THESIS ABSTRACT

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a global pandemic as declared by World Health Organization is causing severe impacts in almost all aspects of life in Nepal. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economy of the world as well as the construction industry including building construction projects in Nepal. Many projects were plagued with major critical factors, safety barriers and concern about the mental and physical wellbeing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research aims to assess the effects of COVID-19, safety barriers and preventive measures in the selected building construction projects within Kathmandu district, Nepal. This research is based on primary data, and the nature of the data is quantitative design approach. For this purpose, case study of ten ongoing building construction projects was taken into account. The objectives of the study were achieved through two approaches, the first one was a literature review about three main parts; effects of COVID-19, safety measures barriers and preventives measures from the spread of COVID-19 in building construction projects. The second one was a valid questionnaire that was obtained from contractors, client, consultants, procurement officers, site engineers, suppliers, client and contractor’s personnel representative’s opinions from building construction project. One hundred fifty questionnaires were distributed to contractors, client, consultants, procurement officers, site engineers, client and contractor’s personnel representative’s opinions through the goggle forms, emails and phone interview. Among one hundred fifty questionnaires, one hundred thirty (86.66%) questionnaires were received. Microsoft Excel – 2019 was used to analyze the collected data. The major critical factors that contribute to effects of COVID-19 in building construction projects were divided to six major critical factors such as institutional, psychological, individual, operational, contractual, and financial related factors. It had shown that “institutional factors” was the most important significant critical factors among any others factors. Similarly, “psychological and individual factors” were found to be second and third major critical factors. Moreover, results have shown that fourth, fifth and sixth major critical viii factors were operational factors, contractual and financial factors that has affected due to COVID-19 in the building construction project of Kathmandu district. This research concentrates on exploring systematic partial least squares structural equation modeling for to assess the effects of COVID-19 by showing direct relationships along with COVID-19 effects and major critical factors affected due to COVID-19 which are taken into account. The barriers to implement safety measures challenges in building construction projects were divided to six components. Results have shown that “Inappropriate Safety Guidelines " was the most significant safety barriers to implement in the building construction projects during COVID-19. In which the results had shown that “Psychological work pressure”, “Inadequate hygiene monitoring and control”, “Lack of Safety Awareness”, “Improper Working Culture “, “Insufficient planning and scheduling” ranked as second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth were accordingly major barriers to implement safety measures in the building construction project within Kathmandu District, Nepal. In this research study, the suggestive preventives measures from the spread of COVID-29 were divided to five components. Results have shown that “Hygiene and Control” were found as major important preventive measures that helps from the spread of COVID-19 in the building construction projects. However, “Safety measures training and guidelines” was the second major important preventive measures on this research study. Similarly, the result showed that “COVID Response plan”, “Testing and monitoring”, “Safety Awareness” were the third, fourth and fifth major preventive measures that helps from the spread of COVID- 19 in the building construction project characteristics group. This research concentrates on exploring Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach for to identify safety measures barriers and to suggest preventive measures from the spread of COVID-19 in building construction projects within Kathmandu District, Nepal. Covid -19 effects, however differs on the nature, scale and size of the project. This research study recommended the government organizations and all construction professionals are recommended to work by incorporating all the major critical factors i.e., COVID-19 effects, barriers of safety measures during construction and to provide best possible preventives measures before starting the project execution and during the construction phase of the project.

Keywords

Construction Projects, COVID-19, Effects, Safety Measures Barrier, Preventive Measure