Thesis (MSc) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Civil Engineering Department

Includes bibliography (sheets 90-96)

ABSTRACT
The construction sector has been slower, compared to other industries around the
world, to adapt new arising technology and techniques. Productivity is impacted, in
the construction industry, not solely by labor, but as well by technology, resources,
construction processes, and site management. The obstacle faced when investigating
the progress of productivity in the construction process is that data on the overall
system productivity is greatly difficult to obtain. In the geographical location of North
Cyprus, the construction industry is relatively young, so the implementation of
advanced technology and methods of managing projects is a challenging task when
trying to incorporate them into the changing environment.
The research aimed at identifying the major causes of low productivity in the
construction industry, the factors that affect construction productivity in Nicosia
specifically, the kinds of technology available in these organizations and how these
advanced construction technologies have been implemented in their construction
processes. To accomplish the aim of this research, a review of the literature on the
subject matter was carried out, so as to discover the factors affecting construction
productivity specific to the case study and a qualitative approach was also
implemented.
In this approach, questionnaires were sent out to construction directives, with the aim
to know the areas of the construction processes where technology is applied, the factors
that tend to cause low construction productivity and their level of importance. Factor
analysis was carried out on SPSS in order to check the reliability and internal
consistency of the variables. These variables were confirmed to be reliable and
internally consistent, so further analysis was conducted to minimize the number of
variables, which led to 5 (five) components being extracted. The findings show that
skill and competence, ease of work, cost estimation, site management and supervision,
and workflow and control were the most important factors of construction productivity
in Nicosia. The answers to how advanced technology have been implemented to
influence these factors are discussed. There are relatively few studies on this topic
with Northern Cyprus as a case study, so this study will gain its distinction through
putting forward extra contributions and solutions. Due to the broadness of the topic of
construction productivity improvement; advanced technology in the construction
industry and labor productivity, this research focuses on the factors that affect
construction productivity and the effects of implementing advanced technology
primarily to improve labor productivity, which improves construction productivity as
a whole.
Keywords: Advanced Technology, Construction Technology, Labor Productivity
Northern Cyprus, Productivity Improvement