Establishing Appropriate Labour Output Rate for Increased Site Work Productivity of Building Projects in Owerri Metropolis, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the standards of tradesmen in the building industry as spring boards to assessing and utilizing labour forces for increased site work
productivity. The standards usually given as labour constants in form of standard time and standard output are determined, and they serve as benchmark for productivity. Since productivity is being affected by some environmental factors, the standards are termed appropriate when determined under the reality of these environmental factors. Hence, for effective measurement and monitoring of workforce performance, work sampling and work force group stage discussion approach were adopted to study work forces on masonry and carpentry trades in Owerri Metropolis. It is established that there are strong relationships between the activity sampling results of the work trades and their respective rates of productivity. It is concluded, therefore, that the average of 64.8min/m2 and 0.925m2 /hr are standard time and standard output respectively for Masonry trade at ground floor level of a building, while 39mins/m2 and 1.54m2/hr for standard time and standard output respectively for Carpentry trade at ground floor to deck works level in Owerri Metropolis. The work also has successfully shown that relationship exists between the labour constants, and labour supply in the study of labour output, as well as convincingly provided a framework for establishing the constant in another unique environment or guide for establishing labour constants for other trades in the industry.