Checking the quality of construction is not an easy task. There are many things that determine the construction quality of a project. In this article, I will discuss how to check the quality of a construction project.
1- Soil Investigation
The quality and type of soil on which the building is going to be built are very important. The quality of soil differs from place to place. For example, clay-rich soil and black cotton soil are not suitable for construction due to their tendency of expansion, swelling and shrinking for moisture or water. So, soil test must be done before starting the construction.
2- Structural Design And Drawing
The structural design of the building is the most essential parameter. The building should be designed in a way that it can withstand all loads and earthquake of a certain magnitude.
3- Quality Of Materials
The quality of construction also depends on the quality of materials used in building such as cement, sand, aggregates, bricks, steel, etc. First quality bricks, cement should be used to get good output. Sand used should not contain clay. This can be checked by putting some amount of sand in water, the colour should not be dark.
4- Concrete Mix
The strength of concrete decides the load-carrying capacity of a structure. Concrete batching should be monitored and excess water should not be used. Concrete with high water-cement ratio reduces the strength. If it gets difficult to prepare the mix at the site and check it every time, ready mix concrete can be used as an alternative.
Few more important checklists are listed below
1- Levels must be checked at all points
2- Formwork quality should be good and fastened with braces to sufficient lateral pressure from concrete.
3- The thickness of the slab should be monitored with appropriate depth markers both at ends and interior points. Quantity can easily be cheated here.
4- Any long cantilever should be given slight upward positon at formwork tip, to avoid visible deflection.
5- The thickness of the wall should be appropriate as the layout plan of the building.
6- Partition wall should not touch the beam bottom, small gap to be given and lean mortar should be used to fill the gap. This will avoid cracks in walls and will not change intended load paths.
7- Fixtures and finishings should be of satisfactory quality. Flooring, doors, windows, bathroom and sanitary fittings, wires & electrical fittings, etc should be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
After finishing the construction when the building is ready, the quality of plaster, paints, tiles, and marbles should be visible to the naked eye.
