N°234. 1997. Quality Management - Guidelines for the Implementation of the ISO Standards of the 9000 Series in the Construction Industry.

Design and construction of structures belong to the oldest undertaking of man in history. Modem construction requires more and more specialized expert knowledge and involves an increasing number of actors in the construction process, as architects, designers, material producers and contractors. The quality of the construction depends on the quality of the work of each actor and in particular on the organisation and the flow of information at the interfaces between these actors. The increasing complexity of the total construction process, the division in more and more subcontracted work items, as well as changing developments in qualification and expertise of the actors and finally realistic quality cost assessments have stipulated to reconsider traditional means of quality assurance in the construction industry.

Whilst in the past primary importance was given to the control of quality of the final products and services at the interfaces during the construction process and after completion of the construction, novel quality assurance focuses more on process control during production.

Consequently, quality assurance means quality management of processes and is directed as well towards the internal organisation of each actor as to the interfaces between these actors in the construction process. These novel developments have been partly motivated by external influences (eg customer requirements) and partly by internal incentives (eg reduction of failure cost). Also the wish to keep up with latest developments in other industries has put a challenge on all actors in the construction process.

Under these preconditions the need for up to date guidance became evident in the civil engineering world. Clear orientation and practical advice has been requested to ensure effective quality assurance and management in the construction industrie.

CEB with ist vocation to prepare the synthesis of novel developments and to provide guidance for practical work set up a Task Group with the obj ective to elaborate conceptual and procedural guidance for the application of quality management systems in the field of concrete construction.