249

INTRODUCING AND MANAGING QUALITY SCHEME FOR RMC

INDUSTRY IN SAUDI ARABIA
By Abdulrahman M. Alhozaimy
1
and Abdulaziz I. Al-Negheimish,
2
Member, ASCE
ABSTRACT: There is tremendous growth in the use of ready-mixed concrete (RMC) for construction in de-
veloping countries. In Saudi Arabia, the production and use of RMC is now widespread, but the quality of
concrete construction is still generally substandard. The RMC industry is not regulated or monitored. This has
contributed to a general disregard for the basics of good quality as well as cheating by some RMC producers.
To rectify the situation and to improve the performance of RMC producers, systematic external monitoring and
inspection is required. Recently, the Municipality of Riyadh has started implementing a mandatory quality
scheme for RMC plants operating in the city. The scheme was designed considering the difculties and con-
straints common to implementing a quality scheme in developing countries. This paper gives details of the
quality scheme as developed for RMC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Specically, the schemes objectives, its ele-
ments, as well as the major difculties and challenges encountered during its development and implementation
are highlighted and discussed. This schemes impact on the performance of RMC producers and the quality of
concrete produced during the rst two years are presented. The implementation of the scheme has resulted in
tangible improvement in all aspects of RMC operation and product quality. Based on the experience and progress
achieved so far, it can be concluded that a mandatory quality scheme can be introduced successfully into the
existing RMC industry in developing countries with immediate benets to the industry and its customers.
INTRODUCTION
Ready-mixed concrete (RMC) was patented in Germany in
1903, but it was only after the development of the modern
truck mixer in the 1950s that the supply of RMC became com-
mercially viable (Dewar and Anderson 1988). In the last 40
years, there has been remarkable growth of the RMC industry
in industrial countries. The worlds largest producer of RMC
is Japan with 182 million m
3
in 1992 followed by the United
States, South Korea, and Italy, with 160, 96, and 70 million
m
3
, respectively (Takeyama 1996). Recently, RMC use has in-
creased tremendously in developing countries. The acceptance
and growth of RMC use can be attributed to the following
factors (Dewar and Anderson 1988; Peurifoy and Ledbetter
1985):
Economy: quality concrete can be produced with mini-
mum added cost.
Quality assurance: The production and site process can be
carried out under controlled conditions that allow quality
to be maintained throughout the process.
Promotion efforts by RMC trade associations.
There is a worldwide emphasis on quality in all type of
industries including concrete construction. The interest in total
quality management (TQM) methods and techniques has in-
creased in recent years (Oakland and Porter 1995). The ISO
9000s quality systems have been adopted by companies and
businesses all over the world. For the RMC industry, quality
systems meeting the ISO 9001 requirements and following its
format have been introduced recently in the United Kingdom
(QSRMC 1997).
The conditions in developing countries with respect to qual-
ity improvement are less favorable, as most developing coun-
tries face problems with regard to product quality. The nature
1
Asst. Prof., Civ. Engrg. Dept., King Saud Univ., P.O. Box 800, Riyadh
11421, Saudi Arabia.
2
Asst. Prof., Civ. Engrg. Dept., King Saud Univ., P.O. Box 800, Riyadh
11421, Saudi Arabia.
Note. Discussion open until January 1, 2000. To extend the closing
date one month, a written request must be led with the ASCE Manager
of Journals. The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and
possible publication on May 14, 1998. This paper is part of the Journal
of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol. 125, No. 4, July/
August, 1999.
of the problem differs depending on the phase of industrial
development in the country. However, there are several com-
mon factors impeding the improvement in quality in most de-
veloping countries, including shortage of goods, constraints on
foreign exchange, incomplete infrastructure, and inadequate
knowledge (Juran and Gryna 1988). In Saudi Arabia, the last
two are the most pertinent factors.
Despite these challenging circumstances, the need for qual-
ity in developing countries cannot be overemphasized. Im-
proving the quality of concrete construction is particularly ur-
gent in order to save investment of billions of dollars annually.
This urgency is most apparent in the Arabian Gulf region
where the rate of deterioration of concrete structures is reach-
ing an alarming level. This rapid deterioration has been attrib-
uted to a harsh environment, poor quality concrete, and bad
construction practice (Cady 1986, The CIRIA 1984; Rash-
eeduzzafar et al. 1985; Pandya 1989). The current wide use
and acceptance of RMC instead of site-mixed concrete, which
was normally done without supervision, resulting in substan-
dard quality, has the potential of improving the quality of con-
crete construction in the regionparticularly if the RMC
quality is monitored and veried by an independent body or
agency.
BACKGROUND ON RMC INDUSTRY IN SAUDI
ARABIA
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, concrete is the dominant
construction material for all types of buildings and other struc-
tures. Cement consumption at the present time exceeds 16 mil-
lion tons per year (Cement 1994). This makes per capita
cement consumption in the Kingdom one of the highest in the
world.
Ready-mixed concrete was rst introduced into Saudi Ara-
bia during the construction boom of the mid-1970s. Since
then, there has been phenomenal growth in the use of RMC.
Nowadays, most RMC is used for most concrete construction
in major cities and towns. Currently, RMC use in the Kingdom
is, conservatively, estimated to be 20 million m
3
per year,
which translates into a per capita consumption of 1.25 m
3
. In
comparison, the highest per capita consumption of RMC in
the world is Switzerland, Japan and Italy, with 1.57, 1.50, and
1.23 m
3
, respectively (Takeyama 1996).
In Riyadh (the capital of, and largest city in, Saudi Arabia),
the rst RMC plant started production in 1974, and was fol-
250 / JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 1999
FIG. 1. Growth of RMC Plants in Riyadh
lowed by several other plants. The growth in the number of
RMC companies in Riyadh during the period 19751995 is
shown in Fig. 1. The number of RMC companies increased
from 1 in 1975 to 5 in 1980 and then jumped to 14 companies
in 1985 and 19 in 1990. In 1995, there were 30 companies
supplying RMC to customers in Riyadh. Ready-mixed-con-
crete companies in Riyadh have a relatively large production
capacity. The average weekly production varies from 2,000 m
3
to 7,000 m
3
. It is estimated that about 70% of the RMC pro-
duction is used by the housing sector.
Despite the tremendous growth in the use of RMC, the qual-
ity of concrete construction in Saudi Arabia is still generally
substandard. In recent studies, many RMC plants were found
to be producing substandard concrete (Al-Abidien 1992; Ar-
afah et al. 1995). This appears to be the result of widespread
disregard for the basics of good quality as well as possible
cheating by some RMC producers. The latter is further high-
lighted by the public complaints in the local press regarding
the quality of RMC.
A survey of RMC factories in the early 1990s (Al-Negheim-
ish 1993) depicted a rather gloomy picture of conditions in
most RMC plants in Riyadh. The results showed that some
plants lacked an operational quality control (QC) laboratory,
which is a basic requirement to ensure product quality. Fur-
thermore, about 50% of all factories acknowledged (not per-
forming any control) over concrete temperatures in the long,
hot summer months. The method of specifying concrete was
also problematic. It varied from plant to plant and, for the
same plant, from customer to customer, since there is no local
standard to cover this important issue. It was found that 52%
of all concrete produced in Riyadh was specied by cement
content alone, 36% was ordered on the basis of both cement
content and minimum strength, less than 4% was based upon
strength, and the remaining 8% was based upon mix propor-
tions specied by the client. The high percentage of concrete
specied based on cement content alone is worrisome since
no practical eld test is available to assure compliance with a
specication. Furthermore, ignoring concrete strength encour-
ages bad eld practices, such as the addition of extra water at
the jobsite, etc.
The attitude of most plants toward quality is still less than
satisfactory. The main reasons for this attitude include outright
cheating; lack of care; lack of technical knowledge; lack of
standard operating procedures; and the lack of motives, as
there are added costs without clear and immediate benets or
returns to the RMC plant.
To rectify the situation and improve the quality of RMC
production, a credible external quality scheme for the RMC
industry in the Kingdom is required (Al-Abidien 1992; Al-
Negheimish 1993; Williams 1994; Al-Medallah 1996). The
Municipality of Riyadh has recently taken the lead in this re-
gard by embarking on a comprehensive quality scheme to
make sure that local RMC plants in Riyadh produce and main-
tain good quality concrete. The scheme was started in early
1995 and covers all 30 operating factories. The main focus of
the Municipalitys scheme is an in-house quality control pro-
gram conducted by the RMC plants themselves, and supple-
mented by external checking, auditing, and testing.
QUALITY SCHEME OUTLINE
Difculties and Challenges
The introduction of a quality scheme in a developing coun-
try is sure to face many problems. In Saudi Arabia, the quality
scheme for the RMC industry was developed with the follow-
ing major difculties, challenges, and constraints in mind:
There were no local standard specications covering
RMC; therefore, interim regulations and requirements had
to be adopted.
The so-called quality infrastructure, such as professional
societies and accreditation boards, are still nonexistent or
in the early stages of development. Therefore, many ac-
tivities relating to the implementation of quality schemes
cannot be delegated to others as they are in developed
countries.
Most concrete testing laboratories in Riyadh are not ac-
credited. Inspection visits to some of these laboratories
showed there were major problems with their methods,
especially in regard to concrete curing and testing.
Unlike the situation in most developed countries, most
RMC producers in Saudi Arabia are small companies op-
erating single plants, which means limited staff with ex-
pertise in concrete technology and quality systems.
The majority of RMC customers in Riyadh are small
owner-builders who generally lack a basic knowledge
about concrete and its properties.
Scheme Strategy
Considering the fact that implementing a quality scheme in
the Kingdom is a new experience, and bearing in mind the
aforementioned difculties and challenges, the management of
the scheme adopted the following strategy during the planning
stage:
1. The quality scheme would be mandatory and cover all
RMC plants operating in Riyadh. In developed countries,
production of quality RMC is assured through either vol-
untary or mandatory quality schemes; however, a man-
datory scheme is required in developing countries as the
conduct of both producers and users has not reached the
level of maturity and professionalism of their counter-
parts in most industrialized countries.
2. The scheme would focus on random independent testing
of concrete and concrete-making materials. These sur-
veillance activities would be assigned to an independent
testing laboratory operating under the supervision and
direction of the scheme management.
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 1999 / 251
FIG. 2. Scheme Inspection and Surveillance Programs
3. Random sampling and testing of concrete would be re-
stricted to the plant. It would not be implemented at the
jobsite despite uncertainties regarding the technical va-
lidity of such practice. This was done to avoid legal is-
sues and disputes, which may undermine the scheme be-
fore it takes root.
4. The requirements of the scheme would be introduced
gradually to keep its impact on the producers and on
RMC prices as low as possible. At the start, emphasis
would be placed on rst-hand external testing and eval-
uation. Ultimately, a quality system similar to QSRMC
(1997), following the format and approach of ISO 9000s
series on quality systems, would be the target.
5. Both ASTM and BS standards would be used. For
strength testing, cubes in accordance with BS 1881
would be used because they are simpler to test.
6. The scheme would be self-nanced through annual fees
paid by RMC producers.
Scheme Objectives
The main objective of the scheme is to ensure that quality
concrete is produced by RMC factories in Riyadh. A survey
of RMC plants in Riyadh, conducted at the beginning of the
scheme implementation, showed no major improvements
over the conditions described earlier (Al-Abidien 1992; Al-
Negheimish 1993). Therefore, efforts were directed toward
achieving the following interim objectives in order to assure
quality:
1. Upgrading of plant equipment and facilities.
2. Documenting and exposing cases of intentional cheating
to help eliminate such practice from the RMC industry.
3. Evaluating the competence and effectiveness of the QC
staff in each plant.
4. Pressing plants to activate and improve in-house quality-
control practices and programs.
5. Categorizing plants into classes based on plant facilities,
capabilities, and quality record.
6. Setting up and implementing an annual plant of the
year award program to reward outstanding perfor-
mance.
7. Developing a database about the RMC industry in Ri-
yadh to help develop local specications for RMC.
8. Educating RMC producers and the public about the qual-
ity of RMC and important factors affecting this quality.
Scheme Elements
The scheme consists of the following ve interrelated tasks,
which are key to its success:
1. Inspection and surveillance programs
2. Schemes internal quality assurance (QA) program
3. Administrative and follow-up activities
4. Technical support and development
5. Public awareness programs
Inspection and Surveillance Programs
These programs, shown in Fig. 2, consist of plant inspection
and evaluation, validation and approval of mix designs, and
surveillance activities.
A preliminary plant inspection and evaluation is performed
at the beginning of scheme implementation, and an extensive
inspection and reevaluation are conducted annually thereafter.
The evaluation is done against checklists similar to those pre-
pared by the NRMCA (1984) and deal with the following as-
pects of RMC plant operations:
Site layout and environment
Material storage and handling
Batching and mixing equipment
Truck mixers and agitators
Hot-weather precautions
QC laboratory and personnel
Ticketing system
The mixes are validated and approved annually to verify the
properties and compositions of the standard mixes marketed
by RMC producers to the general public. The surveillance ac-
tivities involve extensive random testing of concrete and con-
crete-constituent materials. The program for materials sam-
pling and testing concentrates on the aggregate and water.
252 / JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 1999
Because most of the cement used by RMC comes from a sin-
gle source, limited testing was done on the cement to verify
its manufacturers data. Later, the certicate of the manufac-
turer was judged to be sufcient. The RMC producers mainly
use water-reducing and retarding admixtures (ASTM C494,
Type D) supplied by a few producers, and the technical data
supplied by the manufacturer were considered to be sufcient.
Aggregates are sampled from the material stockpiles at the
plant, while the concrete samples are randomly sampled from
the delivery trucks in the vicinity of the plant without prior
notice.
For concrete, the random sampling and testing are done one
to three times a month for each plant depending on its size
and production capacity. This extensive sampling and testing
was necessary because no reliable data existed about the qual-
ity of concrete produced by RMC plants. Furthermore, many
of the RMC plants in Riyadh did not have any in-house QC
activities or records; for those who had, the reliability of such
data was highly suspect. This program will continue with the
same intensity until the reliability and effectiveness of the in-
ternal QC practice at each plant are well-established and ver-
ied. On each sample of concrete, the following tests are per-
formed: (a) slump; (b) concrete temperature; (c) unit weight
and yield; (d) compressive strength based upon six cubes
(150150150 mm) to be tested at 7 and 28 days; and (e)
cement content of fresh concrete for some samples.
Schemes Internal QA Program
All testing and surveillance activities are conducted by a
local independent testing laboratory contracted by the Munic-
ipality. This was judged to be the most cost-effective way to
implement the scheme without major nancial burden to RMC
producers. There was no independent testing laboratory in Ri-
yadh with the accreditation for concrete testing by the Saudi
Arabian Standard Organization (SASO). Initially, considerable
time and effort were spent on verication and follow-up of
the independent laboratory procedures and methods until all
procedures were well-established and results were reliable. Af-
ter this important step, the following programs were adopted
to assure the continued reliability and effectiveness of the
scheme surveillance activities:
Periodic visits to the independent laboratory to assess the
adequacy of its practice with regard to testing and docu-
mentation.
Interlaboratory sampling and testing programs in collab-
oration with the laboratory of the Civil Engineering De-
partment of King Saud University to assure the proper
functioning of equipment and adherence to standard ma-
terial and concrete-testing procedures.
Review of all monthly and annual reports prepared by the
independent testing laboratory prior to sending them to
the plants.
Periodic inspection visits to RMC plants by members of
the scheme management team.
Administrative and Follow-Up Activities
These activities are the responsibility of the Municipality,
and include contract and budget follow-ups, correspondence
with plants and follow-up of any shortcomings shown on pe-
riodic reports, renewal of license and payment of dues by
RMC producers annually, follow-up of complaints and feed-
back from RMC companies, and issuance of nes to RMC
plants for noncompliance with scheme requirements. The Mu-
nicipality also undertakes all the documentation and archives
for the scheme.
Technical Support and Development
These activities are an integral part of the scheme plan and
cover the following:
Resolution of technical problems arising during scheme
implementation
Development of an RMC database in Riyadh
Analysis and evaluation of the collected data
Evaluation and monitoring of scheme progress and pro-
posal of modication and improvement
Preparation of guidelines for in-house QC by RMC pro-
ducers
Preparation of guidelines for categorizing RMC plants in
Riyadh
Preparation of requirements for the plant of the year
award
In addition, there are activities with broader scopes, such as
contributing to the development and adaptation of local RMC
standards as a result of the practical experience gained from
this scheme.
Public Awareness Programs
One of the unique features of construction in Saudi Arabia
is predominance of the owner-builder, particularly in the hous-
ing sector; this practice is expected to continue into the future.
The typical owner-builder is one with no prior experience in
construction and little or no knowledge in concrete or concrete
technology. Furthermore, the owner-builder assumes the role
of general contractor and sublets the various construction ac-
tivities to individual subcontractors, who, in general, do not
have any formal training in their trades. Under these circum-
stances, educating the general public about RMC and quality
becomes a necessity. Other targets of the public awareness
program are the RMC producers and the engineering com-
munity at large.
The engineering community and the general public will be
made aware of the Municipalitys quality scheme as well as
the need to seek the services of accredited concrete-testing
laboratories for inspection, sampling and testing at project
sites. Also, there will be public awareness programs concen-
trating on avoiding negative eld practices, such as addition
of water at the site, lack of proper consolidation, inadequate
curing and protection of concrete, ignoring precautions nec-
essary to produce quality concrete at the plant, and neglecting
the appropriate quality practices at project sites, especially dur-
ing the hot summer months.
The public awareness programs will be accomplished
mainly through the media, brochures, and participation in sem-
inars and workshops.
QUALITY SCHEME IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT
The implementation of the scheme in Riyadh started in early
1995, and all 30 operating RMC plants were enrolled in the
scheme. Below is a brief analysis of the schemes impact on
the quality of materials, RMC production, and improvement
in the QC/QA practices of these plants during the rst two
years (1995 and 1996).
Quality of Materials
The quality of raw materials used by RMC producers was
checked during the rst year of scheme implementation by
employing an intensive random sampling and testing program.
This was done to generate enough information in a short time
for a reliable database about the quality of aggregates and
water used by RMC producers in Riyadh. In general, the qual-
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 1999 / 253
FIG. 6. Typical Concrete Temperature for Plant without Water
Chiller (1996)
FIG. 5. Condition and Efciency of Water Chillers in RMC
Plants in Riyadh at End of 1996
FIG. 4. Conditions and Use of Water Chillers at RMC Plants at
Beginning of Scheme (Early 1995)
FIG. 3. Ambient Monthly Temperature in Riyadh during 1995
ity was found adequate; the program was modied in the sec-
ond year to concentrate on the clay and dust content of ag-
gregates, which were found to be a problem in most RMC
plants.
Quality of Concrete
As part of the program, a total of 950 concrete samples,
covering all classes of concrete produced by RMC plants in
Riyadh, were collected in the rst two years of scheme im-
plementation. The ndings from the concrete temperature and
strength testing are summarized below.
Concrete Temperature
The maximum concrete temperature is an important factor
in the production of good quality concrete in the hot and dry
weather of Riyadh. Fig. 3 shows a typical plot of the mean
maximum, mean minimum, and average monthly temperatures
in Riyadh. It is seen that January is the coldest month, while
July is the hottest month, and the hot months start in May and
extend through October. Summer is dry, with practically no
rainfall, while the autumn months receive only very little rain.
The relative humidity is very low, with a value of 15 5%
during the summer.
Considering the long summer months in Riyadh, all RMC
companies were instructed to take all the hot-weather precau-
tions necessary to produce concrete with acceptable tempera-
tures during this period. Water chillers were considered man-
datory requirements for all plants in Riyadh in order to
produce concrete in the acceptable-temperature range.
According to the detailed survey conducted at the beginning
of the scheme, only 30% of all factories in Riyadh had a work-
ing water chiller, and for those that had this, the efciency of
the water chiller was not known (Fig. 4). In the second year,
the efciency and effectiveness of water chillers and other hot-
weather precautions were evaluated through their impact on
the temperature of fresh concrete. For the purpose of this eval-
uation, a maximum concrete temperature of 32C was judged
to be a reasonable target, and therefore was used as an upper
limit for the concrete temperature at the plant. The results of
this evaluation are shown in Fig. 5. The percentage of plants
meeting the temperature limit was 54%. Also, 31% of the
plants with water chillers failed to meet the 32C limit. In
addition, 15% of the plants did not have a water chiller but
had taken positive steps toward acquiring one. These results
254 / JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 1999
FIG. 7. Typical Concrete Temperature for Plant with Effective
Water Chiller (1996)
FIG. 9. Typical Chart for all Compressive Strength Tests Made
during 1996 for Plant with Bad Production Control
FIG. 8. Typical Chart for all Compressive Strength Tests Made
during 1996 for Plant with Good Production Control
indicate a substantial improvement over the conditions pre-
vailing prior to the scheme. To further improve plant compli-
ance with the temperature limit, the schemes management
made shading of aggregate a mandatory requirement for all
plants.
Typical records of concrete temperatures during 1996 for a
plant without a water chiller and one with an effective water
chiller are shown in Figs. 6 and 7, respectively. Each point on
these gures is the average monthly concrete temperature
based on one to three samples per month. As indicated in Fig.
6, without a water chiller, the concrete temperature exceeded
32C during at least ve months of the year. These high tem-
peratures were recorded despite the fact that no samples were
taken in the extremely hot afternoon hours. The condition of
concrete temperature was much improved when an effective
water chiller was utilized, as illustrated by the data in Fig. 7,
which were all below the maximum limit of 32C.
Strength Testing
Traditionally, most plants in Riyadh specify concrete based
on the cement content alone. This practice encourages outright
cheating by some RMC producers as documented by previous
investigations (Al-Abidien 1992a). However, at the beginning
of scheme implementation, it was decided to continue with the
same approach and then gradually introduce changes to the
method of specifying concrete. The plants were allowed to
continue specifying concrete based on cement content, pro-
vided that they also specied the minimum strength they guar-
anteed for that class of concrete.
Data on the compressive strength of the most common class
of concrete (cement content: 350 kg/m
3
) was used to monitor
the quality of RMC production in every plant and to judge
compliance with strength requirements. The criterion that was
used to judge compliance was similar to that given in the ACI
code (Building 1995). The strength is considered satisfac-
tory if both of the following requirements are met: (1) No
individual strength test (average of three cubes tested at 28
days) falls below the specied strength by more than 35 kg/
cm
2
; and (2) every arithmetic average of any three consecutive
strength tests equals or exceeds the specied strength. For each
plant, a quality chart showing individual 28-day strength tests
as well as the running average of three consecutive tests was
prepared and updated monthly. These charts were used to
monitor compliance with the specied strength for this class
of concrete, and were also helpful in identifying plants lacking
proper production control. Quality charts for strength, typically
representative of plants with good and bad production controls,
are presented in Figs. 8 and 9, respectively. Fig. 8 shows the
chart for a plant with a good production control, which met
the specied strength all the time. Fig. 9 shows the chart for
a plant with a bad production control, which occasionally
failed to meet the specied strength. Plants that failed to meet
the strength requirements were given a warning and a penalty
for repeated violations. One plant was forced to close for fre-
quent violations of the strength criteria.
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 1999 / 255
Quality-Control Practice
The long-term objective with respect to QC is for each plant
to have an active and reliable in-house QC program. However,
a preliminary survey conducted at the start of the scheme
showed little change in the attitudes of RMC plants toward
quality compared to the conditions in the early 1990s (de-
scribed earlier). The QC practice of RMC producers in Riyadh
was still less than satisfactory. There were still many plants
that did not perform any in-house QC activities, and a few
others that didnt have even a QC laboratory. Therefore, to
begin with, it was decided to concentrate on the basic elements
of in-house QC programs. Quality control laboratory and staff
capable of performing all the routine quality tests on concrete
and concrete-making materials became mandatory. The re-
quired staff consisted of at least one engineer and two tech-
nicians with a minimum of two years experience and dem-
onstrated skills in concrete technology.
After the rst two years of introducing the quality scheme,
most RMC factories in Riyadh had a QC laboratory and a
minimum staff of one engineer and two technicians. However,
a recent periodic survey showed that improvements in the
quality and reliability of QC activities are still limited. Now,
the challenge is to work toward improving the effectiveness
and competency of QC staff working in Riyadhs RMC plants.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Despite the tremendous growth in the use of RMC in Saudi
Arabia, the quality of concrete construction is still generally
substandard. To rectify the situation, the Municipality of Ri-
yadh has implemented a quality scheme for RMC plants op-
erating in the city. It was designed considering the difculties
and constraints common to implementing quality schemes in
developing countries. Details of this quality scheme as devel-
oped for the RMC industry in Riyadh were provided. Specif-
ically, the schemes objectives, elements, as well as the major
difculties and challenges encountered during its development
and implementation were highlighted and analyzed.
The impact of the quality scheme on the performance of
RMC producers and the quality of concrete during the rst
two years were presented. Implementation of the scheme has
resulted in tangible improvement in all aspects of RMC op-
eration and product quality. Based on the experience and pro-
gress achieved so far, it was concluded that a mandatory qual-
ity scheme for RMC can be successfully introduced in
developing countries. Improving and strengthening long-term
commitment toward quality and the adoption of total quality
management by all plants operating in the city may prove to
be a more challenging task.
This scheme is the rst of its kind in the Kingdom and it
is hoped that successful implementation in Riyadh will en-
courage its adoption in the RMC industry all over the King-
dom. Ensuring high-quality RMC will certainly be a signi-
cant step toward improving the quality of concrete
construction in the Kingdom.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The writers wish to express their appreciation to the Municipality of
Riyadh for providing them with the opportunity to work as consultants
on the scheme. The cooperation and assistance of the rest of the scheme
management team is also gratefully acknowledged.
APPENDIX. REFERENCES
Al-Abidien, H. (1992a). The development of an effective system for
concrete quality control. Proc., Symp. on Build. Deterioration in the
Arab World and Methods of Repair, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 207218
(in Arabic).
Al-Abidien, H. (1992b). Approved supervised in-house quality control
in ready-mixed concrete plants leads to good quality concrete. Proc.,
Symp. on Build. Deterioration in the Arab World and Methods of Re-
pair, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 219227 (in Arabic).
Al-Medallah, K. (1996). Towards establishing a quality assurance pro-
gram for Saudi readymix concrete industry. Saudi Commerce & Ec-
onomic Rev., No. 25, 3031.
Al-Negheimish, A. I. (1993). Ready-mixed concrete practice in devel-
oping countriescase study. Proc., 5th Int. Colloquium on Concrete
in Developing Countries, 10471057.
Arafah, A., et al. (1995). Evaluation of design and construction practices
of reinforced concrete buildings in Saudi Arabia. Proc., 4th Saudi
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