Ouga, A D; Alinaitwe, H M and Mwesige, G (2020) Modelling block laying productivity on building sites in Kampala. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 25(1), pp. 109-128. ISSN 1823-6499
Abstract
Block laying productivity is an important factor in planning, scheduling and control of labour-intensive building projects with significant bearing on project cost and delays. Despite the wide application of block laying on building projects in Uganda, no study has modelled the productivity of block layers in terms of work output in comparison with individual attributes of block layers. This article explores the modelling of block laying productivity on building sites in Kampala based on an individual block layer's attributes and work environment. The data was collected using a specially designed measurement sheet filled on-site and a survey questionnaire to collect data on personal attributes of block layers from 40 building sites. In the estimated regression model, work height, number of porters per block layer and a combination of education and experience were significant at 95% confidence level. The results further show that neither education nor experience alone is important in explaining a block layer's productivity. Based on the results, it is clear that an experienced and educated block layer yields higher block laying productivity, which is important for project planning applications. These results are limited to building sites in Kampala, work heights not exceeding 6 m above ground level and 400 mm x 225 mm x 200 mm blocks.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | block laying; building sites; productivity; regression modelling |
| Index terms: | questionnaire, project planning, block laying, scheduling, building site, project cost, regression modelling, survey, work environment, modelling, Uganda, regression model, productivity |
| Subjects: | analytical methods, operations research, control systems, data collection methods, statistical analysis, building construction, site and location studies, Geography, economics, management |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Cost Management, Project Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Construction Materials, Engineering Principles, Organizational Design, Time Control |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here