Analysis and Measurement of Buildability Factors Affecting Edge Formwork Labour Productivity

Labour productivity is affected by several factors, but buildability is among the most important. Nevertheless, a thorough examination of the literature revealed a dearth of research into the influence of buildability factors on labour productivity of in situ reinforced concrete construction, especially at the formwork trade level. Although edge formwork is an important labour intensive activity, most often, its labour cost is either crudely estimated or lumped within the formwork cost of other activities. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate and quantify the effects and relative influence of the following buildability factors on its labour productivity: (a) depth of slab being edge-formed; (b) slab geometric factor; and (c) type of formwork material used. To achieve this objective, a sufficiently large volume of productivity data was collected and analyzed using the multiple categorical-regression method. As a result, the effects and relative influence of the buildability factors investigated are determined. The findings show significant effects of these factors on edge formwork labour productivity, which can be used to provide designers feedback on how well their designs consider the requirements of buildability principles, and the consequences of their decisions on labour efficiency. On the other hand, the depicted patterns of results may provide guidance to construction managers for effective activity planning and efficient labour utilization.