of commissioning Inspection of machinery and equipment commissioned

CHECKLIST
Following items must be checked by Quality control engineer.

1. PRELIMINARY
Plans and specifications availability at sites Organization chart, job descriptions and work assignments

Permissible tolerance of measurements Provisions of records and reports Contractors plant, calibrations, equipment organisation and methods. Tests of aggregates Proportioning of mix Mix computations Grading of mixed aggregates, batch quantities , yield Air content General ( applies to all materials) Identification, quantities ( used on hand ) ,acceptability, uniformity, storage conditions, handling methods, waste, schedule of testing Cement Sampling for laboratory test Protection from dampness Aggregates Acceptability tests Gradation , organic matter, deleterious undesirable substances, soundness, resistance to abrasion, other tests Control test Moisture, absorption , specific gravity, unit weight, voids Water Admixture Reinforcing steel Size, bending, surface condition Accessories Fixtures Other materials Lines and grades Excavation, foundations location , dimensions, shape, drainage, preparation for surfaces Specified type of forms Location Alignment, provision for settlement Stability (bearing, shores, ties and spaces) Inspection of openings

2. PROPORTIONING

3. MATERIALS

4. STOCKPILING

5. BEFORE CONCRETING

6. FORMWORK

Preparation of surfaces Final clean up Working platforms , location width, guardrails Scaffoldings of adequate strength securely supported, properly braced Suitable guards on all gangway and stairs Ladders securely fixed Availability of spare concrete mixers, vibrators and other machines Adequate electric and petromax lamps for concreting at night Adequate quantity of tarpaulin to cover concrete in case of rains For each batch, check the quantity of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate , cement and water, quantity of water being corrected from the viewpoints of dry wet conditions of the coarse and the fine aggregate Periodical checking of accuracy, serviceable conditions and cleanliness of all the measuring equipments Checking that water / cement ratio is maintained at the stipulated value. Further control over the amount of water used shall be exercised in terms of slump/compaction factor value Physical checking of the quantities of the constituents per batch periodically Checking of workability of concrete at frequent intervals Checking cleanliness of the mixer machine drum Checking the working of the mixer as per the rating of the mixer ,yielding concrete of uniform color and consistency Checking cleanliness and adequacy of chairs in the area of concreting Checking that concrete is placed and compacted before the expiry of initial setting time of cement and left undisturbed afterwards Checking that concrete is placed in even layers, each layer being compacted before placing the next layer Ensuring that concreting is carried out continuously up to the construction joint Ensuring that while concreting an old work, the surface is chipped, cleaned with wire brush and wetted with a coat of cement slurry, before laying new concrete Inspection of embedded parts and embedment of lugs Position and level of embedded parts Precautionary measures to keep the embedded parts in position Position, depth and size of bolt holes

7. GANGWAY AND LADDERS

8. PLANT AND MACHINERY

9. BATCHING AND MIXING OF CONCRETE

10. EMBEDDED PARTS

11. REINFORCEMENT IN PLACE

Size (diameter, length, bends and anchorage) Location (number of bars, minimum clear spacing, minimum cover) Splicing Stability (binding by wire, chairs and spacers) Cleanliness (no loose rust, no oil, paint dried mortar etc) Fixtures (location, stability, cleanliness) Opening not shown on plans Calibration of batching devices Conditions of mixer, speed of operation Provision for continuous placement Provision for curing Provision for protection against sun, rain, hot or cold weather Adequate tools and men for compaction, finishing and curing

12. CONCRETING
Working conditions Weather, preparations completed, specified interval since previous placement, lighting for night work, covering and protection Batching Cement, aggregates, water, admixtures Check batching devices Check yield of concrete Mixing Minimum time, batches delayed in mixer, maximum time, loading, number of revolutions of drum, water used, mixing capacity of drum, amount of concrete Control of consistency a. Observations of concrete being placed, tests, adjustments of water or admixtures in mix b. Monitoring of air content c. Concrete temperature check d. Conveying e. No segregation of materials, no excessive stiffening or drying out, time limits Placing uniform and dense concrete Continuous operation, preparation of contact surfaces, mortar bedding, vertical drop, no dropping against forms or reinforcement, little or no flow after depositing, depth of layers, water gain, rock pockets, removal of temporary ties and spacers, disposal of rejected batches, placing concrete under water Contraction joints a. Location b. Forming or tooling c. Dowels of ties (if any) in place and aligned Construction and hinge joints

a. Location, preparation of surfaces b. Dowels or ties (if any) in place and aligned c. Expansion and isolation joints Joint filler material, location, alignment, stability, freedom from Interference with subsequent movement Finishing of formed surfaces shallow surfaces, layer of mortar, water gain, no over working first floating, alignment of surface, final hard toweling, plastic shrinkage cracks Finishing of formed surfaces condition of surfaces upon removal of forms (honeycomb peeling, ragged tie holes, ragged from lines), repair of defects, surface treatment, no surface drying Schedule of testing

13. AFTER CONCRETING

a) b) c) d) Protection from damage impact, overloading of surfaces Time of removal of forms Curing surface continuously moist, time of beginning curing, length of curing period, concreting in cold and hot weather required precautions Joints clean and seal Tests of concrete Records and reports Records, materials, mix computations, batching and mixing, placing and curing Reports, daily, summary Diary Photographs, video recording

QUALITY CONTROL
Quality control is a stage above inspection. This is a process that uses quality planning and procedures as well as basic statistics and performance data. Quality control involves monitoring the performance of processes and then using statistical techniques such as sampling and control charts to make decisions. QC is therefore the use of the techniques to achieve. Maintain and try to improve on quality standards of products and services. It coordinates the links between the following activities: Specifications of what is required. Designing the products/services required. Production/installation/assembly of the parts, components, elements of the service, product package. Inspection of the product/service package to determine conformance to customer specification. Monitoring usage/consumption of product/service to feed back the information for improvements wherever possible.

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Quality assurance refers to the managerial process which determine the organizations design, objectives and resources, the project team, funding agencies, performance standards and feedback on the projects performance, appropriate actions to deal with deviations and all steps necessary for promoting quality awareness at all levels and in all parts of the project organization. A typical quality assurance programme addresses itself to the following: Organization structure of the project team and quality assurance department Responsibilities and powers of the various personnel involved Identification of the coordinating personnel Quality and its programmer Quality education and awareness Quality circles Training Setting up of MIS for quality Resolution of technical differences and disputes Preparation of quality assurance manuals and their checklists Vendor survey procedure Vendor surveillance procedure

QUALITY ASSURANCE ORGANISATION/ UNIT AT SITE

At construction site generally a Quality control engineer is responsible for the quality assurance and quality control. He has mainly four functions as follow: Setting up of standards and specifications Evaluating materials, processes and outputs through appropriate tests, inspection etc Appraising failures to these standard and acting when standards are not being adhered to Planning improvements in the standards and specifications. Quality control engineers functions include the following: Development of specifications Interaction with project designers Reliability and development testing Process capability studies QC of incoming materials Vendor QC and vendor development Quality planning for control of construction process Inspection and testing during construction Interaction with services engineering

 Records and procedures - QC record accumulation procedure - Document control procedure - In built drawing control procedure - Non conformance control procedure

BIBLIOGRAPHY / REFERENCE
1. Construction Quality Management, Published by NICMAR, 2008 2. Total Quality Management by Parag Diwan,Published by Golden Books Centre Sdn.Bhd.Kuala lampur,1999