Investigating the quality control measures in the production of reinforced concrete, a case study of construction firms in the Ashanti Region

Abstract

Concrete is widely used in construction industry due to its strength. There are several cases where reinforced concrete structures have shown sign of distress and deterioration before their expected service life, which Ghana is no exemption. Ghana have experienced structural failure in recent times resulting in the death of innocent people, infringing permanent disability in many and destroying properties. The current study sought to examine the implementation of quality control measures in the production of reinforced concrete by construction firms using Ashanti Region of Ghana as case study. This current study employed a cross sectional survey as its research design with survey as its research strategy. The target population of the study was construction professionals employed by D1K1 construction companies within the Ashanti Region. A total of 71 construction professionals were sampled from the population through the use of simple random sampling techniques with data gathered from 52 respondents. With regards to quality control practices, the study revealed that all reinforced concrete products were designed to suit fitness for use and are produced in conformity to specifications and standards. The study also revealed that most project team members know the elements of quality assurance measures with durability and reliability as key dimensions for achieving quality concrete. Difficulty to keep permanent key site operatives for reinforce concrete operations due to financial constraints and inappropriate use of construction materials in their right proportions was further reveal by the study as some challenges faced by the firms. The study concluded that some of the construction project team members do not fully appreciate the basic requirements for producing durable reinforced concrete. Also, durability and reliability according to the study are key dimensions for achieving quality in reinforced concrete. The study recommends that project team members of construction companies must strictly stick to satisfying the specified requirement of any kind of project.