The aspect of labour in hybrid and in-situ concrete construction in South Africa

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Hybrid concrete construction (HCC) is a construction technique that makes use of both in-situ and pre-fabricated concrete products by making optimum use of the advantages of both these methods in the same project. Although the advantages of this construction method is well recognised throughout the world, and a feasibility study has illustrated that HCC is a suitable construction method in South Africa, it remains under-utilised in this country.Labour has been identified as one of the aspects of the decision-making process between in-situ and HCC. The construction industry is ranked as the employer with the 5thhighest number of employees in South Africa, which is currently experiencing a 25.4% unemployment rate. This highlights the importance of the construction industry as an employer in South Africa. Labour is considered as one of the areas of highest concern in the South African construction industry. This concern is intensified when the shortage of skilled labour in the industry is taken into account.In the light of these realities, the objective of this research study was to investigate the utilization of labour in both the in-situ and HCC environments, and the effect of the use of HCC on labour and its socio-economic aspects.The first step of this process necessitated the identification of the most important labour-related concerns in the South African construction industry. A previous investigation into this industry identified low productivity of labourers and the use of unskilled labour as the most significant areas of concern, whilst another study identified socio-economic issues as important factors to consider when deciding between in-situ and HCC. These socio-economic issues were quantified through literature to be job creation, job security, skills development and a suitable working environment.Interviews and surveys with experienced managers in different divisions of the South African civil construction industry were used to investigate the effect of the use of HCC on the identified labour-related factors. A case study was used to support the qualitative opinions of the interviewees. Lastly, a risk analysis was conducted, which identified the importance of labour-related risks in both considered environments.The research study showed that the labour force is applied to greater effect when using HCC than when using the in-situ construction method. The use of HCC also serves as partial mitigation of the shortage of skilled labour in South Africa, due to its ability to effectively utilize low-skilled labour. The construction environment of HCC also proves to be more labour-friendly, and management of labourers are easier and more effective in this environment. However, in-situ construction creates more employment opportunities, whilst HCC has a quicker turnover, thus shortening the employment period. Therefore it should be considered that labourers in the HCC environment are released earlier and could sooner be employed for new projects, countering the effect of less employment opportunities in this environment.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University