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The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the world and has affected all aspects of personal and professional life. Many construction projects were deemed “critical” during the pandemic and were cleared to proceed with increased safety measures in place to protect employees. Many companies have shifted regularly scheduled meetings from in person to video and/or audio conference when practical to facilitate physical distancing and reduce the spread of COVID-19. This shift to virtual meetings has facilitated continued communication among construction stakeholders. This research addresses the changes in construction communication since the onset of COVID-19 along with the positive and negative outcomes associated with these changes. A survey was completed by a variety of construction professionals, including project owners, architects-engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers. Results of the survey include data on changes in meeting attendance, positive and negative outcomes of virtual communication, and recommendations for improving virtual communication going forward. The study focuses primarily on verbal communication during typical construction meetings.

The COVID-19 virus ravaged the United States population and economy. In March 2020 almost every state went into a self-mandated lockdown. States began reopening in May and June of 2020 with different safety protocols and restrictions in place. Most Department of Defense (DoD) construction sites were considered essential, therefore did not have to shut down. To keep their personnel safe, contractors quickly began adopting additional safety measures as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One of the most widely used safety measures was social distancing or staying 6 ft away from other individuals. This paper summarizes the impacts of COVID related delays on construction activities based on survey data. Results indicate that several issues caused construction delays including labor shortage, social distancing, COVID-19 protocols and material supply delays. The data also showed that delays were noticed in all aspects of construction including concrete, MEP, masonry and finishes.

The construction industry remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in even after decades of safety improvements [1]. Researchers, such as Zohar, have argued that safety climate, or safety culture, is "a robust leading indicator or predictor of safety outcomes across industries and countries" [2]. This study made use of mixed methodology that blends quantitative and qualitative research methods to gauge the relative level of commitment each project's workforce has to a positive safety culture at Herbert Hoover Dike. The quantitative portion of the research revealed a positive perception of safety among craft workers. The qualitative portion of the research revealed major themes and subthemes associated with safety culture on the project. Further research is needed to capture additional workers on this project as well as connect safety culture with accident rate with this and other construction projects.

Site development activities are crucial to construction projects, yet construction management (CM) programs typically focus instruction on building structures rather than the associated site development. Previous studies have evaluated key skills and topics being taught in CM programs yet these studies have failed to examine instruction as it relates specifically to site development. This study bridges the gap in research by evaluating the perceptions of CM academics regarding site development instruction. A survey was administered to CM faculty teaching in Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) affiliated programs in the United States. The survey included eighteen site development topics and was validated by four general contracting industry professionals and three site development industry professionals before distribution. Participants were asked to classify each of the topics within the six levels of the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. The survey was completed by 35 respondents representing all seven ASC regions in the United States. When aggregating results of all the site development topics, the majority of respondents felt that students should achieve the “understand” level (Level II) of cognition by the time they graduate. The highest ranking and lowest ranking topics are also identified along with recommendations based on the findings.

Hot and harsh climates of many underdeveloped countries are extremely problematic. People find themselves battling heat exhaustion and premature death caused by unforgiving heat events. The aim of this research is to improve the thermal comfort of Haitian residential shelters through testing radiant wall cooling and sustainable design principles. The research is limited to concentrate on small sheltered structures typically found in locations of low-income families, specifically in Haiti. The researchers focused on through literature review by investigating (1) previous case studies, (2) industry standards means and methods of sustainable construction, and (3) current trends in the host nation residential construction, striving for the most plausible acceptance of residential hybrid technology. The study includes the assemblies of a composite design--i.e., corrugated metal, bamboo and water delivery--to function and achieve a betterment for an interior shelter climate, by constructing a small replica test model. The limited scale model was constructed and tested in an effort to prove or disprove the theory of thermal comfort utilizing radiant wall cooling in hot climates. The model used both host nation common materials, and limited outside technology; thus enabling ease of accessibility to the native people. The testing of the models occurred in three phases; two of which are presented in this paper. The use of Fluke thermal imaging and Fluke temperature and moisture instrumentation were utilized collect data from the models. The findings of this study conclude the integration of such material assemblies are appropriate to change the performance of the interior shelter space during hot climates. It is with these efforts and findings the researchers are encouraged and look to open dialogue among architectural, engineering and building professionals to create new levels of thinking into more exploratory means per each individual host nation's challenges. These hybrid methods of construction may quickly be implemented and continued long after humanitarian efforts have departed.

Lauren Redden holds a Masters degree in Building Construction from Auburn University. Her industry experience includes working in Pre-Construction Services as an Estimator, and working in various positions in Operations including Project Management and Quality Control/Assurance. She is currently a Tenure Track Assistant Professor with the McWhorter School of Building Science at Auburn University. Her research interests center around construction education, mobile technologies, service learning, hands-on engaged learning, and historically significant construction events throughout the world. She has published in several conferences proceedings. Contact Information: 118 M.

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