Materials & Supplies

How to Check the Quality of Building Materials on Sale

Always check the quality of construction materials before placing a purchase order.

Updated on

March 26, 2020

building materials — All supplies should be accompanied by proper certification. PHOTO | FILE

While buildings should be shelters that protect us from calamities, these very havens may end up being the cause of untold misery if high quality construction materials are not used.

Defects or failures stemming from the use of low quality materials often lead to increased costs and delays due to reconstruction and in worst-case scenarios, fatal building collapses.

To avoid such headaches, it is important to check the quality of construction materials before placing a purchase order.

Here is how to check the soundness of building supplies:

Quality capability of manufacturer

Assessing the capacity of a manufacturer to produce high quality goods is crucial before procurement.

Manufacturer’s standard compliance certificates are a good way of verifying the quality of construction materials since third parties test the materials for compliance with the set standards and issue certification.

Appropriate packaging and storage

How materials are packaged and stored makes all the difference between maintenance of quality attained during manufacture and deterioration or damage before they get to the construction site.

Check the quality of packaging materials and the condition of the warehouse before purchase.

Proper documentation

All supplies should be accompanied by proper certification.

There should be a certificate of origin stating that the product has complied with specifications (materials and workmanship), an accredited laboratory test certificate, and a product-type approval certificate as well as approved quantity certificate.

Testing

Onsite tests and inspection of random samples are a fundamental way of checking the quality of construction materials.

There are several ways of testing whether different materials including steel, cement, sand, stone and concrete meet the required specifications for sustainable structures.

All these quality assurance measures will help ensure you have materials that will fulfill the function expected from them resulting in cost effective, strong and durable products.

Results from the above checks on quality of construction materials will help you determine their suitability for your project ensuring you come up with a safe and durable structure.