SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 30 August 2014
STP158620140033

Feedback from the Source Improving Productivity on Construction Jobsites

Source

The construction industry relies on skilled trade craftsmen to transfer a concept from design to a physical built entity. In addition, construction jobsites are temporary workspaces. These two characteristics classify construction as a complex production, in which knowledge and experience are gained locally by individuals in the work environment. It also means that workers must adapt and coordinate in the local work environment in order to produce. Without a correct measurement system, the adaption and coordination and resulting information gained are invisible outside of the jobsite, which costs construction contractors and contributes to over $10 × 109 of unnecessary cost to the construction industry annually. ASTM's Standard Practice for Job Productivity Measurement (ASTM E2691-11) was developed to provide a measurement of task, project, and industry productivity. The practice provides ongoing and instantaneous feedback from the source of work on construction jobsites, which are the craftsmen. MCA, Inc. originally developed and implemented this measurement system over fifteen years ago and has seen results of minimum 20 % improvement in productivity on jobsites across the United States and Canada. ASTM E2691 describes how productivity is measured, monitored, and analyzed, and leads to other by-products of information gathered from the source. In addition, ASTM has published Manual 65 on how to use ASTM E2691 with several case applications. This paper explains how ASTM E2691 can be used by all stakeholders of the construction industry supply chain. The standard is explained and examples given for how it can be used by each stakeholder. In addition, a model of information entropy is introduced based on data gathered using JPM, leading to a new approach that can be used to reduce information entropy and improve the time, cost, and quality of construction.

Author Information

Daneshgari, Perry
MCA, Inc., Grand Blanc, MI, US
Moore, Heather
, Grand Blanc, MI, US
Price: $25.00
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Details
Developed by Committee: E06
Pages: 1–25
DOI: 10.1520/STP158620140033
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7618-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7617-1