Evaluation of the physical workload of bricklayers during the execution of block walls

Abstract

The increasing demand for improving quality and productivity in the construction industry has encouraged the development of research studies related to the improvement of working conditions, site safety and hygiene, and satisfaction of the work force. For that reason, the application of ergonomics in this sector should become more important due to the heavy and hazardous physical demand of workers that typically exists in construction sites This paper presents a method to measure the workload of bricklayers during the construction of brickwalls, based on their heart rate, monitored by an electronic equipment named Polar Sport Tester, and an estimate for the work physiological cost. The applicability of this method for the bricklaying task was evaluated in a case study. The main objective of the case study was to determine the physiological cost of the task and to examine how it was affected by the weight of ceramic blocks. Posture alignments and unfavorable positions during the tasks were also analyzed. The results indicated that the physiological cost was higher for the bricklayers while working in the first layer. The type of block used also had a significant effect on the energy cost.