Quantifying quality in industrial construction

Of the three primary objectives of the constructed project--cost, schedule, and quality--quality, is the most difficult to quantify. Although the extent to which budget constraints have been met can be measured in dollars; and how well a project met its schedule may be measured in days; the assurance of quality, in relation to the project owner expectations and satisfaction is a task that eludes even the most experienced and qualified construction or project manager. In this work, two (2) quantification methods are developed which may be offered as alternatives to the current, nebulous systems used to evaluate the outcome of construction projects. The Quality Index (QI) has been developed based on the empirical assessment by construction professionals of ten quality attributes which define quality. The Quality Grade (QG) is a more comprehensive assessment of quality in the constructed project, based on a weighted value system that has been assigned to actions and decisions that take place throughout the construction period based on literature references and standard industry practices. The terms and conditions in the contract documents, as well as the process used for prequalifying contractors, provide the basis for the survey questions used in compiling QG. Twenty-one industrial construction projects have been assessed according to the two quality quantification methods for the purposes of evaluating the relationship between QI and QG. As a result of the linear regression analysis performed with QG and QI serving as the independent and dependent variables, respectively, an R$\sp2$ value of 0.79 was obtained. Subsequently, a more detailed analysis is performed which further investigates how prevalent quality management methods and philosophy affect the achievement of a quality outcome in industrial construction. Finally, recommendations are made which prescribe a means of using historical data and anticipated project outcome to meet owner expectations and industry inspection and performance criteria as well as provide customer satisfaction.