Factor Analysis for In Situ Reinforced Concrete Beam Production: A Principal Component Analysis Approach

The construction industry, a driver for economic development worldwide, faces productivity challenges in Uganda, particularly in labour-intensive activities like in situ concrete beam construction. This study aims to identify and rank the factors influencing the production rate of reinforced in situ concrete beam construction in Kampala and Wakiso districts using principal component analysis (PCA). These factors including but not limited to weather, beam design and site conditions represent the independent variables while the production rate is the dependent variable. These variables were contextualized using a mixed-method approach in which data were collected from 20 construction sites through on-site measurements, a literature review and interviews. PCA was then employed to analyse the data and isolate the most influential factors on production rate, singling out beam length, daily temperature, the number of helpers, and the number of steel fixers, with average coefficients of 0.98, 0.882, 0.78, and 0.36, respectively, as the most significant. Therefore, this study provides an empirical ranking of factors influencing in situ concrete beam construction production rates, offering a foundation for better resource allocation and project management in Uganda’s construction sector.

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