## 4 Data Analysis
### Initial Cost
#### 4.1.2 Manufacturing  
The fabrication of adobe blocks will be undertaken by a team of workers comprising (i) an expert in the manufacturing process and (ii) two assistants to support production. This group of workers will be utilized for both the manufacturing process and the installation of 1 m\({}^{2}\) of wall using adobe blocks. The production of adobe bricks by a group of workers can yield between 13 and 16 units per hour. Nevertheless, the drying time hinders the accelerated production and overall efficiency of the group. Consequently, artisanal adobe producers generally prefer to receive orders for these materials based on demand [36]. In Ecuador, wages are paid on an hourly basis, equivalent to eight hours of work, and their rates are determined by the Ecuadorian General Controller's Office for both installation and manufacturing. To evaluate the manufacturing performance of adobe blocks, data from numerous local production analyses conducted in Ecuador, particularly in Azuay province, have been utilized. It has been determined that the production of adobe blocks reaches 6.23 cubic meters per month, which corresponds to an output of 38.52 h per cubic meter. However, this assumption assumes that the demand for production is low and, therefore, may not be representative. To produce a block with specified dimensions, a manufacturing performance of 0.0002 h per unit (adobe block) was achieved based on the literature and experience in the region. To evaluate the manufacturing performance of adobe blocks, data from numerous local production analyses conducted in Ecuador, particularly in Azuay province, have been utilized. It has been determined that the production of adobe blocks reaches 6.23 cubic meters per month, which corresponds to an output of 38.52 h per cubic meter. However, this assumption assumes that the demand for production is low and, therefore, may not be representative. To produce a block with specified dimensions, a manufacturing performance of 0.0002 h per unit (adobe block) was achieved based on the literature and experience in the region. Table 4 presents the basic composition of the work team required for extraction, with the job classification code provided by the Ecuadorian General Controller's Office in the second column, which allows us to identify workers' wages. The third column indicates the number of workers needed, but it is important to note that the 0.1 and 0.5 provided for the labor inspector and expert in manufacturing correspond to the requirement of dedicating 10% and 50% of their time to the job, respectively. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Material** & **Volume (cm3)** & **\% Waste** & **\% Fluffing** & **Total Volume (cm3)** & **Cost per Unit (\$/m3) 1** & **TOTAL** \\ \hline Fine soil & 5345.14 & 0.50 & 25.00 & 6714.83 & 3.1400 & 0.0221 \\ Fine sand & 2934.59 & 0.50 & 25.00 & 3686.58 & 18.0100 & 0.0664 \\ Straw\(/\)Sawdust & 1600.00 & 1.00 & 10.00 & 1768.80 & 0.0143 & 2.53 \(\times\) 10\({}^{-5}\) \\ Water & 2498.17 & 0.5 & 0.00 & 2510.66 & 0.6200 & 0.0016 \\  & & & & & & TOTAL (M) & 0.0891 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* The cost is affected by the mechanical assistance provided by machinery for the extraction of raw materials. The costs were included within the same price with an average distance of 5 km [44].  
\end{table} 
Table 3: Quantities and costs of the materials. The fourth column shows the hourly wage established by Ecuadorian law for the year 2023, and the cost per unit is the product of the columns for quantity and hourly wages. The fifth column represents performance, which is an assumed value based on the country's experience and the analysis conducted in this section. Finally, the total cost is the product of the cost per hour, based on the yield. The labor expenses associated with the procurement of materials amounted to USD 0.0136 per adobe block.