BUSINESS FEATURE
ments, manufacturer’s requirements, building code requirements, owner’s insurance requirements, as well as in accordance with sound and accepted roofi ng practices. Additionally, although safety oversight is not a direct responsibility of the quality assurance offi cer, most building owners expect their quality assurance offi cers to assist in ensuring that safety standards are met. To assist a quality assurance offi cer’s func-
tion, “punch list inspections, which are performed after substantial installation completion, should reveal issues with water tightness, fastener concerns, seam concerns and proper fl ashing, and they provide an opportunity for the contractor to make repairs to ensure satisfaction for warranty purposes,” says Deirdre Dolgin, vice president, Roof Resources Inc., Palm Coast, Fla. However, it does not ensure the proper installation of the underlying components. A properly written quality assurance punch list
establishes plans and inspection for a quality project. “Integrity is built on these steps,” says Jerry Spores, president of AARA Construction Inc., Phoenix. The punch list should be linked directly to
the inspection forms and should be a key point of debrief at the end of the project. Sometime issues end up on the punch list due to other trades or because of a delay at the request of the client. But it is essential that everyone involved in the project knows what those punch list issues are so that they know they have yet to be completed. Leonard stresses that if any punch list issues are from a construction or scheduling problem, fi nd out why and attempt to ensure that they can be corrected before the next project.
Manufacturers’ quality role Manufacturers’ information and involvement are integral to the punch list, the quality assurance of- fi cer and overall quality building delivery. “Nearly all manufacturers provide engineering, specifi cations, details, training and quality assurance inspections during installation, as well as provide technical assistance to architects, consultants and contrac- tors,” Dolgin adds. Manufacturers should inspect structures to en-
sure they meet their standards prior to issuing their warranty. In fact, for warranties, most manufactur- ers require the contractor to retain their services for a technical service representative to inspect the project at the beginning, midpoint and at the completion of the project. “Manuals, websites and instructions are
important reference information, but the manu- facturer needs to be intimately involved with the application of its products,” insists John Pierson, PE, engineering services manager, The Garland Co. Inc., Cleveland.
26 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS October 2012 For effective coordination and communica-
tion between manufacturers and contractors, installation manuals are important, but of more importance to quality building delivery are specifi c installation drawings for each specifi c project. “Installers can get confused looking at a standard manual that do not quite match their application,” says Corter. “The same goes for websites and other information. These avenues, especially in this day and age, are the fi rst source for most people, but standardized information should never take the place of project specifi c information.” To further ensure quality and stop defects,
make use of any training materials the manufac- turers provide. Their online training materials and videos can be incorporated into regular ongoing training. This is important in understanding instal- lation procedures and staying up-to-date on new materials, methods and techniques. It is also criti- cal for new employees. Manufacturers willing to travel to training
on-site or in offi ces give a unique hands-on op- portunity for all employees to learn quality building principles. Employees get hands-on practice and can ask the trainer questions, raise issues about problems on the job and hear lessons learned from other businesses.
Quality inspection The cornerstone of building quality may be in-pro- cess inspection. Conducting ongoing inspections at regular phases and stages during installation, and making whatever corrections and/or adjustments need to be done at that time is critical. “Inspec- tions should be conducted routinely throughout the installation of a project,” Pierson says. “Inspec- tions should be performed several times a week during installation. During critical detailing, work inspections should be as often as once per day. The more often an inspection occurs, the earlier defi ciencies can be addressed and corrected.” Unless the quality inspection process is con-
ducted on a scheduled and continual basis during construction, there will be uninspected “gaps” that simply cannot be certifi ed as being installed in compliance with industry standards for proper installation and waterproofi ng. In-process quality checks should be docu-
mented by reports prepared by the consultants/ experts in writing. Inspections can be recorded at stages with digital progress photographs and video showing both proper and improper installation. Digital storage and backup is easy today. Videotape key component parts, noting with a simple sheet of paper the exact location of the component and the time recorded. “Immediately inform the contractor of any conditions that are contrary to the accepted
Thorough and accurate quality inspections at regular phases and stages during building installation resulting in corrections and/or adjustments could have prevented this fl ashing defect. (Photo courtesy of Albert’s Specialty Roofi ng)
design and contract documents,” LaFave says. Improper installation should be corrected (and documented) before proceeding with the next stage of the work.
Finalizing quality As a conclusion to an effective quality building program, there should be a fi nal inspection. Again, since the majority of work has now been covered up, rely on the pre- and in-process inspections that caught errors. This is a fi nal check on obvi- ous and visual issues. However, this also means there is no reason for overlooking something at this stage, such as missing fasteners or fl ashing. “An outside consultant experienced with metal buildings can also be hired to do an independent study,” Spores says. Leonard agrees, saying: “at the end of every
project there should be a debrief, fi nd out what worked well and incorporate that into your pro- cess, or if something didn’t work well ensure a solution is found. Do you know what your fellow trades, your client and the building owner actually think of your work and what it was like to work with your team? Many forget this stage. Create a simple survey, and sit down and talk with your contractor to learn what went well and how you can improve. I have seen companies rehired for other work simply because they cared enough to ask this question.” This quality building post-mortem does have
an upside. It’s an opportunity to ensure defects never happen again. Reviewing construction pro- cesses to fi nd how they can be improved is a great way to save costs in the future. Don’t just fi x the problem and move on, ensure quality by making sure it never happens again.
www.metalconstructionnews.com
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