Weather has a major impact on numerous industries, but none is as noticeable as the construction. Rain, snow, and heavy winds can increase labor costs, cause massive delays, and even result in worker injuries. Sometimes, it is enough for the weather to be a bit chilly for construction crews to lose motivation.
Being late by a single day after the agreed-upon delivery date will put a major dent in your profits. Due to the sensitivity of these projects, a contractor needs to finish the project as soon as possible or risk financial penalties. Because of that, construction businesses put significant emphasis on addressing these issues and mitigating natural risks.
The Potential Effects on Labor Costs
Perhaps the most noticeable impact is on your workforce. Besides affecting employees’ productivity, heavy snow and rain delay everything by a few hours or days. Here are a few things managers have to worry about in these situations:
- Productivity Loss: A lot of construction projects are done in open or semi-open spaces. Even if you’re inside a half-finished building, you’ll feel the strong wind blowing through the corridors. In these cases, your crews are just looking to get warm and avoid the discomfort.
- Equipment Costs: Similar to your workforce, poor weather conditions are disastrous for equipment. This is especially true nowadays, as many machines rely on sophisticated electronics and web-based technologies. Things get even worse if you can’t find specific parts on the local market.
- Increased Overtime: People working in construction are considered some of the most diligent. They don’t mind working long hours and overtime, as long as they manage to finish the project. Unfortunately, increased overtime and temporary staffing are less than ideal for construction businesses, as they also have to worry about other expenses and delay penalties.
- Supply Chain Issues: Construction sites are living, breathing organisms, with equipment, materials, and workers coming in and out all the time. Harsh weather can halt the trucks and other delivery vehicles, affecting when your crews will receive much-needed materials.
- Material Damage: Even though construction crews try their best to carry materials into semi-finished buildings, most of it will stay outside in the rain, wind, and snow. Despite being covered, some of the products will get damaged in these conditions.
The Potential Effects on Scheduling
If you’re crews are unable to perform as intended, everything will be pushed back a few hours. Here are a few issues that might occur (and usually do occur) in these situations:
- Building Delays: Delays affect your business in several ways. Besides resulting in penalties, they might prevent you from transferring equipment and workforce to other building sites. Low productivity will affect your bottom line, reducing the number of finished projects during the year.
- Revenue Loss: As mentioned, companies will suffer numerous expenses due to poor weather. For example, this can lead to a loss of sales revenues and rental income. In some cases, delayed projects will make you miss bullish market opportunities.
- Contractual Penalties: Nowadays, a lot of construction contracts include penalty clauses. Regardless of the reasons behind these delays, you might lose money due to poor risk management and planning.
- Higher Planning Costs: Whether or not your construction sites suffer heavy weather, you’ll still lose money. Companies spend sizable funds on planning, contingency plans, and specialized equipment, regardless of the future situation in the field.
6 Tricks to Mitigate Weather-Related Challenges
The good news is that there are a lot of ways to address these issues. Here are some of the best practices savvy construction companies use to improve scheduling and help their crews in the field:
1. Use Time-Tracking Software
During rough weather, things get chaotic at the construction site. Unfortunately, many employees take the opportunity to skip work by relying on buddy-punching and other tricks. To ensure everyone remains in the field, you should implement construction time tracking software. These apps use GPS technology to locate each person, whether they’re on the construction site or somewhere else.
2. Introduce Portable Shelters
Heavy rain and snow can halt everything for several hours. By using portable solutions such as insulated break tenders and modular enclosures, your crew can keep on grinding until the rough weather passes. Alternatively, these shelters will allow your workers to warm up, get some food, and avoid catching a cold. Portable shelters can also be used to protect the company’s sensitive tools.
3. Buy Cold-Proof Materials
Most construction projects rely on concrete as the basic material. Unfortunately, concrete doesn’t react well to harsh weather, cracking and curing rather quickly. We recommend that you buy mixtures with chemical components optimal for a cold climate. Alternatively, you can use heated blankets and insulate formwork for curing.
4. Introduce Smart Drainage
Sloped and wet sites often struggle with drainage, resulting in massive mud areas that slow down workers and vehicles. Not only does this slow down projects, but it can also damage equipment and materials, as well as result in slip-and-fall incidents. To address the problem, your management should introduce gravel paths, swales, and slit fences. If you’re doing a more complex project, it wouldn’t be bad to create a foolproof drainage system.
5. Create Ground Covers
As mentioned, wet and muddy areas can cause all sorts of issues. Placing geotextile fabric or stabilization mats can help out a lot in these cases, preventing injuries and allowing full access to different areas. If you wish to save some money, determine which areas benefit the most from being covered while neglecting the rest.
6. Monitor Temperature
It is vital for both managers and workers to track temperature each and every day. This would allow everyone to wear clothes according to the occasion. The company should provide raincoats and other equipment that would prevent the staff from catching the cold, and introduce other precautionary measures.
How to Beat the Weather?
Although you can’t beat the weather, you can come close through planning and policy flexibility. Follow these tips and get acquainted with the latest construction trends to minimize impact on rain, wind, and snow.
