Wind-Induced Productivity Loss in Pre-Engineered Building Erection: A Regression-Based Analysis from a High-Wind Zone Ajmer, (India)

Construction Engineering

Abstract Pre-engineered buildings (PEBs) are increasingly adopted in India's high-wind zones, but quantitative relationships between wind speed and erection productivity remain absent from construction planning literature. This short communication presents a regression analysis of wind speed versus hourly erection progress based on 65 working days of monitoring a 30 m × 60 m PEB industrial shed in Ajmer, Rajasthan (Wind Zone IV, basic wind speed 47 m/s). On-site anemometer data at 10 m height were matched with activity-level productivity (tonnes of steel erected per hour). A segmented linear regression model with a breakpoint at 18.5 km/h yielded the best fit (R² = 0.81). Below the threshold, productivity averaged 0.42 tonnes/hour (95% of ideal). Above threshold, productivity declined at 0.021 tonnes/hour per km/h increase, reaching zero at 36 km/h. A 12% total erection hour loss was observed due to wind, translating to a 9-day schedule overrun (15.5%) on a 58-day planned erection. The proposed model enables probabilistic scheduling for PEB projects in similar wind climates. Practical recommendations include a four-level wind action matrix and real-time productivity adjustment factors.

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