Category: Quality Management

What’s that defect… Earthworks, embankments, cuttings and batters

From slope erosion and tension cracks to slips, bulging and drainage failure, earthworks defects can tell you a lot before a slope actually gives way. This post breaks down the common warning signs on embankments, cuttings and batters, and explains what to look for during inspection.

Earthworks are one of the quiet workhorses of the highway network. They carry roads over low ground, cut them through higher ground and support the verges, drainage and structures that keep the route open. Most sit there for years with little attention. That can make it easy to miss the early warning signs when something starts to go wrong.

Unlike a pothole or broken sign, an earthworks defect often develops slowly. It may start as surface erosion, a wet patch, a small tension crack at the crest or a slight bulge at the toe. Sometimes that condition remains stable for a period. Sometimes it does not. When deterioration accelerates, the result can be debris on the carriageway, loss of support to the road, blocked drainage or a full slope failure.

This post looks at the main defects you are likely to see on embankments, cuttings and batter faces during inspection. It focuses on what they look like, what usually causes them and what sort of response they tend to need.

What assets are we talking about?

For inspection and maintenance purposes, this part of the asset generally includes embankment slopes, cutting slopes, berms, ditches, crest drainage, toe drainage, revetments and some retaining systems that support the earthworks. On trunk roads and motorways these are usually managed as geotechnical assets. On local roads the exact asset split varies, but the practical inspection issues are much the same.

In simple terms, an embankment is raised fill carrying the road above existing ground. A cutting is ground excavated to take the road through higher land. A batter is the sloping face of either condition. Those faces may be grassed, left in soil, formed in weathered rock or protected with revetment, mesh, gabions or other systems.

Common earthworks defects

Erosion and washout. This is one of the most common defects. Surface water runs down the slope, strips fines from the face and starts to cut channels into it. On embankments that often begins where vegetation has been lost or never established properly. On cuttings it often appears where runoff is concentrated or drainage is poor. Left alone, erosion can steepen the face locally, expose weaker material and undermine outfalls, channels or service crossings.

Slips and local failures. A slip is movement of soil or fill down the slope. Failures can be shallow and near-surface, or deeper and more serious. Common triggers are prolonged rainfall, rising pore water pressures, poor drainage, loss of toe support, over-steepening, weak layers within the slope or loading near the crest. Fresh scarps, hummocky ground, displaced fencing, leaning posts and debris at the toe are all warning signs.

Tension cracks and cracking. Not every crack means the slope is failing, but a crack running parallel to the crest is one of the classic warning signs of instability. It can indicate that the upper part of the slope is starting to pull away from the more stable ground behind. Cracking can also appear from shrinkage, desiccation, settlement or freeze thaw action, so context matters. The concern increases where cracks are opening up, extending, holding water or appearing with other signs of movement.

Bulging, slumping and creep. These are all signs that the slope may be deforming, even if it has not yet failed. A toe bulge, terraced surface, bowed fence line or progressive downward movement of the face can point to softening, saturation, poor compaction, weak foundation material or long-term creep in cohesive fills. These conditions are useful early warnings because they often show up before a larger slip develops.

Drainage defects. Blocked ditches, silted toe drains, damaged crest drains, leaking carrier pipes and blocked culverts are often the root cause behind the visible earthworks problem rather than a separate issue. Water is usually the key factor. If it cannot get off or through the slope in a controlled way, the chances of erosion and instability rise quickly.

Settlement, heave and distortion. Embankments on soft ground can settle over time. Local settlement can alter the slope profile, disrupt drainage and create wet areas or depressions. Toe heave or outward spread can be a sign of foundation weakness or progressive instability. On some schemes the first obvious clue is not on the slope itself but in the verge, edge of carriageway or nearby drainage asset.

Rockfall and debris fall. In rock cuttings or mixed faces, deterioration may show as loose blocks, open joints, weathered wedges, overhangs or ongoing ravelling. Freeze thaw, water ingress, root action and past excavation geometry can all contribute. Even small volumes can be serious where traffic speed is high or there is little recovery space.

Distress in revetments and retaining systems. Stone pitching, concrete facing, gabions, reinforced soil facings and other systems are there to protect or support the slope. If units move, crack, open up or wash out, the material behind can begin to escape and the problem can develop quickly. These systems need to be looked at as part of the earthworks inspection, not as decoration.

What usually pushes these defects on?

Most earthworks defects are linked to one or more of the same factors: water, weak material, poor drainage, loss of support, poor original construction, vegetation issues, weathering and local changes in loading. Heavy rainfall is often the immediate trigger, but it is rarely the whole story. A slope usually needs an underlying weakness as well.

That is why the wet patch, the blocked ditch and the small crack matter. They are often the visible clues to a bigger geotechnical issue developing behind the face.

When does it become urgent?

There is no single national defect category that every authority uses in exactly the same way. The current UK approach is risk based. On local roads and the strategic road network, inspection and response times are set through the authority or network operator’s own regime rather than one universal list of earthworks defect codes.

In practice, urgency rises sharply where there is active movement, fresh debris on the road, loss of support to the carriageway, blocked drainage causing flooding, visible rockfall risk, rapid crack growth or anything that suggests people could be exposed before the next planned visit. At that point the priority is to make the area safe, protect road users and get the right geotechnical input on site.

What does a useful first response look like?

The first response is usually not a permanent repair. It is to make the situation safe and stop it getting worse. That may mean traffic management, cordons, debris clearance, temporary drainage works, covering exposed ground, isolating a failed outfall or keeping water away from the crest.

After that, the permanent fix depends on the actual cause. Common measures include drainage improvement, reprofiling or resloping, erosion protection, reinstating lost toe support, repairing culverts and outfalls, replacing failed revetment, rockfall protection and, where needed, geotechnical strengthening such as nails, anchors, reinforced soil or retaining structures. Monitoring can also be a valid response where the defect is understood, currently stable and being actively managed.

The one trap to avoid is treating every slope defect as a surface problem. If the water, geometry or support issue remains, the defect usually returns.

What should the inspector record?

A useful record should cover the location, extent, likely failure mechanism, proximity to the carriageway, drainage condition, evidence of movement, recent weather, effect on other assets and whether the condition appears active or historic. Good photographs matter. So does context. A small crack on a dry stable slope is not the same as a small crack on a saturated embankment above a live lane.

If there is doubt, escalate it. Earthworks defects are one of those areas where under-calling the risk can become expensive very quickly.

Why this matters

Highway earthworks often deteriorate slowly, but they can fail suddenly. Regular inspection, decent records and early intervention, especially around drainage, make a real difference. Many failures start with signs that were visible well before the big event. The challenge is spotting them, understanding what they mean and acting early enough to keep a maintenance problem from becoming an incident.

Addendum: a practical earthworks defect checklist

People often ask what an earthworks defect checklist actually looks like in practice. The honest answer is that it is rarely as neat as a pothole threshold chart. With earthworks, the real issue is not whether something looks untidy. It is whether the slope is starting to lose stability, whether water is making that worse, and whether the defect could affect the road before anyone gets back to inspect it again. That is why earthworks are usually judged on risk, rate of change, location and likely consequence, rather than one simple national measurement rule for every defect.

Simple rule of thumb
Water + crack + movement + proximity to traffic = escalate fast.

So, if you wanted a simple A4 cheat sheet to carry on inspection, it might look something like this…

Earthworks defects quick check

Use this as a practical prompt, not as a substitute for your authority or client inspection policy. If in doubt, escalate. Earthworks defects rarely improve on their own.

Treat as urgent if any of the following are present

  • Active slip, slump or bulge on an embankment or cutting
  • Fresh tension crack at or near the crest of the slope
  • Debris already on the verge, hard shoulder or carriageway
  • Material that is clearly likely to reach the road before the next inspection
  • Rapid deterioration after prolonged or heavy rainfall
  • Any defect close enough to the carriageway that loss of support is a realistic concern
  • Water issuing from the slope face, toe or a crack
  • Blocked ditch, failed outfall or saturated toe area
  • Retaining wall, gabion or revetment cracking, leaning, opening up or shedding material
  • Trees, posts, fencing or signs tilting with the slope
  • Exposed services or drainage damage caused by erosion or movement
  • Loose rock, rockfall or undercut material above the highway

What to look for on every inspection

Surface condition

  • Bare or exposed soil
  • Rills, gullies or washout channels
  • Loss of grass cover
  • Soft or saturated patches
  • Ponding or persistent wet ground
  • Erosion at the toe or around drainage outfalls

Signs of movement

  • Tension cracks
  • Crescent-shaped scarps
  • Bulging at the toe
  • Uneven, stepped or hummocky ground
  • Slumping or downward creep
  • Settlement near the crest
  • Dropped verge or shoulder line

Water and drainage

  • Blocked ditch
  • Blocked catchpit
  • Standing water
  • Seepage through the slope
  • Wet patches in otherwise dry conditions
  • Broken, displaced or surcharging outfalls
  • Evidence of water tracking down the batter face

Vegetation and root issues

  • Sudden vegetation stress
  • Loss of established cover
  • Heavy scrub or self-seeded growth affecting visibility or drainage
  • Tree root disturbance to walls, revetments or drainage features
  • Leaning or uprooted trees

Associated assets

  • Leaning fence line
  • Distorted safety barrier alignment
  • Cracked retaining wall
  • Failed gabion mesh
  • Missing stone fill
  • Exposed geotextile or erosion matting
  • Damaged toe protection

A simple severity guide

Monitor or routine repair

This is where the defect is present but stable.

Typical signs include light surface erosion, minor local vegetation loss, shallow cosmetic cracking from drying, or minor drainage wear with no sign of ground movement. These defects still need recording and planned repair, but they are not usually an immediate threat to the road.

Priority defect

This is where the condition is getting worse or beginning to affect stability.

Typical signs include erosion that is deepening, localised slumping, widening cracking, softening at the toe, blocked drainage affecting the slope, small debris collecting in the ditch or verge, or the early stages of wall or gabion distress. These defects should not be left to drift. They need closer review and planned intervention before they become a live safety issue.

Urgent defect

This is where there is active movement, clear instability or a realistic risk to the highway.

Typical signs include a fresh slip, a growing crest crack, bulging, saturated ground with visible distress, debris reaching the road, retaining structure failure, or any condition that may become a live-road hazard before the next attendance. This is the point where the defect stops being a maintenance issue and becomes a response issue.

What to record every time

  • asset type, such as embankment, cutting, batter, wall, gabion or revetment
  • exact location and chainage
  • side of road
  • approximate height and length affected
  • distance from the carriageway or hard shoulder
  • defect type
  • whether it appears to be changing
  • whether water is present
  • recent weather conditions
  • whether drainage is functioning properly
  • whether debris is present
  • photos showing the wider context and the close-up detail
  • any immediate action taken

First actions on site

Where safety is a concern, the first priority is always to protect the public and keep people away from unstable ground.

That may mean traffic management, coning, temporary barriers, an exclusion zone, or an urgent engineering review depending on the location and the defect. Loose material can sometimes be cleared safely, but unstable slopes should not be disturbed casually. If movement is suspected, geotechnical or engineering advice should be brought in early. Water-related defects should also be revisited after heavy rain, because that is often when minor warning signs become something more serious.

Final point

The defect itself matters, but the real question is always the same…

What could this become before the next person gets here?

That is the mindset that makes earthworks inspection useful. Not spotting that something looks rough, but recognising when a slope is beginning to tell you it is running out of tolerance.

Further reading: handy references for understanding earthworks

If you want to get beyond spotting defects and start understanding why earthworks behave the way they do, there are a few references worth keeping close to hand.

Some are formal highways standards. Some are practical safety guides. A couple go deeper into slope behaviour and geotechnical assessment. Together, they give a solid base for anyone involved in inspection, construction, maintenance or design.

1. DMRB geotechnics section

A good place to start if you work in highways. This is the main route into the current geotechnical standards used on the strategic road network. It helps put the whole subject in context and points you towards the core documents that deal with risk, maintenance and geotechnical management.

2. CD 622, Managing geotechnical risk

This is one of the most useful references if you want to understand how geotechnical issues should be approached on highway projects. It sets out the process for identifying, managing and recording geotechnical risk properly, rather than waiting for a problem to become visible on site.

3. CS 641, Managing the maintenance of highway geotechnical assets

This is the one to look at when the focus is existing assets rather than new design. It is particularly useful for embankments, cuttings and other earthworks already in service, where inspection, maintenance and deterioration are the real issues.

4. MCHW / SHW Series 600, Earthworks

If you want to know what good earthworks practice looks like in contractual and construction terms, this is one of the key references. It is the specification side of the story and helps explain what should be built, placed, compacted and controlled in the first place.

5. HSE guidance on excavations

This is a very practical read and well worth it. It covers collapse, support, battering, inspections, water ingress and working safely around excavations. It is written clearly and is a good reminder that ground can go from looking fine to becoming dangerous far quicker than many people expect.

6. HSE guidance on excavation and underground services

Also worth reading alongside the excavation guidance. A lot of earthworks problems and repairs sit right on top of buried service risk. This one helps keep that in view, especially where drainage work, slope trimming or local excavation is involved.

7. CIRIA C810, Natural slopes and landslides: condition, assessment and mitigation

This is a stronger technical reference for anyone wanting to go beyond surface symptoms and understand the mechanics of slope deterioration and failure in more depth. It is particularly useful where you are dealing with unstable ground, historical movement or longer-term mitigation.

8. CIRIA C574, Engineering in chalk

This is more specialist, but very useful where chalk is part of the ground profile. In some parts of the UK that makes it highly relevant. It helps with understanding chalk behaviour, classification and the implications for earthworks and cuttings.

A simple order to read them in

If you are starting from scratch, I would keep the order simple. Start with the HSE excavation guidance to get the safety fundamentals clear. Then move into the DMRB geotechnics material, especially CD 622 and CS 641. After that, look at SHW Series 600 for the construction and specification side. Once those are familiar, CIRIA is the next step if you want the deeper geotechnical understanding.

Final thought?

Earthworks are one of those areas where a bit of reading pays back quickly. The more you understand water, drainage, ground behaviour and early signs of movement, the more useful your inspections become.

You stop seeing a rough slope.

You start seeing what it might do next.

Quality Management and Avoiding Common Defects – Seasonal working with concrete

Winter working

Two different temperatures have to be considered when working with concrete in cold weather, firstly the ambient air temperature and secondly the concrete temperature at time of delivery. The definition of cold weather is a period during the day or night when the ambient air temperature will fall below 2°C. The BS and EN standard states that the temperature of the concrete should not fall below 5°C until the concrete achieves a strength of 2 N/mm² and that the temperature of fresh concrete shall not be less than 5°C at the time of delivery.

Therefore general good practice is to only place concrete when the ambient air temperature is 2°C and rising. However, following best practice and through early engagement with the supply chain, concrete could be placed down to 0°C with not unforeseeable risk.

  • Ensure batching facilities have heated water and heated aggregate bins.
  • Review sequence, logistics, materials and methodologies to ensure best practice is followed.
  • Remove frost from rebar and formwork before pouring.
  • Monitor the concrete temperature as it arrives on site. Reject any that is below 5°C.
  • Temperature must be 2°C and rising (sometimes 4°C and rising, check specification).
  • Apply frost blankets quickly at the end of the pour; avoid thermal shock when removing.
  • Concrete will be frost damaged unless 2 N/mm² or stronger.
  • Measure the temperature gradient for large pours; thermal gradient control (insulated shutters, quilts etc.) must be designed to control the thermal gradient.
  • Concrete will ‘go off’ slower. Allow more time for slabs and beams to cure, and measure strength before striking.
  • In wall pours control the rate of rise to keep shutter pressures as designed. Masonry and Render.
  • Temperature must be 2°C and rising (sometimes 4°C and rising, check specification).
  • Provide frost protection for minimum 24hrs.
  • Avoid retarded mortar.
  • Special admixtures can be used to accelerate the set.
  • For rendered elevations, ensure the cement particle board, insulation and render are applied in quick succession; the CPB and insulation will deteriorate in a day or less if exposed to bad weather.
  • Maintain moisture in wet mortar.
  • Cover completed work with polythene to avoid desiccation.

Summer working

Again with concrete pours that take place in warm weather the same two different temperatures need to be considered, the ambient air temperature and the concrete temperature at time of delivery. Ambient temperatures up to about 20°C should not on their own cause significant problems, especially in damp or humid conditions but when the ambient temperatures of 20°C and above are in partnership to low humidity and drying winds consideration of a more efficient curing regime is needed.

The target temperature of concrete on delivery from the chute should not be more than 30°C.

  • Make appropriate modifications to concrete mixtures to manage rate of slup loss, setting time and other characteristics. Retarders, extended set control admixtures, synthetic fibers or other proven local solutions may be helpful.
  • The consistence of the material is affected. The slump/flow/slump flow of concrete reduces more rapidly. If there is water added to improve the consistence it decreases the concretes compressive strength, potentially increases permeability and ultimately affects the durability of the structure.
  • The hot weather will accelerate the loss of moisture from the surface and therefore increase the risk of plastic shrinkage cracking. Consideration of some form of protection is needed. If using hessian and water, you will need to rewet the hessian frequently (up to four times per hour) to ensure that it is effective.
  • On hot or dry days when the conditions are conducive to plastic shrinkage consider dampening the sub-grade, pans and forms and reinforcement prior to pouring concrete, do not allow water to pond however during and after this process.
  • Check the weather forecast to pick the best time to pour. Consider starting large pours at 6am or earlier avoiding working during the hottest part of the day, often between noon and mid-afternoon.
  • As the concrete temperatures increase the setting time reduces and impacts the time to place, compact and finish the concrete. Consideration of more labour is needed to achieve the work and schedule the rate of concrete delivery to avoid overloading the labour and/or equipment.
  • Consideration of how to maintain the labour in hot conditions. On a hot day you need to have access to drinking water at all times to avoid exhaustion during manual work. Also, sunscreen should be applied before starting the pour.
  • Keeping equipment out of direct sunlight until it is required to lay the concrete is a small but effective measure. This will stop the equipment from heating the concrete while it is being poured.
  • Concrete will go off quicker. Begin final finishing operations as soon as the water sheen has left the surface. Apply curing measures immediately on finishing an area; on a large slab this will be while pouring is still in progress in other areas.
  • In large elements or rich mixes faster hydration of cementitious materials down to high ambient temperatures can result in higher maximum concrete temperatures and thermal cracking.
  • Changes in temperature of the concrete may also result in cracking particularly where concrete is placed on a hot day followed by a cool night.
  • With the increased rate of hydration the surface of the concrete will dry quicker which leads to premature finish being applied, trapping of bleed water and possible debonding of the top surface with subsequent flaking/de-lamination
  • Delays in transport should be minimised although in numerous cases this is a difficult task.

None the less when it comes to planning any pour with any amount of concrete you will need the knowledge and advice of an expert. Whether that is you, a contractor or your concrete supplier depends on your project, what you are doing and how much risk it entails. To avoid pouring concrete incorrectly careful consideration and forethought is a must.

Quality Management and Avoiding Common Defects – Pre-work considerations for in-situ reinforced concrete

In-situ reinforced concrete is expensive. Prior to starting there are some key checks, areas to set up, materials and pre-work processes to be considered but foremost to avoid any quality issues on site we should ask, “Has pre-cast concrete been considered as alternative?“.

Despite this we can’t always go with the factory controlled alternative so pre-start and pre-work considerations are essential here I list a few that I consider;

  • Ensure a complete specification for the site has been received addressing strength and durability; ensure mix designs have the correct cement type, water/cement ratios, work-ability. Its also important to check that all mix designs have been approved by structural engineer, materials engineer and designer, before works commence. Test the mix… if not then you’re not ready.

  • Ensure an adequate clean storage area is available before reinforcement is delivered. Rebar can get dirty, bent, lost and damaged from poor storage…

Poor Rebar Storage
Dirty, damaged and bent from passing traffic and mud splatter makes expensive delays from reordering or cleaning prior to concrete or fixing

  • Ensure that the cement type and delivered concrete temperature have been considered in the shutter design and the rate of pour. – We can look at winter working and summer working in more detail later but all these things factor into a successful defect free pour.
  • Have the number of mix designs been kept to a minimum? Its all well that you have multiple options and are they clearly named as more than once a wrong mix has gone into a pour only to have it broken out at a later date when you discover that the blinding mix is in a column.
  • Is testing equipment on site and operational and has the Lab been certified and checked? Do you have a cube tank and is that heated and operational?

  • If you have not carried out a plant inspection then it is well worth doing so as seeing the set up, location, routes to site and facilities is vitally important.
    Right set up for the job… go and look and check it out before you start. Remember if you have not carried out a plant inspection then it is well worth doing so as seeing the set up and facilities is vitally important and the purchaser assumes the responsibility for ensuring technical correctness
  • Plan large pours meticulously and early with concrete suppliers, your onsite batching facility, plant suppliers and subcontractors, etc. Be aware of the time between placing fresh concrete on already placed fresh concrete, taking into consideration heat developing in the concrete during curing. as the last thing that is needed is a defect.

Pour Planning...
Delays between deliveries, breakdowns and a lack of contingency can result in real quality issues.

  • Make sure that your method statements take into account precautions to protect against cold/hot weather, rain and drying wind and ensure the operatives and supervisors are aware of what needs to be done to protect the work.

This isn’t an exhaustive list and nothing can prepare you more than knowledge, experience and planning and just one last thing if that wasn’t enough… it is also important to note that it is the purchaser that assumes the responsibility for technical correctness of the concrete specification.

Quality Management and Avoiding the Common (and less common) Defects

Dip visible in NW kerb line
Structures settlement and the after effects on kerbs and surfacing can also affect the bridge joints, making this an expensive fix for the contractor if he has not managed to sew up the earthworks package and does not have supporting quality compaction records.

Poor quality in the construction industry is one of the most common issues that results in lost time and additional costs to a contract. Year on year it costs contractors millions of pounds, damages relationships with Clients, places additional pressures on Site Teams attempting to complete a contract or results in further intervention from Designers through lengthy reports. The implication of finding such workmanship issues can be carefully navigated through controls and an understanding of what is required and what is expected from the specification/design prior to putting people to work. As with most things any defects in construction require re-work to correct the problem and the longer defects remain uncorrected, the more rework we are likely to encounter and the more rework there is likely to be involved. Ensuring that the work force and supervision have the right skills and knowledge, right tools and materials and, following completion, the right protection will all help prevent this from happening.

In the next series of posts I have decided to look at specific issues with different activities and to compile a list of checks that can be undertaken by the Engineer or Supervisor, with some examples,  to help check and ensure that we are identifying the major and sometimes minor details that people miss when planning or executing an activity. As suggested earlier defects can be avoided by sufficient planning and adequate monitoring. Allowing enough time for the work to be done properly and in the correct sequence is always particularly important.

Excessive distance to the top step from finished level (maximum 675mm)
Poor control with cutting joints damaging permanent mesh on a parapet rail
Structures settlement to the parapet due to poor compaction

The first at avoiding common defects will look at one of  the most common and versatile construction materials used in civil engineering – reinforced concrete. Following on from that I will go through various other trades and activities which include;

  • Formwork
  • Falsework and Temporary Works
  • Pre-concrete Checks
  • Concrete Checks
  • Earthworks Planning, Bulk Cut/Fill Operations and Finishes
  • Drainage Planning, Pipelaying and Chambers
  • Roadworks – Type 1 Sub-base
  • Roadworks – Kerbs and Finishes
  • Surfacing
  • Sheet and Bearing Piles
  • Setting Out Checks
  • Landscaping
  • Safety Fencing
  • Signs
  • Temporary Works
  • Bridge Bearings

Whilst we review the checks that we should look in the coming weeks there are some simple first steps that can be implemented to ensure the right ethos is achieved with the team to achieve good planning, good leadership and a culture that promotes good quality.

  1. Ensure everyone knows and understands the contractual project requirements and specifications from the designer and the client or clients representative. No client wants a bad job.
  2. Always read the label – People should be encouraged to refer to British Standards, European Standards and Trade or Manufacturer literature. Instructions are there for a reason, if you don’t follow them it will not go well.
  3. Learn to recognise what good looks like. If it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t and don’t be afraid to stop the work if anything looks wrong. Allowing it to continue could cost more money.
  4. Make sure that everyone is qualified, competent and capable for the activity that you are planning to execute. Hiring a bricklayer when you need a joiner will never work. You should never assume specialist trades know what acceptable quality is, just because they come in a van with a logo on it does not mean they know what they are doing.
  5. Don’t assume a manufactured product is correct, always check what you pay for. Quality is still an issue in a factory, even where quality controls are stricter.
  6. Follow the Inspection and Test Plan set out by the Quality Team and Quality Manager, get involved with its production and complete quality inspection records as the work progresses. Quality can be as onerous as you like and sometimes those with the most letters after their name don’t always realise the workload they are enforcing on people.
  7. Ensure everyone understands the activity, the sequence and what is expected and always take photographs of the works as they progress and get sign off from those accountable or executing the work.

vlcsnap-2011-08-31-19h22m38s214
The Hidden Cost – Pipe damage – Early CCTV can avoid the need to excavate drainage well after installation, reducing costs and identifying defects early.

Making sure that we have enough competent supervision for the normal working week is essential before we move to increase working time to either weekend and/or night work as these are times when defects occur most frequently. We should also scrutinise our reliance on our supply chain and their ability to supervise and correct defects in the manor that we require, from painful experience there will always be a percentage that will not return to undertake the work so early intervention is essential.

Effectively its down to you to ensure that you are right first time because if you think quality is expensive…try building it twice.