QUALITY ASSURANCE ON ROADS CONSTRUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1. 1. 0. INTRODUCTION
The acquisition of constructed infrastructure usually represents a major capital investment, whether the owner is an individual, a private corporation or a public agency. For each infrastructure constructed (building or road), there is a minimum level of quality that is expected at a given cost within an acceptable time frame. To achieve the above, a higher level of “control” is required as things do not happen by chance.
Control is therefore a process of regulation which seeks to maintain conformity to some kind of plan. Those charged with the responsibility of executing the plan must be aware of the objectives on which it is based, and the resources at their disposal. On a construction project these resources include materials, services, skills, energy, information and working capital.
Flanagan et al (1997) state that the construction industry and the environment in which it operates have changed significantly – the process of change now seems to be never ending and hectic. There have been: new approaches to buying design and construction; fragmentation of the industry with the increase in specialist trade contracting; the demise of direct employment and the growth of labour-only and fixed term contracts; fee competition for consultancy services; the introduction of partnering; and more conflict and less trust; and clients wanting more value for money.
However, what has not changed is the importance of effective quality and cost control. Quality and cost on construction projects should not be simply monitored, they need to be controlled and managed from the early design stage through to project completion if the project’s objectives have to be successfully realised.
Quality Control in construction is the process of verifying that the project is built to plan, that the tolerances allowable by industry standard and engineering practices have been met or bettered, and that the
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1. 1. 0. INTRODUCTION
The acquisition of constructed infrastructure usually represents a major capital investment, whether the owner is an individual, a private corporation or a public agency. For each infrastructure constructed (building or road), there is a minimum level of quality that is expected at a given cost within an acceptable time frame. To achieve the above, a higher level of “control” is required as things do not happen by chance.
Control is therefore a process of regulation which seeks to maintain conformity to some kind of plan. Those charged with the responsibility of executing the plan must be aware of the objectives on which it is based, and the resources at their disposal. On a construction project these resources include materials, services, skills, energy, information and working capital.
Flanagan et al (1997) state that the construction industry and the environment in which it operates have changed significantly – the process of change now seems to be never ending and hectic. There have been: new approaches to buying design and construction; fragmentation of the industry with the increase in specialist trade contracting; the demise of direct employment and the growth of labour-only and fixed term contracts; fee competition for consultancy services; the introduction of partnering; and more conflict and less trust; and clients wanting more value for money.
However, what has not changed is the importance of effective quality and cost control. Quality and cost on construction projects should not be simply monitored, they need to be controlled and managed from the early design stage through to project completion if the project’s objectives have to be successfully realised.
Quality Control in construction is the process of verifying that the project is built to plan, that the tolerances allowable by industry standard and engineering practices have been met or bettered, and that the
References: Adrian J. James, (1979) Business Practices for Construction Management, 2nd Edition, American Elsevier Publishing Company Inc., New York. Ahuja N. Hira (1984) Project Management – Techniques in Planning and Controlling Construction Projects, 1st Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Canada. Asakaoru T. (1979) Total Quality Control, 1st Edition, Volume 3, McGraw-Hill, Tokyo Ashford J Barrie D. and Paulson B. C. (1992) Professional Construction Management, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill Inc., Singapore Burati J Burke R. (2003) Project Management: Planning and Control Techniques, 4th Edition, John Wiley & Sons Limited, Chichester, 21 – 30 Buzzell R Crosby P. B. (1967) Cutting the Cost of Quality, 1st Edition, Farnworth, Boston Crosby P Crosby P. B. (1989) Let’s Talk Quality, McGraw-Hill, New York, 181 Culp G Doyle D (1994) ISO 9000 Quality Systems Handbook, Butterworth, London Dumas R Evans J. M and Lindsay W. M. (2008) The Management and Control of Quality, 7th Edition, Graphic World Inc., 489 – 599 Feignbaum A Fellows R. and Liu A. (2008) Research Methods for Construction, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons Limited, Chichester, 81 – 245 Ferguson H Gasparik J. and Szalayova S. (2003) Quality Management in Construction Firms, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Slovakia (unpublished), 77 – 82 Gray C Gunaydin H. M. (1995) TQM in the Construction Industry: MSc. Thesis, llinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois Halpin D Harris F. and McCaffer R. (1989) Modern Construction Management, 3rd Edition, GRANADA Publishing Company Limited, London Hellard R Hellard R. B. (1994) Total Quality in Construction Projects, 1st Edition, Telford, London, 33 - 86 Hendrickson C http//www.en.wikipedia.org/org/wiki/Joseph_Juran, accessed December 21, 2010 http//www.en.wikipedia.org/org/wiki/W_Edwards_Deming, accessed December 21, 2010 http//www.en.wikipedia.org/org/wiki/Walter_Shewhart, accessed December 25, 2010 http//www.en.wikipedia.org/org/wiki/Zero _Defects, accessed December 21, 2010 http//www.iso.org/iso/home.htm, accessed December 24, 2010 International Systems Organisation (2000) ISO 9001, Quality Management System Requirements, 3rd Edition, Geneva, 335 – 345 Juran J. M. (1986) The Quality Trilogy, Quality Progress 19 Volume 18 August 1986, 19 – 24 Juran M Kubal M. T. ( 1994) Engineered Quality in Construction, 1st Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York Lapin L Lombard F. (2006) Managing the Quality of Engineering on Large Construction Projects in the South African Context, MBA Thesis, University of Pretoria, 18 – 24; 37 - 47 Lu D McGeorge D. and Palmer A. (2002) Construction Management: New Directions, 2nd Edition, Blackwell Publishing Company, Oxford Nagasaku C Nicholas J. M. and Herman S. (2008) Project Management for Business, Engineering and Technology: Principles and Practice, 3rd Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, 335 – 390 O’Brien J Oberlender G. D. and Scholtes P. R. (1993) Project Management for Engineering and Construction, 1st Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 34 - 57 Ogunlana O Pilcher R. (1992) Principles of Construction Management, 3rd Edition, McGraw-hill Publishing Company, Berkshire. Pilcher R. (1992) Project Cost Control in Construction, 1st Edition, Mackays of Chatham Kent, UK Ranjit R Rounds J. L. and Chi N. Y (1985) TQM for Construction: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 111(2), 117 – 127 Schhonberger R Walker A. (2007) Project Management in Construction, 5th Edition, Blackwell Publishing Company, Oxford Wick C Younker Del L. (1993) Creative Steps Towards Total Cost Control, Cost Engineering Volume 35/No. 4, 29 – 33 Ahuja N. Hira (1984) Project Management – Techniques in Planning and Controlling Construction Projects, 1st Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Canada. Asakaoru T. (1979) Total Quality Control, 1st Edition, Vol. 3, McGraw-Hill, Tokyo Ashford J Barnes Martin (Ed.) (1990) Financial Control, 1st Edition, Thomas Telford Limited, London. Barrie D. and Paulson B. C. (1992) Professional Construction Management, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill Inc., Singapore Barry F Baxter F. L. & Macfarlane W. A. (1992) Just in Time for the Construction Industry, CIOB, Construction Papers, No. 14. Botha P (1986) Investigation of Site Control of Materials in Zambia, Thesis, Unpublished, The Copperbelt University, School of Built Environment. Burati J. L. (1992) Quality Management Organisations and Techniques: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 118(1), 112 – 128 Burgess R Burke R. (2003) Project Management: Planning and Control Techniques, 4th Edition, John Wiley & Sons Limited, Chichester, 21 – 30 Buthurst P Buzzell R. D. and Gale B. T (1987) The PIMS Principles: Linking Strategy to Performance, Free Press, New York, 107 – 111 Calvert R Clough H. Richard and Sears A. Glenn, (1991) Construction Project Management, 3rd Edition, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Cooke B. and Jepson W. B. (1986) Cost and Financial Control for Construction Firms, 1st Edition, Macmillan Education Limited, London. Cooper D. R and Schindler P. S.(2008) Business Research Methods, 10th Edition, McGraw-Hill, Singapore, 275 – 500 Cormican David (1985) Construction Management: Planning and Finance, 1st Edition, Longman Group Limited, Essex. Crosby P. B. (1967) Cutting the Cost of Quality, 1st Edition, Farnworth, Boston Crosby P Crosby P. B. (1989) Let’s Talk Quality, McGraw-Hill, New York, 181 Culp G Dharwadker P. P. (1989) Construction Management, 1st Edition, Mohan Primlani for Oxford & IBH Publishing Company (Pty) Limited, New Delhi. Dharwadker P. P. (1992) Management in Construction Industry, 3rd Edition, Mohan Primlani for Oxford & IBH Publishing Company (Pty) Limited, New Delhi. Doyle D (1994) ISO 9000 Quality Systems Handbook, Butterworth, London Dumas R Evans J. M and Lindsay W. M. (2008) The Management and Control of Quality, 7th Edition, Graphic World Inc., 489 – 599 Feignbaum A Fellows R. and Liu A. (2008) Research Methods for Construction, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons Limited, Chichester, 81 – 245