Fostering the Reconstruction of Meaning Among the General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak has seen people in many countries asked to radically modify their way of life in compliance with sweeping safety measures. During the current crisis, technology is turning out to be key, in that it allows practitioners to deliver psychological services to people who would otherwise be unreachable. However, professionals cannot solely rely on their traditional modes of practice, in that different methods are required to bring to light the needs of those affected by the emergency. People are being overwhelmed by a cascade of unusual and unexpected events that are putting a strain on their everyday routines and usual meaning-making systems; ongoing challenges to their employment and financial status will likely divert personal resources away from psychological well-being. We therefore argue that psychologists should also consider the needs of the general population. Among those who may require help-aside from the main targets of psychological intervention, such as healthcare personnel and COVID-19 patients and their relatives-specific attention should be paid to those who are not at the center of the crisis. We suggest that this large segment of potential users may benefit from a non-medical approach focused on the promotion of meaning-making processes. Indeed, the disruptive nature of the current situation hinders sense-making and threatens to undermine psychological balance and well-being, at an individual as well as at a societal level. The present article proposes a methodological perspective based on the reconstruction of meaning-making processes (sense of coherence, predictability, metaphors, narratives). Specifically, psychological interventions should promote personal and collective resources with a view to: "normalizing" current distressful experiences (i.e., acknowledging that such reactions are normal in light of the present situation); widening the observational field, taking relational contexts into account, and promoting an understanding of distressful experiences as coping strategies; fostering meaning-making/reconstruction processes through the use of appropriate metaphors and narratives; promoting a sense of coherence. We present two clinical vignettes to illustrate how these principles might be applied in practice. In conclusion, the exceptional psychological challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic require practitioners to adopt a broad and flexible perspective on clinical intervention.

Construction Research Congress 2022

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.

REALITY CAPTURE CONNECTING PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS

Digital media and point cloud captures have been used extensively in the mapping and surveying fields. As technology has advanced digital photographic and Lasor scanning information can be captured on site and processed rapidly. This has led to developing software that can use the processed information, for reconstructing it with the help of photogrammetric methods and connecting it to the 3D Building Information Model (BIM). This paper will review the effectiveness of reality capture digital process in a pandemic situation. Reality Capture (RC) is becoming an important part of the information dynamics on construction projects. Lidar, Drone imagery, Laser scanning and Photogrammetry captures are now used extensively to document the construction process. Platforms that can, host, and overlay and compare scans and photographs to BIM models and 2D plans have been developed. RC provides a rich source of imagery that can also be used to support the production control process. Designers and project managers can focus on value added work utilizing the latest project imagery to co-ordinate and collaborate and to assist developing short term look ahead plans and validate prepared work plans. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide societal and industrial shutdowns occurred the reduce the spread of disease. As industry returned safeguards had to be developed to protect workers and prevent the spread of disease. This paper outlines how a RC strategy that has been developed as a countermeasure to fragmented teams caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and how RC can be used to increase engagement by project stakeholders on construction projects in a post pandemic digital era. This paper discusses how digital tools can support established lean construction process and how action research can assist the continued development of new processes. © Prof. Luis F. Alarcón and Assoc. Prof. Vicente González, IGL2021 All rights reserved.