Quality Control

In a precast facility, the Quality Control (QC) and Quantity Surveyor (QS) roles are the "gatekeepers" of the operation. While the QC ensures the structural integrity and finish of the product, the QS ensures the project remains financially viable and within the scope of the contract.

1. Precast Quality Control (QC) Engineer

The QC Engineer is responsible for ensuring every element leaving the factory meets international standards (like PCI or British Standards) and project-specific requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Material Testing: Inspecting raw materials—aggregates, cement, and reinforcement steel—to ensure they meet strength and purity standards.

• Pre-Pour Inspection: Checking the mold setup, oiling, and reinforcement placement (rebar cages) against the shop drawings before the concrete is poured.

• Concrete Testing: Supervising slump tests, temperature checks, and casting test cubes/cylinders to verify compressive strength.

• Post-Pour Inspection: Checking for cracks, honeycombing, or dimensional inaccuracies once the element is demolded.

• Documentation: Issuing Quality Certificates and maintaining "Pour Logs" for every single element, which is critical for traceability if a structural issue arises later.

2. Precast Quantity Surveyor (QS)

The QS manages the costs and contracts. In precast, this is complex because you are dealing with both factory production costs and on-site installation costs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Take-offs & Estimations: Calculating the exact volume of concrete, weight of steel, and number of inserts (lifting hooks, bolts) required based on structural drawings.

• Cost Monitoring: Tracking "Waste vs. Actuals." For example, if the factory is using 5% more steel than quoted, the QS identifies the leak.

• Progress Billing: Preparing monthly payment applications based on how many units have been cast versus how many have been delivered and erected.

• Variation Orders: Managing changes. If a client changes a window size in a precast wall mid-production, the QS calculates the additional cost for mold modification and extra labor.

• Subcontractor Management: If the company hires external cranes or transport, the QS manages those contracts and verifies their invoices.