https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0130
Quality Assurance of Prefabricated Concrete Elements
Oskar Jørgensen1, Ola Lædre2 & Jardar Lohne3
1MSc, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway/Project Engineer, HAB Construction AS, Vollsveien 19, N-1366 Lysaker, Norway, [email protected]2Professor, dr.ing, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NTNU, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-4604-8299
3Research Scientist, dr.art., Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NTNU, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-2135-3468
Abstract
Workplace crime in Norway’s construction industry is a growing concern, with social dumping, poor working conditions, and economic crime identified as major issues. Counterfeit materials and their risks to the environment, safety, and health receive less attention. Little research has examined how quality assurance (QA) systems in the prefabricated concrete supply chain address these risks. Quality failures pose a substantial threat to Lean Construction practices. This exploratory research aims to answer how QA systems in the value chain of precast concrete elements can be improved. This was investigated through 10 interviews, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of current QA systems. The QA systems of producers, contractors, and clients include factory visits, deviation management systems, audits, and certification checks. Most interviewees believe the industry is well-regulated and not likely to produce false materials, though one noted that "if they want to trick us, they can". Key weaknesses include untested materials, trust-based inspections, emissions manipulation, and lack of destructive testing. Taking into account limits to generalization, the study identified 24 improvement measures, targeting suppliers, producers, transporters, installers, contractors, and clients. Recommendations focus on addressing these gaps to strengthen QA systems and expanding the analysis to other materials in the supply chain.
Keywords
Lean construction, prefabrication, concrete elements, quality assurance, counterfeit.
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Reference in APA 7th edition format:
Jørgensen, O., Lædre, O. & Lohne, J.. (2025). Quality Assurance of Prefabricated Concrete Elements. In Seppänen, O., Koskela, L., & Murata , K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) (pp. 669–680). https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0130
Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:
Jørgensen, O., Lædre, O. & Lohne, J.. (2025). Quality Assurance of Prefabricated Concrete Elements. IGLC33. https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0130
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