Quality Assurance Handbook for Rural Roads Volume-I - pmgsy

9
Quality Assurance Handbook for Rural Roads
supervision and inspection. Function of the second tier of independent quality management is to
ensure that the Quality Management System at the site is functioning satisfactorily and suggest
possible improvements where required. For this, they may be required to carry out and report:
(a) Independent quality tests to verify that the quality management system achieving its intended
objectives.
(b) Systemic flaws in the quality control process and action to improve the process.
4.2 The role of second tier in monitoring the quality of the work is of crucial importance during
construction stage and therefore the State Quality Monitors are required to carry out inspections at
appropriate stages of work under progress.
4.3 The independent Quality Management Division of the executing agency may function as the
second tier. The State Rural Roads Development Agency will frame suitable guidelines for proper
functioning of second tier.
5. THIRD TIER
The National Rural Roads Development Agency shall prescribe the guidelines for the third tier from
time to time.
The objective of this third tier of quality mechanism is to monitor the quality of road works executed
by the States with a view to ensuring that the road works under the programme conform to standards
and to see whether the quality management mechanism in the State is effective. The role of this tier is
to provide guidance to State implementation machinery and the field engineers rather than ‘fault
finding’. As such, the shortcomings are identified by the third tier and a feedback is provided to the
States for improvement.
6. QUALITY CONTROL
The requirement of a quality control organization will vary for different projects depending on
departmental set-up and also size of the project. The minimum suggested organization of quality
control laboratory set-up at Field, District and Central level shall be as follows:
6.1 Field Laboratory
The Contractor shall be responsible to set up and maintain an adequately equipped Field Laboratory
for routine tests for quality control required to be conducted on a day to day basis. The Field
Laboratory will have normally those test equipment that do not require electric power supply and are
relevant to the project specifications. Field Laboratory will be manned by suitably trained personnel
in material testing and quality control works.
6.2 District Laboratory
The tests which are required to be done during the project preparation stage such as those pertaining
to suitability of construction materials, selection of quarries etc. to be carried out before incorporation
in the work as part of quality control or the tests which cannot be carried out in the Field Laboratory
shall be conducted in the District Laboratory. The District Laboratory will cover the testing
requirements for the entire District. Such a Laboratory shall be equipped with facilities for most of
the tests, including those required for DPR preparation.