1 Scope

1.1 This Section establishes the administrative framework for quality assurance and quality control across the entire project and applies to all Contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers performing work under the Contract.

NOTE Quality assurance (QA) comprises the procedural and organizational measures that ensure the construction process produces conforming work; quality control (QC) comprises the verification measures that confirm completed work meets the requirements of the Contract Documents. (1.3)

NOTE In common practice on commercial and institutional projects, the Owner provides QA oversight through an independent testing agency, and the Contractor remains responsible for QC of its own work and that of its subcontractors. (1.4)

NOTE Establishing the reporting chain, cost responsibility, and corrective-action obligations in one place prevents the change-order disputes and testing gaps that arise when these duties are assumed rather than stated. (1.5)

NOTE This Section is the general quality framework; individual technical sections cite it and add system-specific testing, mockup, and pre-installation criteria. Where a technical section is more stringent or more specific, the technical section governs for that work. (1.6)

NOTE Special inspections and tests required by the building code under IBC Chapter 17 and ASCE 7 — including structural steel, high-strength bolting, concrete, masonry, soils, and seismic-force-resisting systems — are administered under the Statement of Special Inspections and are addressed by Special Inspections And TestingSpecial Inspections and Structural TestingResolves to the current edition.sync/special-inspections-and-testing; this Section coordinates with but does not duplicate that document. (1.7)

NOTE Electrical acceptance testing of switchgear, cables, protective relays, and transformers is addressed by Electrical Acceptance TestingElectrical Acceptance TestingResolves to the current edition.sync/electrical-acceptance-testing; functional performance verification of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems is addressed by CommissioningTotal Building CommissioningResolves to the current edition.sync/commissioning. (1.8)

NOTE The submittal and shop-drawing approval workflow is addressed by Submittal And Quality ProceduresSubmittal and Quality ProceduresResolves to the current edition.sync/submittal-and-quality-procedures; closeout documentation and turnover packages are addressed by Closeout ProceduresCloseout ProceduresResolves to the current edition.sync/closeout-procedures; temporary field facilities are addressed by Temporary Facilities And ControlsTemporary Facilities and ControlsResolves to the current edition.sync/temporary-facilities-and-controls. (1.9)

2 Definitions

NOTE Quality Assurance (QA): the planned and systematic actions established to provide confidence that materials and workmanship will conform to the Contract Documents, exercised primarily through independent third-party verification on behalf of the Owner. (2.1)

NOTE Quality Control (QC): the operational techniques and activities the Contractor performs to fulfill the requirements for quality, including self-inspection, in-process checks, and supplier control. (2.2)

NOTE Testing Agency (or Testing and Inspection Agency): an independent firm, accredited under ASTM E329, engaged to sample, test, and inspect materials and workmanship and to issue reports of the results. (2.3)

NOTE Owner-Furnished Testing: testing for which the Owner engages and pays the testing agency directly; the Contractor provides access, samples, and assistance at no additional cost to the Owner. (2.4)

NOTE Contractor-Furnished Testing: testing for which the Contractor engages the testing agency; the cost may be borne by the Contractor, paid directly by the Owner, or reimbursed, as stated for each test category. (2.5)

NOTE Mockup: a full-size example of an assembly, finish, or system, built to demonstrate aesthetic effect, qualities of materials, and standards of workmanship, and to serve as the acceptance benchmark for the corresponding work. (2.6)

NOTE Reference Standard: a published consensus standard (ASTM, ACI, AWS, ANSI, UL, and similar) cited in the Contract Documents to define acceptable materials, methods, or workmanship. (2.7)

NOTE Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ): the office, agency, or individual responsible for enforcing the requirements of the adopted codes and for approving materials, installations, and procedures. (2.8)

3 Referenced Standards

3.1 Materials, agency qualifications, testing methods, and workmanship shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited in the Contract Documents.

3.2 Where a referenced standard conflicts with the Contract Documents, the Contract Documents shall govern; where the Contract Documents are silent and two referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.

Standard	Title
ASTM E329	Specification for Agencies Engaged in Construction Inspection, Testing, or Special Inspection
ASTM C1077	Practice for Agencies Testing Concrete and Concrete Aggregates and Criteria for Testing Agency Evaluation
ASTM D3740	Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in Testing and Inspection of Soil and Rock
ASTM E543	Specification for Agencies Performing Nondestructive Testing
ASTM C1093	Practice for Accreditation of Testing Agencies for Masonry
ASTM D3666	Specification for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Testing and Inspecting Road and Paving Materials
ASTM C31	Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field
ASTM C39	Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
ASTM D698	Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil (Standard Effort / Standard Proctor)
ISO/IEC 17025	General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories
ACI 301	Specifications for Concrete Construction
IBC Chapter 17	International Building Code — Special Inspections and Tests

4 Submittals

4.1 Action Submittals

4.1.1 The Contractor shall submit the following action items for review and acceptance before the affected work or testing begins:

Testing agency qualifications: accreditation certificates, discipline scope, and key personnel certifications for each agency the Contractor engages.
Quality control plan: the Contractor's QC organization, self-inspection procedures, and the responsible QC manager.
Mockup schedule and proposed locations for each Section requiring a field mockup.
Pre-installation meeting schedule identifying the Sections that trigger a mandatory meeting and the proposed dates.

Action submittals requiredcheckbox

☑ Testing agency qualifications and accreditation

☑ Contractor quality control plan

☑ Mockup schedule and locations

☐ Pre-installation meeting schedule

4.2 Informational Submittals

4.2.1 The Contractor shall submit the following informational items as the work proceeds:

Test and inspection reports for each test performed, transmitted per the routing required by this Section.
Mockup acceptance records, including the dated written acceptance of each approved mockup.
Pre-installation meeting minutes for each required meeting.
Manufacturer's field representative reports for each assembly requiring on-site manufacturer attendance.
Written responses to failing test reports and records of corrective work and re-testing.

Informational submittals requiredcheckbox

☑ Test and inspection reports

☑ Mockup acceptance records

☑ Pre-installation meeting minutes

☐ Manufacturer's field representative reports

☑ Corrective-action and re-test records

5 Testing and Inspection Agencies

5.1 Agency Qualifications

NOTE A testing agency that is qualified under ASTM E329 for one discipline is not thereby qualified for another; concrete, soils, masonry, NDT, and paving each have their own discipline-specific accreditation standard. Listing ASTM E329 alone lets a Contractor engage a lab that is accredited in general but unqualified for the specific work. (5.1.1)

5.1.2 Each testing agency shall hold the discipline-specific accreditation standard matching each material it tests on the project.

5.1.3 Each testing agency shall hold current accreditation by A2LA or IAS under ASTM E329 for each discipline it will test on the project.

5.1.4 Accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025 shall be accepted as equivalent where it covers the specific test methods to be performed.

5.1.5 An agency performing concrete and aggregate testing shall additionally be qualified under ASTM C1077, and its technical direction shall be by a registered professional engineer.

5.1.6 An agency performing soil and rock testing shall additionally be qualified under ASTM D3740.

5.1.7 An agency performing masonry testing shall additionally be qualified under ASTM C1093.

5.1.8 An agency performing nondestructive testing shall additionally be qualified under ASTM E543 for each NDT method used.

5.1.9 An agency performing road and paving material testing shall additionally be qualified under ASTM D3666 where civil site work is in scope.

5.1.10 Each agency shall submit its accreditation certificate dated within 12 months of the project start, together with the resumes and current technician certifications of the personnel assigned to the project.

5.1.11 Field technicians performing concrete tests shall hold a current ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade I certification.

5.1.12 On federal projects, NVLAP accreditation under the applicable laboratory accreditation program shall be accepted where required by the contracting agency.

Required agency accreditation bodyradio

○ A2LA

○ IAS

● A2LA or IAS (either acceptable)

○ NVLAP (federal projects)

Discipline-specific agency qualification standards requiredcheckbox

☑ ASTM C1077 (concrete and aggregate)

☑ ASTM D3740 (soil and rock)

☐ ASTM C1093 (masonry)

☐ ASTM E543 (nondestructive testing)

☐ ASTM D3666 (road and paving materials)

5.2 Engagement and Cost Responsibility

NOTE The single most common source of testing disputes is silence about who engages and pays the agency for each test category. When a Contractor furnishes testing under a contract that did not say so, or expects the Owner to schedule a test the contract never assigned to the Owner, the result is a change-order claim or a coverage gap. The engagement model must therefore be stated explicitly per category. (5.2.1)

5.2.2 The Contractor shall not bury or proceed past work requiring inspection or testing until the responsible agency has performed and documented that inspection or test.

5.2.3 Where testing is Owner-furnished, the Owner shall engage and pay the testing agency directly.

5.2.4 Where testing is Owner-furnished, the Contractor shall provide safe access, ladders or lifts as required, samples, and the incidental labor needed to present and expose the work for the test, at no additional cost to the Owner.

5.2.5 Where testing is Contractor-furnished, the Contractor shall engage an accredited agency and shall submit the agency's qualifications for the Engineer of Record's acceptance before testing begins.

Agency selection method when Contractor-furnishedradio

○ Contractor's choice, qualifications submitted for acceptance

● Selected from Owner-approved list

○ Owner designates the agency

5.2.6 Where the agency is selected from an Owner-approved list, the Contractor shall obtain the Owner's written acceptance of the selected agency before commencement.

NOTE The cost of corrective work and of the confirming re-inspection and re-testing is governed by the Non-Conforming Work and Corrective Action section of this standard, which assigns those costs unconditionally to the Contractor regardless of the engagement model for the original test. (5.2.7)

5.2.8 The testing engagement model for concrete and structural work shall be specified as Owner-furnished, Contractor-furnished Owner-paid, or Contractor-furnished Contractor-paid.

Testing engagement model — concrete and structuralradio

● Owner-furnished (Owner engages and pays agency)

○ Contractor-furnished, Owner-paid

○ Contractor-furnished, Contractor-paid

5.2.9 The testing engagement model for soils and earthwork shall be specified as Owner-furnished, Contractor-furnished Owner-paid, or Contractor-furnished Contractor-paid.

Testing engagement model — soils and earthworkradio

● Owner-furnished (Owner engages and pays agency)

○ Contractor-furnished, Owner-paid

○ Contractor-furnished, Contractor-paid

5.2.10 The testing engagement model for finishes and other materials shall be specified as Owner-furnished, Contractor-furnished Owner-paid, or Contractor-furnished Contractor-paid.

Testing engagement model — finishes and other materialsradio

○ Owner-furnished (Owner engages and pays agency)

○ Contractor-furnished, Owner-paid

● Contractor-furnished, Contractor-paid

5.3 Scheduling and Notification

NOTE When the specification does not say who schedules the agency, the duty defaults nowhere — the Contractor frequently asserts it is the Owner's, which produces testing gaps when the Owner's representative is not on site. Assigning the scheduling duty to the Contractor, who controls the means and sequence of the work, closes that gap. (5.3.1)

5.3.2 The Contractor shall coordinate and schedule all required inspections and tests with the testing agency and the Owner's representative.

5.3.3 The Contractor shall give the testing agency and the Owner's representative not less than the advance notice stated below before each required inspection or test, so that the work is observed before it is concealed.

5.3.4 The Contractor shall not proceed with work that conceals a required inspection until that inspection has been performed or expressly waived in writing.

Advance notice for inspections and testsrange

hours

2472

Default: 48 hours

6 Authority and Responsibility of the Testing Agency

NOTE On most institutional projects the testing agency reports to the Owner so that the verification of work is independent of the party that performed it; a report that flows only to the Contractor can be filtered before the Owner sees a non-conformance. The reporting chain must be stated, not assumed. (6.1)

6.2 The testing agency shall report the results of all tests and inspections in writing.

6.3 The testing agency shall transmit each report to the Owner's representative, the Engineer of Record, the Contractor, and the AHJ where required, on the schedule established in this Section.

6.4 The testing agency shall notify the Owner's representative and the Engineer of Record of any non-conforming work it discovers within one business day of discovery, separately from and in advance of the routine test report.

NOTE The testing agency is not authorized to release, revoke, alter, or waive any requirement of the Contract Documents, nor to approve or accept any portion of the work, nor to direct the means and methods of construction. (6.5)

6.6 The testing agency shall not perform any duties of the Contractor's quality control function; agency verification does not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for the quality of its work.

Testing agency reporting chainradio

● Agency reports to Owner's representative; copies to Contractor and EOR

○ Agency reports to Contractor; copies to Owner and EOR

○ Agency reports concurrently to Owner, EOR, and Contractor

Maximum report transmittal time after testrange

business days

17

Default: 3 business days

7 Reference Standards and Their Incorporation

NOTE A "Reference Standard" in a project manual is one of the published consensus standards (ASTM, ACI, AWS, and others) cited to define acceptable materials and workmanship; the Reference Standards provision establishes how those standards bind the work and how conflicts are resolved. (7.1)

NOTE Specifying the "current edition" of a referenced standard without a date anchor allows a mid-project revision to change pass/fail criteria after materials are already ordered. Anchoring the edition to a fixed point — most commonly the date of Bid — protects the procurement that was priced against the documents in force. (7.2)

7.3 Where a reference standard is cited without a specific edition, the edition in effect on the date of Bid shall apply.

Reference standard edition basisradio

● Edition in effect on the date of Bid

○ Latest adopted edition at time of installation

○ Fixed edition year stated per standard

7.4 Where the Contract Documents conflict with a referenced standard, the Contract Documents shall govern.

7.5 Where the Contract Documents and a referenced standard impose different requirements and neither expressly governs, the more stringent requirement shall apply unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.

NOTE A reference to a standard incorporates only those provisions of the standard that apply directly to the specified material, product, or workmanship, and does not assign to any party any administrative or contractual duty that the standard may describe. (7.6)

8 Field Mockups

8.1 Purpose and General Requirements

NOTE A mockup is a full-size example built to demonstrate the aesthetic effect, material qualities, and workmanship standard for a portion of the work, and it becomes the benchmark against which the corresponding finished work is judged. (8.1.1)

8.1.2 This Section establishes the general mockup framework; individual technical sections identify which assemblies require mockups and add system-specific size, performance, and review criteria. The general framework shall not over-prescribe details that conflict with a technical section.

8.1.3 The Contractor shall construct each required mockup using the same materials, products, and methods proposed for the corresponding work.

8.1.4 The Contractor shall not proceed with the corresponding work until the mockup has been accepted in writing.

8.1.5 Accepted mockups shall establish the standard by which the corresponding work will be judged; work that does not match the accepted mockup shall be subject to rejection.

Sections requiring field mockupscheckbox

☑ Unit masonry

☑ Exterior wall assembly / air and water barrier

☐ Curtain wall and glazing

☐ Tile and stone finishes

☐ Architectural concrete

☐ Interior finish assemblies

☐ Roofing assembly

8.2 Mockup Location, Size, and Type

NOTE A mockup may be built in its permanent location and retained as part of the finished work, or built as a standalone sample and demolished after acceptance, or built and tested off-site before field installation begins; the choice depends on the assembly. (8.2.1)

8.2.2 Omitting whether an accepted mockup may remain in the finished work or must be demolished generates an RFI on nearly every project with a masonry or tile mockup; the disposition shall be stated for each mockup.

8.2.3 A mockup built in its permanent location and accepted may, where so designated, be incorporated into the finished work and shall not be demolished.

8.2.4 A standalone mockup shall be demolished and removed after the corresponding work is accepted, unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.

8.2.5 A preconstruction laboratory mockup of a performance assembly, such as a curtain wall tested for air and water infiltration and structural performance, shall be built and tested off-site before field installation begins where required by the technical section.

Mockup type and disposition (general assemblies)radio

● In-place, retained and incorporated into finished work

○ Standalone, demolished after acceptance

○ Preconstruction laboratory mockup (off-site, tested)

Minimum mockup panel size (finishes)range

ft (each side, square panel)

410

Default: 4 ft (each side, square panel)

8.2.6 The location of each mockup shall be as directed by the Architect. mockup location plan

8.3 Mockup Review and Retention

NOTE A mockup approval clause without a "deemed approved after X days of no comment" provision leaves the schedule hostage to the reviewer's availability; a default review window keeps the work moving while preserving the reviewer's right to comment. (8.3.1)

NOTE Retaining a mockup only at the Owner's discretion leads to premature demolition before all comparable work is installed and can be compared; tying retention to a defined milestone fixes the benchmark in place until it has served its purpose. (8.3.2)

8.3.3 The Contractor shall notify the Architect when each mockup is ready for review.

8.3.4 The Architect shall review and either accept the mockup or return comments within the review period stated below.

8.3.5 A mockup for which no comments are returned within the review period shall be deemed accepted.

8.3.6 Accepted mockups shall be protected and retained through Substantial Completion unless the Engineer of Record grants earlier release in writing.

Mockup review periodrange

business days

310

Default: 5 business days

Mockup retention milestoneradio

● Through Substantial Completion

○ Until corresponding work is complete and accepted

○ Until Engineer of Record grants written release

9 Pre-Installation Meetings

9.2 A required meeting that is not held before the affected work begins serves no purpose; the meeting shall be scheduled with enough lead time to resolve open items before installation.

9.3 The Contractor shall convene a pre-installation meeting before the start of each Section for which a meeting is required.

9.4 The Contractor's superintendent, the responsible subcontractor's foreman, and, where required by the technical section, the manufacturer's field representative shall attend each pre-installation meeting.

9.5 The party chairing the meeting shall record and issue written minutes documenting the attendees, the items reviewed, and any agreed deviations or open items.

Sections requiring a pre-installation meetingcheckbox

☐ Unit masonry

☑ Air and water barrier / exterior wall

☐ Curtain wall and glazing

☑ Roofing

☑ Waterproofing

☐ Tile and stone

☐ Resilient and resinous flooring

Pre-installation meeting lead time before first affected workrange

calendar days

721

Default: 7 calendar days

Pre-installation meeting minutes issuance timerange

business days

310

Default: 5 business days

10 Manufacturer's Field Services

10.1 Some assemblies are sensitive enough at installation or startup that the manufacturer's own representative must observe or direct the work for the warranty to hold. Where this is required in this Section but omitted from the technical section, Contractors argue the requirement does not apply to their scope; the requirement shall be repeated in the governing technical section.

10.2 Where required by a technical section, the Contractor shall arrange for a factory-trained or factory-authorized manufacturer's field representative to be present for installation, startup, or inspection of the affected assembly.

10.3 The manufacturer's field representative shall submit a written report of each site visit documenting the conditions observed and any deficiencies noted.

Manufacturer's field representative requirementradio

● Required for installation and startup of designated assemblies

○ Required for startup only

○ Required for inspection of completed work only

○ Not required (per technical section)

11 Quality Control by the Contractor

NOTE The Contractor's QC function is distinct from the Owner's QA verification: QC is what the Contractor does to build conforming work in the first place, while QA is the independent check that the work is in fact conforming. Both are required, and neither substitutes for the other. (11.1)

11.2 The Contractor shall implement a quality control plan that defines the QC organization, the self-inspection procedures for each major Section, and the responsible QC manager.

11.3 The Contractor shall perform in-process QC inspections at the preparatory, initial, and follow-up stages of each major work activity.

11.4 The Contractor shall control the quality of supplied materials by verifying that delivered products match the accepted submittals before incorporation into the work.

11.5 The Contractor shall maintain records of its QC inspections and make them available to the Owner's representative on request.

Contractor QC inspection stages requiredcheckbox

☑ Preparatory (before work starts)

☑ Initial (start of each activity)

☑ Follow-up (during ongoing work)

☐ Completion (before requesting QA verification)

12 Concrete and Aggregate Testing

NOTE Concrete is the most frequently tested material on commercial projects, and its sampling frequency and specimen handling are governed by consensus practice (ASTM C31, C39, and C1077). The values below are the common-case defaults; the structural drawings or concrete specification may impose more frequent sampling. (12.1)

12.2 Field test specimens shall be made and cured in accordance with ASTM C31, and compressive strength shall be determined in accordance with ASTM C39.

12.3 Concrete strength test specimens shall be sampled at the frequency stated below.

12.4 Concrete strength test specimens shall be sampled not less than once for each day's placement of each mix design.

12.5 Slump, air content, and concrete temperature shall be measured for each strength-test sample.

12.6 Concrete materials and proportioning shall conform to ACI 301 and the project concrete specification.

Concrete strength sampling frequencyrange

CY per sample set

50150

Default: 100 CY per sample set

Cylinders per strength-test sample setrange

cylinders

46

Default: 4 cylinders

Concrete field technician certification requiredradio

● ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade I

○ ACI Grade I plus Strength Testing Technician

○ State DOT certification (transportation projects)

13 Soil Compaction and Earthwork Testing

NOTE Compacted fill is verified against a percentage of a laboratory-determined maximum dry density (Standard Proctor, ASTM D698). Required density and test frequency vary by where the fill sits: general fill is held to a lower percentage than structural fill or subgrade beneath slabs on grade. The defaults below are the common case; the geotechnical report governs where it is more stringent. (13.1)

13.2 In-place density of compacted fill shall be tested at the frequency and to the percentage of maximum dry density stated below, determined against the Standard Proctor maximum dry density per ASTM D698.

13.3 Each lift of structural fill shall be tested before the next lift is placed.

13.4 Fill that fails to achieve the required density shall be reworked, moisture-conditioned, and recompacted, and shall be retested at the Contractor's cost.

Required compaction — general fillrange

% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density

9098

Default: 95 % of Standard Proctor maximum dry density

Required compaction — subgrade under slabs on graderange

% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density

95100

Default: 95 % of Standard Proctor maximum dry density

Compaction test frequency (structural fill)range

SF per test per lift

20005000

Default: 2500 SF per test per lift

14 Non-Conforming Work and Corrective Action

NOTE Without a stated re-test cost rule, the Owner ends up funding the re-testing of work that failed because of the Contractor's own error; assigning the cost of re-testing and corrective work to the Contractor restores the correct incentive. (14.1)

14.2 Without a defined escalation path and a stop-work trigger, an unresolved non-conformance can be covered up before anyone with authority is notified; the corrective-action chain must end at the Engineer of Record.

14.3 The Contractor shall respond in writing to each failing test or inspection report within the response time stated below.

14.4 The Contractor shall correct non-conforming work, and shall demonstrate the correction by re-inspection or re-testing, within the time directed by the Engineer of Record.

14.5 The Contractor shall bear the cost of all corrective work and of the re-inspection and re-testing required to confirm that the corrected work conforms.

14.6 The Contractor shall not conceal non-conforming work.

14.7 Where a non-conformance is not resolved, the Contractor shall notify the Engineer of Record and shall stop affected work until direction is given.

Contractor written response time after failing reportrange

business days

15

Default: 3 business days

Maximum correction time for non-critical deficienciesrange

calendar days

1445

Default: 30 calendar days

15 Coordination with Special Inspections

NOTE Where a project carries both a general testing agency under this Section and a special inspector under IBC Chapter 17, overlapping language about inspector qualifications and reporting chains creates confusion about which party owns a given inspection. This Section defers to the Statement of Special Inspections for all code-mandated special inspections. (15.1)

15.2 Code-mandated special inspections and the qualifications of the special inspector shall be governed by Special Inspections And TestingSpecial Inspections and Structural TestingResolves to the current edition.sync/special-inspections-and-testing and the Statement of Special Inspections, and shall not be duplicated by this Section.

15.3 Where a material is subject to both a special inspection and a general test under this Section, the Contractor shall coordinate the two so that each is performed once and reported to its required recipient.