Quality control during the construction process is extremely important in order to safeguard the value of the facility owner’s investment. Process Technical Services QA/QC personnel performs checks and tests throughout the construction process, to ensure that projects are being built according to specifications.
The first step in establishing the requirement for QA/QC in construction is to develop a plan of the entire construction quality management program which includes an overview of the project that is essential for operations. The responsibilities and authorities of the various principals in the construction QA/QC organization need to be established. These include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project owner, the engineer of record, the construction manager, and the construction contractors. Included in this assignment of responsibilities is the Construction Manager’s quality assurance personnel and the contractor’s quality control personnel.
Contractors that are under consideration to perform work must submit their construction QA/QC plans for review and acceptance. The construction manager will maintain all files submitted via a combination of a secure document filing and storage system, and a computerized document tracking system.
General construction inspection and verification requirements include inspections, QA and QC testing, establishing construction acceptance criteria, construction audits, compliance with handling, storage, packaging, preservation, and delivery requirements, and material identification and traceability.
Inspections will uncover construction deficiencies, which will need to be identified and reported for corrective and preventive action to be taken.
Document handling and retention procedures are important; records must be updated on a daily basis and a daily construction report issued. The construction QA/QC plan requires that all construction drawings be stored and that ‘as-built’ drawings be prepared and reviewed.
For any construction activity, the EPA requires submittals that conform to regulation and must be approved by the EPA prior to construction.
Field changes for QA/QC will be limited to the construction QA/QC plan and contractor quality control plan changes. Changes to construction processes or design plans and specifications are governed by the remedial action work plan and design change order procedures.
The project owner, the construction manager, site manager, or construction quality assurance officer may initiate revisions to this construction QA/QC plan. It may be revised whenever it becomes apparent that the construction QA/QC procedures or controls are inadequate to support work being produced in conformance with the specified quality requirements, or are deemed to be more excessive than required to support work being produced in conformance with the specified quality requirements.
Construction of a process plant is a complex undertaking. The project owner is well advised to invest in QA/QC services in order to prevent poor quality construction that may result in serious project delays and substantial cost over-runs. Process Technical Services has experienced and qualified personnel that are specialists in construction QA/QC procedures and are available to establish a construction program for your project, or provide support for an established construction QA/QC project team.
