RMCPCS – (Ready Mix Concrete Plant Certification Scheme) – The TUVI approach
The rapidly developing infrastructure of the nation around the 1990’s called for a systematic, centrally located manufacturing facility to cater to a rising demand for Quality assured product (Concrete). Technology made it possible to produce and supply solutions tailor-made to customer requirements with the advent of RMC plants. The RMC players formed the Ready Mix Concrete Manufacturers Association (RMC MA) in 2002 to address the needs of the manufacturers and the clientele One of the important targets of RMC MA has been to develop, maintain and continuously improve the self regulatory framework of quality of concrete. Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) a vital input in the infrastructure & building industry and therefore its quality is of great importance. For a third world country like India with huge infra projects in the pipeline the need for assurance of this product is primary.
Path to Certification:
Concrete is a special product, manufactured and transported, it has a defined life at that state before which it must be laid. Its quality and uniformity depends on the control over its manufacture. It must be produced with prescribed ingredients accurately mixed to specific proportions.
The quality of a ready mix concrete is a chain of requirements in both concrete stages -- fresh and hardened. To achieve these requirements, comprehensive quality control procedures are expected to be applied in the concrete batch plant as well as in the construction site to control processes related to –
- testing of raw materials
- concrete batching
- casting
- consolidation
- curing and others
There are two types of certification schemes available as follows :
- RMC Capability Certification based on the RMC Production Control Criteria
- RMC 9000+ Capability Certification based on Quality Management Systems as per ISO 9001 and the RMC Production Control Criteria
Benefits of RMC Capability / RMC 9000+ Certification
- Structured Approach for Concrete production
- Consistent Supply Chain - Clarity of Requirements from Specifications to Delivery
- Improved Process controls contributing to:
- Consistent product quality
- Improvement in effectiveness
- Reduction/Managing of product non-conformances to a Greater Extent
- Focused approach towards improvement in process efficiency
- Audit of Production Facility/Operations/processes by a 3rd party – An Impartial & Objective Approach
- RMC Capability Certification synchronized with ISO 9001 – An integrated Approach beneficial as ISO 9001 is mandated in infrastructure projects.
- Certification of Compliance – A major Indicative of the Plant capability to produce quality concrete on consistent basis thereby giving a competitive edge.