IMPLEMENTING DIGITAL INSPECTION PROTOCOLS FOR ENHANCED QUALITY CONTROL MANAGEMENT IN HIGH-RISE CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

The rapid urbanization across developing economies has intensified the demand for high-rise construction, placing unprecedented pressure on quality control (QC) systems that remain largely paper-based and reactive. This study investigates the implementation of digital inspection protocols (DIPs) — encompassing mobile-based checklist platforms, Building Information Modelling (BIM) integration, drone-assisted visual inspection, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensor networks — as a systemic approach to enhancing QC management in high-rise residential and commercial buildings. Twelve high-rise construction projects in India (ranging from 18 to 54 floors) were monitored over 24 months, with six projects retaining conventional QC methods (control group) and six implementing DIPs (experimental group). Results demonstrate that DIP adoption reduced non-conformance incidents by 48.6%, cut inspection cycle time by 62%, and decreased rework costs as a proportion of total project cost from 4.7% to 1.9%. Defect detection rates improved from 71% (conventional) to 93.4% (digital), with mean defect-to-closure time reducing from 18.4 days to 6.1 days. BIM-integrated inspection workflows contributed to a 31% reduction in design-to-field information discrepancy. IoT-monitored concrete curing achieved 28-day compressive strength compliance rates of 97.2% versus 84.6% in control projects. These findings establish that digital inspection protocols are not merely a process improvement but a transformative quality management framework that substantially reduces project risk, enhances regulatory compliance, and supports sustainability certification requirements in high-rise construction.