Abstracts – Browse Results
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Cunningham Emord, P (2009) Building evaluation capacity with appreciative inquiry: An exploratory case study, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , The University of New Mexico.
Garrido Martins, C (2019) Assessment of project risks in fast-track construction projects, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Gatti, U C (2012) Measuring and evaluating physical strain to improve construction workforce productivity, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
- Type: Thesis
- Keywords: wellbeing; workforce; monitoring; productivity; safety; construction worker; ergonomics; experiment; questionnaire survey
- ISBN/ISSN:
- URL: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1032809250
- Abstract:
Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is a reciprocal relationship between physical strain and workforce productivity and safety performance. Hence, a monitoring technology able to assess physical strain through the analysis of workers' physiological parameters may be an important step in improving safety and productivity. However, clear relationships between physical strain, safety, and productivity have yet to be determined. Moreover, previous studies showed limitations regarding the monitoring of physiological parameters. Innovative monitoring devices, called Physiological Status Monitors (PSMs), have overcome the past limitations enabling real-time monitoring of workers' physiological parameters. Thus, this research evaluated PSM suitability for construction workforce monitoring by investigating the construction industry's perspective through a questionnaire survey. Moreover, three off-the-shelf PSMs were tested to assess their validity in monitoring physiological parameters during dynamic activities similar to construction workforce's routine activities. Ten subjects participated in the experiments for a total of over 35 hours of recorded data. This research also analyzed the physical strain vs. productivity relationship by adopting heart rate and breathing rate as predictors of physical strain. Thus, productivity, heart rate, and breathing rate data of nine subjects performing a four-hour, simulated construction task (i.e. , over 30 hours of recorded data with sampling frequency of 1 Hz) were used to generate 160 regression models. The analysis of the regression models showed that breathing rate is not a significant predictor while heart rate is a significant predictor with a strong parabolic relationship with productivity. Therefore, this research provides evidence of the physical strain vs. productivity relationship and, for the first time, proposes a mathematical formulation of such a relationship. This research project significantly contributes to the advancement of knowledge about physiological monitoring of workers. The methods and results proposed in this research coupled with concepts of ergonomics at the work place can foster not only enhancements in productivity management, but also improve construction workers' wellbeing and safety.
Han, F (2021) Measurement of resilience performance for infrastructure construction project delivery, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , The University of New Mexico.
Jafari, A (2018) A decision-making framework for the selection of sustainable alternatives for energy-retrofits, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Jaramillo, L V (2019) Implementations of resilience engineering for natural system disturbances: A panarchical perspective, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Martens, R (2018) An analysis of the relationship between leadership style and lean expressed through respect, proactivity, and innovative work behavior, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Nauman, R A (1999) The United States air force academy: A case study of rhetoric and reality in the making of modernism, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Phillips, H C (2009) A proposed method to determine confidence in a construction schedule, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Santamaria Carrera, J L (2017) Quantifying the effect of construction site factors on concrete quality, costs and production rates, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Severn, B W (1980) A simplified methodology for evaluating rural road proposals for less developed countries, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.
Zhang, S (2017) Pavement surface distress detection, assessment, and modeling using geospatial techniques, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , University of New Mexico.