Assessment of Factors Influencing the on-site Construction Productivity of Building
Construction Projects in Kathmandu Valley.
Student: Kishor Awasthi
Supervisor: Er. Subash Bhattarai
Submitted Date:
August, 2026
Abstract
On-site construction productivity is a key factor affecting project duration, cost, quality,
and overall success. In Kathmandu Valley, building construction projects face a range of
managerial, financial, technical, workforce, material, and environmental challenges,
making productivity enhancement a complex issue. This study explores the factors
influencing on-site construction productivity, aiming to identify key factors, evaluate their
impact from the perspective of local professionals, and suggest improvement strategies.
A mixed-methods approach was used, collecting primary data using a structured
questionnaire from 122 construction professionals, focusing on 30 factors derived from
literature and expert input. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted with
SPSS to group these factors into core components, with KMO (0.758) and Bartlett's tests
confirming data suitability, and reliability indicated by a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.931. The
Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied with 12 participants to prioritize these
components using pairwise comparisons, while Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with
senior professionals validated the results and helped formulate improvement
recommendations.
PCA reduced 27 significant factors into eight components explaining 73.96% of the
variance: Site Management and Operational Control, Workforce Competency and Material
Management, Planning and Decision-Making Efficiency, Technical Supervision and
Contractors’ Competency, Resource Availability and Financial Control, Labor Motivation
and Retention, Design Communication and Coordination, and Construction Workflow
Management. AHP results ranked Resource Availability and Financial Control highest
(18.46%), followed by Site Management and Operational Control (14.39%), Workforce
Competency and Material Management (11.96%), and Planning and Decision-Making
Efficiency (11.91%). The study proposes improvement actions such as formal payment
and budgeting procedures, systematic site layout planning, clear issue resolution
processes, continuous workforce training, and strict material procurement and quality
controls. The study concludes that enhancing on-site construction productivity in
Kathmandu Valley demands a proactive, integrated management strategy addressing
resource, financial, operational, and workforce challenges simultaneously.
Keywords
On-site Construction Productivity; Building Construction; Principal Component Analysis (PCA); Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP); Resource availability; Site management; Kathmandu Valley.