Comparative analysis of multi criteria decision making methods in formwork system selection problem

Abstract

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) has become increasingly pivotal in decision-making processes across various fields and it is also being used increasingly in the construction sector. However, currently, each MCDM problem tends to be solved using a single method without considering or comparing results from employing different methods simultaneously. This reliance on a single method may impact the accuracy of the selection. Thus, this study selects four prominent MCDM methods consist of WPM, TOPSIS, COPRAS, and ELECTRE to represent three categories of MCDM. These methods are applied to the problem of selecting a formwork system. Although all four methods suggest that aluminum formwork is the preferred option, the ranking results of different MCDM methods have been inconsistent. Therefore, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the sensitivity of MCDM methods when the weights of criteria are changed. The analysis results also indicate that TOPSIS and COPRAS are two suitable methods for formwork system selection problem due to several prominent advantages over other methods.

Keywords: Multi-criteria decision-making; formwork system selection; AHP; WPM; TOPSIS; COPRAS; ELECTRE