*2. Construction Quality 2.1. Construction industry and Sustainable developmentConstruction facilities occur as a result of various fundamental motivations/needs: - need for safety (shelter); - need to provide adequate conditions for various activities (production, business, education, culture, ....); - spiritual and aesthetic needs; - protection of environment, etc.

*Construction industry change (and sometimes) damage environment:

* The concept of sustainable development Lester Brown 1984 and U.N. Brundtland Commision 1987:sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs .

* For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions

The definition reffers to the unitary approach of following principles:

Present needs for developement;Reducing negative human impact on the environment and ecosystems;Equity and poverty alleviation;Preserve the capacity of future generations to meet their needs

*In the context of equity principle construction facilities should satisfy the following three classes of requirements related to:

* Direct user (client);* Indirect users (other stakeholders: statutory authorities, rest of comunity);* Environment and future generations.

*2.2.The Construction Performance Approach: Requirements, Performances, Quality

The Performance Approach - is a new (1970) practice which focuses on a construction asset in order to prescribe desired results instead of the way and the method to get things done.

It is concerned with what a construction facility (product) is required to do, and not with prescribing how it is to be constructed (as The Prescription approach does).

The Performance Approach applies to:- different levels of aggregation of a built facility (whole building, building elements, building products/materials);- different life-stages of the project (design, construction, occupancy, demolition).

*The Performance Approach main steps

Identifying and formulating the relevant User Requirements Transforming the User Requirements identified into Performance Requirements and quantitative performance criteria,Using reliable design and evaluation tools to assess whether proposed solutions meet the stated criteria at a satisfactory level.

*User Requirements (Statement of Requirements) need or expectation related to the intended product; based on clients needs and specific activities; document prepared by clients, or in the verbal statements; initially are vaguely defined, mainly as general descriptions of the intended facility; are converted/translated into Performance Requirements (explicit or implicit) by Architect and Engineer; represent the Demand; the Required performance should fulfill the Demand; An important part of a continuous process of communication between clients (demand) and their project team (supply).

*

DEMANDUSER LANGUAGERelated to needs Related to own activities (intended use)

REQUIREMENTSPERFORMANCE LANGUAGE What should have the built facility to facilitate the intended use Based on technical language and conceptsPERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTSSUPLYTECHNICAL LANGUAGE Related to technical solutions How can the requirements be met Specific to supply chain participantsTECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONSPERFORMANCE LANGUAGE Predicted and/or measured properties of the solutions offeredPERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

PERFORMANCE of the BUILDING

Performance requirements - translate user requirements in more precise quantitative measurable and technical terms, usually for a specific purpose.

Performance indicators give details about the way it can be measured the results against explicit requirements, whether qualitative or quantitative.

Performance specifications can come from: client; construction codes and legislation.*

Target of Performance based approach: matching of user requirements and performance (specifications) of built assets.Building performance evaluation is the process of systematically comparing and matching the performance in use of building assets with explicitly documented or implicitly criteria for their expected performance. Performance in use assesment building performance validation can be done by:- measurement, - calculation, - expert witnesses.

The raport between Performance in use and Requirements gives Quality.

REMEMBER: Quality (according to ISO 9000) = degree to which a set of inherent (permanent) charecteristics (of a product/service) fulfils requirements.

Construction Quality (according to Law 10/1995) = represents the total set of performance in use characteristics of a built facility in order to fulfill the direct and indirect user requirements, through the entire life cycle of that facility.

*EXAMPLE of requirement translation

User requirement Performance requirements

Have meetings with max.- Required space: 3 mp/person;25 people sitting round- Space shape: L/l 1,5/1;table - Ventilation: min. 30 mc fresh air per person and per hour;- Air temperature: t = 19 22 C;- Noise (due to ext.): max 35 dB;- Lighting level: min 500 lux.

*Romanian STANDARD about User requirements STAS 12400/1-1985, Table 2, Anex A define the fallowing requirements:Mechanical resistance and stability;Safety in case of fire;Safety in use;Leak protection;Hygrothermal requirements;Air quality;Acoustic requirements;Visual/Aesthetic requirements;Tactile requirements;Accessibility;Hygiene;Space functionality and adaptability;Durability;Value for many (cost effectiveness).

* Romanian CODE NC 001-1999 regarding explication of User requirements

Performance requirements - translate user requirements in more precise quantitative measurable and technical terms, by the use of a lot/set of Performance Criteria.

User Requirement Performance Requirement = Quality Requirement

Quality Requirement = qualitative expresion of the building characteristics (whole building or building subsystems/elements) to be achieved in order to meet the user requirements, taking into account a speciffic (for that particular buiding and location) set of influencing agents/factors.

*ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

- Law 10/1995 regardind construction qualityidentifies 6 Essential Requirements for construction activity.

- COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to construction products (89/106/EEC) THE SAME 6 Essential Requirements.

*

The products must be suitable for construction works which (as a whole and in their separate parts) are fit for their intended use, account being taken of economy, and in this connection satisfy the following essential requirements where the works are subject to regulations containing such requirements. Such requirements must, subject to normal maintenance, be satisfied for an economically reasonable working life (Table 1).

*Table 1. ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT 1995 - 20072007- presentAResistance and stability Mechanical resistance andstability BSafety in use Safety in case of fire CSafety in case of fire Hygiene, health and theenvironment DHygiene and health of man(workers, occupants or neighbours) andenvironment protection andrehabilitationSafety in use EHeat retention, Waterproofinsulation and Energy economyProtection against noise FProtection against noise Energy economy and heatretention

*A. Mechanical resistance and stability The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that the loadings that are liable to act on them during their constructions and use will not lead to any of the following: (a) collapse of the whole or part of the work; (b) major deformation to an inadmissible degree; (c) damage to other parts of the construction works or to fittings or installed equipment as a result of major deformation of the load-bearing construction; (d) damage by an event to an extent disproportionate to the original cause.

*B. Safety in case of fire

The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that in the event of an outbreak of fire: (a) the load-bearing capacity of the construction can be assumed for a specific period of time; (b) the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the construction works are limited; (c) the spread of fire to neighboring construction works is limited; (d) occupants can leave the construction works or be rescued by other means; (e) the safety of rescue teams is taken into consideration.

*C. Hygiene, health and the environment

The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that they will, throughout their life cycle, not be a threat to the hygiene or health and safety of workers, occupants or neighbors, nor have an exceedingly high impact, over their entire life cycle, on the environment quality or on the climate during their construction, use and demolition, in particular as a result of any of the following: (a) the giving-off of toxic gas; (b) the emissions of dangerous substances, volatile organic compounds, greenhouse gases or dangerous particles into indoor or outdoor air; (c) the emission of dangerous radiation; (d) the release of dangerous substances into ground water, marine waters, surface waters or soil; (e) the release of dangerous substances into drinking water or substances which have an otherwise negative impact on drinking water; (f) faulty discharge of waste water, emission of flue gases or faulty disposal of solid or liquid waste; (g) dampness in parts of the construction works or on surfaces within the construction works.

* D. Safety (and accessibility) in use The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that they do not present unacceptable risks of accidents or damage in service or in operation such as slipping, falling, collision, burns, electrocution, injury from explosion and burglaries.

In particular, construction works must be designed and built taking into consideration accessibility and use for disabled persons.

* E. Protection against noise The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that noise perceived by the occupants or people nearby is kept to a level that will not threaten their health and will allow them to sleep, rest and work in satisfactory conditions.

* F. Energy economy and heat retention

The construction works and their heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation installations must be designed and built in such a way that the amount of energy they require in use shall be low, when account is taken of the occupants and of the climatic conditions of the location.

Construction works must also be energy-efficient, using as little energy as possible during their construction and dismantling.

*2.3. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CHARACTERISTICS

Working place (site) is temporary, continously changing; Product (built facility) is unique, immobile Processes are mobile; Production process mainly outdoor; Production process continuously changing. Variety of construction technology, and structure of industry; Requires other industries to support it; Complex and expensive;

Lond lastind life-cycle; Many people/organizations involved in promotion, construct and use; High incidence of risk and uncertainty in demand pattern and technical conditions; The product is usually commisioned and not bought; Complex and expensive; Demand is fluctuant, depending largelly by government; Requires large and various ammount of materials, equipment and workforce (seldom highly qualified), etc.

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*2.4.Construction Quality System

Participants to Construction Industry - form a heterogeneous set of persons and / or organizations among which are created, by law and various ad hoc relationships, multiple and diverse connections and conditions. The quality of construction is the result of this heterogeneous set of factors, namely: : Client;Consultant/Designer;Contractor;Suppliers;Other consultants and service supliers: expert witnesses, design verifiers, technical advisors, laboratories etc.;Local and central authorities;State Inspectorate in Construction, etc.

*All these direct and indirect participants create ad-hoc a complex system, whose final result is the development of anthropogenic environment.

Law 10/1995 defines the Construction Quality System as a set of organizational structures, resposibilities, and instruments which are involved in obtaining quality of the built asset throughout its entire lyfe - cycle (promotion, design, construction, use and demolition).

* Construction Quality System (CQS)

a) Codes and regulations; b) Materials, Products, Components;c) Technical approvals (agremente tehnice) for new products and technologies;d) Design verification (quality control), Quality control of the works and Expert witnesses of the designs, works and built facilities;e) Quality management ;f) Laboratory approval and testing;g) Construction metrology;h) Commissioning (handing-over);i) In use construction behavior and interventions;j) Demolition and disposal;k) State control of construction quality.

*Construction Quality System (CQS) may be seenas a Cybernetic open systen

*System = a set of interacting or interdependent components and rules forming an integrated whole (ex: organizational structures, laws, responsibilities, construction codes etc with various conexions in between).Input = customer and community needs and requirements; System behavior = it contains processes that transform inputs into outputs (material, money, energy or data); Output = design, built facility.

Cybernetic System = are capable of receiving, storing and processing information so as to use it for self control, using feed-back.

Open Cybernetic System = exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings/environment (competitors, suppliers, local/central authorities, banks, etc). Usually, environment induces restrictions

*Comments about system behavior Each person and/or organization within the system has speciffic interests, which can be even opposite. Inside organizations importance approach regarding various objectives can outline a speciffic objective affecting another (ex. Quantity/Profit more important than quality, Time reduction more important than quality improvement, etc);Partizan attitude within the departments affecting the company global objectives.The more components of the system, the higher incidence of failers occurs.