QA Plans for the Civil Engineer

Quality Assurance Plans: What They Are and How to Write Them

Written by: Lindsay Mooradian, P.Eng. | July 2024

Around the time of graduation from a professional engineering program, every civil engineer must take an oath. While the proceedings of this ceremony are a secret (seriously, we don’t talk about it to anyone!), it is well known that the outcome of the ceremony is the engineer declaring their duty to society and public welfare. Essentially, an engineer must do everything in their power to design with the public’s safety at the forefront. It is one of the reasons why Canadian engineers wear an iron ring (if you don’t know the story of the iron ring, I highly suggest you look it up as it is quite fascinating).

However, with this duty to society in mind, how do we actually know what an engineer has designed will keep the public safe? What safety checks are in place to make sure that bridge isn’t going to collapse under a certain force, or that water treatment system actually treats the water?

This is where a QA plan comes into play. A QA plan is critical in every civil engineering project to ensure public safety. It guarantees to the best of a QA engineer’s ability that the design engineer(s) have designed the project correctly, and to all standards and specifications.

Why is a QA Plan Important?

During the proposal stage or kick-off meetings, clients often ask the engineering team for their QA Plan, and there are several important reasons for this.

QA Plans ensure that the engineering team adheres to all relevant standards, codes, regulations, and legal requirements throughout the project. This helps avoid legal issues, ensure proper project design, and prevents project failures or rework. They also enhance safety by minimizing risks and hazards associated with field visits, testing, and the overall public safety of the design.

Additionally, QA Plans improve project efficiency by providing a structured approach to quality management, which in turn reduces the likelihood of errors and rework throughout the project. This efficiency helps with the completion of the project on time and within budget. Systematic checks, inspections, and testing in the QA Plan help identify issues early, preventing minor problems from escalating into costly redesigns.

Creating and following a robust QA Plan demonstrates a commitment to quality and reliability, which builds trust with clients, investors, regulatory bodies, and government agencies.

QA Plans also promote continuous improvement through built-in feedback mechanisms that help identify areas for enhancement. Reviewing the project throughout the design phase will allow for feedback and design improvements throughout the process. Reflecting on each project near completion allows the team to recognize successes and pinpoint areas for future improvement.

What is included in a QA Plan?

There are a number of important sections outlined in a QA plan and it is critical that each section is completed. It is also important to remember to adopt and adapt your QA plan to your specific project needs.

When writing a QA plan, be sure to include the following sections:

1. Quality Objectives – In this section, clearly define the objectives and goals for what will be acceptable quality throughout all phases of the project.
2. Scope of Work – Write a detailed description of the project tasks, requirements, and deliverables that are to be covered by the QA plan.
3. Standards and Specifications – State the technical benchmarks, standards, codes, and regulatory requirements that must be met throughout each stage of the project.
4. Roles and Responsibilities – Determine the QA team, and assign each member their role and responsibilities. Explain how the collaboration between design engineers, QA engineers, and stakeholders will occur.
5. Inspection and Testing Procedures – Outline the specific methods and frequency of design verifications, validations, and inspections that need to be conducted during field work, and design lifecycle to ensure compliance with all standards and specifications. Outline what methods that will be used throughout the project for risk management and mitigation.
6. Documentation and Reporting – Documentation through the QA phase is very important. State the guidelines for how records of inspections, design reviews, test results, and corrective actions are going to be documented and maintained. What are the best practices for record-keeping and version control that will be used.
7. Non-Conformance Management – Outline any procedures for how to identify, report, and resolve any deviations from quality standards. Detail how you will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective actions that were taken when non-conformances occur.
8. Continuous Improvement, Review, and Approval – What strategies will you implement to allow for ongoing evaluation (review and approval) throughout the project to ensure standards and specifications are being met and stakeholders will buy-in and sign-off. What checkpoints will you set up throughout the project for QA reviews and audits be conducted.

Conclusion

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