Impacts of COVID-19 on the Use of Digital Technology in Construction Projects in the UAE

Abstract

The construction industry has been incorporating digital technology over the last two decades, albeit gradually, as “technology-push” continues to overcome customary and traditional passivity typical in the sector. The objective of the study presented in this paper is to investigate how digital technology is making a headway in the construction industry as a consequence of COVID-19. For the purpose of this paper, digital technology applications are divided into three groups: data acquisition, processing, and communication. The methodology involved conducting a questionnaire survey among the construction professionals in the UAE. The survey included questions on the extent of use and level of investment on the three types of technology in three periods—pre-COVID, during COVID, and post-COVID. The results clearly show the increasing level of usage of digital technology in the construction industry from pre-COVID to during COVID and post-COVID periods. Among the three categories, communication technology indicated higher extent of use as compared to the other two. In addition, a marked difference was observed between the “small” project organizations and the “large” ones. Unsurprisingly, both usage and investment in digital technology, in smaller organizations, indicated higher extent of increase in during and post-pandemic periods when compared to the larger organizations.