The Operational and Economic Impact of Weather on the Construction Industry of the United States

摘要

The study categorizes the construction industry and describes construction operations; determines those segments of the industry influenced by weather; assesses the weather information needed by these sensitive segments to reduce adverse effects; and assesses the Weather-service products currently available to satisfy this need. Also, the needs for specific modification or development of additional weather information are identified. An estimate is made of the dollar losses to the U. S. industry caused by both seasonal weather fluctuation and intermittent (daily) weather effects. Losses caused by unemployment, idle or non-productive equipment, and decrease in annual construction volume are estimated for seasonal weather fluctuations, while losses pertaining to perishable materials, on-site wages, equipment, and overhead and profits are estimated for intermittent weather effects. The potential reduction in loss (i.e., the benefits) through appropriate use of the recommended weather-information (product) package and improvement in forecasting accuracy is also assessed in relation to seasonal fluctuation and intermittent weather. The study also assesses and recommends educational programs and methods to inform construction engineers and decision-makers of Weatherservice products and the ways of using them to reduce the effects of adverse weather. (Author)