Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-221). / The training of craftsmen in Kenya is the responsibility of their traditional employer the contractor. However, over the last 20 years, the contractors’ motivation to train has been eroded by increased casualisation. Concurrently, there was growth of the informal procurement system propagated by private sector clients, who have no incentive to train because they are ad hoc consumers of construction services. Together these phenomena led to the collapse of the formal craft training and growth of informal skilling. Currently however, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of the nature of informal craft training. The intent of this research was to redress this by identifying the types of skills informally employed craftsmen are acquiring, how these skills are acquired and how training delivery can be enhanced. The hypotheses of the research were that the skills and skilling methods in the informal sector do not differ significantly from those in the formal sector and that the nature of training in the informal construction sector is clearly understood.

Varje år rapporteras bullerrelaterade arbetsskador från byggsektorn till arbetsmiljöverket. Studien är utförd med syfte att utreda hur bullerrelaterade arbetsskador i byggbranschen kan minskas med hjälp av nya metoder, både innan och under pågående projekt. Metoderna kan implementeras under projekteringsstadiet eller ute i byggproduktionen. Studien har utrett frågan om hur arbetsmiljön kan förbättras med avseende på buller på byggarbetsplatser.Metodiken i studien bestod av kvalitativa och kvantitativa intervjuer samt en kvantitativ enkätundersökning. Intervjuerna besvarade av tjänstemän som dagligen hanterar projekterings- och planeringsfrågor inom Skanska Direkt AB. Yrkesrollerna bland respondenterna var arbetsledare, produktionschefer och ett skyddsombud. Enkätundersökningarna besvarades av yrkesarbetare där majoriteten tillhörde Skanska Direkt AB. Ljudmätningar har utförts på sex arbetsmoment, på totalt tre arbetsplatser, för att kontrollera om arbetsmiljön ute på byggarbetsplatserna är bullriga. Stödjande teori till studien var formler och begrepp inom akustik samt Arbetsmiljöverkets insats- och gränsvärden.Mätresultaten från arbetsmomenten visade att Arbetsmiljöverkets gränsvärden uppnåddes och att byggarbetsplatserna som undersöktes är bullriga. Samtliga yrkesarbetare ansåg att de dagligen arbetar i en bullrig miljö. Vidare konstaterades att buller inte beaktas i någon större omfattning under projekteringen av byggprojekt såväl som i byggproduktionen. Däremot ansågs behovet finnas. Majoriteten av respondenterna från enkätundersökningen och intervjuerna ansåg att hörselskydd ska vara en del av den obligatoriska skyddsutrustningen på byggarbetsplatserna. Införandet ansågs även ha en stor påverkan till förebyggandet av bullerrelaterade arbetsskador. Resultatet från intervjuerna visade att ökad kunskap generellt kring buller och dess risker, till exempel via online-utbildningar, hade minskat bullerrelaterade arbetsskador. Även fler bullerinriktade arbetsberedningar bör utföras i byggproduktionen. Två tekniska åtgärder gällande bullret på byggarbetsplatserna, som respondenterna från intervjuerna var positiva till, var införandet av bullerskydd och bullermätare. Resultatet visade även att det inte sker någon systematisk uppföljning av ljudnivåer på byggarbetsplatserna. Idag finns inte heller någon metod för att följa upp arbetsmiljön med avseende buller efter avslutade byggprojekt. Resultatet är generellt tillämpbart i hela byggbranschen.Slutsatsen kan dras att en mer bullerinriktad projektering bör göras, där man bland annat identifierar och tillämpar alternativa arbetsmetoder, material och verktyg för att minska bullernivåerna på byggarbetsplatserna. Ett införande av hörselskydd, som en del av den obligatoriska säkerhetsutrustningen på Skanska Sverige AB, behöver utredas vidare.Vidare konstaterades att en mer bullerinriktad planering på byggarbetsplatserna bör göras, där bullerinriktade arbetsberedningar är en lösning. En bullermätare på byggarbetsplatser är även en lösning. Bullerskydd, med uppgift att aktivt dämpa bullret, måste utredas vidare. / Every year noise-related injuries from the construction industry are reported to the Swedish Work Environment Authority. The purpose of this study was to examine how noise-related injuries could be reduced using new methods before and during ongoing projects. This study examined how the working environment can be improved regarding noise at the construction sites.The methodology used in this study consisted of a combination of qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. The noise levels from six different work operations was examined to verify that the sound levels in construction sites in fact are noisy. The study is based on formulas and concepts in acoustics, as well as the Swedish Work Environment Authorities input and limit values related to noise.The results from the noise measurements showed that the limit values set by the Swedish Work Environment Authority was reached. The interviews showed that noise was not considered to any great extent in the planning or during ongoing production of a building project. Most of the respondents, both from the interviews and surveys, assessed that making ear protection a part of the mandatory protective equipment would reduce the noise related injuries.The results concluded that a more noise related planning should be implemented in construction projects. The noise related planning should identify alternative working methods, materials and tools leading to a reduction of noise. Making ear protection a mandatory protective equipment requires a further investigation. At the construction sites more noise- oriented work preparations should be held. Furthermore, education about noise could reduce the noise-related injuries.

No description available.

The architect’s main tool of representation, parallel projection drawing, can be described as the architect's way of "tracing the shadow of an imagined future". This shadow however, is bigger than the lines we put on paper. If we turn around and face the “behind” of the built, we find ourselves in front of a group of construction workers. “Parallel” and “shadow” are here no longer terms of architectural representation, but rather describes a shadow society existing in parallel to Swedish welfare. With the barracks conceived as infrastructure rather than homes, their inhabitants are being made invisible. Under the pretext "temporary", a lower standard of living is here excused. But workers tend to move from one temporary solution to the other, with the barrack and its shortcomings as a permanent backdrop to their lives.   This book is an effort to begin tracing the shadow of the architect's work, highlight the architecture indirectly produced, and begin a discussion on how to improve construction workers' living situation from an architectural  perspective.

No description available.

This study focuses on the mechanisms through which systems of inequality operate in relationship to health and disablement processes. Using quantitative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with twelve construction workers in the southeastern United States, this study evaluates the relationships among race, class, gender, and occupation in the health of male construction workers. More specifically, this research examines white working-class masculinity in the context of working within the construction industry, and in relationship to health and disability processes. Each chapter in this dissertation focuses on one of three primary research questions. First, how do race, class, gender, and occupation shape the health of construction workers? Second, how does working-class masculinity and occupation affect patterns of disablement among construction workers, and how do they experience these processes? And finally, how do social inequalities shape bodies? This study finds that race, class, gender, and occupation all play multiple roles in the health and disablement processes of workers. These findings also suggest that a re-conceptualization of disability as a process is necessary to best reflect the experiences associated with occupational disability. Finally, these findings point to the body as a social process, with direct ties to the larger social structure and systems of inequality. This study extends our conceptualizations of health, disablement, and the body as processes. In addition, it illuminates the mechanisms through which systems of complex inequalities operate to create health disparities. / Ph. D.

by Chan Ka-leung and Wong King. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 92-94.

Thesis (MEng)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Worldwide the civil construction industry is one of the biggest and most influential industries but has proven to be lacking in the development of technology-aided construction. In contrast, the automotive manufacturing industry is very reliant on the use of highly advanced technology. Literature showed that specific focus is being put on increased technology investments and development of infrastructure in South Africa in order to solve various problems in the country. In light of these realisations, the objective of this research study was to establish a process that can be used to assist technological investments that solve areas of concern in the construction industry. The research was conducted by following a procedure of identifying problematic areas in construction, scrutinising the biggest problem to identify its key elements and finally selecting a decision support model to select technological solutions. The research sequence therefore established the steps of a process that can assist technological investment decisions that solve areas of concern in the construction industry. The first step of this process necessitated the identification of the most influential area of concern in South African construction. A series of interviews and surveys with experienced senior managers in different divisions of the South African civil construction industry showed that the low productivity of labourers is the most influential area of concern in terms of impact on construction projects. Consequently, labour productivity was scrutinised as part of the second step of the process. It was found that there are different methods to measure productivity and that factors influencing labour productivity can be grouped into managerial practices, labour effectiveness and material timeliness. The scrutiny, together with the productivity improvement system and lessons learned from other industries, gave input to the third step of the process, viz. to identify technological solution alternatives for the area of concern. Wireless technology and visual analysis were identified as two groups of technology that could improve labour productivity. The final step of the process evaluated the effects the different solution alternatives could have on a company and a tailored set of criteria together with a fuzzy multi-criteria decision model was proposed for use in this step. The research study identified that there are generic areas of concern in construction and that technology can be used to improve problem solving processes in companies. Furthermore, a generic and flexible four step process was formulated that can incorporate multiple criteria, stakeholders’ opinions, business strategy and the necessary benefits the problem requires in one evaluation model. This process was found to be able to assist technological investment decisions in the construction industry specifically to eliminate or improve on existing areas of concern. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die siviele konstruksiebedryf is een van die grootste en mees invloedryke industrieë wêreldwyd, maar is bewys om agter te wees in terme van ontwikkeling in tegnologie-gesteunde konstruksie. In teenstelling hiermee is die motor-industrie afhanklik van die gebruik van hoogs-gevorderde tegnologieë. Literatuur het getoon dat daar spesifiek gefokus word op die investering in tegnologie- en infrastruktuurontwikkeling in Suid Afrika sodat bestaande probleme in die land opgelos kan word. In die lig van hierdie bevindinge, is die doel van hierdie studie om ‘n proses te vestig wat kan help om besluite rakende tegnologiebeleggings te vergemaklik sodat probleem areas in die konstruksie industrie met dié beleggings opgelos kan word. Die eerste stap van die navorsingsprosedure was om probleem areas in die konstruksie industrie te identifiseer en daarna is die probleem met die grootste impak op konstruksie projekte in diepte ontleed om die eienskappe daarvan te bepaal. Laastens is ‘n besluitnemings model gekies sodat tegnologiese beleggings geëvalueer en gekies kan word. Die navorsingsprosedure het daarom die struktuur gegee om ‘n proses te vestig wat gebruik kan word om besluite oor tegnologiese beleggings te vergemaklik om sodoende probleme in die konstruksie industrie op te los. Die eerste stap in hierdie proses het vereis dat die probleem met die grootste impak op konstruksie projekte in die Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksie industrie geïdentifiseer moes word. Na afloop van ‘n reeks onderhoude en opnames met ervare senior bestuurders in verskeie afdelings van siviele konstruksie, is gevind dat lae arbeidsproduktiwiteit die mees invloedryke probleem area is. Lae produktiwiteit van arbeid is om hierdie rede in diepte ontleed as deel van die tweede stap in die proses. Daar is gevind dat daar verskillende maniere is waarop produktiwiteit gemeet kan word en dat faktore wat produktiwiteit beïnvloed gekategoriseer kan word in bestuur praktyke, arbeid effektiwiteit en stiptelikheid van materiaal. Die ontleding, tesame met die produktiwiteitsverbeteringstelsel en lesse wat geleer is in ander bedrywe, het gelei tot die derde stap van die proses, naamlik die identifisering van tegnologiese oplossings-alternatiewe. Draadloostegnologie (“wireless technology”) en visuele analise is geïdentifiseer as twee groepe van tegnologie wat die produktiwiteit van arbeid kan aanspreek. Die finale stap van die proses het gebruik gemaak van ‘n stel kriteria en ‘n ‘fuzzy multi-criteria’ besluitnemingsmodel om die verskillende tegnologie alternatiewe te evalueer. Hierdie navorsingstudie het daarin geslaag om te identifiseer dat daar generiese probleem areas in die konstruksiebedryf is en dat tegnologie gebruik kan word om probleme op te los en om dienooreenkomstig siklusse in maatskappye te verbeter. Verder is 'n generiese en buigsame vier-stap proses geformuleer wat verskeie kriteria, opinies van belanghebbendes, korporatiewe strategieë en die nodige voordele om die probleem op te los, alles in een evalueringsmodel inkorporeer. Hierdie proses is bewys om te kan help om tegnologiese beleggings in die konstruksiebedryf te vergemaklik om sodoende reeds-bestaande probleme op te los.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Construction Project Management

The use of mobile computing on the construction site has been a well-researched area since the early 1990's, however, there still remains a lack of computing on the construction site. Where computers are utilised on the site this tends to be by knowledge workers utilising a laptop or PC in the site office with electronic data collection being the exception rather than the norm. The problems associated with paper-based documentation on the construction site have long been recognised (Baldwin, et al, 1994; McCullough, 1993) yet there still seems to be reluctance to replace this with electronic alternatives. Many reasons exist for this such as; low profit margins, perceived high cost; perceived lack of available hardware and perceived inability of the workforce. However, the benefits that can be gained from the successful implementation of IT on the construction site and the ability to re-use construction site data to improve company performance, whilst difficult to cost, are clearly visible. This thesis represents the development and implementation of a data capture system for the management of the construction of rotary bored piles (SHERPA). Operated by the site workforce, SHERPA comprises a wireless network, site-based server and webbased data capture using tablet computers. This research intends to show that mobile computing technologies can be implemented on the construction site and substantial benefits can be gained for the company from the re-use and integration of the captured site data.