SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR PRASAD
DIRECTOR GENERAL
CENTRAL PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
ON
QUALIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR,
QUALITY CONTROL AND
SUSTAINABILITY IN INFRASTRUCTURES

QUALIFICATION OF CONTRACTORS
Performance in creating an infrastructure
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An outcome of relentless effort made in procuring material of right type and of quality.
Another important factor is workmanship.
In turn the workmanship depends on the qualification of the man power behind the construction activity.
There are other factors as well like
• time management
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• financial management and technical management including machinery, T&P coordination and team work amongst various disciplines involved in creating infrastructure and so on.

Engagement of a contractor without proper and adequate experience and qualifications normally fail to deliver the outputs in assigned cost & time. There are other negative results in terms of
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Lack of quality
Accuracy
Wasteful & time consuming efforts
A contractor should have adequate and positive experience of execution of almost similar work.
The quantum of experience is important as it indicates the capability of contractor of having executed a similar work with necessary and adequate machinery and T&P, manpower of required
capability and engineering make of mind.

There are three different methods of assessing qualification of contractors in practice in
CPWD
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Pre-qualification
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Registered contractor who have been assigned different categories & classes.
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Post-qualification

Pre-qualification:
Pre-qualification of contractor is done as per the set guidelines in the form of written documents and which are being followed uniformly through out CPWD. The guidelines are that:-
For works for which technical specification is finalized & defined clearly in NIT, tenderers shall be required to submit the bids in two envelopes.
Envelope -1 :- Documents related to eligibility criteria.
Envelope - 2 :- Financial bid.
Envelope-1 of all tenderers shall be opened first. Eligibility related documents shall be evaluated and parties qualified/disqualified by the competent authority.
Envelop-2 Financial bid of qualified tenderers shall then be opened at notified time, date and place in presence of tenderers or their representative.

:
Different categories and classes of contractors according to their qualification :-
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Civil – Class I to V
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Civil Road – Class I & II
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Electrical – Class I to IV
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Horticultural – Class I to III
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Furniture – Class I to IV
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Nursery – Class I

The criterion for experience shall be
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The completion of requisite number of works of prescribed nature and magnitude during last 5 years
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The works should have been executed in the same name and style in which the enlistment is sought
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Enlistment of an individual in corresponding category is possible based on his technical qualification in lieu of experience

The financial soundness shall be
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The Banker’s Certificate or working capital certificate issued by the bankers of the contractor on the format prescribed in the rules
Such certificate shall be issued by a scheduled bank
The contractor shall have to pay
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A non-refundable processing fee along with application form
The contractors of electrical category shall have to
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Produce valid electrical license from the competent authority in the name of the contractor

Post Qualification :
Works for which technical specification has not been finalized and the same is to be finalized on receipt of the details from the tenderers. The tenderers shall be required to submit the bids in three envelopes
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Envelope - 1 Documents related to eligibility criterion
Envelope - 2 Technical bid
Envelope - 3 financial bid
Pre-bid conference in which the doubts of the intending tenderer shall be clarified besides discussions on any additional suggestions proposed by the tenderer

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M/s ITI Ltd. are to provide
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Logistic support including supply of documentation covering ‘User Manual’ and
‘Vendor Manual’
For the training of contractors
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Contractors interested in tendering in CPWD
Divisions to get the digital signatures and needed training through M/s ITI Ltd

Pre-requisites for Quality Control
1)
2)
In built provision in the contract for a system of continuous check on quality by the field staff and the contractor for ensuring quality of work
Availability of adequately manned and equipped agency for overseeing the quality aspects
3)
4)
Periodical appraisal of quality and
A system of feed back for effecting possible improvements

Quality Control Plan
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ii.
iii.
iv.
A ‘Quality Control Plan’ has to be part of the tender documents. This shall indicate
All the required tests to be done during the construction stage
All the relevant and applicable codes specifications and standards as well as the acceptable criteria for each of the relevant items of work
Materials used
The processes employed

Methods Statement
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Applicable for works costing more than rupees 10 crores
Approval to be taken by Contractor from Competent
Authority
The construction procedure for important activities of construction are stated, checked, and approved.
The ‘Methods Statement’ should have a
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• description of the item with elaborate procedure in steps to implement the same the specification of the material involved, their testing and acceptance criteria equipments to be used
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• precautions to be taken mode of measurements etc

Quality Control set-up in CPWD
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Independent Quality Control set up which keeps a watch on the effectiveness/adequacy of quality control measures at site and also provides guidance to the field engineers comprises of the following
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QA Wings in each region under the Addl. Director
General of the region
Core Wing at the Directorate under the Chief
Engineer (CSQ)

Organizational set-up of Quality Control Unit:
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The implementation of Quality Control in the field require close co-operation among the three agencies
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Field Engineers the construction agency & the Quality Control team at circle level
Components for Quality Control
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Quality control on input material
Quality Control on workmanship

Tests for Ensuring Quality of Work:
Quality of Brick Masonry :
For common burnt clay bricks, fly ash lime bricks etc. tests for i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Dimension
Compressive strength
Water absorption
Efflorescence
Common burnt clay bricks shall conform to IS-1077 and fly ash lime bricks shall conform to IS-12894
Other checks on workmanship i.
Adequate soaking of bricks ii.
iii.
Use of proper mortar
Raking of joints and then fully filling with mortar iv.
v.
Lines, levels, thickness and trueness of joints etc. in different masonry bonds
Adequate curing

Quality of Stone/Masonry :
For stone masonry tests for i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Water absorption
Transverse strength
Resistance to wear
Durability
Other checks on workmanship i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
Proper mortar
Raking of joints
Fully filling with mortar
Lines, levels, thickness and trueness of joints
Bushing in stones and
Number of bond stones
Height of individual stones as compared to width on face or the depth inwards
Dressing of stones specially at jambs, corners & sills and extent of use of spalls in joints

Quality of PCC & RCC
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IS 456-2000 Code of Practice for Plain & Reinforced
Concrete is followed in regard to concrete mix proportion under specified procedure
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Minimum M-25 grade of concrete is used in all structural elements made with RCC both in load bearing and framed structure
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To control higher rate of carbonation in early ages of concrete water/binder ratio is kept as low as possible which is closely monitored during concrete manufacture

The components of structural concrete i.e. water, cement, fine & coarse aggregate are monitored individually for their qualities
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Quality of water from each source tested before the commencement of work once in every three months subsequently for i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
pH value limits of acidity limits of alkalinity percentage of solids
Cement used in works is from reputed manufacturers and tested for i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
physical test for fineness soundness setting time compressive strength and consistency of standard cement paste
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Sand (fine aggregate) is brought from approved source and tested for i.
ii.
iii.
Field tests for Organic impurity and silt contents.
Particle size distribution and
Bulking of sand

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ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
ix.
Stone aggregate (coarse aggregate) is tested for viii.
Percentage of soft or deleterious material
Particle size
Organic impurities
Surface moisture
10% fine value
Specific gravity
Bulk density
Aggregate crushing strength and
Impact value
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ii.
After the concrete is manufactured at site using the ingredients through batch mix plant, there is a control on its quality for workmanship through the following tests:
Slump test for workability
Cube tests for compressive strength

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Steel reinforcement is tested for i.
i.
Reinforcement to be used is Thermo Mechanically
Treated bars for which physical & chemical tests are carried out
Form work (centering & shuttering) ii.
iii.
Steel tubes with extension pieces for built up sections of approved steel for Centering
Shuttering being used is of steel plates with sufficient stiffness
Shapes, lines and dimensions with tolerances checked i.
ii.
iii.
Checks on workmanship
Compaction of concrete
Placement of construction & expansion joints
Curing of concrete

• i.
Checked for any consignment for
Same group
• ii.
iii.
i.
ii.
iii.
Size and
Finish
Workmanship as regarding fixing of
Gun metal cramps
Copper pins &
Stone dowels in veneering work

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ii.
iii.
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Timber is checked for moisture content species chemical treatment
Flush doors are checked for
End immersion test
Knife test
• iii.
i.
ii.
Adhesion test
Workmanship as regards dimensions joinery work

• i.
ii.
iii.
Tested for
Tensile strength
Bend test
Flattening test

Quality of Flooring Work
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Terrazzo tiles are tested for
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ii.
iii.
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ii.
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iv.
i.
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Transverse Strength
Water Absorption
Abrasion
Pressed ceramic tiles are tested for
Dimensions
Surface quality
Physical property
Chemical property
Workmanship checked for flooring
Joint filling
Thickness of Joint
Laying with adequate mortar (check for hollow sounding)
Level of top surface

Ingredients for road work
Asphalt Mastic, Bitumen, Bitumen-Cutback, Bitumen-
Emulsion - tested for their grade and properties in accordance with IS-73
Coarse Aggregate, Fine Aggregate, Binding & Filler
Material, Screening etc – tests are performed on these materials to check their quality which are primarily in accordance with different IS Codes and IRC Standards in some specific cases

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Sustainable infrastructure - Infrastructure in harmony with the continuation of economy and environmental sustainability
The majority of existing infrastructure has great impact on the environment and some of these facilities are not sustainable. There is an urgent need to implement strategic changes in the provision of infrastructure
One way is to adopt the Green Growth, which is an approach to pursuing economic growth necessary for enhancing quality of life, while simultaneously minimizing pressure on the environment’s limited carrying capacity
This should be done by improving eco-efficiency of infrastructure development or creating more value with fewer resources and less impact or doing more with less

The definition of the term Sustainable Infrastructure encompasses
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Infrastructure Renewal
Long Term Economical Analysis of Infrastructure, e.g. Life Cycle
Analysis, Ecological Foot Printing
Modeling of land use and transportation for assessments of policies on emissions, energy use and reduce infrastructure costs
The protection of existing infrastructure from environmental degradation, e.g. reservation of historical masonry buildings
Material selection for sustainability – quality, durability and energy conservation
Making better use of so called waste water and materials
The re-design of infrastructure in light of global climate change
The remediation of environmentally damaged soils and water

The principles of sustainable development are
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Minimizing the use of non-renewable resources
Minimizing impacts on the natural environment
Protecting bio-diversity
Using renewable resources in a sustainable manner

Eco-efficiency is achieved by the delivery of competitively prized goods and services that satisfy human needs and bring quality of life, while progressively reducing ecological impacts and resource intensity through out the life cycle to a level at least in line with the earth’s estimated carrying capacity

Infrastructural development plays an important role in determining environmental sustainability since it freezes consumption pattern for decades to come. For example, developing highways in preference to mass transit systems implies heavy future fossil fuel demand for personal mode for transport and continuous growth of green house gas emissions
Need for greater integration of different development stages. Infrastructure development generally consists of several key stages
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Planning
Design
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Construction
Operation
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Re-cycling and disposal
Sustainable infrastructure could be seen as designing and maintaining buildings, structures and other facilities with an eye towards the source conservation over the life of the infrastructure. It also means testing new materials and practice that leave lighter impacts on environment yet are effective

The rise in income in many cities has produced dramatic increase in
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Per capita car ownership
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Per capita waste generation
Per capita levels of water use
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Energy consumption
Sewerage and industrial waste
Rapid and uncontrolled urbanization > tremendous pressure on urban infrastructure > requires its expansion > greater pressure on the environment.
Greater transport efficiency caused by rapid motorization in many countries > higher efficiency in productive activities > facilitating the development of industries and expanding national economies.
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Transportation problems today seems to relate more to having
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Too much rather than too little
Too much traffic
Too much pollution
Too many accidents and
Too much to maintain
Car ownership, rail & bus commuting and air travel all keep growing faster than the basic infrastructure to support them

Eco-deficiency varies with each transport mode . A comparative analysis of different modes of transport focuses on energy consumption and air pollution , especially of public and private transport.
Public transport in general and rail in particular is more eco-efficient than private vehicle. Congestion and its assessment in the economic terms by different agencies and at different places have shown that congestion costs lead to significant losses in the gross domestic product of some cities.
Other factors that have contributed to the growing congestion include the existence of
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Too many narrow
Poorly maintained roads
Piece meal road development
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Lack of road connectivity
Oversupply of curbside kiosks and hawkers, resulting in spillover of pedestrians and activities in to streets
In sufficient off-street parking; lack of land-use controls resulting in poor location of many traffic generating developments
Minimal enforcement of traffic rules which reduce vehicle speed and decrease road capacity

The measures and activities to improve eco-efficiencies in transport infrastructure may be guided by the following principles
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Increase the use of public transit
Encourage walking, cycling an other non-motorized transportation mode
Restrict the use of automobiles
Develop land use plans that minimized the need for travel
Depending on economic and geographical conditions, planners may also consider investing in new rail lines, bus systems and the development of methodologies to estimate traffic congestion costs that include environmental and social aspects

The construction of large dams, highways & land reclamation not only displaces communities but also endangers species that are endemic in the construction area. Building a dam for flood control and hydro power may provide significant economic benefits to the people in the community. However, constructing the dam would require extensive logging in the area and reservoir so created will most likely destroy natural habitats. Other possible threats of dam projects to public safety and environmental degradation include soil erosion, loss of wildlife, changes in the water table etc. Similarly while the completion of a highway in to rural areas would greatly increase the volume of trade in their areas while reducing transport costs but it does not come without a price on disturbance to the natural habitat as it requires input materials which are procured by mining, extensive logging and disturbance to natural drainage path besides a general interruption in the ecological balance of the area.
The location, alignment and size of such infrastructure if decided after extensive survey of the topography & ecology of the area and its in depth evaluation will enhance the sustainability.

Water, waste water and solid waste management infrastructure are environmental infrastructure which are characterized as high degree of public goods with intangible values and externalities.
The development of technology and enhancement of public awareness can provide opportunity for improved efficiency, e.g. water saving, waste water reuse technology and community based management in solid waste reused and recycling