Evaluating the impact of meteorological factors on worker performance in prefabricated building construction: a discrete event simulation case

Purpose The outdoor construction performance is significantly influenced by meteorological factors. In prefabricated building projects, onsite assembly tasks, such as alignment, installation and grouting, still require substantial manual involvement, making them sensitive to adverse weather conditions. This study was aimed at examining the effect of key meteorological factors (temperature, wind, and rainfall) on the construction duration, cost and carbon emissions of prefabricated buildings. Design/methodology/approach A logical model of the standard floor construction process for prefabricated buildings was developed using Arena software. By quantifying the changes in construction duration, cost and carbon emissions under different weather conditions, the effect of the adverse meteorological factors on worker performance during the prefabricated building construction process was analysed. Findings (1) In the simulated case, the wind impact was the highest on construction performance, increasing time by 24.2%, costs by 28.6%, and carbon emissions by 29.7%, followed by high temperatures (18.0%, 21.2% and 22.2%) and rainfall (16.5%, 7.4%, 8.4%), (2) windy weather poses most pronounced risks among the three meteorological conditions, suggesting it may warrant particular attention from managers and (3) performance indicators are significantly positively correlated under different meteorological factors, which allows for the estimation of unknown indicators through established linear relationships. Originality/value These findings provide insights that may help construction companies reduce the adverse effects of meteorological factors on worker productivity. They also enable the prediction of unknown performance indicators by unlocking the linear relationship between time, cost and carbon emissions, thereby enhancing proactive decision making.