Quality management of construction products and building materials

Construction materials (VLXD) play a crucial role in construction activities and are among the decisive factors for quality, cost, and project completion time. With the advancement of science and technology, the quality of materials has been continuously improved.

Over the course of 45 years, from traditional construction materials like bricks, tiles, stones, sand, and cement, the Vietnamese construction materials industry now encompasses hundreds of different types of materials. These range from the most common to premium materials with good quality, diverse designs, sizes, and colors, catering to both domestic construction needs and export demands.

Recognizing the significance of construction materials, the Law on Construction in 2014 and related decrees have specified and amended various regulations regarding VLXD. To enhance and manage the quality of VLXD products, the Ministry of Construction issued QCVN 16:2019/BXD on December 31, 2019, which stipulates technical requirements and quality management for domestically produced, imported, traded, and used construction materials circulating in the Vietnamese market and utilized in construction projects within Vietnam’s territory.

Accordingly, construction products must ensure safety during transportation, storage, preservation, rational usage, and intended purposes. Organizations and individuals engaged in production, import, trade, and use of these products must accurately specify the types of VLXD products that align with the defined product categories in Table 1, Part 2 of the regulation. These categories include cement, cement and concrete additives, construction aggregates, construction materials, glass for construction, and other building materials.

If the product type is unclear, relevant organizations and individuals must collaborate with certification and testing organizations to determine the product classification. VLXD products specified in Table 1, Part 2 of the regulation must have Certificates of Conformity, Certificates of Announcement of Conformity, and/or notices of acceptance of Conformity Declaration documents issued by the provincial or central authorities responsible for construction where the organizations or individuals are registered.

The conformity mark must be directly applied to the product, packaging, labels, or quality certificates and technical documentation. QCVN 16:2019/BXD sets limits for technical characteristics and quality management requirements for construction materials listed in Table 1, Part 2, Group 2 according to the Law on Quality of Products, Goods Produced and Traded in Vietnam. The regulation does not apply to construction materials imported as samples, display items for exhibitions, temporary imported re-export goods not consumed or used in Vietnam, or goods in transit.

The subjects of this regulation are organizations and individuals involved in the production, import, trade, and use of VLXD products. Testing and certification organizations conduct assessment and certification of VLXD products, while relevant state management agencies oversee the quality of construction materials.