Study On Principles And Methods For Construction Ergonomics

Research of perfecting construction is the fundamental work for promoting the efficiency, benefit and the level of safety management of construction industry. A number of basically principles and methods of Ergonomics and Safety Engineering also apply to construction system. By introducing these principles and methods into Construction discipline to establish a new study field, the works of perfecting construction will obtain a new theoretical and practical support.Principles and methods of Construction Ergonomics were studied in the dissertation by taking the construction human-machine-environment system as subject investigated. The following views of fundamental disciplines of Construction Ergonomics were utilized in the study: (1) Ergonomics' principles: people are the factor in the core of ergonomic system and performance is the achievements of whole system;(2) Safety Engineering's principles: accident is caused by integrated faults and theory of hazard management;(3) Construction discipline's: optimizing thought and dynamic control. The method of this study is normative research, and positive research is also taken as the supplementary tool. A preliminary fundamental theoretical framework has been structured for establishing a new branch of learning—Construction Ergonomics—in the Construction discipline. The key research findings include three main parts, which are the thinking principles, the research system and the theorems and methods system of the new sub-discipline.1. The thinking principles of Construction ErgonomicsHuman-machine ergonomic system, human-machine-environment ergonomic system and construction system were researched. By comparing the factors ofconstruction system with factors of ergonomic system, Governing Body of Construction is defined as Human Factor;Construction Condition (which includes substance conditions and technique conditions) is defined as Machine Factor;Construction Environment, Subject of Construction and the relationships between the construction working's people and people, people and organization, organization and organization are defined as Environmental Factor. These factors construct the Human-machine-environment ergonomic system of construction. Three conception principles of Construction Ergonomics, which are people's perfect development, factors fit in with each other and systematical performance subject to safety, were gave. The definitions and conception principles form the thinking principles of Construction Ergonomics. These thinking principles manifest the succession from Ergonomics and Construction discipline and the innovation of the new sub-discipline.2. Preliminary study system of Construction ErgonomicsPurpose, scope, contents and methods of research of Construction Ergonomics were studied. The preliminary study system of the new subdiscipline is composed of the following elements: (1) level system of research: two standard research units—construction motions and unit-activity of construction;three levels of research—expanded study based on standard research unit, study on standard research unit and integrated study based on standard research units;(2) study fields system—suggested twelve sides of the sub-discipline and the main contents, the purposes and the methods in every side;(3) research paradigm—views of taking people's perfect development as the center of construction system design, moving and promotion;and views of systematicness;and (4) research methodology—systematic methodology, positive methodology and methodology of combining the mathematical tools with computer techniques.3. Theorems and methods system of Construction Ergonomics(1) Construction participation was studied. Propositions of people's perfect development, participative rights of workers and staff members and unit-activity-based participation, and six hypothses make the scope, subject and conditions of construction participation research clear. Workers participative principles that are participation in decision-making, controlling process and sharing in fruitage, and managers and staff members participative principles that are management commitment, learning through practices and involvement to instruct give the rules and methods to constructionergonomic study and practice. (2) Construction system design and moving were studied. Flexible principle and three deductions of it—factors fit in with system, factors fit in with each other, flexible parameter—give the theorems and methods to the research and practice of designing and perfecting of construction system. (3) Construction safety was also studied. The ergonomic principles of construction safety—safety to people, safety of trinity of construction working-function-environment, and workers and staff members manage construction safety—are the combination of Construction Ergonomic thinking principles and construction safety management. Series of ergonomic models of construction safety manifest the principles, theorems and methods of Construction Ergonomics and these models provide the fundamental tools to the study and practice of ergonomics of construction safety.The scientific value of the dissertation findings is to provide the basically principles and methods for establishing a new sub-discipline—Construction Ergonomics—in the fields of Construction discipline. The social value of the study is the people's dignity that is embodied in the research paradigm and the thinking principles of the new sub-discipline. The engineering value of the study is to provide some new theories and methods for perfecting construction working and to promote the performance of construction project and construction industry.