The Impact of COVID-19 and Control Strategies Adoptionin the Construction Sector
Mundher M. Alsamarraie1*, Farid Ghazali2
1,2Faculty of civil engineering, UniversitiSains Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Iraq's GDP is heavily reliant on the construction sector. The Covid-19 lockdown mandated by the World Health Organization (WHO) has compelled all building projects engineers and organizations to halt project implementation, on-site construction works and directed engineers and designers to work away from home.
This quantitative study attempts to ascertain engineers' perceptions of how they dealt with the closure, the mitigating techniques they used, the predicted outcomes, and their outlook on the long run of the construction operations, engineering, and center for settlement of investment. It was accomplished by a cross-sectional examination of a survey questionnaire. Engineers, the studies indicate, play a critical role in the building industry. They were able to work full time with decent efficiency due to their design. The poll respondents classified all potential pandemic-related consequences and mitigation strategies into four categories. By contrast, building site engineers do not anticipate that the construction personnel will adhere to social distance regulations and wear appropriate personal safety equipment after the closure is set to release.
Keywords
Construction sector; Covid-19; Adoption; Control strategies
Introduction
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the 2019 coronavirus infections Covid- 19as a pandemic due to the virus's global expansion[1–3].Covid-19 spread is a unique challenge with unknown economic consequences[4, 5].The construction industry is a critical component of the economies of numerous countries[6, 7]. The construction sectoris subject to significant risks that may arise through project operations like design and implementation and global challenges outside the project partners' control, such as economic, regulatory, and political risks[8].Additionally, it faces a risk challenge due to the breakout of Covid-19 in each of these locations and the economic implications of nationwide isolation[9, 10]. Covid-19 elicited a diverse range of government responses[11]. Widely used methods include lockdowns, prohibitions on public events, immigration controls, school closures, a specific type of public protection, immediate investment opportunities in healthcare facilities, and expansion of healthcare systems, regardless of the fact that such a lockdown was essential in restricting Covid- 19 transfer, lowering the number of serious cases, and eventually decrease the risk of death[12].
Undoubtedly, the quarantine had a significant influence on the national economy[13]. It demonstrates the critical nature of developing an integrated, multidisciplinary plan for the post- quarantine period that considers all industries, including the construction industry[14].Most stakeholders cannot pursue construction activities due toprudent policy decisions designed to avert a Covid-19 spread[15].Therefore, work suspensions or limited access to construction projects substantially influence project productivity and completion[16]. Previous research has revealed significant differences in work performance, job happiness, and willingness to work from home due to employment[17].Develop mutual employee confidence in their client's commitment to safeguarding them and decreases absenteeism[18].Compared with other industries, the building sector closes at a greater rate[19].Contracting parties might be worried
While numerous prior research has analyzed Covid-19's influence on multiple businesses, there is a paucity of studies, evidence about Covid-19's impact on different countries' situations.
Consequently, the difficulties associated with the continuous construction process and implementation are debatable. As a result, the study sought to determine the effect of Covid-19 on the Iraqi construction sector. The objective was to obtain interpretations from designers, engineering technicians, surveyors, constructors, and building construction experts regarding the influence implications of the Covid-19 on construction work.
The Survey's main research questions are a) How could the Covid-19 outbreak affect building project performance? b) What are all the possible consequences of this epidemic, as well as options for construction performance improvement? After identifying the three realities of disaster management in construction – that (1) knowledge sharing, (2) cooperation sensitivity between parties involved, and (3) shared accountability and coordinating are less likely to occur during times of acute need[1]. The importance of this study was to overcome the difficulties that face the construction sector and investigate the methods that may lead to efficient project implementation.
Methods
The process of selecting an acceptable research method entails gathering, managing, and evaluating data in order to address the research topic and evaluate study hypotheses. The Questionnaire was distributed to 180 construction industry experts in Iraq, including on-site specialists, consultancies, off-site engineers, construction firms, and property investors. All of the questions in the Questionnaire are designed to address the research's objectives. Because covering the entire population is not straightforward, it is critical to delegate a representative sample. Additionally, this sample should include members of specific groups who might participate in the study. The (SPSS) program was used to examine the data.The Survey was designed to be accessible to all specialists and construction employees via Google forms in their everyday routines.The overall number of questionnaires distributed by the respondents was 180, with reviews from the respondents and their contributions. The researcher tested the consistency of the collected data using the Alpha Cronbach coefficient, and it was 0.84, which means acceptable compared to the minimum of 0.7 [21].
Respondents' Background
In this section, the findings were evaluated to determine the respondents' backgrounds. According to Table 1, site engineers contribute a significant 45 % of their time to the others, which may cause the questionnaire results to focus on respondents' perceptions of specifying barriers.
Additionally, consultants and contractors account for 15% and 20% of the workforce, respectively. Property owners account for another 20% of the population.
Table 1The Respondents' Background
Respondents Frequency Percentage
Contractors 36 20%
Property Developer 36 20%
Consultant 27 15%
Site Engineers 81 45%
Table 2 illustrates the participants' professional service in building projects during this study.
Participants with more than 20 years of service account for 45% of the replies, those with 11-20 years account for 25% of the total population, and those with 6-10 years account for only 17%.
At a lower rate, new members with fewer than five years accounted for only 14%.
Table 2 The Respondents Career Service
Respondents Percentage
Greater than 20 years 45%
11-20 years 25%
6-10 17%
Lower than 5 years 14%
Covid-19's impact on respondents' perceptions
The Covid-19 outbreak has had a varied effect on construction industry stakeholders, especially proprietors, investors, developers, laborers, and suppliers. The nature and scope of the repercussions greatly depend on the specific enterprises' situations and underlying activities.
Direct impacts ranged from shortages of supplies and labor to suspensions and, in certain cases, the termination of partnerships or entire projects.Consequently, industry players must now handle both short and long commercial challenges and build project-by-project solutions in the face of a hostile regional and domestic climate. The changing conditions affect virtually every aspect of the construction process, most notably contract or project notices for defaults, time management, and changes; and project suspensions, terminations, and reinstatements. Prudent decision-making in that new and unique environment demands individuals and teams with relevant industry and technical skills.
As more impacts of the pandemic become evident to industry players, a proactive approach seeking substantial and practical legal assistance will be crucial for making cost-effective decisions—the pandemic's direct effects on the construction sector indicated in figure 1.
Figure 1 Main categories of covid-19 impact on the construction sector The Relative Importance Index (RII)
It was used to determine the total influence of each factor. The ranking of items according to their relative importance is determined by respondents using The Relative Importance Index (RII). The researcher addressed and coded all of the Factors from the Questionnaire in order to demonstrate their significance and effects in order of priority (C1: Time Overruns, C2: Project Suspension, C3: Loss of Profits, C4: Rise of Taxes, C5: Funding Problems, C6: Supply Chain Disruption, C7:
Contract Disruption, C8: Workforce Productivity, C9: Lack of Skilled Workers, C10: Poor Quality, C11: Impact on Technology, C12: Labor Shortage, C13: Health & Safety, C14:
Government Unpredicted Lockdown, C15: Project Termination, C16: Consumption Reduction).
It was estimated using equations, and the analysis's results are summarized in Table 3.
RII=ΣW/(A∗N) (1) RII= 1(n1) +2(n2) +3(n3) +4(n4) +5(n5) /5(n1+n2+n3+n4+n5) (2) Where:
W: the weight of each variable as presented to the participants (in range 1 -5);
A: high weight (equals 5);
N: Total number of participants.
Table3: Relative importance index of the Factors Due to Covid-19 pandemic
Variable
Consultants Property Developers
Contractors Site Engineers Overall
RII Rank RII Rank RII Rank RII Rank RII Rank
C1 0.722 13 0.793 11 0.772 11 0.774 11 0.765 12
C2 0.810 4 0.835 3 0.815 6 0.822 5 0.820 4
C3 0.732 12 0.825 6 0.811 7 0.811 8 0.794 9
C4 0.720 14 0.757 16 0.746 15 0.733 16 0.739 15
C5 0.859 1 0.846 2 0.838 3 0.836 4 0.844 1
C6 0.817 2 0.832 4 0.835 4 0.839 2 0.830 3
C7 0.759 9 0.787 12 0.778 10 0.772 12 0.774 11
C8 0.755 10 0.808 9 0.806 8 0.802 9 0.792 10
C9 0.802 6 0.815 7 0.811 7 0.813 7 0.810 6
C10 0.661 16 0.786 13 0.756 14 0.749 15 0.738 16
C11 0.761 8 0.826 5 0.845 2 0.837 3 0.817 5
C12 0.805 5 0.798 10 0.817 5 0.812 6 0.808 7
C13 0.800 7 0.812 8 0.795 9 0.798 10 0.801 8
C14 0.816 3 0.858 1 0.847 1 0.845 1 0.841 2
C15 0.734 11 0.776 15 0.766 12 0.768 13 0.761 13
C16 0.712 15 0.785 14 0.763 13 0.765 14 0.756 14
Covid-19 mitigation strategies for construction projects
Covid-19 mitigation strategies for construction projects Intelligent software may now contribute with planning, ordering, and bidding procedures by analyzing available data to identify where, when, or how jobs are accomplished, as well as their associated costs. Technological solutions take all of this data into account to ensure that contractors perform as effectively as possible regardless of the situation. Throughout the Survey, respondents make mitigation recommendations to address present and future difficulties, as seen in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Mitigation Plans for project continuity
Conclusion
The Covid-19 pandemic significantly influences Iraq's development projects, coinciding with falling oil prices and sales. Numerous issues affecting top management have been recognized as a result of the covid-19 outbreak. Plans may have to be altered. There would be less labor on-site during a specified period to accommodate social distance. The primary safeguards implemented on public construction sites are Covid-19 standards that address the hazard. For example, maintaining a stay-at-home policy for sick employees, wearing a face-covering mask, establishing wash stations or cleaning products at various locations, maintaining an attendance log for all employees and visitors, and providing safety equipment (PPE) for workers and expanded welfare amenities on-site to ensure laborers feel comfortable reporting to work.
Government fluctuating lockdown plans to contain the epidemic should be more precise due to the enormous impact on all sectors of the economy and construction projects—the need for additional studies to evaluate the pandemic's monetary impact according to the outlined categories above.
Acknowledgment
The authors appreciate the efforts of Universiti Sains Malaysia to provide freely accessible data and systems for the use of researchers doing their studies.
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