2. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
Existing construction productivity
measurement techniques are not
capable of providing the real-time
productivity data to project managers
and engineers for analyses and
sharing the data among participants
involved in construction operations.
3. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
On-site productivity problems cannot be taken
just in time.
To address these shortfalls, the Wireless Real-
time Productivity Measurement (WRITE)
System was developed.
it can measure the on-site construction
productivity in real time.
In addition, an on-site construction productivity
improvement model using the WRITE System
and the benchmark data was developed.
4. WRITE System
Objective Approach-
The real-time productivity data measured by
the WRITE System was compared to the
benchmark productivity data.
The results of the comparison provided the
necessary information for:
project management team to determine if
immediate actions should be taken
5. WRITE System
Secondly, it provides an advanced
technology for managers to determine on-
site construction productivity in real time.
Improving on-site could be taken just in time
if needed.
These advancements enhance the
contractors’ capability of managing
construction projects.
6. WRITE System
Productivity data have been widely used as
performance indicators:
to evaluate construction operations throughout
the entire phase of construction.
Construction companies must continuously
track productivity in order to measure their
performance.
1. Maintain profitability
2. Prepare future biddings
7. WRITE System
Measuring productivity on site has been an
important task in the construction industry.
In the past many On-site productivity
measurement techniques have been developed.
They include:
questionnaires
stopwatch studies
photography
time-lapse videos
video-taping
8. WRITE System
In recent years, real-time
monitoring systems have become
key methods to reduce the gap
between:
1. Actual
2. planned production rates
In an effective way.
9. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
A real-time video system was
developed by Everett and
Slocum.
For monitor lifting activities of
crane in attempts to improve both
productivity and safety of crane
operations.
10. WRITE System
Since 2000,
wireless technologies, such as:
global positioning system (GPS)
radio frequency identification (RFID)
system, were utilized
Have been adopted in construction In
order to track the current status of the
resources and activities.
11. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
A GPS technology was used to
automatically measure earthmoving
performance.
It is by identifying the locations of
equipment at regular time intervals,
Converting the information into project
productivity (Navon and Shpatnitsky
2005).
12. WRITE System
A web-based camera was used to
monitor interior construction operations.
This web-based network technology
produced an opportunity to avoid using a
wired network connection.
In a congested construction jobsite not a
good idea (Kang and Choi 2005).
13. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
Existing on-site construction productivity
measurement methods have some
common limitations.
They are unable to provide the real-time
productivity data for analyses, and
sharing the data among participants.
14. WRITE System
DEVELOPMENT OF WRITE SYTEM
The developed WRITE system
includes:
A video camera;
a digital camera;
a data processor;
15. WRITE System
an AC transformer;
two antennas;
A laptop computer as shown in Fig 1.
The preliminary test results indicated that
the developed system can measure the
on-site construction productivity accurately
(Kim 2008)
18. Development of the Productivity
Improvement Model
After building the WRITE System;
a model for the on-site construction
productivity improvement was developed.
In this model:
the first task is to collect pictorial data in
the construction site using the WRITE
System.
19. Development of the Productivity
Improvement Model
The second task is:
to determine the real-time productivity
data which is the ratio of working and
nonworking time.
The third task is:
to compare the real-time productivity data
with the productivity benchmark data.
20. WRITE System
During the comparison,
Management team MUST answer two
questions, and then make productivity
improvement decisions accordingly.
The first question
whether the real-time productivity data is
higher than the benchmark data at which
action should be taken.
21. WRITE System
If the answer for this question is no,
management needs to take action
immediately to improve the on-site
productivity.
If it is yes,
management goes to the next stage to
compare the real-time data with the
acceptable benchmark data.
22. WRITE System
If the real-time data is > than the acceptable
benchmark data,
No action is needed.
Otherwise, management needs to be aware that
action may be needed in the near future.
It follows with a close monitoring at the construction
site.
The developed model can be utilized for the entire
period of construction or for the segments of
construction.
23.
24. WRITE System
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
The work breakdown structure (WBS) has
been widely used to manage the project.
WBS is defined as “a deliverable-oriented
grouping of project elements”.
which organizes and defines the hierarchical
structure of the entire project (Jung and Woo
2004).
25. WRITE System
It is often used in the complex
construction projects.
To identify project information.
Improve the efficiency of control
processes.
26. WRITE System
A WBS shows the relationship of all
project activities.
It is at important and decisive levels.
WBS makes each activity more
manageable and measurable.
The number of levels depends on the
size and complexity of the projects (U.S.
Department of Energy 1997).
27. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
The bridge reconstruction project used in
the field experiments was broken down
into four levels. They are:
including Level 1 (project)
Level 2 (work zone)
Level 3 (activity)
and Level 4 (operation)
Examples of the levels of steel girder
bridge WBSs are shown in Table 1.
28. Table 1. WBS for steel girder bridge reconstruction
Level 1 (Project) Level 2 (Work Zone) Level 3 (Activity) Level 4
(Operation)
Steel Girder Bridge General Mobilization Set up Crane
Abutment Traffic Control Moving concrete safety barrier
Pier 1 Demolition Driving pile
Pier 2 Excavation Forming
Pier 3 Abutment 1 Structural excavation
North side Abutment 2 Slope protection (filter fabric and rock)
South side Pier Drill Shafts Set bearing devices
Span 1 Pier Columns Unload beams
Span 2 Pier Cap Set beams
Span 3 Slope protection Install diaphragms
Span 4 Beam Setting Bolting and tightening splice
Deck Forming Ground splice
Reinforcing Deck Prepare deck material
Bridge Barrier Rail Prepare deck forming
Concrete Barrier Overhangs
Backfill Abutments Strip
Approach road Place backwall (strip drain & backfill)
Tying rebar
Pouring and curing
Others
Strip and check elevation
29. WRITE System
Determining Productivity Benchmark Data
Benchmarking has been used as a tool to
improve productivity since the early 1980s.
The Construction Industry Institute (CII) has
established construction productivity metrics
and a reporting format for construction
productivity benchmarking and improvement
(Han et al. 2005).
30. WRITE System
Actual working time of construction
workers is at 56% in nuclear plant
construction projects (Hewage and
Ruwanpura 2006).
Christian and Hachey (1995)
studied concrete-placement
operations. Their finding showed
that:
31. WRITE System
There are 61% working time and
39% nonworking time.
According to the previous
research projects, the ratio of
working time and nonworking time
ranges approximately from 50:50
to 60:40.
32. WRITE System
There is no consensus on the
acceptance ratio of working time verse
nonworking time in the construction
industry.
because construction projects have
different natures such as different
types of projects, activities, and
operations.
33. WRITE System
Productive and non-productive
time for five bridge operations
were identified as:
deck forming
tying rebar
installing finisher
34. WRITE System
backfilling
and placing approach road footing.
A total of 66 hours of video tapes were
recorded using the WRITE System to
determine the productivity rates for the
five bridge operations.
35. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
These videos were all taken zoomed-in to
clearly identify:
the productive time;
nonworking;
time for each operation.
The ratio of productive and non-productive
time was: 86% and 14% on average as
shown in Table 2.
36. WRITE System
Table 2. Ratio of working and nonworking time determined by
the WRITE System
Operation Time (Second) Percentage (%)
Time Nonworking(nonproductive)
Time Working
Time Nonworking
Time
Deck forming 24,720 2,160 92 8
Tying rebar 40,320 5,880 87 13
Installing finisher 71,230 21,100 77 23
Placing backwall, strip drain, and backfill 44,850 1,950 96
4
Grade and tie approach road footing 21,275 2,725 89 11
Total 202,395 33,815 86 14
37. WRITE System
The benchmark data were based on
professional intuitions about rates of
working time and nonworking time for
each of the five bridge construction
operations.
38. WRITE System
Table 3. List of survey construction
professionals
Name Company Construction Specialty
Position
Ken Johnson BRB contractors, Inc. Bridge
Project Manager
Mike Laird BRB contractors, Inc. Bridge and
Plant Project Manager
Ray Rinne A.M. Cohron & Son, Inc.
Bridge Superintendent
Christopher J. Rech A.M. Cohron & Son, Inc.
Bridge Project Manager
39. WRITE System
Table 4 shows acceptable ratios provided
by four survey participants.
The overall average ratio for working time
(WT) was 81%
and overall average ratio for nonworking
time (NWT) was 19%.
Tying rebar had the highest nonworking
ratio of 21%,
while deck forming had the lowest rate of
16%. T
40. On-Site Construction Productivity Using
the WRITE System
According to the survey participants, they
can accept the working time ratio of at least
79% for these bridge operations.
Table 5 presents ratios at which action
should be taken by project managers to
improve on-site construction productivity.
41. WRITE System
The overall average ratio for WT was
75%
and overall average for NWT was
25%.
Tying rebar had the highest
nonworking time rate of 28%,
while deck forming had the least
nonworking time rate of 23%.
44. WRITE System
Table 6 presents the results of the comparison
between the benchmarking data from the survey
and the real-time productivity data determined by
the WRITE System.
For the operation of installing finisher,
the nonworking ratio of 24% was equal to the
ratio at which action should be initiated by the
construction manager.
The rest of operations had larger working time
ratios than the minimum required working ratios.
45. Table 6. Data comparison between the WRITE System and the benchmarks
Operation Acceptable
Ratio Ratio at which action should be taken WRITE
System
WT
(%) NWT
(%) WT
(%) NWT
(%) WT
(%) NWT
(%)
Deck Forming 84 16 77 23 92 8
Tying rebar 79 21 72 28 87 13
Installing finisher 82 18 76 24 76 24
Placing backwall, strip drain, and backfill 80 20 74 26 96
4
Grade and tie approach road footing 82 18 76 24 89
11
Average 81 19 75 25 88 12
Note: WT – Working Time; NWT – Nonworking Time
46. WRITE System
By comparing the rates from the WRITE System
to the benchmark data, project managers can
take actions for improving on-site construction
productivity in real time.
As shown in Table 7, there are three cases that
project managers can make decision using the
developed model.
First, if the productivity ratio measured by the
WRITE System is higher than the acceptable
ratio,
then, no action is required.
47. WRITE System
Second, if the ratio is between acceptable
ratios and ratios,
at which action should be initiated,
then, management needs to be aware that
an action may be needed in the near
future.
Finally, if the ratios are lower than the
minimum required rate,
then, the project manager needs to take
actions immediately.
48. WRITE System
Table 7. Making management decisions using
the WRITE System
No. Ratios from the WRITE System
Action
1 Higher than acceptable ratios No action
needed
2 Between acceptable ratios and ratios at which
action should be taken Aware that action may
be needed
3 Lower than ratios at which action should be
taken Action is required