Feasibility Analysis of COVID-19 Response Guidelines at Construction Sites in South Korea Using CYCLONE in Terms of Cost and Time

Abstract

The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a cost and time crisis for most construction projects around the world. Adherence to COVID-19 response guidelines for construction sites may prevent the occurrence of COVID-19 cases, which eliminates the risk of site closure. However, adding a disinfection process to the construction process, as mandated in COVID-19 response guidelines, increases overall construction cost and time. Conversely, however, not adding a disinfection process may result in COVID-19 cases among construction workers, which would delay construction and perhaps even cause closure of the construction site. Therefore, this study analyzed the feasibility of COVID-19 response guidelines for construction sites, especially the addition of a disinfection process, in terms of cost and time. To this end, CYClic Operations NEtwork (CYCLONE) models were developed to simulate the construction process, and a case study was conducted to validate the applicability of the suggested approach. The results showed that compliance with COVID-19 response guidelines increased the number of working days and the construction costs of the subject construction project, but because there was no more risk of construction site closure, the construction delays were short, and the liquidated damages were minimized. Through the method proposed in this study, it is possible to estimate construction cost and time before and after the COVID-19 pandemic; this method could be used to provide data for both owners and contractors to pro-actively recognize and respond to situations or damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The data could also be used as evidence in case of future damages or disputes.

COVID-19 and Construction: Impact Analysis on Construction Performance during Two Infection Waves in Victoria, Australia

“…Kim et al [37] published work with scenario-based simulations. They developed three scenarios of curtain-wall operations and measured workdays, calendar days, total cost, and liquidated damages, which included the quantified effect of COVID-19 on pre-and post-COVID-19 curtain-wall operations.…”

Resilience of Organizations in the Construction Industry in the Face of COVID-19 Disturbances: Dynamic Capabilities Perspective

“…The second group of these studies examined the implications (e.g., legal disputes and delays) of construction disruptions (e.g., Salami et al 2021;Kim et al 2021) and the emergent construction practices as a result of the pandemic (e.g., Simpeh and Amoah 2021;Assaad and El-adaway 2021). For example, Salami et al (2021) explored the measures that construction organizations put in place to mitigate the risks of litigation associated with the contract breaches due to the pandemic.…”

“…For example, Salami et al (2021) explored the measures that construction organizations put in place to mitigate the risks of litigation associated with the contract breaches due to the pandemic. In order to help project owners and contractor respond to the damages caused by the pandemic, Kim et al (2021) proposed a method to estimate the construction cost and schedule before and after the pandemic.…”

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

“…For instance, Al-Mhdawi et al (2020) identified the impact of COVID-19 on construction projects in Iraq [ 10 ], while Jeon et al (2022) proposed the Purdue Index to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the US construction industry [ 6 ]. Other studies explored the response strategies on pandemic impacts [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. For example, Zamani et al (2022) provided pandemic response strategies in the construction industry for the government [ 13 ], while Kim et al (2021) proposed an approach to examining the feasibility of pandemic guidelines implemented on construction sites in South Korea [ 14 ].…”

“…Other studies explored the response strategies on pandemic impacts [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. For example, Zamani et al (2022) provided pandemic response strategies in the construction industry for the government [ 13 ], while Kim et al (2021) proposed an approach to examining the feasibility of pandemic guidelines implemented on construction sites in South Korea [ 14 ]. However, these studies primarily focused on the economic, financial, and operational consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as reduced productivity and disruptions in the supply chain, while the research on workers occupational health and safety during the pandemic is still lacking, and also given that we know little about how construction workers perceive their work stressors.…”