Concrete Quality Management Plan: Inspection, Testing & Requirements

This document presents a quality management plan (QMP) for concrete trade, focusing on quality assurance and quality control activities to ensure product compliance with project specifications. It outlines material requirements, including strength and durability, and details quality assurance tests for both structural and mass roller-compacted concrete. The plan emphasizes adherence to relevant ISO and AS/NZS standards. Key aspects covered include pre-inspection requirements, formwork verification, reinforcement checks, proper placement of embedded items, and testing of fresh and hardened concrete. The document includes a sample checklist summarizing testing activities and hold points to ensure quality throughout the concrete placement process. References to project management and quality management resources are provided to support the plan's implementation.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN
GUIDENCE FOR CONCRETE TRADE
DATE: 24/02/2018
PREPARED BY:
[Student]

Contents
Heading 1: Project Quality Management Plan summary........................................................3
Heading 2: Quality.............................................................................................................. 3
Heading 2: Quality Management.........................................................................................3
Heading 1: Material requirements..........................................................................................3
Heading 2: Strength requirements......................................................................................3
Heading 2: Durability requirements.....................................................................................3
Heading 1: Inspection and testing requirements.....................................................................4
Heading 2: Quality Assurance testing requirements – structural concrete..........................4
Heading 2: Quality Assurance testing requirements – mass roller compacted concrete.....4
Heading 1: Major quality assurance activities.........................................................................4

Heading 1: Project Quality Management Plan summary
This Project Quality Management Plan (PQM) document gives guidance on concrete
trade in relation to Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities. These activities
are essential to make sure that the product meets the requirements set by project
specifications. These specifications are the ones captured in the tender documents
and as will be prescribed by the relevant authorities. Outlined in this document are
requirements for strength and durability, quality assurance tests for structural and
mass roller compacted concrete and a summary of all the checks done before,
during and after placing of concrete.
Heading 2: Quality
Quality is the art of conformance to set standards and requirements. It can be
viewed as a standard of something when measured against other similar types of the
same thing. Projects are said to meet the needs of the client out of them meeting
and surpassing their needs It is the main factor that determines the serviceability of a
structure. Concrete trade quality refers to conformance to relevant codes as stated
below;
ISO 9000:2006 Quality management systems – Fundamentals and Vocabulary.
ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems – Requirements.
AS/NZS ISO 10005:2006 Quality management systems - Guidelines for quality
plans.
AS ISO 10006-2003 Quality management systems - Guidelines for quality
management in projects.
AS ISO 10013-2003 Guidelines for quality management system documentation.
ISO 9004:2009 Managing for the sustained success of an organization - A quality
management approach.
AS ISO 10007-2003 Quality management systems - Guidelines for configuration
management.
HB 90.3. The Construction Industry - Guide to ISO 9001:2000

Heading 2: Quality Management
The act of sustaining a desired level of excellence through management is the mode
of attaining quality management. The combination of QA and QC activities in order to
attain quality requirements is called quality management. It includes all planned and
systematic activities necessary to provide confidence that the constructed structure
will perform satisfactorily during its service life. The quality assurance team will
perform quality testing in order to determine acceptability of work. The tests
conducted are done to ensure that there is conformance of quality standards to the
set thresholds. Quality control involves managing, controlling and documenting work
to ensure that the final output conforms to the specifications of the contract. The
Quality Management Plan will vary with the type of structure being put up.1 More
complex and unique structures will require more prescriptive specifications. The
concrete mix design will be designed and other related activities such as curing and
placing also governed by the relevant authority.
Heading 1: Material requirements
The material requirements for quality checks can be viewed in two ways. First is the
strength requirements and then the durability requirements. The strength
requirements are a major factor that ought to be put in check. The structural integrity
of structures is directly affected by the strength of the constituent members. The
next factor to be checked are the durability requirements of a structure. Structures
are designed for a set number of lifetime which is set in the codes. The lifetime of a
structure could either be a design life of 50 or 100 years in accordance to the period
specified in the design stage.
Heading 2: Strength requirements
The minimum requirements for quality testing are set in the standards articulating the
strength qualification of compressive strength. The required strength class of
concrete should be higher than the design strength to ensure that 90 percent of tests
conducted do not fail. As a rule of thumb, the test samples should not fall below than
the desired design strength by 500psi.2 A documentation of all strength tests
1 Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling by Harold R Kerzner. A
book published by John Wiley & Sons, 2017.
2 Total quality management in education by Edward Sallis. A book published by Routledge publishers 2014.

conducted is kept with the office of quality assurance and quality control in order to
track the progress of work.
The strength requirements are also governed by the minimum requirements of the
appropriate material to be used. The grading and water absorption of course and fine
aggregates is also put in check to ensure the attaining of required strength of
concrete.3
Heading 2: Durability requirements
Minimum durability requirements for concrete are also set in the codes. The concrete
cover is one of the measures that can be used to ensure durability requirements of
the structure are met. The protection of concrete can take various forms. It includes
corrosion protection for reinforcements, water exposure, criteria for sulphate
environments and freezing and thawing environments. The abrasion resistance of
aggregates used is also a measure that checks on the durability of concrete
produced. The mix design procedure ought to be followed in order to ensure that the
concrete produced meets the requirements of strength and durability.
Heading 1: Inspection and testing requirements
Heading 2: Quality Assurance testing requirements – structural concrete.
A laboratory recognized by local authority for strict adherence to set standards is the
one that will conduct all the test. The minimum requirements of quality assurance
and control are met when the testing laboratory does the following; they are
independent of the contractor, use certified quality technicians and they follow a
quality assurance program. The procedure to be used for the tasks are set in the
relevant codes governing construction practices in the region. The codes acceptable
for this report had already been highlighted in the section above.
The test procedure includes the following activities; testing the properties of fresh
concrete, the strength of hardened concrete, documentation of the water to cement
ratio used in the mixing of concrete ingredients and actual quantities used in
proportioning the mix. The test batch should also include the reports of the
aggregate gradations and moisture contents of the aggregates.
3 Gower handbook of project management by Rodney Turner. A book published by Routledge publishers 2016.

Heading 2: Quality Assurance testing requirements – mass roller compacted
concrete.
Mass concrete can be defined as concrete which has such a volume that
contingency measures have to be put in place to curb the heat of hydration
generated during setting of concrete, and the tendency to crack caused by shrinkage
of volume. A roller compacted mass concrete is usually of no slump consistency
compacted by a vibrating roller. Dam projects are examples of such types of
structures that require the putting of measures to curb heat caused by hydration.4
The quality assurance testing procedures for mass roller compacted concrete are
similar those of structural concrete. Concrete cube samples in the standard moulds
will be used in order to determine the compressive strength of concrete. Due to the
danger of thermal cracking arising from heat generated through hydration, additional
measures should be put in place.
Heading 1: Major quality assurance activities
The QMP usually has a list of the definable feature of work and the major quality
assurance items therein. The QMP provides general direction by outlining the major
quality assurance and control parts of the specification.5 In the specifications are
documented all the acceptable values, limits, material control and workmanship of
the completed work. The QA/QC then uses a checklist to make sure all the relevant
items are checked as the work progresses. Below is a summary of the testing
activities carried out in the QA/ QC department.6
4 Total quality management and operational excellence: text with cases by John S Oakland. A book published
by Routledge publishers in 2014.
5 Quality management for organizational excellence by David L Goetsch and Stanley B Davis. A book published
by pearson Upper Saddle River, NJ in 2014.
6 Modern construction management by Frank Harris and Ronald McCaffer. A book published by John Wiley &
Sons in 2013.

Summary of testing activities
Inspectors Name
Inspection Task Concrete trade
ITEM
#
ITEM Accept N/A Procee
d
Hold
(H)
Comments Date Person
responsible
1 Pre-inspection requirements meet/
soil tests have been verified/ Ballast
have been tested.
(Gradations, moisture contents of
course and fine aggregates)
  All requirements met as per the
standards specified
26/02 JMM
2 External formwork as per drawing.
Size, shape and location verified.
  External work verified 26/02 JMM
3 Rebates to formwork are in place
where required.
  Formwork rebates in place. 27/02 JMM
4 Reinforcement verified; size, shape,
lengths, quantity and proper
placement
  Checked and satisfactory 27/02 JMM
5 Correct placing of bar chairs installed.   Bars placed correctly and
satisfactorily
27/02 JMM
6 All key joints installed correctly H North east joints not installed
correctly for commencement of
concreting works.
27/02 JMM
7 Other embedded items, metal or
water stop
  All items installed as per
specification
28/02 JMM
8 Block outs/ penetration for services or
other are in place.
  Correct placement of
penetrations
28/02 JMM
9
Pre – slab plumbing services installed.   Services installed as per
drawings
1/03 JMM
10 Pre – slab electrical services are
installed.
  Services installed as per
drawings
1/03 JMM
11 Engineer and / or certified inspection
carried out and approved.
  Engineer approved the work
done.
1/03 JMM

12 Level reference points set up prior to
concrete pour.
  Levels checked and found to be
ok.
2/03 JMM
13 Proper materials proportioning at
batch plant
  Materials inspected and found to
be ok.
2/03 JMM
14 Sample and test fresh concrete prior
to placement; slump, air content, unit
weight and concrete temperature
(Test should be taken at point of
placement)
  Test samples randomly taken
from car mixers.
2/03 JMM
15 Testing of hardened concrete cube
blocks. At specified stages of curing.
  Test cubes taken to the lab for
testing after required curing
period.
2/03 JMM

References
1. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling by Harold R Kerzner. A
book published by John Wiley & Sons, 2017.
2. Total quality management in education by Edward Sallis. A book published by Routledge publishers 2014.
3. Gower handbook of project management by Rodney Turner. A book published by Routledge publishers
2016.
4. Total quality management and operational excellence: text with cases by John S Oakland. A book
published by Routledge publishers in 2014.
5. Quality management for organizational excellence by David L Goetsch and Stanley B Davis. A book
published by pearson Upper Saddle River, NJ in 2014.
6. Modern construction management by Frank Harris and Ronald McCaffer. A book published by
John Wiley & Sons in 2013.