Construction Quality Control
Quality construction is something that GHPC understands implicitly.
We understand the pressures involved in development and contracting which means that there are times when controlling quality can be a challenging process amidst the pressure to complete on programme and within budget.
GHPC provides an independent Construction Quality Control Inspection service, for the benefit of Contractors and/or Clients, to provide a third-party, unbiased overview of site activities and a much-needed second pair of eyes for Clients and non-site based managers of Contracting companies. Our visits will help you to record events, monitor building quality and ensure compliance with the contract documentation.
While the recording of such visits is important, our approach on-site means we will go the extra mile, to help your teams get it right-first-time: our site professionals will work with your team, sub-contractors and supply chain to provide guidance and support to ensure that you are constructing top quality structures, as free from defects as possible!
This role on many projects has been seen as indispensable, particularly when contractual disputes arise and the accounts from an independent third party can be used as a truthful, unbiased source of information.
How can GHPC support your projects?
GHPC can offer the following services to focus on construction quality:
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Independent Quality Control Site Audits for Contractors
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Regular Quality Control Site Audits for Developers
Above all, however we deliver our service, and whatever the reasons for needing to engage GHPC, our services will clearly align with your quality construction strategy to provide you with peace of mind that the events being carried out during the construction phase are in accordance with the contract documents, general good practice and won't leave you with major problems once the structure is handed over.
It is accepted by many within the industry that monitoring of Quality and Contract compliance is generally best carried out by an independent organisation in order to provide a reporting structure outside of the political and contractual pressures involved with construction projects.
At GHPC Group Ltd our extensive experience in the whole development process, from design, safety, specification, surveying and on-site monitoring activities through to our expertise in defects claims analysis and management, means we are well-placed to help you prevent contractual and defects issues post-handover. Our team of auditors is passionate about getting it "right-first-time" and their pragmatic and professional advice is ultimately there to provide support and guidance to your site-based teams.
What can you expect from our service?
GHPC can offer an effective and comprehensive Quality Control service to UK Contractors, Developers and Clients (both private Clients and Local Authorities / Government organisation), which provides a regular site inspection framework to construction sites, to monitor, review and advise on the quality of construction and workmanship.
Effectively acting in a Clerk of Works role, we specifically tailor our service to each individual project, acting as an all-important second pair of eyes, to give Clients & Managers of businesses surety that they are carrying out construction projects which will ultimately be as defect-free as possible.
Our Quality Control Service would generally incorporate two main aspects:
Initial Project Risk Identification Process
As part of our approach, in addition to regular site visits, we suggest an initial Project Risk Identification process whereby our technical team will review plans and details prepared for the project and then sit down with the Client’s Technical Team and proposed Site Manager prior to visiting site, in order to identify key areas of risk from the design and what is already known about the site. This also gives us the opportunity to discuss with the Project Team any areas where the business team has identified issues in the past, and any other areas of build, design, workmanship, quality, supply etc. which are have caused, or have the potential to cause defects.
From this initial risk identification, we would then draw up a specific plan to help target key areas of risk during our site visits, and to work with the Site Manager / Team and also any sub-contractors (if that level of input is required) to ensure that the site team has enough advice and support to avoid potential future defects, getting the quality right on-site first time.
Site Inspection Framework
During the construction phase of a project, GHPC will visit site as often as the agreed framework for the project requires. If regular inspections are required, we will monitor all site activities on specific areas of construction or installation as required by the appointment. Where you require periodic site inspections, we can work with you to draw up a preliminary inspection programme specific to the project and any areas you want to particularly concentrate on, outlining which specific stages of construction or particular aspects of the site we need to examine prior to those works being carried out or covered up.
The number and frequency of inspections can be agreed as a standard, fixed number of visits or can be completely tailored to suit the type, size, design and complexity of the particular project as well as our growing understanding of a project or business procurement process, supply chain and sub-contract labour.
During our visits, we can get as involved as you need us to, reporting straight back to the Project Team or Site Manager and also, if required, involving sub-contractors in site discussions, explaining potential future issues from getting it wrong and different methods of improving standards and quality, providing a learning process on-site.
Our auditors understand the contractual nature of construction and as such will never instruct anything on-site which would fundamentally change the design / specification or indeed add cost to the project. Any major observations which might affect design, specification or budget would always be reported back to the Client first to enable discussion as to the most appropriate way forward.
Following each site inspection, GHPC will provide a useful and informative site visit report to enable the site team to address any issues which have been noted, along with sensible support and advice as to how best to achieve the necessary rectification, and avoid these issues happening again in future.
Reports can also be provided to centralised Technical & Production Teams, Client Departmental Teams or Strategic Management Teams for review and on a regular basis, GHPC’s Surveying Team can arrange to conduct a formal review with the Client Team, to identify improvements in process or necessary changes to procedures etc.