CHAPTER VII CONSTRUCTION QUALITY CONTROL …

1 1 This CHAPTER of the FERC Engineering Guidelines has been prepared undercontract with R & H Thomas, 1993 CHAPTER VIICONSTRUCTION QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTIONPROGRAM 17-iChapter VIIC onstruction QUALITY CONTROL inspection Program7-0 ContentsTitlePage7-1 Purpose and .. of QCIP .. 7-17-2 QUALITY CONTROL inspection Program Chart For QCIP Staff .. and Specialties of QCIP , Responsibilities, Qualifications and Tests and Frequency of Testing .. Laboratory or Commercial Testing Plan Including Documentation and Reporting .. Use of Consultants During CONSTRUCTION .. of All Major Features of CONSTRUCTION .. Erosion CONTROL and Environmental Compliance .. CONSTRUCTION inspection Checklist .. 7-77-3 Types of QUALITY CONTROL inspection Programs (QCIP).. 1A .. Organization and Staffing .. 7-9 Other Recommended Practices .. inspection Plan or Field inspection Guidelines.

2 inspection Criteria .. Contractor Operations .. QCIP Operations .. Documentation .. Daily inspection Nonconformance Report .. Training .. 7-137-0 Contents(Continued) Field Testing Requirements .. Environmental CONSTRUCTION Schedule .. Planned Use of Consultants .. 1B .. Organization and Staffing .. 1C .. Organization and Staffing .. Field Testing Requirements .. 2A, 2B and 2C .. Organization and Staffing .. inspection Plan or Field inspection Guidelines .. Field Testing Requirements .. Planned Use of Consultants .. 3A, 3B and 3C .. Organization and Staffing .. inspection Plan or Field inspection Guidelines .. Field Testing Requirements .. Planned Use of Consultants .. CONSTRUCTION Not Requiring a QCIP .. 7-257-iii7-0 Contents(Continued) 7-26 Appendix VII-AConstruction QUALITY CONTROL InspectionProgram Content and Proposed Outline for QCIPA ppendix VII-BSample Organization Charts and Descriptionsof Duties and Responsibilities of Some Key PersonnelAppendix VII-CSample Report FormsNonconformance ReportEnvironmental Deficiency ReportAppendix VII-DSample Materials Testing Schedule andReferenced DocumentsAppendix VII-ESample Civil inspection Checklists 2 Reference 1 3 Reference: 18 CFR, Part 12, Subpart E, Section VIIC onstruction QUALITY CONTROL inspection Program7-1 Purpose and GeneralThe guidelines presented in this CHAPTER provide staff engineers and geologistswith recommended procedures and criteria to be used in reviewing and evaluatingconstruction QUALITY CONTROL inspection programs for FERC jurisdictional projects.

3 Theseguidelines are based on the FERC Regulations, FERC Operating Manual for Inspectionof Projects and Supervision of Licenses for Water Power Projects, and selected QualityControl inspection Programs (QCIPs) from each FERC Regional Office. The term"licensee" in the remainder of this CHAPTER refers to licensee, exemptee or applicant asappropriate. The review performed by staff will be conducted to ensure that submittedQCIPs comply with the Commission's Regulations and provide accepted constructionquality CONTROL inspection and documentation practices common to the hydroelectricindustry. QUALITY CONTROL has been defined as measuring conformance with therequirements. 2 In addition it is deciding what will be measured and who will do themeasuring and stated in Section of the Commission's Regulations and Article 4 of theStandard L Forms for licensed projects, during any CONSTRUCTION , repair or modificationof project works the licensee must maintain any QUALITY CONTROL program that may berequired by the appropriate Regional Director, commensurate with the scope of work andmeeting any requirements or standards set by the Regional Director.

4 CONSTRUCTION maynot begin until the QCIP has been approved by the Regional The RegionalDirector may decide not to require such a program for relatively minor renovation work;however other conditions may be required upon review of the design and constructionplans and intent of Section is to ensure QUALITY CONSTRUCTION . The regulationsrequire that QUALITY CONTROL inspections must be conducted by the licensee, the designengineer or an independent firm accountable to the licensee, and must not be performedby a CONSTRUCTION contractor or firm accountable to the CONSTRUCTION contractor. The 4 Reference: FERC Order 122, Final Rule, Regulations Governing Safety of WaterPower Projects and Project Works, Issued January 21, 19817-2regulations recognize that CONSTRUCTION contractors have interests in QUALITY constructionwork that lead them to establish their own QUALITY CONTROL programs. The constructioncontractor is not precluded from performing his own QUALITY CONTROL inspections for hisown purposes.

5 As stated in the preamble to Order 122, experience shows thatconstruction contractors may also have conflicting interests that may lead to neglect ofthe QUALITY of work. Because of the potential for conflict of interest, it is important toprovide for independent QUALITY CONTROL inspections. 4 The desire for independent qualitycontrol inspections is also evident in the requirement that, if the licensee's personnel areperforming the CONSTRUCTION work, the licensee must provide for separation of authoritybetween CONSTRUCTION personnel and QUALITY CONTROL personnel. Because of the varying types and complexities of projects under CONSTRUCTION ,considerable engineering judgement must be used in evaluating QCIPs. Projects underconstruction vary from new dams with surface or underground powerhouses, extensivetunnels and spillways to projects with minor modifications such as tailrace scour repairsand training wall modifications.

6 The various types of CONSTRUCTION have been groupedinto three categories and each category has been divided into three types of QCIPs. Inthe following sections the categories are defined and examples of acceptable QCIPs foreach category are Review of QCIP The review of a QCIP by staff is to evaluate the adequacy of the QCIP relative tothe complexity of CONSTRUCTION . Appendix VII-A contains required contents and aproposed outline for a QCIP. The contents and outline should be considered whenreviewing a QCIP submitted for approval, keeping in mind the complexity ofconstruction. The contents of Appendix VII-A are discussed in this and subsequentsections. Regardless of the complexity of CONSTRUCTION , the QCIP should be clear on thequalification, independence, responsibility, authority, number and specialty of personnelresponsible for QUALITY CONTROL inspection . All QCIP reviews must include an evaluationof the adequacy of erosion CONTROL and other measures to protect the environmentalquality of streams and other areas affected by CONSTRUCTION .

7 All QCIPs should have aMaterials Testing Schedule that specifies the types and number of tests for adequatecoverage for all materials included in the CONSTRUCTION . On the larger and more complexconstruction projects that extend over a period of years, the training and periodicevaluation of QUALITY CONTROL inspection staff should be reviewed. 5 Reference 2 6 Reference 37-3 The necessary qualifications for QUALITY CONTROL inspection personnel should beestablished in the QCIP and resumes for personnel assigned to a specific functionincluded in the initial QCIP. At a minimum, resumes should be included for QCIP personnel who have authority to stop work and personnel who have authority torecommend stop work to the contractor and their supervisor. Emphasis should be placedon previous experience, including type of CONSTRUCTION and levels of responsibility. Thisinformation should be supplemented on a continuing basis by submittal of qualificationsof personnel actually employed.

8 The qualification standard for each position can beestablished from existing standards, such as the ASCE Professional Grade Descriptions, 5 and the ACI Concrete Certification, 6. The qualification standard of education andrelative experience can also be specified in the QCIP. It is important that personnel responsible for QUALITY CONTROL inspection beindependent from personnel responsible for CONSTRUCTION , and the responsibility andauthority of the QUALITY CONTROL inspection personnel must be clear and specific. Thisindependence must be maintained for all types of CONSTRUCTION , including turnkey design-build CONSTRUCTION and CONSTRUCTION where the licensee is not only the designer andconstructor, but also is responsible for the QUALITY CONTROL inspection . There must be aseparation of authority between CONSTRUCTION personnel and QUALITY CONTROL inspectionpersonnel. The responsibility and authority of the QUALITY CONTROL inspection personnel, the authority to require changes in CONSTRUCTION or stop work, should be specificallystated in the text and illustrated in the organization chart of the QCIP.

9 The QCIP should describe the number and specialities of proposed QUALITY controlinspectors. Also, the number of inspectors proposed for each feature of CONSTRUCTION ,including coverage of shift work, should be specified. Where full time inspection is notproposed, the schedule for part time inspection should be described. It is important that the contractor have an adequate erosion and sediment controlprogram to prevent environmental degradation of streams during CONSTRUCTION . Theprogram should provide for the necessary inspection and monitoring to ensure thatrequired protective measures are implemented. If during CONSTRUCTION , it is determinedthat additional protective measures must be taken, the QUALITY CONTROL inspection musthave adequate procedures for instituting the measures. The erosion CONTROL plan isrequired by a license article and must be included in the QCIP, along with its inspectionrequirements, to ensure that adequate reporting is in The QCIP should contain a Materials Testing Schedule that specifies the test method,standard and frequency of tests for all materials.

10 The Materials Testing Schedule will bebased on the testing requirements, standards and codes that are specified in the contractplans and specifications. A training and periodic evaluation program should be established as appropriate forquality CONTROL inspectors in the QCIP. This program is especially important for thelarger and more complex CONSTRUCTION projects that extend over a period of years andwhere there is a turnover and reassignment of inspection personnel. For less complexand short duration CONSTRUCTION projects, an established training program may not berequired; however, the qualifications of any new or reassigned personnel should CONTROL inspection Program ContentThe QCIP should provide for an adequate and qualified CONSTRUCTION inspectionforce and should contain detailed information including, but not limited to, theinformation contained in Appendix VII-A. In addition to the contents of Appendix VII-A, consideration should be given to including a CONSTRUCTION inspection checklist whichcovers specific aspects of of the items of the QCIP content in Appendix VII-A are discussed under thevarious categories of CONSTRUCTION in Section 7-3.