Modeling working shifts in construction projects using an agent-based approach to minimize the spread of COVID-19

Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 has modified how we relate with other people and our built environment, changing from in-person to primarily virtual activities. However, some activities are impossible to be virtually performed, such as construction activities. Consequently, the construction industry has been highly impacted by the pandemic due to COVID-19. In response to the impacts of the pandemic, the construction sector must identify alternatives that can minimize the spread of COVID-19 among workers in construction projects. Given this context, this study explores the alternative of managing the workforce of construction projects using multiple working shifts as multiple shifts may reduce construction workers' density in the field, and with that, reducing the probabilities to spread COVID-19 among workers. This study presents an agent-based modeling approach to assess the impact of using two shifts to reduce the spread of COVID19 among construction workers. The model is supported by data found in the literature to simulate workers’ behavior regarding multiple shifts and by international institutions to simulate the pandemic context through multiple scenarios. This study found that the more workers are assigned to a night shift during a project, the higher the average number of workers classified as healthy (i.e., without COVID-19) is going to be. Namely, by assigning approximately half of the workers involved in a project to a night shift, the average number of healthy workers can be increased by 20% on a project. Quantifying the impact of alternatives that may reduce the spread of COVID-19 among construction workers can incentivize the implementation of such alternatives by construction managers. This study contributes to quantifying the benefits of using multiple working shifts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 among construction workers.