The complexity arises in defining the construction quality due to its perception, based on inherent market conditions and their requirements, the diversified stakeholders itself and their desired output. A quantitative survey based approach was adopted in this constructive study. A questionnaire based survey was conducted, for the assessment of construction quality perception and expectations in the context of quality improvement technique. The survey feedback of professionals, from the leading construction organizations/companies of Pakistan were analyzed. The financial capacity, organizational structure, and construction experience of the construction firms formed basis for their selection. After statistical analysis of survey feedback it was found reliable and valid for the inferential purpose to the target population of construction professionals. The quality perception was found to be project scope oriented, considered as an excess cost for a construction project and keeping the rework minimum by qualifying the required quality tests, keeping the defects minimum by ensuring the specifications of supplied material. Any quality improvement technique was expected to address the financial aspects of the construction project for the employer and contractor, by increasing the profitability through reduction in overall cost, reduction in time, reduction in defects and improving the productivity in a construction project. The study is beneficial for the construction professionals to assess the prevailing construction quality perception and the expectations from implementation of any quality improvement technique in construction projects.

Cementitious materials, especially those with higher compressive strengths, provide relatively low toughness, tensile strength and strain capacity, and are susceptible to cracking under load and restrained shrinkage effects. These drawbacks were overcome through development of multiscale reinforcement systems comprising carbon nanofibers and microfibers for high-strength cementitious mortars. Multi-scale reinforcement of the high-performance mortar produced significant gains in the flexural strength and toughness, and abrasion and impact resistance. Microstructural investigations were also conducted in order to provide insight into the structure and failure mechanisms of high-performance cementitious mortars with multi-scale reinforcement.

Graphite nanomaterials would realize their reinforcement potential within cement-based materials when they are thoroughly dispersed and effectively bonded to cement hydrates. Thorough dispersion of graphite nanomaterials in the fresh cementitious matrix encounters challenges associated with the hydrophobic nature of nanomaterial surfaces and their strong tendency towards agglomeration via attractive van der Waals forces. Effective interfacial interactions with cement hydrates are further challenged by the relatively inert nature of nanomaterial surfaces. An experimental program was conducted with the objective of effectively utilizing both acid-oxidized and pristine carbon nanofibers towards reinforcement of high-performance cementitious pastes. Hybrid reinforcement systems comprising optimum volume fraction of carbon nanofibers and micro-scale fibers were also evaluated in cementitious matrices. The improvements in nanofiber dispersion and interfacial interactions resulting from acid-oxidation and use of proper dispersion techniques were found to bring about significant gains in the engineering properties of highperformance cementitious materials.