The act of selecting and deciding which materials to purchase may prove to be challenging as there is a wide array of types of materials, brands of building products, and suppliers to choose from. It is essential in the success of the construction project in general that building materials are carefully identified and evaluated before they are purchased for use; this way, you are minimising (if not completely eliminating) the risk of cost overruns in the project.
In supervising the systems of selecting and purchasing materials for a construction project, it is necessary that you have sufficient knowledge of the different building materials, their different properties, how they are affected by different environmental factors, and the different requirements of construction industry standards.
For the installation or structure to serve its purpose, it is highly important that you can assess the suitability of the materials based on their inherent properties, environmental impacts, and tolerances when they are assembled with other construction materials.
The materials must not only be evaluated based on their quality, compliance and compatibility with other building materials, but their environmental performance and various properties must also be taken into consideration.
After you have identified the building materials, products and components that are necessary for the building and structural system involved in your construction project, you can start planning how you will carry out the selection and procurement process.
As the contractor or head of the project, you have the responsibility to be able to select materials that are not only of sound quality but also are suitable for their intended purpose. In doing so, there are still more factors and elements to consider to meet your desired outcome of this construction project.
There are very important considerations in selecting, and finally, procuring the necessary building materials. Some of these are their structural adequacy, safety, fire resistance rating, durability, and serviceability. In the same vein, the different ways by which materials degrade and deteriorate must also be considered before you finalise the selection of the building materials.
As you move forward to receiving the materials and components you have purchased, it is important to take note of how these will be stored in the construction site. Likewise, it should be assured that there are systems in place to receive the materials and inspect their quality. Should any of the construction materials or products deviate from the product standards you and the supplier agreed on, there must be further measures and processes on reporting and resolving the quality issues.
- You can check Standards Australia for various quality standards on building materials and other aspects of building and construction. Please note that to view the full standard, you need to purchase them. You can view them at Building and Construction – Standards Australia
- Click the link to view the roster of testing facilities and laboratories accredited by NATA on their website National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA), Australia.
- Should you encounter a suspected non-conforming building product (NCBP), you can lodge a query or report through ABCB here: Lodge a query or report a suspected NCBP.