Determining Labour Productivity for Masonry Works on Construction Sites

Abstract

Over the last decade, construction productivity has been steadily declining due to the lack of a standardized productivity data base system. The aim of the study was to investigate the work technique in establishing the labour output for masonry works on construction sites. The objectives of the study were as follows: to identify the factors that influence skilled labour performance in masonry on the construction site and to determine is the labour output of masonry works. A survey and observational research approaches were employed. A questionnaire was designed to meet the requirements of the various objectives and was used as the primary instrument for data collection. A purposive and simple random sampling technique was used to select three sites and sixty respondents comprising site engineers, skilled and unskilled labourers and site foremen. The study revealed twenty-seven factors that influenced labour productivity and they were grouped into five components which were management, task, worker, temperature, and material components. The three sites visited observation recorded within the period of study, the total output area per day of blocks laid within an area of 55.64  at the site is 1.26/gang-day of which the gang consist of 1 mason and 2 labourers. The study's implications will eventually allow building contractors to identify the critical components to which to commit resources for contractors’ capacity development.