ABSTRACT
Pandemics, such as Covid-19 virus spread fast with significant impact on people and the economy. The construction industry with productivity stagnation of over two decades is not excluded from this significant impact or restrictions that determine the present way of life. These restrictions (e.g., government shutdowns, social distancing, and face mask requirement) impede several construction processes resulting in scheduling restrictions, increased work-related hazards, and developing challenges helping to sabotage existing labor force shortage issues. Consequently, researchers and practitioners have focused on low-risk activities, staggered schedules, etc. However, there is a need to appraise the impact of Covid-19 on construction labor force while making a case for construction automation. In this study, the authors utilized a state of practice review of Covid-19-related developments (i.e., disruptions, standards, and regulatory practices) within construction, along with qualitative and quantitative approach among twelve professionals. The study identified productivity, safety, and quality concerns affecting the construction workforce before proposing a workflow for increased automation within the industry to deal with the present and future pandemics. The findings demonstrate the need and emphasize the importance of embracing automation for construction processes in phases that can improve labor force issues and performance metrics to change the path for lingering concerns in construction. © 2022 ASCE.
ABSTRACT
The construction industry is heavily reliant on the production of laborers, and construction labor costs share a big part in the total cost of the projects. Due to the emergence of the COVID-19, the construction industry has been experiencing restrictions and limitations in their project sites, affecting labor productivity. This paper aims to determine which factors are critical in influencing Construction Labor Productivity in the National Capital Region (NCR) in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic by obtaining each of the critical factors' respective relative importance index. In order to achieve the study's objective, the researchers asked experts under the category AAAA companies who have a site and managerial experience during the pandemic to participate in an online questionnaire survey. 34 factors were considered for this study and categorized into four groups: (1) Human/labor;(2) Management;(3) Technological;and (4) COVID-19. The findings of the study were able to identify the 10 significant factors affecting labor productivity during the pandemic: (1) Laborer's Experience and Skill;(2) Availability of Materials;(3) Clarity of Instructions and Daily Task Assignments;(4) Coordination among Level Design Disciplines;(5) Shortage of Laborers, Construction Method;(6) Prolonged Delivery Period, Limited Number of Work Personnel Per Zone, Leadership of Construction Management;(7) Clarity of the Drawings and Specifications;(8) Communication among Laborers, Rework;(9) Social Distancing, Laborer's Absenteeism;and (10) Availability of Personal Protective Equipment. The study can guide construction firms for efficient management of laborers during a pandemic to improve construction labor productivity and accomplish a cost-effective project. © 2021 IEEE.