Crafting Safe and Efficient Masonry Practices: Quantitative Assessment of Postural Characteristics in Movement Strategies
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 150, Issue 2
Abstract
Musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent in the construction industry, particularly among masons who are at risk of overexertion and back injuries due to the physical demands of their jobs. Previous research established that expert masons employ different work strategies that reduce joint loads and increase productivity; however, it was unclear which movement strategies they used. This study analyzed the movements of novice, apprentice, and expert masons to identify their postural characteristics. Specifically, the postures and motions of novice, apprentice, and expert masons are analyzed during a standard wall building activity using concrete masonry units, and the key markers of their techniques, such as trunk flexion and twisting, are investigated. Our findings describe the movement strategies experts use in comparison to inexpert groups. Through the analysis of expert motion techniques, the intrinsic movement knowledge of expert masons can be translated into numeric joint thresholds and coaching feedback for training programs.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank and acknowledge the Ontario Masonry Training Centre at Conestoga College in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and the Canada Masonry Design Centre (CMDC) in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, for their considerable help in the data collection effort. The work presented in this paper was supported financially by CMDC and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (CRDPJ 494786-16).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 150 • Issue 2 • February 2024
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 13, 2023
Accepted: Sep 25, 2023
Published online: Dec 6, 2023
Published in print: Feb 1, 2024
Discussion open until: May 6, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Construction (by type)
- Construction engineering
- Construction industry
- Construction management
- Continuum mechanics
- Design (by type)
- Disaster risk management
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Joints
- Load factors
- Masonry
- Motion (dynamics)
- Occupational safety
- Practice and Profession
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Risk management
- Safety
- Solid mechanics
- Structural design
- Structural engineering
- Structural members
- Structural systems
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