Thomas, H R; Horman, M J and De Souza, U E L (2004) Symbiotic crew relationships and labor flow. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 130(6), pp. 908-917. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
This paper introduces a concept heretofore unrecognized in multiple crew relationships: symbiotic crew relationships. A symbiotic relationship occurs when the work pace of one crew depends on the pace of a preceding crew. Data from steel reinforcement activities from six commercial and residential projects in Brazil are used to demonstrate the negative effects of symbiotic relationships. The steel reinforcement on the case study projects was cut and bent on site. In this context, the pace of the installation crew's work (and hence performance) was dictated by the pace of the cutting and bending crew. The performance of crews with symbiotic relationships is shown to be consistently worse than when symbiotic relationships are not present. Symbiotic relationships are also tied to time buffers. There is better performance as the time buffer between crews approaches 5 days.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction management; labor; personnel management |
| Index terms: | case study, residential project, personnel, reinforcement, Brazil, time buffer |
| Subjects: | operations research, management, Geography, building materials, data collection methods, economic development |
| Topics: | Human Resources, Urban Studies, Construction Materials, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Time Control |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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