Abstract

The use of Smart Card Technology in the construction industry is untested. This thesis presents the study of framework for using smart card technology as a new means to reduce cost and improve productivity for construction companies. The purpose of this research is to investigate the applicability of smart card in construction sector and explore the potential applications of smart card for timesheet, labor payment, schedule update and job site access control. A smart card questionnaire was conducted to obtain input from construction senior managers and executives regarding the prospect of employing smart card in the industry. In addition, this research identified the potential applications of smart card with the most suitable infrastructure to the construction environment and the capability of card technology to mechanize the current paper-based timesheet and manual labor payment practice. This thesis presents also a proposed implementation process of the Construction Labor Smart Card (CLSC) and its labor payment application along with a cost comparison analysis between paper-based and smart card-based timesheets.