SuperTek, a newly released real-time software system for validating geosynthetics installations, has been shown to dramatically reduce total technician time and the incidence of error.
The current practice of construction quality assurance consists of field technicians filling out paper forms on site, having the forms cross-checked at a later time and then double-checked again prior to certification. This linear process often leads to problems being detected days (or weeks) after installers have left the job site. Such errors can be costly.
“No one wants to find out after the job is done that their seaming logs are incomplete, that required destructs are missing, or worse—that they have a question for which they don’t have an answer, as by this point in time the liner is usually covered and will involve a costly investigation that is usually risky to the liner integrity,” said Glen Toepfer, CQA Solutions principal. “SuperTek eliminates this worry because it tells you in real time where you stand in terms of the data you need to collect. The technician works from a punch list and nearly everything the technician still needs to do is on the punch list; it is almost impossible to overlook a task or do things out of order.”
“Before your truck leaves the job site, you will know that all data has been collected and corrected, and that all repairs are complete. This is unprecedented in construction quality assurance and in this way we expect SuperTek to revolutionize our industry.”
In a recent field study, two technician teams worked side by side, one team using digital tablets equipped with SuperTek and the other team using traditional data collection methods (clipboards and paper forms).
The results of the field test were remarkable: the team using the SuperTek software produced an 18 percent savings in total technician time and a 97 percent savings in time spent on the preparation of data needed for certification. “This is just the known time savings,” said Toepfer. “It doesn’t include the time saved by not having to go back and correct mistakes. That savings, which can be exponentially greater, is impossible to calculate.”
SuperTek, developed and marketed by CQA Solutions, is now available to the industry after more than five years of research and development. The software measures and assimilates hundreds of validations and crosschecks, sending reminders and warnings to expertly manage project flow.
Among the features of SuperTek are:
- Real-time validations of all data
- Up-to-the-minute project punch list
- Roles & Permissions-based access
- Instant data exports for easy certification reports
- Remote project management
“We’ve been in this industry for more than 20 years, and it occurred to us that having the ability to verify the data in real time allowing you to have an impact on the construction as it is happening rather than finding out later, could be of great benefit to companies,” said Toepfer. “That’s the whole idea of SuperTek—using technology to reduce costs and improve project results.”
To learn more about SuperTek, call Joanna at (419) 269-1800 or visit cqasolutions.co.
CQA Solutions, a provider of construction quality assurance services, based in Toledo, Ohio.
