Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol. 6, pp.

3964 - 3970, 2005

STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE LENGTH OF WORK

EXPERIENCE ON LABOR COEFFICIENT IN UNIT PRICE ANALYSIS
Basuki ANONDHO Susy ROSTIYANTI
Senior Lecturer Lecturer
Civil Engineering Department Civil Engineering Department
Tarumanagara University Tarumanagara University
Jl. Let.Jen S. Parman No. 1 Jl. Let.Jen S. Parman No. 1
Jakarta 11440 Jakarta 11440
Fax: +62-21-566-3277 Fax: +62-21-566-3277
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Lydiawati SOELEIMAN
Research Associate
Civil Engineering Department
Tarumanagara University
Jl. Let.Jen S. Parman No. 1
Jakarta 11440
Fax: +62-21-566-3277
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The construction cost is usually calculated based on the unit price analysis using
three major coefficients for materials, equipment and labor. Among the three, the labor cost is
more difficult to obtain where uncertainty is occurred due to the lack of performance
standardization. This paper describes a study with the purpose to acquire an approach model
in estimating labor coefficient where the uncertainty is applied. The study is conducted to
labor involved in the industry and based on length of work experience that influences labor
performance. Reference of labor coefficient is gathered from the National Standard of
Indonesia (NSI) and is examined toward the range of coefficient from the data. The
correlation and equation between length of work experience and labor performance are
computed. By doing so, testing NSI on average time obtained form the study, regression
analysis output and its equation could be used as the correlation between length experience
and manpower productivity. This productivity is a transformation of the coefficient in unit
price analysis.

Key Words: labor performance, uncertainty, length of work experience, unit price analysis

1. BACKGROUND

Labor intensive is a common practice in Indonesia. This practice is employed due to the fact
that Indonesia has large population. The purpose of this method is to accommodate the needs
of opportunities for employment. The benefit of labor intensive is that the method absorbs
more labor; thus unemployment can be minimized. This method is commonly applied in
most sectors including the construction industry. While technology in construction industry is
developing, labor intensive is used more widely in Indonesia.

Labor intensive gives many advantages for the population. However, this method can also
cause some problems. Firstly, the consequence of labor-intensive application is variation of

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labor performance. The variation is caused by the fact that labor involved in the industry
possibly will not have any training before he starts to perform a certain construction work.
Mostly, labor is learning how to perform the work by doing it. In addition to it, labor
experience in a construction work influence the variation. From all labors that involve in
construction project, only some of them have experience to perform a particular work. The
skilled labors have their experience because they already carry out the work for a certain time,
while others are unskilled at the work. Other factor that influence variation of labor
performance are geographic area. Indonesia is stretching over 5,000 kilometers along equator
with an area of about 1,904,000 km2. The large area and its diversity in many ways of life
lead to a deviation of labor performance throughout the country.

Labor-intensive program also results in difficulty in determining labor performance

standardization. The lack of standard is also occurs due to the variation of labor performance.
Furthermore, when labor performance standard is not acknowledged, it leads to a problem in
project cost estimation. Generally known that construction cost is influenced by some items
as cost of material, labor, equipment, overhead and profit allocation. Labor cost can be
calculated if certain labor performance is established.

Calculation of all cost items is conducted using unit price analysis. In unit price analysis, the
requirement of labor to perform a work is computed using labor coefficient and work volume.
The coefficient is gathered from labor performance. When certain standard of labor
performance is not available, the coefficient of labor becomes difficult to formulate. This
condition leads to a problem in construction project estimation.

The Ministry of Settlements and Regional Infrastructure has been formulated the Indonesian
National Standard (NSI) for unit price analysis of housing. However, some problems occur in
the implementation of NSI. Many parties that are involved in the construction industry have
not employed the standard accordingly. Each party has its own coefficient for project cost
estimation. Another problem of NSI implementation is the source of data utilized to
formulate the coefficient in the NSI. Data is gathered from two sources, secondary and
primary data. The primary data is collected from several housing projects around Bandung
city, Indonesia. The secondary data is gained from some housing contractors. Consequently,
the NSI will not possibly be applied through out Indonesia.

As stated before, cost estimation will be difficult where the uncertainty occurs in determining
labor performance. For that reason, the need to define labor performance based on
uncertainty becomes necessary. The uncertainty occurred is caused by several influence
variables that affects the labor performance as geographic, experience, training, age,
education level etc. Each factor has its own influence characteristic to be considered. This
study objective is to obtain the characteristic of length of experience, as one of influence
factors, on labor performance for calculation of labor coefficient for unit price analysis.
Research of this study is concentrated on labor of brick masonry, carpentry and reinforced
works.

2. LITERATURE STUDY

Productivity means comparison between effective and efficiency. Effective toward manpower
performance in maximizes quality, quantity and time. In other hand, efficiency means
comparison between input and the result from the input (Umar, 1998).

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In this study, to know efficiency labor performance, each activity of certain work duration
from observation is established. Total duration from each work is calculated using Eqn.1.

n
T = ∑ te (1)
1

te = Duration for each work item activity in 1 unit volume

T = Total duration in 1 unit volume per labor

Based on Eqn. 1, to know productivity of each labor performance, 1 unit volume is used to
measure labor performance effective. From that assumption, productivity can be calculated
using Eqn.2.

1
Productivi ty = (2)
T

Since uncertainty condition occurs in developing country due to the lack of standardization,
qualitatively, any variable, either single or multiple variables, can influence labor
productivity. Length of experience, as one of those variables, has a specific characteristic. In
a normal condition, it related with age. In an uncertainty condition, labor experience is not
directly related with variable age due the uncertainty condition. Skill, underage restricted
regulation performance, geographic culture and others factor influence the characteristic of
labor productivity and conduct the uncertainty itself. Based on those conditions, the study has
to be separated length of experience from age. In other words, there is a need to conduct a
different study to find the influence of age toward labor productivity. Logically, the model
cannot be drawn in linear shape and has to accommodate flexibility of human characteristics.
Using quantitative method, influence characteristic of variable length of experience to
productivity can be predicted. Quantitative method used in this approach is regression which
will shows its correlation. A polynomial regression approach applied as the basic concept
because there will be no human with a linear characteristic. The best fit of non-linear
characteristic curve should be chosen as a representative equation. In this study, second
degree of non-linear is will be used as shown in Eqn.3 below.

Y = a + bX + cX2 (3)

Y = dependent variable, for this study is productivity

X = independent variable, for this study is length of experience
a,b,c = integers

In order to understanding the correlation between X and Y, the equation is analyzed. The
correlation between X and Y is defined as correlation coefficient (r). If the value of r more
than zero the correlation is positive, in the contrarary, the correlation is negative. The
correlation determination is shown as below:

- If r ≤ 0.5 shows poor correlation

- If 0.5 < r < 0,7 shows fair correlation
- If r > 0.7 shows good correlation
- If r > 0.9 shows excellent correlation

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3. METHODOLOGY

Based on the theory above, systematic steps is design as a methodology to determine

correlation between length of experience and labour productivity. All the steps performed are:
1. Determine study area and its available standarization.
Study area should be determined as limitation of the study with a standard that exist in
those area to ensure the population.
2. Establish construction method to obtain work breakdown.
Determining work breakdown provides work items to be observed.
3. Collect data
i. The duration (te) is obtained through observation. The output should be turned into
productivity form.
ii. The length of work experience is obtained through quetioner.
iii. Available standardization is obtained from choosen standard in certain area.
4. Test the standard that used in the study.
Test is using a common quantitaive method hypothesa testing on normal distribution.
The output has shown that the standard being used is larger than the mean of datas, as
hypothetic assumption.
5. Analyze data
Analysis of the data is used the Eqn 3 for each type of labor. The output is a curve that
describes the correlation of length of experience and productivity.
6. Draw conclusion
Conclusion is made by compare r output of correlation equation as the result from the
analysis with the range of correlation determination as shown above.

4. ANALYSIS

1. Study area and standard applied

Study Area : Jakarta and around.
Standard Used : NSI number 03-2495-1991, 03-3434-1994 and 03-94-03

Table 1. Coefficient NSI

No Activity NSI coefficient
1 Door Frame 18.00
2 Brick Mansory 1.6
3 Reinforced Bar 0.033

2. Work breakdown
Broken down work activity for each activity can be shown in table 2 below.

Table 2. Activities Sequence

No Door Frame Reinforced Bar Brick Masonry
1 Cutting Cutting Thread setting
2 Planing Cross bar preparation Paste placing
3 Beveling Reinforced bending Brick positioning
4 Molding Reinforced assembling
5 Pegs making
6 Holes making
7 Assembling

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3. Data collecting
Data gathered from observation and interview will be shown later in curve later.
The mean of labor productivity in coefficient is:

o Brick Mansory = 1.49768

o Reinforced Bar = 0.07243
o Door Frame = 15.744

4. Testing data observation to NSI

Table 3. Output data testing
Confidence interval = 95%
No Type of Labor Prod. SD NSI tα Z Accepted
Mean the
Data hypothesis
1 Brick Mansory 1.49768 0.196 1.6 2.101 2.27 OK
2 Reinforced Bar 0.07243 0.00616 0.033 1.64 6.4 OK
3 Door Frame 15.744 4.55 18 2.052 12 OK

5. Correlation characteristic
A. Brick Masonry

0,9
0,8
0,7
Productivity

0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10

Length of experience

Figure 1. Correlation Length of Experience vs Productivity for Brick Mansory

Result: Y= -0.0104X2 + 0.1424X +0.2854

r = 0.799

B. Reiforced Bar
18

16
Productivity

14

12

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Length of Experience

Figure 2. Correlation Length of Experience vs Productivity for Reinforced Bar

Result: Y= -0.0499X2 + 1.0033X + 10.309

r = 0.805

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C. Door Frame

0,12

0,1

Productivity
0,08

0,06

0,04

0,02

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Length of Experience

Figure 3. Correlation Length of Experience vs Productivity for Door Frame

Result: Y= 0.0001X2 + 0.045X + 0.0454

r = 0.8013

5. CONCLUSION

1) The charactersitic of labor productivity, in general, is positive curve as shown in

figure 1, 2 and 3.
2) The correlation is good enough, it proves that there is a correlation between the
two variables.
3) The NSI coefficient is to large relatively. Study output shows that there is a need
to consider an improving cofficient in unit price analysis for construction project
in Jakarta and around
4) Length of experience gives an increase productivity up to a certain value, before it
started decrease. This is a natural characteristic of human being, where age should
influence the productivity, even it has a mean of longer experience.

REFERENCES

Dewan Standarisasi Nasional (1994). SNI T 03-1994-03: Tata Cara Perhitungan Harga
Satuan Pekerjaan Dinding Tembok dan Plesteran untuk Bangunan Sederhana,
Departemen Pekerjaan Umum, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Dewan Standarisasi Nasional (1994). SNI 03-3434-1994: Tata Cara Perhitungan Harga
Satuan Pekerjaan Kayu untuk Bangunan Rumah dan Gedung, Departemen Pekerjaan
Umum, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Dewan Standarisasi Nasional (1991). SNI 03-2495-1991: Spesifikasi Bahan Tambahan untuk
Beton, Departemen Pekerjaan Umum, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Erwin (2001). Studi Analisis Koefisien Tukang Besi Pada Perhitungan Harga Satuan Untuk
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Herwan, Y. (2001). Studi Analisis Koefisien Tukang Batu Pada Perhitungan Harga Satuan
Untuk Rumah Tinggal di Kawasan Jakarta dan Sekitarnya, Universitas Tarumangara,
Jakarta, Indonesia.
Pusat Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pemukiman (2001). Analisa Biaya Konstruksi/ ABK
Bangunan Gedung dan Perumahan, Jakarta, Indonesia.

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Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol. 6, pp. 3964 - 3970, 2005

Pratt, David.J. (1995). Fundamentals of Construction Estimating, Delmar Publisher, New

York, USA.
Schuette, Stephen D. and Roger W. Liska, (1994), Building Construction Estimating, Mc-
Graw-Hill Int, Singapore
Soelaiman, L. (2001). Studi Analisis Koefisien Tukang Kayu Pada Perhitungan Harga Satuan
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