Nangarhar Community Infrastructure Project

Building Construction Best Practices

Presentation #2

Considerations and Processes Selecting Construction Materials for Testing and Selecting the Laboratory

to carry out the Testings

Considerations and Processes - Selecting

Construction Materials for Testing and the Laboratory to

carry out the Testing

Objectives of the Presentation

• Explain what is a construction material

• Explain what to consider when selecting construction

materials for testing

• Define construction materials testing laboratory

• Explain what to consider when selecting construction

materials testing laboratory

• Explain Construction materials and testings used in

JICA IV works

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Considerations and Processes - Selecting

Construction Materials for Testing and the Laboratory to

carry out the testing

Objectives of the Presentation

• Explain the process, criteria and roles/responsibilities

selecting testing laboratory in JICA IV

• Explain the challenges selecting testing laboratory in

JICA IV Nangarhar Project

• Make recommendations for best practices in selecting

testing laboratory for construction works

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Key Words used in the presentation

Construction - the process of creating and building

infrastructure or a facility.

Material - the substance or substances of which a thing is

made or composed. Example, plastic, stone, cement, etc.

Laboratory - a facility that provides controlled conditions in

which scientific or technological research, experiments, and

measurement may be performed.

Testing – the means by which the presence, quality, or

genuineness of anything is determined

Challenges - the situation of being faced with something

that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done

successfully and therefore tests a person's ability

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Key terminology to understand the presentation

Construction Materials – same as building materials. Any

material which is used for construction purposes (natural or

manufactured)

Testing Laboratory - a facility that provides controlled

conditions in which the presence, quality, or genuineness of

anything can be tested.

Construction Materials Testing Laboratory – a facility for

carrying out test on construction material and construction

products to determine if material’s or product’s properties

meet required or allowed structural performance and

deformation permitted.

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Key terminology to understand the presentation

Quality - the standard of something as measured against

other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of

something.

Quality Assurance – the process or activity for providing

confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled.

Administrative and procedural activities implemented in a

quality system so that requirements and goals for a product,

service or activity will be fulfilled.

Quality Control - The observation techniques and activities

used to fulfill requirements for quality. A part of quality

management focused on fulfilling quality requirements.

QAQC Plan – a plan that details how quality will be

managed (assured & controlled) in a project or activity.6

Construction Materials

Purpose

• For the construction of various types of structures used in

civil engineering or works;

• Serve as binders and aggregates, and structural

components, such as cement, water, prefabricated units

• Serve as elements to be installed in buildings, such as

reinforced-concrete panels, toilet stalls, and door and

window

• To provide technical functionality and building personality

• To contribute to the sustainability on energy efficiency

• To provide compatibility with climatic, cultural, and

appealing conditions

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Construction Materials

Examples

• Gravel, rock dust, crushed stone, and sand

• Concrete, cement, plaster, gypsum plaster, and lime

• Metals, steel

• Timbers, thatch, plant parts

• Glass, ceramics, asbestos, fiberboard

• Mud and clay, bricks, terracotta,

• Rubber, plastics, sealants, adhesives, bitumen

• Fabrics, papers and membranes, and mineral wool

• Ice and snow

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Construction Materials

Consideration for selection for testing

• Consider the function of the component;

• Consider the construction method or processes to be

performed, before, during and after construction;

• Consider the technical specifications requirements, such

as, the material or product performance requirements,

and testing performance requirements;

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Construction Materials

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Testing to carry out during construction

• Safe working practices, testing processes and methods;

• Structural tests – Load, Impact, Tensile, Exposure site,

Strength, Weatherability, Durability, Settlement, Fatigue,

Cable loading on support systems, Air tightness, Water

tightness, Light reflectance value, Slip resistance,

Chemical, etc.

• Non-structural tests – Permeance, Pressure, Equipment

Operations Performance, etc.

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How is the type of test selected

• The function of the component;

• Construction method or processes to be performed,

before, during and after construction;

• The technical specifications requirements, such as, the

material or product performance requirements, and

testing performance requirements;

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Construction Materials Testing Laboratory

Definition

• a facility used to carry out test on construction material

and construction products.

Purpose

• To determine if material’s or product’s properties meet

required or allowed structural performance and

deformation permitted

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Construction Materials Testing Laboratory

Activities

• Testings – chemical composition, unknown materials and

contamination, corrosion, strength, curing and density,

fines, plastic limits, particle size distribution, moisture

content, binder content and grading, physical and

mechanical, packaging, etc.

• Analysis – chemical trace, contamination, bearing

capacity, deformation, failure, thermal, elemental,

Inorganic, etc.

• Investigation – structural, forensic, fracture and failure,

etc.14

Construction Materials Testing Laboratory

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Construction Materials Testing Laboratory

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Selecting the laboratory to carry out testing of

construction materials and products

Consider

• The Technical Specification requirements in accordance

with the contract

• The construction materials specified and nominated for

testing, investigation, and analysis and results

• The experience and qualification of the team to carry out

the selection and the contractor(s)

• Selecting based on trial and error

• Independent evaluation of a laboratory or a laboratory

which has been evaluated by an independent third party

• Laboratory accreditation and qualification

• Selection evaluation criteria17

Construction materials used in JICA IV Project

• Earth/soil, gravel, sand, boulder rock, stone, mud

• Cement, water, Concrete, Brick

• Polyethylene film, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and

polyethylene filter cloth

• Steel bars, stainless steel, steel wire

• Timber, Plywood,

• Acrylic emulsion paint, plastic emulsion paint, blackboard

paint, synthetic resin oil paint, dust oil

• Ceramic wall tiles, terrazzo tiles, Straw, timber, Glass,

• Copper core electrical cable

• UPVC high pressure pipes, GI sheet 24 gage pipes

• Asphalt, Bitumen, Asphalt cement

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Construction testings used in JICA IV Project

• Tensile test

• Trial mix, Slump test, Air volume test, Air-dried unit

volume weight test, Strength test, Unit volume weight test

• Step drawdown test, Constant discharge test, Time

recovery test, discharge test, pumping test .

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Selecting testing laboratory in JICA IV Project

Process

• Review the Project Technical Specifications to determine

the type of construction materials and Testings to be

implemented

• Prepare list of construction materials and testings to be

implemented (in the Specs and function consideration)

• Visit laboratory and evaluate accreditation, calibration

certificate, performance certificate, facilities, testing

equipment, personnel, record documentation, etc.

• Select based on evaluation criteria and scoring, etc

• Submit selected laboratories for acceptance,

endorsement, and approval

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Selecting testing laboratory in JICA IV Project

Criteria

• Laboratory must be accredited and certificated to operate

and provide testing services

• Laboratory must be visited and the facilites, testings

equipment, personnel, record documentation, etc. check

and passed for use

• Laboratory must be able to carry out the tests required in

the project technical specifications and other considered

testings

• Laboratory must pass the evaluation criteria and scoring,

• Laboratory must be accepted by FC, endorsed by DPM

and approved by PM

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Selecting testing laboratory in JICA IV Project

Roles and responsibilities

• QAQC Engineer - determine the type of construction

materials and Testings to be implemented; list of

construction materials and testings to be implemented;

visit laboratory and evaluate and score; submit selected

laboratory for approval

• Field Coordinator - review laboratory evaluation and

score; accept selected laboratory for endorsement;

• Senior Construction Engineer - review laboratory

evaluation and score; endorse selected laboratory for

approval

• Project Manager - review laboratory evaluation and

score; approve selected laboratory

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Selecting testing laboratory in JICA IV Project

Challenges

• The few numbers of Laboratory available for evaluation

makes it difficult to have many options to select from

within the Project Zone

• With no tools to check laboratory equipment calibration it

is difficult to determine the efficiency, accuracy and overall

performance and score the laboratory

• Laboratory available do not have the appropriate

technical tools for testing, making it difficult to select

several testing methods

• Without a UNOPS test and calibration methods and

method validation it is difficult to develop test and

methods in a short time

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Recommendations for best practices in selecting

testing laboratory for construction works

• UNOPS has to have a lab in eastern zone.

• Without calibration methods and method validation no

laboratory should be selected

• If the laboratory is not accredited and certificated to

operate, the laboratory must not be selected

• If the laboratory is accredited and certificated to operate,

but does not have experienced and qualified staff, the

laboratory must not be selected

• There should always be a documented Laboratory

Selection Report

• Sake about Main Branch for important tests

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THANK YOU