Construction Quality Control Research Articles

Relationship between non-destructive inspection and heavy-weight floor impact noises in a box-type test building

This study investigated the relationship between floor impact noise performance and non-destructive inspection methods for use in construction quality control prior to installing resilient floor-topping materials. The study measured floor impact noise characteristics using heavy-weight impact sources in a box-type test building with a 180-mm thick bare slab. The study employed impact echo and ultrasonic tomography methods to estimate concrete thickness and other mechanical properties. The results showed that the highest impact noise levels were observed at the central area in the frequency bands of 25 Hz to 50 Hz. However, the frequency bands of 63 Hz to 80 Hz showed different results as a peak characteristic at the middle area in the long direction. The study estimated the average slab thickness as 175 mm and 172 mm, respectively, using the impact echo and ultrasonic tomography methods. The standard deviation of the thickness was up to 9.3 mm and 6.6 mm, respectively, depending on the impact position. Furthermore, the study analyzed the correlation between concrete thickness and impact noise performance by frequency bands and discussed the application directions of the mechanical properties to manage noise performances during construction.

Quality Control of Hidden Construction Work Using Photographs Attached to Inspection Reports

Introduction. In construction production the problem of increasing the reliability of information contained in the certificates of inspection of concealed works is more and more often solved with the help of their photofixation. Based on the results of earlier studies, the authors prove that using the diagnostic informativeness of photographs it is possible not only to confirm the fact of execution of concealed works in the required volume, but also to obtain additional information about their quality. For effective extraction of this information it is necessary to develop a method of quality control of hidden construction works on the basis of photographs attached to the inspection certificates, taking into account modern scientific achievements in the field of photogrammetry and color-texture analysis of photographic images.Materials and Methods. The developed method of quality control of hidden construction work is based on the use of contour, pixel, macro- and micro-texture analysis of photographic images. When developing the method, the results of numerous visual inspections of building structures (including the opening of their internal elements) and comparison of these results with the information contained in the certificates of certification of concealed works were used.Results. The article presents the results of a study carried out at the Don State Technical University on the development of a method for quality control of hidden construction work using photographs attached to inspection reports. The algorithms developed by the authors for analyzing photographs of building structures to control their quality are presented. The article contains proposals for the systematization and storage of typical textures of surfaces of building structures.Discussion and Conclusion. The priority condition for successful application of the new method of quality control of concealed construction works is its methodological support, which establishes a unified procedure for their photo fixation, additional requirements for the composition and parameters of photographs, rules of registration, storage and use of them as annexes to certificates of inspection of concealed construction works, as well as the regulations for comprehensive analysis of photographs with the use of appropriate software.

Discussion on the main points of construction quality control in civil engineering

With the improvement of comprehensive development level, civil engineering is perceived a promoted position in the development of the whole market economy in China. Civil engineering is an important link for building construction. Good civil engineering construction management ensures the overall engineering quality control level. Through the reasonable analysis of construction standards, construction contents and construction steps of civil engineering, the actual construction control and management methods of civil engineering are defined, the effective control scheme of civil engineering quality is analyzed, and reasonable suggestions for solving problems are put forward, so as to realize effective control and management of civil engineering construction quality in China. This paper makes an analysis of the actual construction control and fully studies the measures and schemes of the actual construction quality control to improve the management efficiency of the construction quality control of civil engineering.

Application of BIM technology on the design and construction of prefabricated buildings

As the population and urbanization have continued to grow all over the world, the construction industry demands more efficient, and greener ways of building. In recent years, prefabricated buildings have attracted widespread attention as a new construction method. BIM technology is a crucial element in the realm of digital architectural design and construction. Its implementation can effectively enhance the support and optimization of the prefabricated building's design and construction process. This paper aims to explore the application of BIM technology in the design and construction stages of prefabricated buildings. Firstly, the utilization of BIM technology in prefabricated building design is expounded from three aspects of digital model construction, architectural collaborative design and architectural design optimization. Then, the implementation of BIM technology in prefabricated building construction is analyzed with regard to three aspects: development of construction plans, on-site management, and quality control. Subsequently, the application of BIM technology in the design of high-rise prefabricated buildings and the construction of prefabricated buildings is introduced in detail through case studies. The results show that the application of BIM technology can improve the design efficiency and construction quality of prefabricated buildings, and has a good application prospect.

Bridge Construction Quality Evaluation Based on Combination Weighting Method- Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution Theory

The process of bridge construction is accompanied by many uncertainties. These uncertainties can have an impact on the quality of bridge construction and are thus directly related to the safe operation of the bridge. Therefore, it is very important to conduct bridge construction quality control evaluations for safe bridge construction and operation. In this paper, a three-tier bridge construction quality control evaluation system is established. This study uses a combination of subjective and objective assignment methods and TOPSIS theory to carry out an evaluation calculation of bridge construction quality. The CWM-TOPSIS theory was applied to the actual engineering calculation by taking the construction process of a mega bridge across the Yellow River as an example. After a series of calculations, the bridge construction quality evaluation results were obtained as level IV. This showed that a construction quality control method was needed for this bridge as soon as possible, and inspection and protection of the bridge should be started to avoid the emergence of bigger quality problems. Finally, the accuracy and applicability of the method proposed in this paper were proved by comparing and analyzing the evaluation results with the standard element theory.

Laser Scanner in Construction Quality Control of Steel Industrial Buildings

Laser Scanner in Construction Quality Control of Steel Industrial Buildings

Analysis on Construction Technology and Quality Control of Asphalt Pavement in Highway Engineering

With the development of the times and the progress of society, people's requirements for quality of life have become increasingly high. The number of private cars has increased, and road construction projects have also continued to increase. Asphalt pavement has been widely used in road engineering due to its advantages such as high durability, convenient material extraction, and road smoothness. However, the complexity of asphalt pavement construction has brought many difficulties to the construction unit. Strict control over the construction technology and quality of asphalt pavement can not only ensure the normal operation of construction, but also reduce costs. This article focuses on the construction technology and related quality control measures of highway asphalt pavement.

Research on Construction Quality Control of Expansion joint in Road and Bridge Engineering

The construction technology of Expansion joint is a key link in the construction of highway bridges, which has a great impact on the overall quality of the bridge, so it is very important to strengthen the control of its construction technology. In the future construction of Expansion joint of highway bridges, attention should be paid to the construction operation and the management of construction personnel, so as to effectively ensure the safety of highway traffic and extend the service life of the highway.

Excavation and Construction Technology of Diversion Tunnel under Complex Geological Conditions

During the construction of a diversion tunnel, geological problems often include faults, fragile strata, hard rock formations, karst landforms, etc., which may have adverse effects on the excavation and construction of the diversion tunnel. Based on the analysis of the engineering overview, this study designed a new construction technology for the excavation of water diversion tunnels in hard rock layers and high-karst areas. Based on tunnel seismic prediction (TSP) technology to achieve advanced geological prediction, combined with actual geological conditions, construction difficulties are analyzed. Then, detection technology is used to collect two-way travel time, amplitude, and waveform data. By processing and analyzing the detection image, the spatial orientation and length of the main tunnel during the construction of the diversion tunnel are calculated. After completing the construction ventilation and wind, water, and electricity layout, the excavation construction procedure is designed. In the specific excavation design, the tunnel curtain excavation technology, tunnel body excavation and support technology, excavation grouting technology, important unfavorable geological tunnel section excavation technology, upper/lower flat section excavation technology, upper/lower curved section excavation technology, and vertical shaft section excavation technology were elaborated. Finally, a plan was made for the reuse process of slag material and a construction quality control system was established. During the testing process, it was found that the antidamage coefficient of the side wall was above 0.9 after using the technology described in this article. Therefore, it indicates that the excavation construction technology designed in this article can ensure the support capacity of the side wall of the diversion tunnel, which is suitable for the excavation of the main tunnel during the construction of the diversion tunnel.

Detecting temperature segregation in asphalt pavement construction using infrared imaging and deep learning

ABSTRACT Temperature segregation (TS) is the uneven distribution of mixture temperature during construction. Considering segregation patterns is essential to detect TS and evaluate construction quality. This paper collected infrared images and classified three segregation categories: interlaced TS, banded TS (BTS), and clustered TS (CTS) based on temperature distribution patterns. Detecting TS using infrared image and deep learning is benefit for improving construction quality, so we labelled the BTS and CTS images to form an original training dataset (OD) for deep learning detection algorithms. We also used two image augmentation approaches to expand OD and obtained two more datasets: dataset augmented without CutMix, which is a classic image augmentation method, and dataset augmented with CutMix (CD). Based on three datasets, we trained You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5) models to detect TS and compared them with Faster R-CNN and YOLOv7. CDM-YOLOv5, YOLOv5 trained on CD, outperformed others, with a mean average precision of 71.5% and an F1 score of 69.7%. We also observed performance gains using the CutMix augmentation. The findings contribute to automating construction quality evaluation and control.

Quality Risk Evaluation of Urban Rail Transit Construction Based on AHP–FCE Method

The demand for urban transport is increasing globally, and urban rail transit is an important infrastructure for meeting this demand. The objectives of this study were to effectively control and prevent all types of risks in the construction of metro projects and improve the quality and safety control of urban metro project construction. First, 20 index factors were selected from the five dimensions of “man–machinery–materials–methods–environment” and constructed an index system for assessing urban metro construction quality risks. Second, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) methods were used to comprehensively evaluate the construction quality risks of subway projects, and the weights of the secondary indices were determined. Finally, the importance of secondary indicators was evaluated using the integrated AHP–FCE method, and the model was applied to engineering practice for validation. The results indicated that the comprehensive AHP–FCE method has good adaptability and rationality and has practical application value for metro project construction quality and safety risk assessment. It can help prevent urban metro construction quality accidents and provides a novel idea for metro project construction quality risk assessment.

Recommendations for quality control in industrial 3D concrete printing construction with mono-component concrete: A critical evaluation of ten test methods and the introduction of the performance index

The critical assessment of the applicability of fresh concrete test methods for characterizing printable concrete quality and its structural build-up rate is rare in the literature. To address this gap, this study evaluates the potentials and limitations of eight offline test methods (hand vane, rheometer, compressive strength, squeeze flow, penetrometer, ultrasonic pulse velocity, slump, and flow table) and two inline test methods (slug test and extruder torque measurement). This research proposes a new parameter called “performance index” to assess the capability of any test to detect structural buildup. The study establishes a ranking of the eight offline tests on the proposed performance index and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of each test in terms of portability, price, required human labor, and material. The results of this study can be used as a first guideline to select a proper quality control test for industrial 3D concrete printing construction.

Geometrical characteristics of aggregates: The influence of sphericity, angularity, and surface texture on the workability of asphalt mixtures

Workability of asphalt mixtures is considered as an essential factor in quality control of asphalt pavement construction. However, there are fewer studies related to the influence of geometric properties of aggregates on the workability of asphalt mixture. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of aggregate sphericity, angularity and surface texture on the workability of asphalt mixture during the mixing process. Firstly, a self-developed workability equipment of asphalt mixture was used to analyze the differences in the asphalt mixture workability of three materials, namely, basalt, limestone and pebble. Next, using the Aggregate Image Measurement System (AIMS), the geometric characteristics of the aggregates were determined. Accordingly, the correlation between the geometric characteristics of the aggregates and the workability index was established through linear correlation analysis. Finally, investigating the distribution uniformity of asphalt film by scanning electron microscope (SEM), the influence of the geometric characteristics of the aggregates on the workability of the asphalt mixture was determined. The results demonstrated that, compared with limestone and pebble asphalt mixtures, a significantly greater workability value was observed for the basalt asphalt mixture. Moreover, the geometric characteristics of the aggregates were found to influence the change rule of workability in the following order: sphericity > surface texture > angularity. Furthermore, the geometric characteristics revealed to have a significant effect on the uniformity of the asphalt film.

Machine learning based inversion for earth rock dam compaction density

In water resources and hydropower engineering and highway engineering, the compactness test of earth-rock mixed materials of the earth-rock dam and embankment plays an important role for construction quality assessment. The key is how to accurately and quickly evaluate the compaction density, which requires advanced methods. Meanwhile, machine learning has become an important and powerful tool for parameter prediction. In this work, a method to obtain the compactness of an earth-rock dam using machine learning algorithms is developed and verified. In so doing, first, by analyzing and processing the measured time history signal from a new fast Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD), including time domain, frequency domain and mechanical impedance analyses, six optimized characteristic parameters are obtained to invert for the compactness, including the stiffness coefficient, the maximum time difference, the maximum amplitude ratio, the central frequency difference, the maximum stiffness impedance and the resonance frequency. Pearson coefficient was used to analyze the correlation among the six parameters and Gini index was used to analyze the influence degree of the parameters on the relative wet density. Then, the Decision Tree (DT) model, Random Forest (RF) model and Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) model were used to predict the wet density and dry density of materials, respectively, and compared. PFWD was applied on a dam to acquire the time history signal, which was then preprocessed following a series of procedures including integrity check, outlier handling and normalization etc, and machine learning algorithms were used for training the data and parameter prediction. Examples show that, considering the generalization and optimization ability, for the GBDT model, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the predicted wet density of the earth-rock material is within 0.041 g/cm3 and that of the predicted dry density is within 0.032 g/cm3, which meet the requirements for construction detection and quality control. The proposed method based on PFWD signal analysis and machine learning algorithm models help better solve the nonlinear mapping problem between the PFWD signal and material density, and can accurately invert for the wet density and dry density of materials. It is an effective way for rapid detection and control of earth-rock dam construction quality.

Influences of random imperfection distribution on the compressive properties of interlocking block wall

Block imperfections exist inevitably owing to manufacturing and construction quality control. For dry-stacked interlocking block structures, imperfections result in small gaps randomly distributed between blocks, which affect the compressive strength of the wall. In this study, stochastic analysis is conducted to predict the compressive properties of interlocking block walls with spatially varying randomly distributed block imperfections. Monte-Carlo simulation is conducted in the analysis. The number of block imperfections is assumed to follow the Binominal distribution in massive block production process; the imperfection sizes are assumed to follow the truncated normal distribution. Based on these hypotheses, the damage development mechanism and load-path of interlocking block walls with different imperfection distributions are investigated. It is found that the compressive strength of walls containing blocks with mixed imperfection levels is lower; for walls with a higher number of imperfections, a larger coefficient of variation of imperfections leads to a significant decrease in compressive strength, while the seating effect at the initial stage of compression is reduced. The results provide a guidance to the quality control of mortar-less interlocking block structures.

Experimental Evaluation of Stiffness Properties of a Quicklime-Stabilized Clay Subgrade Using a Resistivity Plate Loading Testing Device

Quicklime-mixing in soil stabilization applications for subgrade construction is crucial to its engineering performance and controlling quicklime and water content. Modern construction quality control devices and methods have improved construction quality control substantially. Certain devices, meanwhile, still need to be studied more thoroughly. This study used the resistivity plate loading device to assess the physical and stiffness properties of compacted quicklime-stabilized subgrade instantaneously and simultaneously for compaction quality control. The Taguchi L9 orthogonal array was used to design the experiment considering the dry density, test time, quicklime, and water content at various input factor levels. The pH, cation exchange capacity, conductivity, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were further conducted. Analysis of the Taguchi experiment shows that the average soil electrical resistivity responses increased with dry density, test time, and quicklime content, and were highest at low water content. Whether the dry density, quicklime content, and test time are positively or negatively related to the average subgrade reaction modulus depends on the level of the water content. Regression equations are proposed to predict the average subgrade reaction modulus and soil electrical resistivity. The tested soils’ pH, conductivity, and cation ion exchange capacity properties were directly related to the test time, water, and quicklime content. The XRD showed nearly similar X-ray diffraction peaks. The SEM analysis confirmed marked changes in the microstructure of the samples that explained the changes in electrical resistivity and subgrade reaction modulus responses. The test results show that the resistivity plate loading device efficiently assesses compacted quicklime’s stiffness and physical properties at ease and instantaneously.

Impact of deicing salts on pervious concrete pavement

Two pervious concrete projects (named as SR28 and SR431), with the same mixture design but different winter maintenance activities, were included in this research. Both projects are located in the Lake Tahoe area, Nevada, United States. Testing results indicated that the mechanical properties were significantly higher in SR28 cored samples than the ones in SR431. It was found that the SR28 pieces have fewer air voids, while the SR431 samples have higher water absorption and hydraulic conductivity, and the SR28 samples show fare better performance against repeated freezing and thawing cycles than the SR431 ones. scanning electron microscope pictures of crack surfaces in cores taken from SR28 indicate that the cement binder phase has been largely retained. However, in the coring sample of SR431, needle-shaped residues can be seen within the cement binder phase and an abundance of precipitated micro-sized crystalized particles can be observed. On a micrometer scale, the μCT examination reveals that the porosity of SR28 samples is significantly less than that of SR431. The analyzing results give a clue to demonstrate the durability of pervious concrete pavement can be attributed to the construction quality control, maintenance activity, or the weather and locations of the field sites.

Strategies for Strengthening Highway Construction Testing and Quality Control

In recent years, the scale of China’s highway projects have been expanding. However, in real life, road construction projects in some places have not passed professional and rigorous inspections, resulting in various quality problems, and seriously affecting the safety of drivers and pedestrians. This paper analyzes the current situation of highway engineering test and detection, expounds the application of new technologies for highway engineering test and detection. In this paper, a case study was carried out on ground penetrating radar (GPR), which aims to improve highway engineering test and detection and provide reference for reducing highway safety risks.

A BIM-based framework for road construction quality control and quality assurance

ABSTRACT Large-scale data processing for road construction monitoring may significantly improve the efficiency of quality control and quality assurance (QC&QA). However, the traditional construction data storage, management and analysis methods rely on paper documents and limited electronic files, leading to the low data utilisation, fuzzy data features and data value loss. This study proposes a BIM-based road QC&QA framework, which realises the real-time construction data integration in the information model, achieves data analysis and visualisation by the combination between the model and database, and uses structured construction data for QC&QA. Specifically, a BIM-oriented method for transmitting and storing road construction data in real-time, a BIM-oriented process for integrating road construction data, and a road QC&QA model based on AHP, ANN and GA throughout the entire road construction process are involved in the proposed framework. The proposed framework was tested through a case study using data from the Xintai Highway construction project. The results showed a significant improvement in data integration, visualisation and analysis during the QC&QA process. As a result, the overall construction quality of the Xintai project exceeded 95%, providing strong evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

Study of Regression Algorithms and Influent Factors between Intelligent Compaction Measurement Values and In-Situ Measurement Values

Intelligent compaction (IC) technology have been used for quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) in subgrade construction. The effective regression correlations between Intelligent Compaction Measurement Values (ICMV) and In-situ Measurement Values (ISMV, including compaction degree and subgrade modulus ELWD) are the essential prerequisite of using IC technology for QC/QA. This paper presents the results from an experimental research study that was conducted from a practical subgrade project of China to explore the regression relationships between ICMV and ISMV. Three types of ICMV, including CMV, CCV and Evib, were collected along with the corresponding positions of the rollers. Two types of ISMV, containing compaction degree and ELWD, were measured by ring sampler method and light weight deflectometer (LWD) at specified test points, respectively. Based on these data, the influences of roller parameters and subgrade properties on the regression relationships of ICMV and ISMV were investigated. In addition, linear regression and 5 nonlinear regression algorithms were compared. The results suggest that ICMV reflect the stiffness of subgrade more than reflecting the density. In the regression of ICMV and ISMV, subgrade properties are more important than roller parameters while both of them should not be neglected. The influences of underlying stiffness and roller amplitude are linear while that of roller speed and moisture content are nonlinear. Nonlinear algorithms, especially the random forest, have the better performance compared to linear algorithm. Moreover, the combination of random forest and linear algorithm can further improve the accuracy of ISMV prediction.