COMPLETED RESEARCH
LABOR RESOURCE MODEL FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
by
Anubhav Bhargava
ABSTRACT
The construction of semiconductor manufacturing facilities is characterized by their aggressive schedule, fast-track nature, strict budget limits, and high degree of uncertainty. It is difficult to estimate the project cost, duration, and resources required for construction of these facilities. The labor resources required for these projects demand unique skill sets and a very competitive market exists for these skilled crafts. Some of the current major semiconductor projects in the U.S have been delayed due to this shortage of skilled workers. Effective resource management must play a major part in planning for the labor requirement as the project progresses. Currently, the industry is not able to accurately estimate the total labor-hours required for these projects. To develop a resource model a baseline semiconductor manufacturing facility was defined. Personnel/ labor data for construction were collected through cleanroom construction industry professionals, and data from a existing semiconductor manufacturing facility was utilized to validate the developed model. The labor data for the existing facility showed a great variation in planned versus actual labor for the project. This was attributed to the lack of information available at the planning stage, changes in the scope of work, a shortage of skilled labor, and unavailability of any method/tools to accurately predict the labor requirement. The data for the baseline facility compares well to the existing facility. The research indicates the greatest requirement exists for electrical and mechanical trades during construction. The Resource Model more closely defined the labor needed for the existing facility than the model used prior to construction. The resource model can be a very useful tool in the initial programming stage of the project.
