Despite the efforts of governments and firms, the construction industry is trailing other industries in labour productivity. Construction companies are interested in increasing their labour productivity, particularly when demand grows and construction firms cope with labour shortages. Off-site construction has proved to be a favourable policy to increase labour productivity. However, a complete understanding of the factors affecting construction labour productivity is lacking, and it is unclear which factors are influenced by off-site construction. This study developed a conceptual model describing how 15 factors influence the construction process and make a difference in labour productivity between off-site and on-site construction. The conceptual model shows that all 15 factors affect labour productivity in three ways: through direct effects, indirect effects and causal loops. The model is a starting point for further research to determine the impact of off-site construction on labour productivity.
MULTIFILE
The growth in urban population and economic upturnis leading to higher demand for construction, repairand renovation works in cities. Houses, public utilities,retail spaces, offices and infrastructure need toadapt to cope with the increasing number of residentsand visitors, urban functions and changing standards.Construction projects contribute to more attractive,sustainable and economically viable urban areas oncethey are finished. However, transport activities relatedto construction works have negative impacts on thesurrounding community if not handled appropriately.It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of heavy goodsvehicles in cities are related to construction, and 30to 40 percent of light commercial vans [1]. In the citiesstudied in the CIVIC project, construction-relatedtransport was found to be one of the biggest challengesto improving sustainability. Smarter, cleaner and saferconstruction logistics solutions in urban areas areneeded for environmental, societal and economicreasons. However, in many European cities and metropolitanareas the sense of urgency is not evident or alack of knowledge is creating passivity.
DOCUMENT
The labor productivity of construction projects is low. This urges construction companies to increase their labor efficiency, particularly when demands grow and labor is scarce. This blog introduces an overview that helps practitioners identify causes of low productivity to find and eliminate the root causes.
LINK
