Large Construction Sites Research Articles

Focus: The threat is real

INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 5 Volume 21 Issue 1 2014 the site for several days before police riot squad broke the picket. Concerns about blacklisting Unions have several times unsuccessfully urged the Australian Privacy Commissioner to investigate the alleged use of personal information for blacklisting purposes. So the ETU-Grocon case is important in bringing public attention onto blacklisting, which has long been suspected to be rife in the construction industry in Australia. The ETU is seeking penalties for breaches of sections of the Fair Work Act by Grocon, compensation for the workers, and a court order that it cannot threaten to refuse to engage certain subcontractors who have known union activists on their books. The Victorian State Secretary of the ETU, Troy Gray, said these concerns were not isolated to Grocon. But he said Grocon’s behaviour was the most overt. “There hasn’t been genuine worker representation on Grocon projects going back six or seven years ago . . . There’s been blacklisting going on in the construction industry for years but we’ve never seen it at this level of absolute control”, he said. Mr Gray said the union had taken the legal action because of members’ concerns about safety on the Grocon sites, without any representation or elected safety representatives. He said the alleged intervention by Grocon had also jeopardised the employment of union members who have house mortgages and family living costs to maintain. “Blacklisting is one of the most barbaric things a company can do to its workers”, he said. “To deny a worker the ability to put food on the table for their families, for standing up for their fellow workers’ rights, is disgusting. “We must, and will, use any legal means at our disposal to put a stop to any form of blacklisting of workers”. Blacklisting ‘widespread’ in the mining industry On the other side of the country, in the Western Australian capital of Perth, ‘Sam’ wants some answers as to why he hasn’t been able to get a job since 2010. Sam (whose name has been changed at his request) has spent the past 30 years working as a rigger on large construction sites all over Australia and parts of the rest of the world, but since 2010, he hasn’t been able to get a job. Sam had been working on the construction of O NE of Australia’s largest construction companies with aspirations to being a global player has been accused of unlawfully blocking union delegates from working on its building sites in a case that has echoes of the blacklisting scandal in the UK. In a case underway in Australia’s Federal Court, the Victorian branch of the Electrical Trades Union has alleged that building giant Grocon has pressured sub-contractors not to employ known union members on projects in Melbourne. The ETU alleges that at least three card-carrying electricians were each blocked from working on a high-profile city centre retail development, following intervention by Grocon senior management . Grocon has denied the substance of the claims by the ETU, which are still working their way through the courts. But in July last year, after the ETU launched its legal action, Grocon gave undertakings in court that it would not prevent the union members from being employed on its Myer Emporium project , pending a full hearing of the case. Grocon, which began as a small family concreting business in Melbourne in the 1950s has grown to be a multi-billion dollar construction giant, and under the guidance of Executive Chairman Daniel Grollo has set its sights on becoming a global player. Attempts to de-unionise the workforce Daniel Grollo inherited the business 14 years ago from his father, Bruno, who was known as a tough but fair employer who had a good and trusting relationship with unions. But Daniel Grollo has never hidden his contempt for organised labour and several times over the past decade and a bit has attempted to deunionise the company. In 2002, he attempted to bypass the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union by urging employees to sign a non-union agreement . It was voted down by workers who stuck with the union. But...

공사장 소음모니터링 개선방안에 관한 연구

Noise generated from Construction site has been raised most civil complaints to 64.4 % among the environmental pollution in 2011. Therefore, local government recommends and prescribes that construction sites over a certain scale install sound level meter for noise monitoring. For example, Seoul has implemented a 24 hour noise monitoring system, with real time communication, to the large construction sites more than 10,000 <TEX>$m^2$</TEX> from the end of August 2012. But it is difficult to use noise measurement data for the construction noise assessment, since the installation standards and technical specifications for construction noise monitoring system are not presented. In this paper, we proposed noise monitoring system improvement plan including technical specifications and installation standards using the investigating results of the problems of current noise monitoring system and the foreign cases.

Engineering Geophysics for Geotechnical Characterisation of LNG Processing Plant Sites

New Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) processing plants are being developed and constructed along the eastern and western seaboards of Australia. In support of tendering processes for engineering design and construction, geotechnical site investigations are required over these large construction site foot print areas. The foot print areas often span across remote and inaccessible onshore and nearshore marine environments. Previously the domain of the resource exploration industry, geophysical technology is now being increasing used to support traditional site investigation techniques in order to provide complete and accurate geotechnical characterisation of large LNG construction sites. High resolution and near-surface geophysical techniques, when integrated with intrusive sampling and testing, are proving to be a cost effective and reliable way to image and test large volumes of onshore and nearshore footprint areas. Geophysical techniques are particularly helpful where borings and intrusive testing are limited for reasons that may include investigation budget limitations, inaccessibility and environmental disturbance constraints. Integration of geophysics with geotechnical investigative techniques offers the potential to improve management of project risks and costs, as well as enhance understanding of site conditions. This article describes some proven geophysical techniques in geotechnical investigations of large footprint LNG construction sites.

준설 토목섬유 튜브를 활용한 제방 축조 공법 결정을 위한 영향 인자에 관한 연구

In this paper, the influencing factors for the decision of the embankment construction method utilizing geotextile tube were studied by analyzing the application and economic considerations based on the construction practices of the geotextile tube filled with dredged soil in the domestic and international. In the domestic case, cost savings of 40 to 50% is attained by applying geotextile tubes in the embankment construction and in the international case, the amount of quarry materials was reduced from 20 to 70% by replacing the core of the embankment with geotextile tube. As a result, utilization of geotextile tube filled with dredged soil should be considered in a very large construction site with a quarry-to-site delivery distance of more than 16∼25km. The construction scale and delivery distance were found to be important influencing factors for the decision of the embankment construction method utilizing geotextile tube filled with dredged soil.

The schedule of condition: A party wall surveyor's best friend?

There are some very large construction sites in London and indeed across the country that are at various stages in their execution. A lot of the larger developments are on sites that affect a large number of adjoining owners whose interests could be residential, commercial, retail or even subterranean, in the case of London Underground. Several of the sites are choosing to excavate basements to maximise the development, the size of which would be confined or restricted above ground. With the predicted movement within and beneath the surrounding properties there is a real need to ensure that clear and accurate records of these potentially delicate and fragile structures are put in place before works commence. There are many factors that influence how a schedule of condition is undertaken and why. This paper explains the procedure and the thought processes that you should go through to produce a schedule of condition, and uses a recent instruction as an example.

Prediction of compressive strength of concrete using multiple regression model

In construction industry, strength is a primary criterion in selecting a concrete for a particular application. The concrete used for construction gains strength over a long period of time after pouring the concrete. The characteristic strength of concrete is defined as the compressive strength of a sample that has been aged for 28 days. Neither waiting for 28 days for such a test would serve the rapidity of construction, nor would neglecting it serve the quality control process on concrete in large construction sites. Therefore, rapid and reliable prediction of the strength of concrete would be of great significance. On this backdrop, the method is proposed to establish a predictive relationship between properties and proportions of ingredients of concrete, compaction factor, weight of concrete cubes and strength of concrete whereby the strength of concrete can be predicted at early age. Multiple regression analysis was carried out for predicting the compressive strength of concrete containing Portland Pozolana cement using statistical analysis for the concrete data obtained from the experimental work done in this study. The multiple linear regression models yielded fairly good correlation coefficient for the prediction of compressive strength for 7, 28 and 40 days curing. The results indicate that the proposed regression models are effectively capable of evaluating the compressive strength of the concrete containing Portaland Pozolana Cement. The derived formulas are very simple, straightforward and provide an effective analysis tool accessible to practicing engineers.

A monitoring system for real-time interference control on large construction sites

Abstract This paper surveys the feasibility of an infrastructureless real-time monitoring system to provide prompt support for inspectors in charge of health and safety management on construction sites. The system was tested in the specific application of monitoring interference between teams working on large construction sites. The system accounts for a wireless and untethered tracking technology and a local server running a software tool for handling collected data, real-time site state visualization and remote interaction with safety inspectors. The low-level tracking technology is a ZigBee-based easily deployable and reconfigurable technology. In this paper the system is found to be able to cover large fields while keeping its non-invasive features, thanks to the implementation of a novel low-power approach. This paper shows the degree of support inspectors can get from the system: it is able to alert in the occurrence of interference and to log any unexpected behavior.

Automating attendance recording of contingent labours at a large construction site

Subject area Operations and human resourcing. Study level/applicability This case study is intended for use in graduate, executive level management and doctoral programs. The case study illustrates a combined IT and HR driven participative management control system in a flexible organization structure. It is intended for a class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Case overview The case describes the situation of managing unskilled workforces (≥14,000 workers) during the construction phase of the 4 × 250MW power plants both for purposes of turnout as well as due compensation, in the event of an accident. The approved labour forces appointed for 45 × 8 h. Man-days after a rigorous fitness test and approvals of the safety officer are allocated housing and other necessary amenities and a commensurate compensation system. Expected learning outcomes These include: illustrating typical organizational responsibility structure at a construction site of a large power plant; illustrating the planning and administrative control mechanism in implementing strategy at a construction site of a large power plant; offering students the opportunity to understand and view a typical operational (project) structure; allowing students to speculate adaptations in the wake of an ever-changing business and company environment; and providing an opportunity to introduce a power scenario in India, Indian labour laws and radio frequency identification technology and to relate this to the case in context. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available; please consult your librarian for access.

Impact of organization on occupational injury risk: Evidence from high-speed railway construction

The construction industry is at the top of the list of priorities for surveillance and research, although it is often difficult to perform detailed analysis of the risk factors. In mid-2002, construction work started on the Torino to Novara high-speed railway line. A Regional Epidemiological Observatory developed a standardized data collection system that provided a rare opportunity for researchers in Italy to analyze risk factors for occupational injury in a large cohort of workers involved in a single major construction project. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of a cohort of workers employed at construction sites of the high-speed Torino to Novara railway between 2003 and 2005, analyze the main determinants of occupational injury risk and estimate incidence rates. Frequency rates of occupational injury were calculated by characteristics of workers and firms and relative risks were estimated using a Poisson model. Annual injury incidence decreased over the period and was higher than the Italian construction industry rate. The risk was highest among workers performing the least skilled jobs and with the shortest contracts. Moreover the risk was higher in large enterprises. Although calculated within a specific context, the results provide information applicable to all construction sites. The high risk of occupational injury associated with short-term contracts suggests, at such large and long-term construction sites, to engage workers on a permanent basis for the duration of the construction project.

Compressive Strength of Fiber Reinforced Fly- Ash Concrete using Regression Model

In construction industry, strength is a primary criterion in selecting a concrete for a particular application. Concrete used for construction gains strength over a long period of time after pouring the concrete. The characteristic strength of concrete is defined as the compressive strength of a sample that has been aged for 28 days. Neither waiting 28 days for such a test would not serve the rapidity of construction, nor would neglecting it serve the quality control process on concrete in large construction sites. Therefore, rapid and reliable prediction of the strength of concrete would be of great significance. On this backdrop, the method is proposed to establish a predictive relationship between properties and proportions of ingredients of concrete, compaction factor, weight of concrete cubes and strength of concrete whereby the strength of concrete can be predicted at early age. A mathematical model for the prediction of compressive strength of fiber reinforced concrete containing fly ash was performed using statistical analysis for the concrete data obtained from the experimental work done in this study. The multiple linear regression model yielded fairly good correlation coefficient for the prediction of compressive strength for 3 days curing.

EVIDENCE‐BASED PREVENTION OF WORK‐RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Many construction work tasks are physically very strenuous and the incidence of work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers is considerably higher than those in most other occupations. The aim of the study presented in this paper was to contribute to understanding a healthy construction site brought about by the best practices implemented by large construction sites to prevent WMSDs. A triangulation method made of interviews, site observations and studies on company's documents was used to identify the best practices in 13 several construction projects. A range of the best practices both in the pre‐construction and construction phases of the projects were identified in six different areas of the balance of the construction workplace system; however, there seems to be a significant need for good practices in the management of a systematic work environment. It is now established that Swedish construction industry has several best practices to protect work‐related musculoskeletal health. However, inadequate worker participation and the neglect of health and safety issues by designers in the planning process as well as the implications of some remuneration methods on the production schedule were perceived as detrimental to the musculoskeletal health of construction workers. Santrauka Daug statybos darbu yra fiziškai labai itempti, o su darbu susijusiu raumenu ir skeleto sistemos pažeidimu dažnis tarp statybininku yra kur kas aukštesnis negu tarp daugelio kitu profesiju. Šio tyrimo tikslas – pletoti supratima apie sveikatos būkle ir jos svarba dirbant statybu aikštelese, igyvendinant didelius statybos objektus, siekiant išvengti su darbu susijusiu raumenu ir skeleto sistemos pažeidimu. Tyrimams buvo taikytas interviu, pagristas trianguliacijos metodu, darbo procesu stebejimo statybos aikštelese metodas, buvo nagrineti statybos kompaniju dokumentai, siekiant identifikuoti 13 skirtingu statybos projektu. Geriausia praktika, prieš pradedant statybas ir jau statant, buvo nustatyta šešiuose skirtinguose statybu regionuose, tačiau tokia praktika yra svarbi darbo aplinkos vadyboje. Pripažinta, kad Švedijos statybos pramoneje taikomi keli būdai, kaip apsaugoti statybininkus nuo raumenu ir skeleto sistemos pažeidimu. Vis delto mažas darbininku domejimasis šia problema, sveikatos bei saugos problemu nepaisymas planavimo procese, kai kuriu atsilyginimo būdu itraukimas i gamybos veiksniu saraša buvo vertinti kaip faktoriai, žalingai veikiantys statybininku raumenu ir skeleto sistema.

SELF-REPORTED JOINT AND BACK PAIN AMONG HISPANIC CONSTRUCTION WORKERS: A PILOT WORKPLACE MUSCULOSKELETAL ASSESSMENT

Construction workers are frequently exposed to awkward work postures and physical demands that can lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. There has been limited development of assessment and outreach strategies targeting this highly mobile workforce in general and especially among Hispanic construction workers. We report the prevalence of joint pain from a convenience sample of Hispanic construction workers. A workplace musculoskeletal disorder assessment was undertaken coinciding with construction-site lunch truck visits among 54 workers employed at two large South Florida construction sites. A 45-item questionnaire preloaded onto handheld devices was utilized to record field data. Forty-seven percent of Hispanic workers reported joint pain 30 days prior to interview date, of whom 87% indicated these joint problems interfered with work activities. Over 63% reported experiencing low back pain that lasted at least a whole day during the past 3 months. Right and left knees were the most frequently reported painful joints (both 34%). Musculoskeletal disorders as evident by joint pain, appears to be prevalent among Hispanic construction workers. Workplace ergonomic prevention strategies that reduce musculoskeletal disorders using innovative recruitment and engagement methods (such as during lunch truck construction-site visits) may improve opportunities to reduce joint pain and damage.

A novel methodology to estimate the evolution of construction waste in construction sites

This paper focuses on the accumulation of construction waste generated throughout the erection of new residential buildings. A special methodology was developed in order to provide a model that will predict the flow of construction waste. The amount of waste and its constituents, produced on 10 relatively large construction sites (7000–32,000 m 2 of built area) was monitored periodically for a limited time. A model that predicts the accumulation of construction waste was developed based on these field observations. According to the model, waste accumulates in an exponential manner, i.e. smaller amounts are generated during the early stages of construction and increasing amounts are generated towards the end of the project. The total amount of waste from these sites was estimated at 0.2 m 3 per 1 m 2 floor area. A good correlation was found between the model predictions and actual data from the field survey.

The population of Brussels: a demographic overview

The Brussels-Capital Region is comprised of 19 municipalities and has a surface area of 161.4 km². The region is the core of a much broader morphological agglomeration made up of 36 municipalities with a total population of more than one and a half million inhabitants. The official population of the Brussels-Capital Region totalled 1 048 491 inhabitants on 1st January 2008 and is the youngest in the country with an average age of 37.8 years recorded in 2006. The demographic development of Brussels has always been strongly dominated by migration over the past one and half centuries and this is not different today. The capital city has experienced a rise in population over the past few years and, just like all large European cities, the population composition is highly influenced by internationalisation. The last census (socio-economic survey of 2001) enabled the nationality of origin to be taken into account. According to this criterion, Brussels had 45 different nationalities with at least 1 000 inhabitants. The composition has diversified further since then and there has been an increase in inhabitants from European Union countries. The region is characterised by a clear spatial differentiation between the poorer districts, mixed neighbourhoods and the affluent areas of the city. The underlying structure of this spatial segregation according to socio-economic status has deep-seated historical roots and a high level of inertia. However, the arrival of new inhabitants, large construction sites within a number of districts, speculation and increasing property prices are slowly changing the composition of the population within some districts. A short description of the most important demographic trends that will affect the composition of the city in the coming decades is given below.

Water Quality Improvements Using Modified Sediment Control Systems on Construction Sites

A study of the water quality of discharges from three different sediment control systems was conducted on a large construction site in North Carolina. Samples were obtained during storm events at the outlets of 11 of these systems using automatic samplers. Turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) were measured, and a storm-weighted average (SWA) was determined for the systems. Water discharged from five standard sediment traps with rock dam outlets and unlined diversion ditches with rock check dams had an SWA turbidity of 4,320 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) and an SWA peak of 12,640 NTU over a total of 26 storm events. The representative TSS values were 4,130 and 11,800 mg L-1, respectively. Measurements of runoff entering and exiting the traps suggested that heavy sediment was being captured, but turbidity was not reduced. Three traps with modifications including forebays, porous baffles, improved ditch stabilization (lining, additional check dams), and polyacrylamide application had SWA and peak turbidity of 990 and 1,580 NTU, respectively, over a total of 31 events. Total suspended solids were also much lower, at 740 and 1,810 mg L-1, respectively. Three basins with these same modifications, but with surface outlets, had somewhat higher average SWA values (1,560 NTU, 820 mg L-1), suggesting that the outlet type may not improve discharge water quality above the benefits of the other modifications to the standard sediment trap. However, when one of the latter systems was at optimal function, turbidity was reduced to below the receiving stream water levels (<100 NTU). These results strongly suggest that relatively simple modifications of commonly employed sediment trapping systems can dramatically improve discharge water quality and reduce the impacts on receiving waters.

“Safety is everyone's job:” The key to safety on a large university construction site

Problem Construction risk management is challenging. Method We combined data on injuries, costs, and hours worked, obtained through a Rolling Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (ROCIP), with data from focus groups, interviews, and field observations, to prospectively study injuries and hazard control on a large university construction project. Results Lost-time injury rates (1.0/200,000 hours worked) were considerably lower than reported for the industry, and there were no serious falls from height. Safety was considered in the awarding of contracts and project timeline development; hazard management was iterative. A top-down management commitment to safety was clearly communicated to, and embraced by, workers throughout the site. Discussion and Impact A better understanding of how contracting relationships, workers' compensation, and liability insurance arrangements influence safety could shift risk management efforts from worker behaviors to a broader focus on how these programs and relationships affect incentives and disincentives for workplace safety and health.

Knowledge and Use of Measures to Reduce Health Risks by Corporate Expatriate Employees in Western Ghana

Expatriate corporate workers stationed in remote regions of developing countries with limited health care resources are at substantial risk for a variety of infectious diseases. A survey was carried out among expatriates working at a large power plant construction site in western Ghana in 1998 to evaluate their use of pretravel medical services, current knowledge, and behavioral practices in relation to food- and waterborne disease prevention, diarrhea, malaria, respiratory infections, alcohol use, and high-risk sexual activity. An anonymous, structured, and pretested questionnaire was used. The response rate was 42 of 60 (70%). Most respondents were men (39 of 42, 93%) with previous international construction experience. Adherence to food and water safety recommendations decreased with time. Expatriates (15 of 23, 65%) from developed countries reported at least one episode of diarrhea, whereas no expatriates (0 of 9) from resource-poor countries reported diarrhea (p < 0.001). Use of malaria chemoprophylaxis deteriorated with increasing duration of time on the job site. None of the expatriates (0 of 9) who had been on the site for more than a year was still taking an antimalarial compared to those who had been there for 3 months or less (13 of 16) (p < 0.01). Forty-three percent (18 of 42) of the respondents reported having had a respiratory infection in the past 3 months. Only 38% (15 of 39) received preplacement education on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk. A higher proportion of those who received pretravel HIV education used condoms always (4 of 5) than those who did not receive HIV education (1 of 5). The use of health advice and preventive measures was generally low among the expatriate corporate survey respondents. Adherence to preventive measures declined with the increase in length of stay. Corporations need to develop appropriate health promotion strategies targeting their expatriates in developing countries.

Environmental management of a large construction site in a densely populated urban area: an innovative approach to noise and vibration mitigation

An innovative approach to noise and vibration mitigation has been applied to the construction of a new underground railway. The aim is to overcome the difficulties in respecting noise level limits in densely populated areas, as specified by current legislation, even with state‐of‐the‐art technology (e.g., low‐emission machinery, noise barriers, etc.). The proposed approach aims at integrating the construction activity in the urban soundscape, placing maximum emphasis on construction organisation measures (e.g., construction activity scheduling and execution, training and information of contractor's personnel, etc.) and on communication and involvement of the exposed population. In this respect, two key figures have been identified: the first is an environmental engineer permanently assisting the construction manager in all the environmental impact issues; the second consists of a sample of population for which the subjective reaction to noise is monitored and fed back to the construction manager. Results are presented and discussed for one of the main construction sites in central Turin.

Applying Theory of Constraint on Logistic Management in Large Scale Construction Sites – A Case Study of Steel Bar in TFT‐LCD Factory Build‐Up

The steel bars account for a high percentage of material costs for the current construction projects. At the present time, most of the construction projects for the factories of thin‐film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT‐LCD) complete the transactions of steel bars when the suppliers ship the steel bars to the temporary storage/processing sites. This paper applies the buy‐in concept in the Theory of Constraint (TOC) on the supply chain of steel bars. In this study, suppliers are required to establish warehouses at the construction sites and complete the transactions when the formed and processed steel bars are shipped into the factory sites. The aim is to find a win‐win solution to meet with the expectations from constructors as they hope that there is no need to build up inventories but supply is ready at any time. Also, this paper compares and analyzes the traditional supply/inventory model of steel bars and the Demand‐Pull (D‐P) model under the TOC framework. It is proved that Vendor Management Inventory (VMI) in the D‐P model is able to more effectively manage steel bars as a material.

Organizational injury rate underreporting: The moderating effect of organizational safety climate.

The goals of this study were (a) to assess the extent to which construction industry workplace injuries and illness are underreported, and (b) to determine whether safety climate predicts the extent of such underreporting. Data from 1,390 employees of 38 companies contracted to work at a large construction site in the northwestern United States were collected to assess the safety climate of the companies. Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logs kept by the contractors allowed for calculation of each company's OSHA recordable injury rate (i.e., the reported injury rate), whereas medical claims data from an Owner-Controlled Insurance Program provided the actual experienced rate of injuries for those same companies. While the annual injury rate reported to OSHA was 3.11 injuries per 100 workers, the rate of eligible injuries that were not reported to OSHA was 10.90 injuries per 100 employees. Further, organizations with a poor safety climate had significantly higher rates of underreporting (81% of eligible injuries unreported) compared with organizations with a positive safety climate (47% of eligible injuries unreported). Implications for organizations and the accuracy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics's national occupational injury and illness surveillance system are discussed.