ABSTRACT
In recent years there has been a rapidly growing interest within the building and construction industry for the greater promotion of Quality Assurance (Q.A.)—formalised managerial methods designed to plan, monitor and control the achievement of quality [1]. The emphasis on quality assurance, thrust upon the building industry by B.S. 5750, the U.K.’s national standard for quality assurance has pervaded the thought of all who procure, design and construct buildings. As the origins of formalised quality assurance lie in manufacturing and engineering industry where benefits have been realised for many years, the development and application of formal independent (third party) quality
assurance schemes within construction has been slow to emerge. In general, the introduction of B.S. 5750 has led to much ambiguity and indeed controversy surrounding the true applicability of Q.A. systems to building and construction given the unique nature and characteristics that exist within the industry.
