Precast concrete materials, manufacture, properties and usage - Chapter 9 ppt

9

QUALITY ASSURANCE

9.1 GENERAL

This chapter, although a relatively short one, deserves an individual place

in this book because at the time of writing schemes are already

operational in the industrialised countries of the world which enable

Companies, Test Houses and the like to be registered under a National

Quality Assurance Scheme. The schemes embrace all industries and

laboratories and not only guarantee a minimum standard of quality in

product or service but also encourage International trade in these two

items. Developing countries will only be developing for a limited number

of years, and the scheme will spread and it is in all parties’ interests to

encourage such spread.

The term ‘Quality Assurance’ is not to be confused with ‘Quality

Control’ which is only a part of assurance, because Quality Assurance

needs to be what its name means—an assurance that every assessment of

capability has been undertaken. Since the Quality Assurance that any part

offers has to be assessed, the assessors must be under the jurisdiction of an

independent National or International body who can use their own staff

or approved external assessors. The business is not a simple one because

Quality Assurance in precast concrete manufacture and/or testing involves:

1. Regular inspections of the premises (Assessors).

2. Interviewing personnel responsible for the various activities

(Assessors).

3. Examination of all procedures in the manufacture and/or testing

(Assessors and Company).

4. Keeping Record Cards on all machinery, equipment, etc. (Company

and Assessors). (See Chapter 5.)

5. Calibration of all test equipment (Company with Assessors checking).

Copyright Applied Science Publishers Ltd 1982