Will Mann, acting editor
Construction has a productivity problem. At least, that’s the view of Lord Adonis, National Infrastructure Commission chairman. And it is a view supported by figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which show miserable construction productivity growth of just 7% over the last two decades.
But sometimes statistics can be misleading.
The CIOB has produced a wide-ranging study on construction productivity, which asked 130 MPs and almost 500 senior industry professionals how construction productivity could be improved.
Many concerns the report raises will sound familiar: wasteful procurement, poor communication, bad people management.
But it makes another important point – that official figures on construction may not tell the whole productivity story.
For example, one great construction innovation movement of recent years – the shift towards prefabrication – may have caused a large chunk of industry activity to be reclassified as manufacturing. Because factory work is usually more productive than site work, this “innovation” may actually have reduced construction productivity, as measured by official statisticians.
The report also argues that any measure of construction productivity needs to take a more holistic approach and consider the wider impact the industry has on society.
For example, Gentoo housing association’s “Boiler on Prescription” project has proved a link between more energy-efficient homes and improved health and welfare of tenants. So better buildings make people happier and healthier, which encourages them to be more productive.
The report does not deny that there is room for improvement in the industry’s productivity. One of the survey’s findings is that construction regards investment in machinery as a low priority. Though as we see in our construction equipment special, digital technology is helping the plant sector make great productivity strides.
So while construction does have a productivity problem, it is only partly to do with the industry’s own performance – it is also down to the way construction productivity is measured.
Can virtual reality work in the real world?
Virtual technology is making its first forays into the construction sector, with two demonstrations at last month’s Accelerate to Innovate event organised by the BRE and CIOB.
The innovations featured “Oculus Rift”-style headsets to create virtual construction site environments, for use in training and particularly to improve health and safety. Could they have a future in the “real” construction world? Industry experts who watched the demonstrations liked the potential, particularly as a possible means for integrating health and safety with BIM.
In an issue where we debate ways for construction to boost its productivity, it is encouraging to see the industry is not short on innovators.
Will Mann, acting editor
