Improving construction productivity can result in significant construction cost savings and result in earlier delivery of construction projects.
There are numerous issues that impact construction labor performance and the related added cost of extended field in-directs. This article touches on some of the main issues that negatively impact Construction Labor Productivity. If these issues can be resolved, then there is a good chance that Construction Productivity can be improved.
The following listing are some of the leading issues that can many times negatively influence Construction Labor Productivity:
- Absence of Project Management / Construction Management guidance, communications and enthusiasm, together with lack of front end construction 7 and 30 day completion plan goals.
- Insufficient allocated construction man-hours in “baseline” estimate, that fails to recognize specific difficult / challenging work areas and the subsequent field in-direct requirements.
- Inadequate number of field supervisors, foremen, charge hands and gangers to adequately direct the field construction work force.
- Working in “Classified / Hazardous Restricted Work Zones” requiring worker protection, masks, booties, gowns, eye protection and specific safety monitors.
- Restricted access to site / work areas and lack of temporary lifts / elevators and hoists, blocked off / limited use of stairways, lack of scaffolding, cramped / tight working conditions, resulting in limited use of construction equipment.
- Performing construction activities in a facilities ongoing production / operating area, low productivity typically results from waiting for permits, hot tap authorizations and the like.
- Lack of qualified workers, construction labor turnover and worker absenteeism.
- Extreme weather conditions such as high and low temperatures that impacts worker performance.
- Excessive change orders / variation orders that results in working out of sequence and diverting vital construction resources.
- Widely spread out work areas that requires dedicated transport / busing for the construction workers to their work area each morning ad when they finish, this can lead to waiting time and logistic difficulties related to waiting for materials from specific laydown areas and the construction workers walking or needing to be conveyed to change rooms and lunch tents.
If some of these issues can be addressed then there is a good possibility that Construction Productivity can be improved.
John G. McConville CCP – John is the Operations Director of Compass International he has over 35 years of Project Management and Estimating experience.
Compass International Inc. is a Cost Estimating / Procurement Consulting & Publisher firm. Compass International, is known around the world as “the experts” on US and International Construction Costs, Global EPC Procurement & Construction Productivity. Our seven annual estimating / procurement books and PDF’s are available https://compassinternational.net/books/
Compass International serves the Oil, Gas, Chemical, Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical and Infrastructure / Commercial Construction Sectors.
John is the Author of (9) International Estimating and Procurement books, he is a Certified Cost Professional (CCP) with the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACEI).
Our services include production of (7) Annual Cost Databases, Estimate Reviews / Estimate Validation Services, Turnaround of Problem Projects, Independent Check Estimates for Owners and Value Engineering on a wide variety of US and International construction projects
For additional information contact: John G. McConville CCP – Operations Director of Compass International for additional information or comments: Telephone (609) 577 4505 or e mail [email protected]