Chapter
Mar 18, 2024

Exploring the Root Factors Impacting Work Zone Accidents: A Mixed-Methods Study

Publication: Construction Research Congress 2024

ABSTRACT

Work zones are vital for improving infrastructural utilities yet pose significant dangers for workers and drivers who are often unfamiliar with these areas. Prior research examined various aspects of work zone accident causation; however, the interrelationships and critical combinations among the contributing factors have not been fully analyzed. This study aims to identify the underlying factors contributing to work zone accidents and evaluate the different combinations among them. To this purpose, accident factors were derived from a total of 133 research articles addressing work zone safety. Social network analysis (SNA) and clustering were used to comprehensively model the identified factors. Additionally, association rule analysis (ARA) was implemented to determine the critical associations among the identified factors. Results revealed that work zone design parameters are the most analyzed in the literature, while temporal considerations, regulatory factors, and driver characteristics have been relatively understudied. Moreover, the analysis shows that several critical interdependent relationships among these factors, such as the combined influence of inclement weather and driver behavior on navigating work zones, have been comparatively understudied in the literature. Ultimately, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a comprehensive understanding of work zone accident causation.

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Go to Construction Research Congress 2024
Construction Research Congress 2024
Pages: 406 - 416

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Published online: Mar 18, 2024

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Bahaa Chammout [email protected]
1Ph.D. Student, Dept. of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO. Email: [email protected]
Muaz O. Ahmed [email protected]
2Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO. Email: [email protected]
Islam El-adaway [email protected]
3Hurst-McCarthy Professor of Construction Engineering and Management, Professor of Civil Engineering, and Founding Director of Missouri Consortium for Construction Innovation, Dept. of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering and Dept. of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO. Email: [email protected]

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