Optimization of Labor Flow Efficiency in Steel Fabrication Project Planning
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VIEW CORRECTIONPublication: Construction Research Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
This study considers projects that employ multi-skilled labor resources in performing different tasks aiming at improving labor utilization efficiency. Based on field observation, the journeymen employed in a steel girder fabrication shop for bridge construction exemplify multi-skilled labor resources in a practical setting. In particular, the need for crew transferring and waiting between various workstations on the shop floor gives rise to the bulk of semi-productive labor time. Unpredictable and unnecessary semi-productive worker hours are considered as a kind of waste as per lean principles. Increasing labor flow efficiency by properly allocating limited labor resources to project activities would reduce the semi-productive labor hours while enhancing the labor flow reliability, leading to better productivity and leaner processes. Labor Flow Waste Index (LFWI) is defined based on the determination of the semi-productive worker hours using resource-constrained project scheduling analysis. Further, the optimization problem of minimizing LFWI is formulated. A case study was conducted Utilizing Microsoft Excel Solver, resulting in significant decrease on the waste in labor resource flow.
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Construction Research Congress 2022
Pages: 1261 - 1269
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Published online: Mar 7, 2022
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