Crew design methodology for construction contractors

This paper presents the results of an investigation to determine the rules contractors use in designing the crews for their daily activities. The reasonable number of crews contractors use and the composition of each crew have been addressed. Four major subcontracting areas have been investigated, namely: (1) reinforced concrete; (2) masonry; (3) mechanical aspects; and (4) electrical aspects. A structured interview approach was followed, and a questionnaire was designed to capture the main criteria that contractors use in their crew design. The questionnaire was based on an analysis of the type of work implemented, the activities involved, and the major jobs performed, as well as the general factors affecting labor resource allocation. Within each of the four subcontracting areas contractors have been interviewed and rules of thumb for crew design and makeup have been elicited and analyzed. Results showed that contractors have a specific process that they use in designing the crews for their activities. This process, which was found to be common among most of the contractors under study, has been analyzed and illustrated in this paper.