QA/QC Practices
Quality assurance is the system that prevents defects; quality control is the measurement that proves it worked. This guide collects the questions our consulting and training clients ask most about running QA/QC on Indian construction sites — how often to cast cubes on an RMC pour, what IS 456 Table 11 actually requires before concrete is accepted, when a low result becomes a non-conformity, and how trial mixes relate to an approved design mix.
Every answer is referenced to the governing clause of IS 456:2000, IS 516 (Part 1/Sec 1):2018 or IS 10262:2019 — and each answer links to a free calculator you can run on site with your own numbers.
The 10 most-asked questions — click any question for the full code-referenced answer
- A-1 What is the difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)?
- A-2 How often should cube tests be conducted on an RMC pour?
- A-3 What is the acceptance criteria for 28-day compressive strength as per IS 456?
- A-4 How many cubes should be cast per sample as per IS 516?
- A-5 What is the role of a Quality Plan in construction projects?
- A-6 How is compressive strength tested as per IS 516?
- A-7 What are common causes of low cube strength and how are they investigated?
- A-8 How should concrete cubes be cured before testing?
- A-9 What is the difference between trial mixes and approved mix designs?
- A-10 How are non-conformities (NCRs) documented and closed?
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