Construction World July 2017

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JULY 2017
She explains: “The differences between
quality control and quality assurance is
vast. Quality Assurance (QA) is a process
orientated exercise that ensures the
installation of geosynthetic material is
in line with the SANS 10409 national
standard, manufacturers installation
instructions, industry best practice and
project specifications. Quality Control (QC)
by comparison is a product orientated
exercise and therefore this includes all
the testing that must be carried out by the
installer to ensure the quality of the seaming
installation is correct.
Testing, is a product orientated process
and thus falls in the QC domain. Testing for
quality therefore is not assuring quality, it is
controlling quality. In short:
• Quality Assurance makes sure you are
doing the right things, the right way.
• Quality Control makes sure the results of
what you've done are what you expected.
Taking control
“The independent 3rd party company will
therefore be responsible for the quality
assurance of the geosynthetic installation
and can also play a vital role in different
stages of a project. For example, they can
be involved when the project specification
is compiled prior to tender stage, can be
involved during tender stage to assess
the quality assurance and quality control
processes of the installer and to be a
communication channel between all the
parties during construction namely the
owner, engineer, earthworks contractor
and installer.
“It is common practice in other industries
to make use of an independent 3rd party
company but it is a new concept in the
geosynthetic installation industry in South
Africa and should become the norm for new
installations to provide peace of mind to
owners of facilities.
“The independent 3rd party company can
serve different purposes during installation
and act on behalf of the owner, the design
engineer or the earthworks contractor since
the installer is usually a subcontractor to the
earthworks contractor,” says Nadia.
Correct credentials
NGQ Consulting is an independent 3rd
party company who specialises in quality
assurance. They have vast experience in
the geosynthetic installation process with a
state of the art software programme to co-
capture QC information and provide
the owner with a detailed project pack
after completion.
Nadia also recently completed a Liner
Integrity Survey Assessment (LISA),
Construction QA/QC for Geosynthetic
Installation, Construction QA/QC for
Compaction Clay Liners and Geosynthetic
Certification Institute Inspector Certification
Programme course presented by the Texas
Research Institute and is now certified
by the Geosynthetic Institute as a Quality
Assurance Inspector for Geosynthetic
Material and compacted clay liners.
It is a known fact that when a leak
occurs in the geosynthetic liner system it
is usually due to other external factors and
rarely as a result of poor workmanship of the
The paradigm shift
“Owners of facilities should be more involved in the quality control and quality
assurance of geosynthetic installations,” says geosynthetics expert, Nadia
Minnaar of NGQ Consulting. “Who proposes that the best possible solution
usually lies in employing a reliable independent 3rd party company who can be
their eyes and ears on the floor during the installation process.
installer. This is why it is so critical to have
an independant person on site to prevent
material damage or report if damage has
occurred. Also, to resolve the problem and
take preventive actions to ensure damage
is limited.
“Yes, it is possible to build a facility with
a zero leak rate – the secret to success is
Quality Assurance,”concludes Nadia. 
Capturing real-time data on site during the
installation process.
Nadia Minnaar of NGQ Consulting witnessing
non-destructive testing of T-joints.