Quantifying the impact of schedule compression on construction labor productivity

The reduction of time available to complete a project is commonly known throughout the construction industry as schedule compression. Schedule compression is a problem because it negatively impacts labor productivity in various ways, and it becomes a source of dispute between the owners and contractors. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that schedule compression is a common occurrence on construction projects. Furthermore, the court recognizes that contractors usually fail to show a cause-effect relationship between the schedule compression and increased cost. Without demonstrating damages and being able to quantify them, the additional cost of lost productivity can not be compensated.;The objectives of this research were to investigate and quantify the impact of the three most common schedule compression methods: overtime, overmanning, and shift work on construction labor productivity, and to develop a model that quantifies the total impact of schedule compression on labor productivity at the project level.;The first objective was achieved by developing quantification models for each respective method. The second objective was achieved by introducing a quantitative definition of schedule compression that compares actual project duration to its corresponding normal duration for the same type and size of a project, and developing a logistic regression model that determines whether a project was impacted by schedule compression and a quantification model that quantifies the total impact of schedule compression on labor productivity. The application process provided in chapter six and the models developed in this study can provide guidance for contractors and owners and for resolving disputes that arise about lost productivity caused by schedule compression, and best practices provided at the end of this study will identify ways to mitigate productivity loss from schedule acceleration and compression.