Application of Decision Support Systems for Advanced Equipment Selection in Construction

Abstract

We consider the problem of supporting decision makers in construction projects for making the rational-best choice between the introduction of advanced technological solutions and the use of conventional approaches. The complexity, uniqueness, and uncertainty, typical of construction projects, are the main obstacles in this kind of decision problems. We propose a method for the development of decision support systems for such problems based on Bayesian decision theory. Bayesian decision theory is applied to capture and rationally solve such decision problems. We account for uncertainty and construction process specific criteria, for structuring the knowledge-base and easing the elicitation of the decision network. The applicability potential of the proposed approach is presented by means of an example application scenario.