Informatics Publishing Limited

Abstract

The construction industry is highly labour intensive, hence labour productivity is of critical importance to timely completion and profitability of the stakeholders. The continuous movement of labour for various purposes within the site premises is a critical factor affecting productivity. One such unavoidable purpose is the time required for use of sanitary facilities during productive working hours. Construction projects are dynamic in nature and provision of sanitation to optimise the distance travelled can be achieved by providing portable sanitation facilities. The purpose of this study is to prove the benefits (in terms of time saved and improved performance of labour) obtained from the provision of portable sanitary facilities during the different phases of construction at feasible locations (both on floor slabs and in the site premises) at construction sites. A systematic methodology was employed consisting of the following steps in sequence, viz. (i) selection of construction site, (ii) identification of issues to be surveyed, (iii) detailed data collection, and (iv) analysis and interpretation of data. Evidence was found that there is a substantial saving made in terms of time available for labourers, thus productivity can be considerably increased and hygienic conditions improved economically. The results when converted into monetary terms with respect to project completion were found to be economically favorable. The experiment was conducted on ongoing construction sites at different stages. Further research is required to determine the strategic placement of sanitation units using algorithms and various software. The result of this analysis is testimony to the fact the construction industry needs to pay more attention to ways and means of improving labour productivity.

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