Standardization News

A new ASTM International standard can now be used to better measure construction productivity at three levels: task, project and industry. The new standard, E2691, Practice for Job Productivity Measurement, was developed by Subcommittee E06.81 on Building Economics, part of ASTM International Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings.

"Productivity cannot be improved to be at par with the rest of the nation unless it is correctly measured, and the measurement then needs to be acted upon for improvement," says Perry Daneshgari, president and CEO, MCA Inc., and an E06 member.

According to Daneshgari, the technique described in E2691 measures work performed compared to construction put-in-place. Job productivity measurement allows users to determine the quality of the construction outcome by measuring observed completion of the project as accepted by the customer."Use of this practice will reduce the need for end-of-the-job inspection by providing ongoing and periodic feedback on errors, repairs and rework," says Daneshgari. "These issues will be resolved as they are identified with job productivity measurement as the job progresses."

Daneshgari notes that E2691 differs from existing methods of measuring productivity because, while other methods focus on accounting measures, job productivity measurement presents the capability to report on ongoing events at a job site, which offers information on improving productivity as a project unfolds."E2691 is needed by all stakeholders throughout the construction industry to establish a uniform method for measuring productivity based on construction put in place," says Daneshgari. "The practice is simple yet gives an appropriate level of detail in the output to be used for productivity monitoring and improvement from the job level all the way through the national level."

Subcommittee E06.81 welcomes participation in the ongoing development of E2691. "We are developing more guidelines for applications and data gathering at the local, regional and national levels for task, project and industry," says Daneshgari. Construction and installation managers as well as representatives of government agencies are particularly invited to contribute to work on future editions of E2691.To purchase ASTM International standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation number, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (phone: 610-832-9585).

CONTACT Technical Information: Perry Daneshgari, MCA Inc. • Flint, Mich. • Phone: 810-232-9797 • E-mail: perry@mca.net O ASTM Staff: Stephen Mawn • Phone: 610-832-9726 • E-mail: smawn@astm.org O Upcoming Meeting: Oct. 10-13 • October Committee Week • San Antonio, Texas