Tools for Measuring Construction Materials Management Practices and Predicting Labor Productivity in Multistory Building Projects

Abstract

Planning, monitoring, and evaluating materials management practices are important for enhancing construction productivity. This study is designed to develop a tool for scoring materials management practices for building projects and, on that basis, build a tool for predicting productivity. The research was carried out in two phases. During Phase I, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 experts and context-specific materials management practices were identified. During Phase II, questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 39 contractors. To prioritize the practices that were identified during Phase I, the quantitative data were analyzed. Based on the analysis, tools for measuring and planning the materials management practices and probability-based regression models were developed. Procurement plans for materials, long-lead materials identification, and materials delivery schedule are the three most significant practices. Contractors can use the scoring tool to measure the levels of implementation of the practices and assess the risk of having low productivity using the predictive models. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by developing construction materials management practices measuring, planning, monitoring, and evaluating tools in the context of building projects. In addition, the logistic and linear regression models can be used to assess whether a certain level of implementation of the construction materials management practice might be associated with higher or lower labor productivity.