Rómel G. Solís-Carcaño

Construction-Related Accidents in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

AbstractConstruction activity generates important economic contributions to a country’s economy and provides a source of employment for a large workforce, particularly in underdeveloped countries. Many characteristics unique to the construction industry also encourage a greater incidence of work-related accidents. This work describes 22 cases of construction-related accidents that had taken place in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, where migratory phenomena have led to an increased demand for construction. This industry, therefore, has become an important source of employment and has stimulated the participation of companies from outside the area. The risks and subsequent consequences were studied and analyzed within a context of projects that were not particularly complex or of great height, and in which a low level of technology was used. These factors notwithstanding, results showed a high incidence of serious accidents. Based on an analysis of prediction and severity, it was possible to identify the p...

Natural Concrete Curing under Hot Sub-Humid Climate

This paper describes how the weather of the Yucatan Peninsula is classified as hot sub-humid, with minor differences of relative humidity and temperature during the year. Local builders, in their search for process optimization and cost reduction, usually do not cure concrete beyond wetting the concrete surface immediately after removing the formwork. Teaching of concrete technology has been based on classic reports, where it is affirmed that the strength gain is enhanced when moist curing is applied. Preliminary studies in the Yucatan region have not shown that moist curing helped to improve strength gain. Based on the meteorological conditions of the Yucatan region, it is possible that natural curing occurred with no need for additional curing for most of the cases. The objective of this study was to obtain the strength-gain curves as a function of the moist curing time from 0 to 90 days. Preliminary results confirm the hypothesis about the sufficiency of the natural curing under the weather conditions of the Yucatan region. The use of porous aggregate may have contributed to curing during storage in air.

Job satisfaction of construction professionals: case study in eastern Mexico

Work is an intense and demanding activity; in order to perform productive tasks well, it is necessary to have both, disposition and capacity, as well as appropriate working conditions. Job satisfaction surveys are a widely accepted way to know the level of fulfillment of these variables from the employee’s perspective; job satisfaction has been developed as a concept related to a positive emotional state resulting from the individual´s appraisal of his/her job or job experiences. A wide variety of studies have been conducted to measure job satisfaction in the construction industry, most of which have focused on laborers. The aim of this study was to explore job satisfaction levels of construction professionals working for construction firms in Eastern Mexico. The instrument used to measure job satisfaction was the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, developed for different types of trades and professions, including engineering. The model on which this instrument is based takes into account job satisfaction comprising twenty variables; the methodology may be applied in different geographic contexts. In this case, the results showed that, in general, the group of professionals under study was dissatisfied; while the sub-groups of executives and supervisors expressed satisfaction. The method for the analysis of results can be functional in other regions in the world. It was concluded therefore that there is much room for improvement in the construction industry to professionalize human resource management, and provide better job environments for the employees.

Satisfacción y respuestas conductuales de los clientes que compran una vivienda y gestión de las empresas constructoras de la voz del cliente

Resumen es: La vivienda constituye un elemento fundamental para las personas ya que les proporciona bienestar, proteccion, y sentido de pertenencia a un nucleo socia...