Guidelines for Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic: Best Practices, Impacts, and Future Research Directions

Abstract

© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers. Due to the novelty of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the lack of measurable data, no enough research studies have been conducted to provide guidelines for responding to the coronavirus pandemic. This paper addresses this critical knowledge gap through a methodology comprising two main steps. The first step involved reviewing the updated industry best practices developed by various organizations and government entities. The second step involved investigating the impacts of the coronavirus based on the available resources and expert opinions, which also were used to develop a synopsis of emerging research topics. This paper provided various beneficial outcomes and findings. First, the paper presents a concise and integrated resource of COVID-19-related best practices for the construction industry. Second, the paper determined that the pandemic is perceived to have short- and long-term impacts - including negative and positive consequences - on four main facets: (1) workforce-related issues; (2) project and workplace considerations; (3) procurement and supply chain implications; and (4) contractual, legal, and insurance aspects. Third, the paper provides future research streams and directions that could be examined by future studies to help in the transition toward the new normal. Ultimately, this paper adds to the body of knowledge by offering practitioners and researchers guidelines for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the construction sector.