Can Labor Inputs be Measured and Controlled Automatically?

Abstract

Real-time control of on-site construction is a growing field still in its infancy. Labor inputs is an important project performance indicator to be controlled because it is a leading input in construction projects. A model for automated control was developed and verified in the field, to demonstrate that labor inputs can be automatically measured and controlled. The concept behind this development is that indirect data—workers’ locations measured automatically at regular time intervals—can be collected automatically and converted into labor inputs using computerized algorithms. The model was implemented in a concept-proving prototype, which was applied in three construction projects to verify the concept and test the feasibility of developing a full-scale prototype. The encouraging results of the field experiments showed that it is possible to convert worker’s locations automatically measured at regular time intervals into labor inputs, and thus automatically control them. The expected accuracy of such a system is ±10–20%. Additional work is currently underway to develop a location measurement system and other components of the full-scale prototype.