Construction Operations under Rainy Conditions in Malaysia: An Exploratory Factor Analysis of Rainfall-Related Site Conditions

Rainfall is a recurrent operational constraint in tropical construction, yet limited evidence explains how practitioners perceive the site-level conditions through which rainfall affects day-to-day operations. This study examined rainfall-related construction-site conditions among 128 construction practitioners in Malaysia using a quantitative cross-sectional survey. Eight items were analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability analysis, and group comparisons. Mean scores ranged from 3.86 to 4.03, with interruption to daily construction activities rated highest, followed by prolonged rainfall effects and reduced site visibility. The data were suitable for EFA (KMO = .872; Bartlett's χ²(28) = 768.79, p < .001). Principal axis factoring indicated a dominant one-factor solution that accounted for 60.75% of the variance after extraction, with loadings ranging from .739 to .847. The resulting Rainfall-Related Construction Site Conditions (RCSC) measure demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .924). RCSC scores differed significantly across age, work experience, and education groups, whereas differences by gender and occupational role were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that practitioners experience rainfall occurrence, operational disruption, deteriorating site conditions, and drainage provision as closely interconnected elements of construction operations. The study provides exploratory evidence for a broader RCSC construct and underscores the need for rainfall-responsive scheduling, flexible activity sequencing, drainage management, and site preparedness in tropical construction

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