The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data

Abstract Comprehending the optimal indoor temperature to augment the productivity and cognitive well-being of prefabricated construction workers (PCWs) is essential for enhancing efficiency and safety in construction. Twenty-four workers participated in experiments conducted at indoor temperatures o...

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Main Authors: Hao Bai, Yian Lu, Xinying Cao, Shulong Zhuo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12024-4
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author Hao Bai
Yian Lu
Xinying Cao
Shulong Zhuo
author_facet Hao Bai
Yian Lu
Xinying Cao
Shulong Zhuo
author_sort Hao Bai
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Comprehending the optimal indoor temperature to augment the productivity and cognitive well-being of prefabricated construction workers (PCWs) is essential for enhancing efficiency and safety in construction. Twenty-four workers participated in experiments conducted at indoor temperatures of 24℃, 27℃, 30℃, and 33℃. During the experiments, workers underwent neurobehavioral tests at different indoor temperatures, and thermal sensation and comfort questionnaires were administered post-test to evaluate thermal comfort. Productivity was measured by the accuracy and reaction time in the neurobehavioral tests. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings during the tests provided data on attention, mental workload, vigilance, and mental fatigue. The results demonstrate that indoor temperature directly affects workers’ productivity and indirectly impacts it through cognitive states and thermal comfort. Analyzing correlations of cognitive state indicators and their changes over time, 27℃ and 30℃ are more conducive to enhancing PCWs’ productivity. Furthermore, it was observed that workers’ productivity is higher in longer tasks at the same indoor temperature compared to shorter tasks. These results offer practical guidelines for optimizing indoor temperature to better PCWs’ working conditions. By identifying productivity-enhancing temperature ranges, the study provides actionable insights to boost worker efficiency, reduce cognitive strain, and sustain performance.
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spelling doaj-art-dc2652ff72c24b2db6e3bb8809f998042025-08-20T03:45:57ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115112010.1038/s41598-025-12024-4The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram dataHao Bai0Yian Lu1Xinying Cao2Shulong Zhuo3College of Information Engineering, Hainan Vocational University of Science and TechnologySchool of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Hainan UniversitySchool of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Hainan UniversityCollege of Information Engineering, Hainan Vocational University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Comprehending the optimal indoor temperature to augment the productivity and cognitive well-being of prefabricated construction workers (PCWs) is essential for enhancing efficiency and safety in construction. Twenty-four workers participated in experiments conducted at indoor temperatures of 24℃, 27℃, 30℃, and 33℃. During the experiments, workers underwent neurobehavioral tests at different indoor temperatures, and thermal sensation and comfort questionnaires were administered post-test to evaluate thermal comfort. Productivity was measured by the accuracy and reaction time in the neurobehavioral tests. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings during the tests provided data on attention, mental workload, vigilance, and mental fatigue. The results demonstrate that indoor temperature directly affects workers’ productivity and indirectly impacts it through cognitive states and thermal comfort. Analyzing correlations of cognitive state indicators and their changes over time, 27℃ and 30℃ are more conducive to enhancing PCWs’ productivity. Furthermore, it was observed that workers’ productivity is higher in longer tasks at the same indoor temperature compared to shorter tasks. These results offer practical guidelines for optimizing indoor temperature to better PCWs’ working conditions. By identifying productivity-enhancing temperature ranges, the study provides actionable insights to boost worker efficiency, reduce cognitive strain, and sustain performance.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12024-4Indoor temperaturePrefabricated construction workersProductivityElectroencephalogramCognitive state
spellingShingle Hao Bai
Yian Lu
Xinying Cao
Shulong Zhuo
The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data
Scientific Reports
Indoor temperature
Prefabricated construction workers
Productivity
Electroencephalogram
Cognitive state
title The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data
title_full The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data
title_fullStr The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data
title_full_unstemmed The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data
title_short The practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data
title_sort practical impact of indoor temperature on the productivity of prefabricated construction workers using electroencephalogram data
topic Indoor temperature
Prefabricated construction workers
Productivity
Electroencephalogram
Cognitive state
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12024-4
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