Seminar on Professional Integrity in Testing and Certification

Managing materials testing in public

housing construction projects for integrity

在公共房屋建造項目中材料試驗的誠信管理

Ir Joe B.M. LEUNG Senior Civil Engineer Housing Department 13 July 2015

Importance of Integrity in Testing Services for

Public Housing Projects

• It is targeted to provide about 250,000 public housing flats in ten years from 2015/2016

• The buildings must meet the quality standards and fit for their purposes

• Independent laboratories are employed to sample and carry out tests on materials and workmanship

Types of Testing Services engaged for the

Public housing projects Package A Contracts

(Construction Materials)

(建築材料)

Concrete, reinforcement,

structural steel, other construction

materials

Package C Contracts (Non-destructive Pile Testing)

(非破壞性的樁柱測試)

Piles Driving Analyser Test, Pile Integrity Test, Weld Test, Loading Test

and Bell-out Test

Testing of Prefabrication of Steelwork in Guangdong

(境外鋼材及焊接測試)

Steel materials and welds

Package D Contracts (Maintenance & Building

Materials)

(維修及建造材料)

Diagnostic testing for repair and maintenanceworks, repair mortar, building components,

asbestos

• The testing services are procured in the form of Term Contracts

(定期合約) for periods of 18 - 24 months

• Managed by the Materials Testing Management Unit (材料試驗管理小組) under the Development and Construction Division (發展及建築處) of Housing Department

• Number of current testing services contracts:

Types of Testing Services engaged for the

Public housing projects (Cont’d)

Type of Testing Services Contract No.

Construction Materials 3

Maintenance & Building Materials 2

Non-destructive Pile Testing 7

Prefabrication of Structural Steelworks in Guangdong 2

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services

• Procurement

• Management of Laboratories

• Inspection

• Performance Monitoring

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services (Cont’d)

Procurement of Testing Services

HOKLAS Accredited Laboratories

香港實驗所認可計劃認可的商業實驗所

By Pre-qualification

預審投標資格

From HKHA’s List*

房委會名冊

Construction, Maintenance & Building

materials testing • Financial resources • Relevant experience with track

records of satisfactory performance • Minimum staff requirements • Minimum equipment requirements

Non-destructive Testing of Structural

Steelworks and Foundation • Minimum capital requirements • Appropriate proven work record • Minimum number, qualifications

and experience of full-time staff • Minimum plant requirements

* A contractor who has committed misconduct (i.e. any unlawful behaviour involving corruption or fraud or breach of faith) ma y warrant regulatory actions including suspension from tendering or removal from the List

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services (Cont’d)

Management of Laboratories

Declaration of financial and/or business association with contracting firms and suppliers

Provision of a team of qualified and experienced agents and supporting staff

Compliance with the provision on ethical commitment

Establishment of quality assurance and audit plans, inspection plan by supervisors, quality assurance team and management, and deployment plan of technicians

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services (Cont’d)

Inspection

Site• Inspection Team• Surveillance Team

Laboratory • Surveillance Team

(a)

CCTV(b)

RFID

a) HD arranges monitoring system to be installed at the site testing area and images are captured at regularintervals. The captured images can be viewed on-line by HD’s staff and the testing laboratories. Besides,the laboratories are required to provide Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) with recording function overseeingthe sample storage areas.

b) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification - 無線射頻識別技術) technology is used for tracking the concretecube samples to prevent fraudulent specimen and streamline data management.

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services (Cont’d)

Use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technique in Concrete Cube Compression Test

無線射頻識別技術於混凝土測試的應用

(標籤)

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services (Cont’d)

Use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technique in Concrete Cube Compression Test

無線射頻識別技術於混凝土測試的應用

Central

Database (作業系統)

(Online Access /

Operation for

Authorized

Users)

Cube Registration when

arrived at laboratory

(Check with the database for

correctness)

Curing

Testing

Automatic Data Capturing and Sample

Verification by RFID

(including weight, dimension and

compressive strength)

Test Reports can be printed out

automatically from data uploaded to

central database

Scan and

register the cube

by RFID reader (閱讀器)

Measure the weight

and scan the cube

simultaneously and

automatically

Measure the dimensions

and scan the cube

simultaneously and

automatically

RFID reader to verify

the tag embedded on

the cube and monitor

the whole testing

process. Warning

signal will be

prompted if illegally

replaced

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services (Cont’d)

Performance assessment of Laboratories • Laboratory Assessment Scoring System (LASS) is developed to

measure and monitor objectively the performance of laboratoriesquarterly.

• LASS score comprises two parts :

Part A Score (By Surveillance Team) covers 3 aspects namely the Laboratory Management Assessment, Laboratory Quality System Assessment and Laboratory Testing Assessment

Part B Score (By Surveillance Team & Project Team) covers 2 aspects namely MTMU Inspection Team Assessment and Project Officers' Assessment

LASS Final Score

25% + 75% = 100% (max. score)

• Feedback will be provided to laboratory for improvements.

•

The LASS score will be reported to Housing Department’s committeefor consideration of follow-up action if the performance of alaboratory is considered poor.

Measures to Ensure Quality and Reliability of

Testing Services (Cont’d)

Surveillance Tests by Housing Department

Materials Testing Laboratory (房屋署材料試驗所)

• Parallel tests (平行試驗) to monitor the performance of the laboratories

• Policing tests (監管測試) as routine quality control tests

Partners • Independent Commission Against

Corruption (ICAC) • Association of Construction Materials

Laboratories (ACML)

Thank You