Modelling block laying productivity on building sites in Kampala

Block laying productivity is an important factor in planning, scheduling and control of labour-intensive building projects with significant bearing on project cost and delays. Despite the wide application of block laying on building projects in Uganda, no study has modelled the productivity of block layers in terms of work output in comparison with individual attributes of block layers. This article explores the modelling of block laying productivity on building sites in Kampala based on an individual block layer's attributes and work environment. The data was collected using a specially designed measurement sheet filled on-site and a survey questionnaire to collect data on personal attributes of block layers from 40 building sites. In the estimated regression model, work height, number of porters per block layer and a combination of education and experience were significant at 95% confidence level. The results further show that neither education nor experience alone is important in explaining a block layer's productivity. Based on the results, it is clear that an experienced and educated block layer yields higher block laying productivity, which is important for project planning applications. These results are limited to building sites in Kampala, work heights not exceeding 6 m above ground level and 400 mm x 225 mm x 200 mm blocks.