Decision support system to select the optimum construction techniques for bridge piers

Abstract

Piers are critical elements in any bridge. They control its safety and serviceability. Although, piers could be constructed using several techniques but there is no justified procedure to select the optimum alternative. The aim of this research is to develop a novel (DSS) to determine the optimum construction technique using (MCDM) techniques and considering seven criteria including lateral stiffness, ductility, risk, maintainability, constructability, cost, and time. The considered alternatives are monolithic, posttensioned, and anchored posttensioned. (AHP) was used to determine the importance of each criterion, while (TOPSIS) was used to rank each alternative. Finally, the impact of each criterion was assessed using sensitivity analysis. It is concluded that posttensioned is recommended in current market conditions in Egypt, and the impact of certain criterion depends on its importance and its performance evaluation range. Also, they showed that risk, constructability, and cost have minor impact on the selecting the optimum alternative.

Keywords

• Decision support system
• Bridge pier
• Accelerated bridge construction. AHP-TOPSIS