Construction Quality Assurance (CQA)

Protect your high value assets

Pharmaceutical plant or nuclear facility. Hospital or research establishment. Iconic building or prestigious residential development. For any high value asset, the quality and finish are critical. But with numerous contractors working on the project, how can you ensure that no one uses the wrong or counterfeit materials or cuts corners to complete the work on time?

Assure quality & finish

A relatively small investment in a robust Quality Assurance programme mitigates risk and guarantees that everything you’ve asked for is delivered at every stage of the project. The aim of the programme is to maintain the right level of quality through our proven methodology, giving you documented proof that your new facility or building meets the standards expected of a high value asset.

Proof of a good investment

Long-term reliability, low-cost maintenance and the entire ‘asset life’ are key performance indicators for the value of an investment. When a high value asset is bought or sold, be it a luxury apartment or a pharmaceutical facility, a documented proof of the quality and finish of the asset gives potential buyers or sellers the assurance that their investment is worthwhile. This assurance is a powerful tool that ensures a secure and good return on invested capital.

Construction Quality Assurance (CQA)

With a programme that runs in parallel with the construction phase of a project, CQA ensures that a facility is delivered on time, as specified and to the highest possible standards of workmanship. An effective CQA programme translates good design and engineering into good construction, avoiding many of the problems usually encountered during commissioning and start-up. Ultimately, a facility or a building with a comprehensive CQA programme is more likely to have a trouble-free transition into the commissioning phase of the project and beyond.

 

The importance of good construction quality

A well-designed facility with a first-class specification has little value if it’s poorly constructed and littered with defects. While an appropriate level of quality is usually agreed for the design and engineering phases of a project, it’s often overlooked for the construction phase – the time when quality issues have the greatest impact on a facility’s performance. Good construction quality is essential if you want your investment value to be guaranteed. If the overall construction quality is poor, this will lead to a poor return on invested capital as well as a loss of credibility and brand value.

BENEFITS

Benefits for owners

  • A high quality facility/building is delivered using the right materials and techniques to achieve the expected finish
  • Quality issues are identified and resolved during construction, so commissioning is streamlined
  • Fewer issues surface at a late stage in the project or after occupancy
  • The facility is productive much sooner and easier to run/maintain
  • The facility is more reliable, with minimum downtime for repairs
  • Good documentation of construction quality provides assurance to future investors

Benefits for contractors

  • Reduces the amount and cost of rework
  • Shorter punch list at the end of the project
  • Project closeout is more timely
  • Final payments are made more quickly

OUR CONSTRUCTION QUALITY ASSURANCE (CQA) PROGRAMME

SPGL’s Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) programme allows clients to use construction contractors with varying levels of complex, large-scale project expertise, yet to be assured of a trouble-free commissioning and start-up. Our tailored approach fosters a ‘culture of quality’ by encouraging the acceptance of quality concepts and practices by sub-contractors and vendors through consistent interaction and training. The aim of our programme is to prevent deficiencies, minimize defective work and strive for a zero critical items punch list

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1. Risk Assessment Criticality Analysis

Risk analysis is an extremely important activity involving the Project team and the end user. The result will capture operating company expectations by classifying systems into critical/direct impact systems and noncritical/ indirect impact systems. This is significant because critical systems, or higher risk systems, require a higher level of documentation and field inspections.

2. Audits for AFC (Approved For Construction) Drawings & in the Field

The Project team will perform the required compliance audits on "Approved for Construction" documentation prior to start of work. The team will also review bid packages to assure that the requirements of the operating company are included and delivered. This is applicable to both vendors and sub-contractors. Audits in the field will be focused on high risk/critical systems.

3. Turnover Package (TOP) definition and organisation

The Project team will develop the TOP plan, as well as assemble and/or audit the final TOP. This will guarantee a high quality package which will include all required up to date documentation from vendors, engineering, CM field activities, procurements, etc. The organization of the TOP is critical to the success of the handover phase, and it must be organized in such a way that the client is able to leverage the documentation and data appropriate. The TOP consists of specifications, manuals, drawings, and other documentation that fully characterizes each system or piece of equipment installed in the facility.

4. Establishment of Appropriate Field Procedures

The Project team will identify and establish appropriate field testing procedures necessary to execute the project. The Field Testing Procedures may include procedures that govern protocol and documentation formats, testing and inspection procedures (as occasionally provided by sub-contractors as part of their quality program), documentation storage and distribution procedures, and project punch-list procedures.

5. Training of Key Personnel and contractor staff

The quality culture of "Right First Time" will be developed within the project team through a training program. All key construction personnel and subcontractor staff directly involved in completing documentation for project turnover will be trained in Good Documentation Practices as well as relevant SOPs and field procedures established for the project.

6. Traceability and control of field changes

Traceability and control of field changes are priority for compliance with appropriate regulatory, standard and contract requirement. Field changes will be recorded, properly documented, dated, assigned accountability, audited, signed, and properly filed. "Red Flag" terms will be prioritised for action as to compliance regulatory issues or system impact.

7. Use of appropriate construction forms

All check forms to be used for system fabrication, installation and testing will be in compliance with Good Engineering Practice requirements. The forms will also be checked for suitability and contents as they may be used as leveraged data, hence eliminating duplication of effort.

A flexible service

SPGL – Experts in Quality Assurance

With considerable experience from numerous largescale projects, SPGL has a detailed understanding of quality issues and their impact on high value assets. When we take the role of CQA Manager, we work efficiently, bringing great value to owners, programme management and construction companies.

A pragmatic approach to quality

A project is successful if it’s built with operation and maintenance in mind. As CQA Manager, one of our main objectives is to emphasize the importance of quality and self-inspections to contractors – helping them minimise defects and achieve high standards of workmanship. We start with a comprehensive Construction Quality Plan, documenting the key steps to deliver an asset that not only achieves the agreed level of quality but also meets end user expectations.

A flexible service to suit your requirements

From initial risk assessments and audits to contractor training and reporting, SPGL can set up and manage a comprehensive CQA programme for projects of any scale and complexity. You can also select parts of our programme to supplement quality procedures that are already in place.

Owners quality agent

When we work directly for the owner, we focus on the interests of the owner, not only through enforcement and compliance with the specification, but proactively supporting their project team with all aspects of quality. This allows owners to be independently assured that the outcome will be trouble-free commissioning and occupancy with a reduced time to market.

Enhanced subcontractor performance

Depending on the project delivery method, we can also help the architect, engineer and contractor’s team improve their levels of inspection and documentation. In other instances, we can work as part of the project/programme management team, focusing on field quality and the finish of the asset.

ZERO ACCIDENTS & ZERO DEFECTS

Projects tend to be driven by field execution with a focus on safety. Ideally, safety and quality should be combined to deliver projects with zero accidents and zero defects. To achieve this you need a CQA programme that mirrors a project’s safety programme – creating a culture on site where quality issues are identified, recorded and resolved as swiftly and effectively as safety issues.

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