Cevallos, O A; Jaramillo, D; Ávila, C and Aldaz, X (2017) Production and quality levels of construction materials in Andean regions: A case study of Chimborazo, Ecuador. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 22(1), pp. 115-136. ISSN 1823-6499
Abstract
An important economic activity in the province of Chimborazo is the manufacturing and production of construction materials such as clay bricks, blocks, pavers and petrous materials (aggregates). These materials must meet minimum quality requirements to ensure proper mechanical behaviour and prolong the lifespan of civil construction projects. In this study, the quality of clay bricks, concrete blocks, paving bricks and natural aggregates for concrete produced in all the factories of the province from 2012 to 2015 was assessed. The results obtained were compared with the quality standards provided by the Ecuadorian Institute of Standardization (INEN). All testing procedures for the characterisation of physical and mechanical properties followed the guidelines set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the British Standards Institution (BSI). This study presents the outcomes of the quality evaluation of construction materials produced in 258 factories located in the 10 districts (cantons) of Chimborazo. The study revealed that paving bricks and aggregates for concrete performed better than clay bricks and concrete blocks. The concrete block samples had the highest percentage of non-compliance with the specifications and the widest spread of the results. Quality problems in the production of construction materials were found in all the districts of Chimborazo.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction materials; Ecuador; mechanical testing; physical characterisation; quality control |
| Index terms: | society, standardization, construction material, specification, testing, mechanical testing, quality control, aggregate, lifespan, paving, economic activity, quality standard, construction project, case study, concrete block, mechanical property, compliance, Ecuador, physical characterization |
| Subjects: | contractual condition, material degradation and durability, material properties and characteristics, material analysis and testing, professional practice, production management, Geography, economic analysis, performance measurement, communities and social development, project delivery, data collection methods, building materials, health safety and environment, materials science, quality assurance, transportation engineering |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Project Management, Health and Safety, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Business Strategy, Contract Administration |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here