MECHANIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION IN POLAND, PARTS III-V

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A008000120002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 27, 2009
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: October 15, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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Pace
Part III 5. Mechanization of Concrete Work
6. Mechanization of Finishing Work
7. Indexes of Mechanization of Selected Processes
Part IV Utilization of Equipment
Part V Surrimar y
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5. Mechanization of Concrete Work.
The following processes$ can be separated when handling and using concrete:
Mixing of concrete called also preparation of the concrete mixture
Transportation of concrete from the concrete mixer to the place where it is used
Compacting of concrete
Curing of concrete
Mixing of concrete.
This operation is 90% mechanized in Poland, i.e. to its highest practical
level. There is no manual mixing of concrete on the building sites except on very
small projects in villages or on individual houses. There were about 9,000 concrete
mixers in Poland in 1957, which was regarded as a sufficient number. However, more
small concrete mixers are needed in order to mechanize small construction projects.
Such small concrete mixers of about 75 and 100 liters capacity will be manufactured
in the years 1959-65.
Transportation of concrete to floors of the buildings under construction is
done vertically by lifts and horizontally by wheel barrows. If a tower crane is used
on the building site, the concrete mixer is located within the reach of its arm and
in such a case it can be said that the transportation of concrete is fully mechanized.
Often the concrete is mixed in a plant. This can be on the construction site, i.e. on
a large construction project site there is a separate area where several stationary
concrete mixers are set. Such a shop on the construction site serves all buildings
during their construction. It is also called a "field concrete plant". In addition
to a,"battery" of concrete mixers it also has storage for aggregates, transportation
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installations, and a small field laboratory.
There are also permanent central concrete depots which are permanent
investments serving several construction projects or even a worker's settlement under
construction. The concrete is delivered to the site by trucks and the distance
should not exceed a half-hour drive by truck. This delivery should be done in special
trucks or by rotating concrete mixers. However, there were only about 100 such
special mixers in 1957 and in most cases the concrete is transported by ordinary trucks
with open metal vats, in old small-gauge railway wagons )etc.
It is estimated that the output of concrete made in the field and permanent
central concrete shops amounted in 1957 to 15% of the total concrete used and in 1959
will rise to about 20%. The transportation of this concrete is mechanized but in the
way described above. The mixing is fully mechanized by using half automatic dosi-
meters and with field laboratories which prepare prescriptions and make tests and
checks. Large permanent central concrete shops also have defrosting plants for gravel)
and installations for warming water, sand, etc.
Compacting of concrete is mostly manual in Poland. Mechanization of this
process includes vibration with the aid of various types of vibrators such as surface,
deep, attached to casings, or frames)etc. Poland manufactures about 500 deep
vibrators of poor quality per year. In Poland) in 1957,vibrat were used in 4+0% of
this work and in 1959 about 1.5%. This also includes
vibration of prefabricated concrete elements, so vibration of monolithic concrete on
the building sites probably amounts to only 25%.
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Curing of concrete during binding and setting. There are two known methods
of steam curing to accelerate binding, and by electric radiators during foists, but
they are applied only on a few sites affecting about 5% of the total mass of concrete
used. In addition, the prefabricated concrete elements undergo a treatment of
artifical ripening.
The transportation of concrete from concrete mixer to the point of pouring
can also be mechanized by the use of pumps. There were 20 such pumps in Poland in
1957, and their number has probably not increased. This method means full
mechanization of mixing and transportation of concrete but its share in total mass
concrete work is no higher than 3-4,%.
Prefabrication of concrete elements.
This subject belongs to another problem - to the "industrialized
construction." It is mentioned here because prefabricated concrete elements
represent full complex mechanization of all processes of laying of concrete. Mixing
in the plant is mechanized, compacting is done with the use of vibrators, vibrating
tables and vibrating presses, curing is mostly by artifical ripening heat and steam
treatment, transportation to the building site is by trucks, and assembling of
elements is done by tower cranes.
Therefore in order to define the degree of mechanization of concrete work
in Poland one must examine the scope of prefabrication of concrete elements in Poland.
According to an article written by B. Kierski and J. Witkowski which was published
in Inwestycje i Budownictwo, in February 1959, "Technical problems in construction
1959": It is expected that these two methods (assembling of buildings of large-
block and large-panel elements) will be applied on about two million cubic meters of
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housing projects constructed by the enterprises subordinated to the Ministry of
Construction. Besides the above, about 1.8 million cubic meters of housing will be
built with the so-called first degree of industrialization (1959)." In addition
to these 3.8 million cubic meters of housing bugs constructed with the use
C If I i"
of prefabricated elements, there will be also 5.4 million cubic meterslbuilt from
prefabricated elements in 1959; iI1 + ;~~ + +a _. A big increase of
prefabricated concrete elements is planned for the period 1961-65. The chairman of
the Economic Planning Commission, Jedrychowski, gave the following figures in his
speech according to Trybuna Ludu 13 March 1959; ..... "It is assumed that at least
over 30.5% of the total number of housing constructions in towns in 1965 should be
constructed by industrialized methods.,.. The use of prefabricated concrete,
reinforced concrete and prestressed string concrete elements in industrial construction
will amount to:
8.5 million cubic meters in 1958
10.0
11
it
it
1960
24.5
t1
It
it
1965
Detailed figures are also given in an article by B. Kierski "Technical
progress in construction during the Five Year Plan 1961-65," published in
Przeglad Budowlany, April 1959. On this basis the Source prepared the table on the
next page. On the basis of these figures it is possible to estimate the quantity of
prefabricated concrete and reinforced concrete elements in relation to the total of
concrete work. It amounted in 1957 to about 12%, while the remaining 88% was cast
in place. It should be remembered that prefabricated elements for ceilings were used
not only in industrial but also in general construction. Already in 1957, about 60%
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Housing Construction
19;4 1959 1960 191 19o2 1963 1964 iL~
Housing Construction
1. Total numbers of rooms in towns and settlements:thousands 314 335 366 399 435 465
2. Number of rooms constructed by industrialized methoas:
thousands 36 53 79 106 128 14b
3. Of this: constructed by the Ministry of Construction by 13 22 35 '-i 75 100 120 136
industrialized methods
11.4 15.8 21.6 2o.c 2 ? 31?
4. rercentage 2:1
5, eercentaLe of industrialized construction of the ministry
of Construction, to the total number of rooms built by
the i-iinistry of Construction 21 28 37 45 49 52
6. Enclosed space of industrial projects having Concrete
Superstructure prefabricated (in million cu.meters) 89.2-^ 10 11.8 13.2 16.0 20, 24
Source Je drychowski Speech 12. III 195a!
* Own Estimate
Note: In 1905 the ministry of Con ruction is planning to buila 70' of industrial construction as prefabricated construction
Sources: Article by B. Kierski: ''The Case of Productivity in Housing Construction" (i:'Lubele-~ricz published in Gospodarka Planowa No. 5, 1959 p.1-6
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of housing ceilings were made from prefabricated reinforced concrete beams. In
1959 about 15% of the total mass of concrete will be manufactured by the prefabricated
method. It is planned that in 1965 about 30% of concrete used will be prefabricated.
The prefabricated elements are manufactured and for this reason they are included in
the category of complex mechanized production. It is difficult to give a short
definition of the degree of mechanization of concrete work and for this reason the
Source gives the following resume:
a/ The complex mechanization of concrete work exists in prefabricated
concrete elements, which amounted to 15% of the total concrete work in Poland in 1959.
b/ In the remaining monolithic concrete work complex or almost entirely
complex mechanization of work was realized by the introduction of concrete plants in
connection with the use of tower cranes, or pumps and vibrators. -&r this way a
further complex mechanization of 10% was realized in 1959. Thus about 25% of concrete
work was at the level of complex mechanization.
c/ In the remaining 75% of concrete work there is only partical
mechanization. Mixing is mechanized 90%, and compacting only 40%.
d/ A further increase of mechanization is foreseen, a doubling of the
present percentage up to 1965 and complex mechanization of concrete work described in
para a/ and b/ will reach in 1965 about 40% of the total mass of concrete in Poland.
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6. Mechanization of finishing work.
The mechanization effort in Poland was directed first of all on heavy, unskilled
labor-9+R%4!,,it work, such as earthwork, transportation on the building; site and mixing
of concrete. The mechanization of finishing work was neglected, and is more difficult
to introduce. In this second stage of mechanization, the work of a skilled worker
is aided by mechanized equipment driven by compressed air or electricity, such as
electric saws, pneumatic hammers, drills, wall chisels, spray guns, grinders, planers
and shapers.
The mechanization of finishing work is also called the mechanization of skilled
artisan work and is neglected in Poland. It is more expensive than the mechanization
of heavy labor-consuming work, requiring small tools, manufactured from hard steel.
At the present, 15 years after World War II, Poland has began to consider this
mechanization and plans to introduce about 60,000 mechanized tools during the period
1961-1965. According to an article written b B. Kierski, "Progress In Construction
In The Five Year Plan 1961-1965," Przeglad Budowlan:', April 1959, P. 161-165, as
24,000 electric carpentry, locksmith and masoir
tools
5,000 machines for finishing floors
5,000 apparatus for drilling installation hooks,
for piercing openings and cavities
14,000 painting tools
8,000 equipment for plastering
this plan is not realistic and that it will be
implemented to only 50% for various reasons: shortage of steel, pipes, hoses,
transformers, reluctance of the machine industry to produce small precision products
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due to the difficulty of designs, lack of experience in this type of production, and
the necessity of spare parts production. In addition, the skilled artisans are
reluctant to adopt these new techniques. The mechanized work at the enterprises
subordinated to the Ministry of Construction includes painting 20%, finishing floors
10% and grinding terrazzo 15%.
Considerable time is lost in finishing operations caused by cutting openings
for water pipes and power lines due to poor planning and workmanship. This work
is done manually with chisel, plane and hammer and is one of the most backward
operations in Polish construction.
Plastering
According to the official statistics plastering is highly mechanized. According
to an article written by Kierski and Zubelewicz, "Efficiency of Work in Housing
Construction," Investycje i Budownictwo, no. 51, 1959- Mechanization of
plastering work at the Ministry of Construction was:
in 1952 8.6%
1953 15.0%
195+ 32.0%
1955 55.0% ........,
These figure are entirely false. In 1957, no more than 8-10% of total plastering
and about 15% of the plastering done by enterprises of the Ministry of Construction
was mechanized. The false figures are the result of the following: Construction
enterprises were pressed by the government to introduce mechanization of plastering and
premium awards were begin. The enterprises installed some equipment for the
mechanization of plastering, such as, mixers, pumps, injection nozzles, spray guns
and smoothers. All this equipment was generally idle on the construction site and
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very seldom used. The equipment was of poor qualit and required high maintenance
costs, as a result it is very well known that most of plastering is done manual.l,.
But the enterprises reported that they were plastering mechanically even when only
the mortar was mixed mechanically. There are various types of mixers and even a
concrete mixer can be used for mixing mortar. The high figures of mechanization of
plastering originated in this way. In 1956-1957 it was announced that even the
outside plastering was to be mechanized. However, this was done onl/ in Warsaw on
three building sites where two master masons plastered the fronts of buildings
using mechanical sprayers.
25X1
in reality in 1959, no more than
10% of all plastering is done mechanically and in the enterprises subordinated to
the Ministry of Construction about 20%. All higher figures given froi, time to time
are untrue.
Remarks
This mechanization of finishing work or, mechanization of skilled work,
mechanization of artisan work, or also-called mechanized equipment, should not be
mistaken for the often used definition "small mechanization" (Mala mechanizacja).
Small mechanization refers to heavy-, labor-consuming processes such as transportation,
assembly of heavy units, earthwork, etc. The work "small" means that the enterprisej`
itself, or the construction management is using its own combination of simple
equipment,e.g., electric lift which pull"-.heav,- stone or concrete blocks from ditches,
any kind of hoisting equipment, winches, ropes, A-frames, etc., for lifting of heav
elements when cranes are not available. This is the mechanization of difficult work
usmng primitive means and small investments applied locally.
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The government has been working since 1950 to impress upon the construction
enterprises that they must try to solve the problems themselves and not wait for
modern equipment to be supplied by the state. The construction managers demand
modern machinery, and if they don't receive it they work manually. The government
is of the opinion that the engineers should organize among themselves a pool of old
machinery and introduce small scale mechanization whenever possible. The government
allocated some funds for the small mechanization., described above, but it did not
achieve any larger results. For this reason many articles appear in the daily press
and in engineering publications about "small mechanization", but in practice although
some engineers were able to improvise clever and inexpensive .'.,:entions for the
improvement of work, this activity did not s;read and its importance and effects for
the Polish construction industry is limited.
7. Indexes of mechanization of important construction processes.
indexes of 20 operations connected with earth work, transportatioi25X1
on the building site, concrete work, loading and. use of containers, and finishing
work. The indexes of mechanization for these processes are given in the Polish official
statistics without the explanation that these indexes refer in fact only to one basic
process of any operation and not to the whole work.
The following tables contain indexes for each process separately and in addition
indexes of complex mechanization for the whole wor after 25X1
thorough analysis based on his own experience.
The tables give average national indexes and also indexes of the Ministry- of Con-
struction. The last are higher because the enterprises subordinated to the Ministry
of Construction, are on a higher level of mechanization of construction work and have
better equipment than the rest of the construction ind,,str .
calculations and estir:ates which differ from some official statistic:25X1
or indexes) T'nJ_ch are not _ive.i in the official statistics, are
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Average Index of
Enterprises of
The Country
The Ministry
(National)
of Construction
1. Basic Operation: Digging
1950
32.5
1952
63.0
1957
598
1957
78.0
1958
81.0
1959
66s
1959
83.00 plan
1965
85 plan
1965
90.0' "
2. Dozing
1959
25s-27s
1959
4oS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3. Short distance transport & dumping
1959
is
1959
4s
4. Scraping
1959
is
1959
4s
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5. Grading
1959
6s
1959
lOs
6. Long distance earth moving
a. By dumpers
1959
20S
1959
4os
b. By trucks or other motorized
vehicles
1959
6os
1959
4os
7. Complex Mechanization 1959 18 -203
1959
25S
- - - - - - - - - - -
TRANSPORTATION ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITE
- - - - - -
8. Lifting Operations, Basic Operation with
the aid of lifts
1950
60
1951
70
1952
94
1953
96
1954
98
1955
90
1955
98.5
9. Lifting Operations and vertical-
1959
95
1959
98.5
horizontal transport with the aid
1953
1.0
of tower cranes
1954
1.0
1955
13.1
s
s
1958
37.0
1959
15-20
1959
45.0 plan
1965
30
1965
65.06 plan
10.Complex Mechanization with the aid of
tower cranes and self-propelled fork
lift e
(.,I IC ? r
1959 3.0
1965 15.03 plan
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Average Index of
Enterprises of
The Country The Ministry
(National) of Construction
LOADING OPERATIONS AND USE OF CONTAINERS
11. Mechanization of Loading of loose Materials
and granular materials 1958
1959
1965
12. Transport of loose cement
13. Transport of Bricks in Containers
CONCRETE WORK
14. Basic Process Mixing of Bulk Concrete
15. Complex Mechanization
12 1958 17
13 1959 20
25S 1965 50splan
1959 1
30 1965 4Osplan
1959 1
1959
3s
1959 9o
9)s
a. By prefabrication and assemblying of 1959 15s 1959 20s
the unit elements on the construction 1965 30s 1965 ll-0s plan
site
b. With the aid of semi-automatic permanent
and movable shops equipped with mixers, 1959 lOs
vibrators, etc. 1965 20s
c. Total Complex Mechanization 1959 25s
a. 19b5 50s
16. Simple mechanization, vibrated ~
cohere be 1959 l0s
1965 20S
1959 20 S
1965 25s plan
1959 4o s
1965 65s plan
1959 20 s
1965 25 s plan
b.ITotal concrete work, which is vibrator
compacted 1959 L+0s 1959 6os
1965 70s 1965 90 s plan
(Total of 15 c plus 16 a)
FINISHING OPERATIONS AND MECHANIZATION OF ARTISAN WORK -
t1 r 9._ls
17. Plastering Work 1959 6-10
The figures given in official statistics
for the Ministry of Construction
indexes 1952 8.6%
1953 15.0
195+ 32.0
1955 55.0
are misleading
18. Painting
20S
1959 15s 1959 2oS
19. Oak Board Floor Finishing
20. Terrazzo Floor Finishing
1959 los 1959
1959 8s
15 s
15S
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IV. Utilization of equipment
The most distressing aspect of mechanization in the construction in-
dustry in Poland is the poor utilization of equipment.
Every time the Ministry of Construction asks for more equipment, the
State Economic Planning Commission answers that the allocated equipment could
perform much more work that it does; that there is excessive idle time for the
machines. An extensive reporting system on the utilization of equipment was intro-
duced; norms for equipment work were fixed; controls and inspections were conducted
without resulting in any improvement. The following quotation from an article
by B. Kierski, "Technical Progress in Construction in the Five Year Plan 1961-1965)
published in Przeglad Budowlany, April 1959 confirms the situation:
....." the recent years have not so far displayed any basic improvement in the
degree of utilization of the construction machines already possessed in the country...
It is necessary to attain at least a 20 percent increase in the utilization of
machines...." In the reports on utilization submitted to the Main Statistical Admin-
istration (GUS) several indexes are used: In order to show what they mean the follow-
ing ex angle is taken from the article by B. Kierski, "Technical Progress in Construc-
tion", published in Inwestycje i Budownictwo, No 8, 1958.
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Utilization of single-bucket excavators in socialized enterprises
included in the central plan in 1956
Nominal number of machine days (norm)per excavator 300
Actual number of machine days given per excavator 286
Total machine days 158,347
of which, in repair or awaiting repair 52,491 33.1%
Total machine hours available for work 1,328,958
(i.e. excluding repair time)
Number of hours actually worked
775,792 58.4%
553,164 41.6%
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Generalizing from this example the 25X1
index of idleness of heavy machinery is constructed as follows:
The norm for working days per machine is 300 per year. In actual practice this
usually amounts to 280-290 because machines are being brought into use and scrapped
throughout the year.
About 1/3 of this time is assigned to medium and major repairs, and the time
spent waiting for these repairs.
Of the remaining time, 200 days per year, about 60% is actually spent working,
the other 40% is idle time or the index of idleness.
The usual GUS terminology is as follows:
Repair days
Exploitation time
norm of working days per machine
major repairs and time spent waiting for them.
nominal time minus repair time
the % of exploitation time the machines are idle.
This includes transportation time, work stoppages, etc.
Any preventive maintenance and minor repair time is included in exploitation
time. Only major overhauls and repairs are included in the 33% of total or nominal
time assigned to repairs. Such work is planned for the winter months when the
machines can't work on site anyway. A major breakdown at other times becomes a minor
catastrophe.
The number of available machine hours depends, naturally, on the number of shifts
per day. On average, 1.5 to 2 shifts are planned per 24 hours for heavy construction
machines.
/1/ M
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In the example cited, there were a total of 1,328,956 machine hours
available for work (exploitation time). Usually, the enterprises plan on 2 shrifts
in the long day-light summer months and 1 to 1.5 in spring and autumn. In the ex-
ample given, the average working day is 12.55 hours, i.e., total exploitable hours
divided by total nominal machine days minus repair days. So each machine actually
worked an average of 7.5 hours per exploitation day.
This high degree of idleness shows how poor the utilization of equipment is. It is
mainly due to the poor planning and indolence of the construction managers, neglect of
preparatory work, carelesness of-gee resulting in breakdowns of equipment, a
very severe shortage of spare parts and sometimes a shortage of gasoline.
Preventive maintenance and repair are not done well or quickly due to the lack
of skilled mechanics, the fact that little can be done before or after normal working
hours because stealing of spare parts is so widespread, and because often the only way
to replace a broken part is to steal it from another enterprise or cannibalize one's
own equipment.
It should be remembered that reports are falsified and the amount of idleness is
actually greater than reported. There is a limit to this falsification however, because
the number of working machine hours must agree to some extent with the wage list of
machine operators.
According to the same Source (B. Kierski in Inwestycje i Budownictwo, No 8 1958)
the index of idle time for other machines belonging to socialized enterprises
in the'central plan (this means 98% of the socialized construction industry)was as
follows:
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Index of idle time* %
195 _12~Z*
Excavators, Single Bucket 71.6 34.5
57.8
59.5
Bulldozers
24.2
21.9
Earthmovers
52.6
58.9
Crushing Machines
63.5
Concrete Mixers
x+3.5
Tower Cranes
22.7
18.8
Selfpropelled cranes
20.7
The index of idle time refers to idle hours on the construction site. A
machine could and should work according to a plan, but because of some mistake by
management, or for other reasons, it is idle. These idle hours represent a complete
loss. The time for repairs is also a nonproductive period, but when we deduct from
nominal machine days machine days in repair, we get so-called exploitation days,
and the percentage of the exploitation days to the nominal working machine days is
is called index of exploitation or employment.
As mentioned above, about one third of the nominal working machine days is
used for repairs, therefore the index of exploitation amounts to about 66%. ()f this
66%, the machines stay idle in our example about 4+2%, which means that they work
productively only 58% of their exploitation time i.e. 58% x 66 i.e. 38% of ,heir
100
nominal time. This 38% is the index of productive work.
Percent of exploitable time which is not worked for one reason or another.
The figures for the year 1957, given according to the article written by A.Junak
under the title "Figures.... figures"..... in Fundamenty 2b July 1959,
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The percent of real work in relation to the nominal days of possible work is
shown in Table 3. It shows index of exploitation (employment) for 1958 in column 2,
actual percentage of working and idle time in column 3 and 4, and percentage of real
employment time in column 5.
This table is based on an article written by B. Kierski "Technical Problems in
Construction 1959", published in Inwesycje i J3udownictwo, February 1959, page 17- 24 .
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Type of % of 1958 IInployment Time
Machine on Construction Sites
Actual Working Idle Time
Time
Index of Employment, 1958, of
machines, % of Nominal possible
employment time actually worked
Excavators
Single-bucket 66 58 42 38
Multi-bucket 33 32 68 10
Bulldozers
65
71
29
Shovelling Machines 74 72
27
54
Tower Cranes
26
43
57
11
Self-propelled cranes
53 75 25 40
Thus, the real productive work of equipment is only a small fraction of what
could be done with the aid of these machines. It shows how badly the equipment is
utilized and this is illustrated by the following quotation...." A measure of the
organizational shortcomings of mechanization of work are the idle periods of equipment
which amount to 25 to 57 percent of the time of employment of machinery on the con-
struction site. The average repair index of 30 percent may still be seriously cut,
particularly where medium and current repairs are concerned. The employment of
machines in actual work with relation to the total time of utilization (nominal
working machine days) of equipment oscillates from only 10 percent to at most,
54 percent...."
Source: Bolewslaw Kierski & Jerzy Witkowski "Technical Problems in Construction 1959",
Inwestycje i Budownictwo, F bruary 1959, Warsaw, page 17 -24
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In connection with this bad utilization of construction equipment in Poland
it is striking that the yearly output norms are often implemented satisfactorily,
at least by some equipment such as single bucket excavators, earthmovers, and self-
propelled cranes. The following table shows that in 1957:
Single bucket excavators implemented 97% of their yearly norms
Selfpropelled cranes
But the following equipment did not implement its norms:
Multi-bucket excavators if It 60% of their yearly norms
Tower cranes " if it 480 it it
Earth movers " It if 69% " If
During the first half of 1958, whose norm because of winter amounted to 45%
of the yearly norm, the following record of non-implementation (90% of norm) was
made :
Single bucket excavators and bulldozers
4%
Multi-bucket
24%
Tower cranes
11%
Earthmovers
39%
Selfpropelled cranes
28%
The question arises as to how equipment which is utilized productively only
10 to 57% of its nominal working time, can implement or even exceed the norms.
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Utilization of Construction Equipment in roland
Percentage of Execution
of Annual Norm
Percentage of Execution
. of Half-Year Norm
Repair Time in %
Index of Non-Execution
Type of Machine
Annual Output Norm
per Unit
1956
1957
(45p of yearly Norm)
1958
1958
due to repair time and idle time
1958
Single bucket
7)4,000
1113*
excavators
3
per M bucket
103
94
86
Multi-bucket
excavators
0OQ m3 per
m}} h
57
60
22
43
24
Power Shovels
6,100 m3
per, m3
96
69
42
34
39
BulJ_,Iozers
700 m3 n.p.
126
1140
1.15
4
Tower Cranes
2,500 tons
per ton
72
L.8
63
Self-Propelled cranes
2,500 tons
per ton
98
115
99 19
28
* The norm reported is the average between the norms of 85,000m3 for front loaders and 55,000m3 for clamshell types
Source: Kierski and ditkowski, 112echnicgl Problems in Construction 1959 ? Inwestycje i Budownictwo Feb 59, pp-17-24
(Translated by J 1._~
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Norms are sometimes fulfilled in such conditions for the following reasons:
a. The norms are too low. They are much lower than in the West. In Poland
an excavator with one cubic meter bucket capacity has a .;-early norm of 85,000
cubic meters, while in the West it averages 120,000 cubic meters.
b. The output is falsified in the periodic reports. The quantit.; of earthwork
is very difficult to check and easily falsified. The so-called "1oi.b pencil
system" described earlier high wages paid to machine operators, etc. allow
favorable conditons for falsifying.
c. The equipment is badly managed. Machines are very often idle for long
periods and then they are used for two or three shifts, disregarding instructions,
periodic inspections and maintenance repairs. As a result the machines are
damaged and worn out. For this reason the life of equipment is short, and it
needs major repairs sooner.
The tendency to exceed the norms not by regular work but by short excessive
spurts is unwise. Idleness of equipment is a waste of time and more.;, but so is
over working it, especially bulldozers and self-propelled cranes, and great losses
also result.
Part V. Summary
The principle of development of mechanization in Poland is no doubt quite rational.
The shortage of labor will wzdoubtly increase in connection with the industrialization
of the entire country and with the large demands for labor for agriculture. However,
the methods chosen for the realization of this principle were not the best, and have
proven ineffective. Although mechanization has increased 11 times in comparison with
the prewar standard and is still increasing, there is no equivalent increase of
productivity in the construction industr;;.
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According to calculations made by Artur Wislicki, an employee of the Institute
for Organization and Mechanization of Construction, and published during the
National Convention of Construction in 1956, the existing amount of equipment can
replace 350,000 workers. Although this estimate is too high for 1956, it is probably
true at present, in 1959, after the additional increase of equipment in the ears
1956-1959. However, because of fragmentary and incomplete mechanization of work
processes, these advantages of current mechanization are greatly reduced.
The mechanization of the construction industry which has so much heavy and labor-
consuming work, huge transportation tasks, pays for itself quickly as in every back-
ward industry. Taking into account all the social costs of a live worker, despite
low wages, mechanization in the construction industry- should always be cheaper than
manual labor. But improper utilization of equipment and bad administration cause
the loss of a great part of the advantages of mechanization.
The causes of bad utilization of equipment
Inppite of 15 ?rears of effort there are still causes which result in low
utilization of equipment and insufficient improvement in this field. Boleslaw
Kierski in "Technical progress in construction in the Five Year Plan 1961-1965,"
Przeglad Budowlany, April 1959, says:
The recent years have so far not displayed any basic improvement despite
the constant removal of factors which are still hampering the increase in utilization
of machinery. For this reason it is necessary to attain at least 20% increase in
utilization of machines during the Five Year Plan. It is estimated that an increase
in utilization of the existing stock of machinery- of one and a half percent corresponds
to replacement of about 3,000 workers".
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The causes of this situation are as follows:
a/ Insufficient home production of equipment and in connection with this, an
insufficient quantity of spare parts and units necessary for quick repairs of worn
out or broken machines. As a result of this, the time for repairs is relatively
very long.
b/ Mechanization of single processes while the rest of. work is still performed
manually. This means that the rhythm of the entire complex process is adjusted to
the slowest link -- the manual work. Finally, the whole work almost has as long an
operational cycle as when performed manually.
c/ Low standard of mechanical work. The machine operators are not properly
trained, the engineers have no experience in the organization of work with machines.
d/ Neglect of the problem of transportation of heavy equipment, failure to use
containers for materials connected with the work of tower and self-propelled cranes.
e/ Too much propaganda and not enough action on the entire problem of mechanization,
failure to create solid economic incentives for mechanization, lack of a quiet long -
range plan for a gradual, sound development of mechanization. The demand of the
Party for propaganda effects and sensational achievements, which appear afterwards
as glittering trifles without lasting value.
f/ One-sided mechanization, emphasis on heavy types of machines and lack of light
maneuverable equipment with several attachments which can perform various work on
the smaller scale suitable for medium and small. construction projects.
g/ Neglect of mechanization of skilled work, of finishing and artisan jobs. The
time gained by mechanization of heavy rough work is later lost at the time of
finishing work.
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To improve this situation a longer time and a wise and quiet program is needed,
in which the following should be accomplished:
(1) Use of Western and not Russian models since Poland does not build many gigantic
construction projects and the Western types are more suitable for a medium country
and its medium and small construction industry.
(2) Development and expansion of domestic production of construction equipment, with
stress on lighter machines on wheels having several attachments and tools.
(3) Introduction of a better system of repairs for equipment by using factory.-made
units and by shortening the repair cycle.
(4) Lowering the excessive costs of home-produced equipment.
(5) Assignment of mechanical engineers with university diplomas to the construction
industry. Training at the polytechnic engineering institutes such specialists as
mechanical engineers for the construction industry.
(6) Raising the standards for machine operators and their thorough training, granting
of special rights and incentives.
) Introduction of a system of economic incentives, liquidation of the present
system of "allocation and making presents" of construction equipment.
(8) Gradual introduction of complex mechanization of earthwork, transportation,
concrete and other heavy and labor-consuming work.
(9) Assigning the direction of the entire problem to experienced construction
engineers and economists and not, as today to party secretaries and officials with-
out experience in this field.
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(10) Creation of a motor industry which would produce special trucks, dump trucks,
tanks, transporters for delivery of prefabricated elements and transport of heavy
construction equipment, without which mechanization can not be economical.
(11) Gradual mechanization of finishing and artisan work.
Such a comprehensive program is not in sight. There are some steps being
undertaken for the realization of the tasks mentioned in (2), (6) and (11) but this
is not sufficient. It should be assumed that there will be some improvement in the
next five years because the machine industry has finally started to produce
construction equipment (in reality just since 1957), but because of the continuation
of the present propaganda and neglect of the other eight important problems, real
improvement will not come.
This is a field where the principle is good, but where it is carried out with
many faults;
of of money (but insufficient forei4 currency for import of
equipment) was spent, and the results are much below what was expected and below
what should have been accomplished.
The effort to increase mechanization must be continued. The Five Year Plan
1961-65 foresees the increase of production of the socialized construction enter-
prises by 46% and the increase of employment only by 22%. Employment in 1965 should
amount to 815,000 persons. The difference must be made by an increase of productivity
and one of the important elements for such an increase is the allocation of equipment
and its better utilization. During the period 1959-65, about seven billion zlotys
are to be spent for the mechanization of general and industrial construction
enterprises.
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