Assessment of quality assurance practices of concrete production by construction firms in Ghana

Abstract

Globally, failure of mass and reinforced concrete structures are frequently reported in the mass media. In Ghana, the failure of concrete structures is a yearly experience with dire consequences. Generally, the causes of failures include; lapses in design and construction, change in intended usage and deterioration of materials and components. To a large extent, the poor quality of concrete remains a significant issue. The aim of the study was to explore the implementation of quality assurance practices in the production of concrete by construction firms in Ghana and develop strategies for effective quality assurance in concrete production. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. The target population of the study comprised construction project team professionals in D1K1 construction companies within the Greater Accra Region. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from construction project team members namely; Project Managers, Project Engineers, Site Engineers, Quality officers, works superintendents and site supervisors. Systematic random sampling was adopted to select the construction professionals covered in the survey using the sampling frame compiled for the list of the construction professionals. A sample size of ninety-five (95) was selected using Cochran’s formula and a response rate of 77% was achieved. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings reveal effective quality assurance practices to include; the design of concrete products to fit use or purpose, production of concrete products to specifications and standards, a strict regime of supervision by experienced personnel, striving for excellence, adherence to the information contained in drawings and evaluation of performance requirements. It found that all construction project team members as respondents have a fair knowledge about the elements of quality assurance practices in concrete production. The major challenges faced by companies in their quest to ensure quality assurance practices included; difficulty to keep permanently employed key site operatives for concrete operations due to financial constraints, inappropriate use of construction materials in their right proportions, and difficulty getting certain skilled personnel for a specific task. It further revealed materials in the concrete mix must be free from impurities, be well-graded aggregates and required proportions of water-cement ratio should be used in an attempt to implement quality assurance practices. In conclusion, constructors and construction project team members in the construction industry must appropriately develop programs and principles that will necessarily ensure effective quality assurance practices in all types of projects. It, therefore, recommended that the implementation of formal quality management systems by all construction companies must be encouraged by the management of companies.