Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction sector: a systemized review

Abstract

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought profound changes to all sectors of society including the construction sector. The main purpose of this study is to explore and provide insights into the impact and changes that have occurred in the construction sector due to COVID-19 and to present a mitigation framework to minimize the effects.Design/methodology/approachThe scope of this study is limited to peer-reviewed articles in Scopus or Web of Science indexed journals. A systemized review was performed with bibliometric and content analyses of articles related to the impact of COVID-19 on the construction sector.FindingsThrough content analysis, the main topics discussed in the selected articles were grouped into 10 categories. Most of these studies were found to have focused on the challenges, impact, and health and safety at construction sites resulting from the pandemic. The study further identified 39 subtopics through detailed content analysis and organizes them into the categories of negative impacts, positive impacts and opportunities and barriers to COVID-19 safety guidelines in the construction sector. Moreover, the study developed a systematic mitigation strategy based on the recommendations of the literature review to reduce the impact of the current pandemic on the construction sector. The mitigation strategy presents separate set of measures regarding safety guidelines, process improvements, government intervention, psychological support and technology adoption.Originality/valueThe research insights provided in this study are useful for practitioners in guiding them to design effective strategies for addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and future crises. Furthermore, a systematic presentation of the impacts, challenges and mitigation measures in this study will help researchers to identify existing gaps in the literature and explore other aspects of the impact of the pandemic on the construction sector.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on architectural education: bibliometric and content analyses

“…Three content analysis approaches are commonly used: conventional, directed and summative (Hsieh and Shannon, 2005). When available theory or literature on the issue is limited, conventional content analysis should be applied (Ayat et al, 2021). Considering the time lag between the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on AE, the body of research related to this pandemic and AE is limited.…”

Opportunities and Challenges for Construction Health and Safety Technologies under the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chinese Construction Projects

“…A set of good practices have been implemented to prevent the spread of the virus on construction sites, including maintaining social distancing [ 6 ]. Ayat et al [ 23 ] summarized five categories of COVID-19 mitigation measures. Construction technologies, including prefabrication, building information modeling (BIM), and digital tools, have been implemented to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on the construction sector [ 23 ].…”

“…Ayat et al [ 23 ] summarized five categories of COVID-19 mitigation measures. Construction technologies, including prefabrication, building information modeling (BIM), and digital tools, have been implemented to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on the construction sector [ 23 ].…”

Demographic Influences on Perceived Stressors of Construction Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…As social distancing remains the primary strategy to minimize pandemic spread, the current COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected economic activities involving human interactions [ 2 ]. As a typical labor-intensive industry, the construction industry is especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 crisis because remote working cannot replace physical construction activities onsite where construction workers are going to interact with each other and risk getting COVID-19 [ 2 , 3 ]. It is not surprising that the construction industry has suffered from one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates during the pandemic [ 4 , 5 ].…”

“…It is not surprising that the construction industry has suffered from one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates during the pandemic [ 4 , 5 ]. In addition, unprecedented economic impacts have also been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic through suspending and cancelling projects under development, and by interrupting the supply chain and the shortage of workers due to quarantines [ 3 , 6 ]. For instance, the average unemployment rate of construction workers in the USA increased by 95%, from 4.5% in 2019 to 8.7% in 2020 [ 7 ].…”