Multi-criteria decision support system for bridge construction system selection utilizing value engineering and TOPSIS

When selecting the appropriate bridge deck construction system, it is essential to consider many criteria such as the span length, geographical location, construction speed, cost, site conditions, resource availability, technology, ease of construction, and service life. The objective of this study is to optimize the decision-making process for selecting a bridge deck construction system in the preliminary design and planning stage. The proposed model allows designers or decision-makers to make an informed choice of an appropriate construction system according to project criteria through a decision support system. The model employs value engineering methodology and a multi-criteria decision-making method and utilizes the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a multi-criteria decision-making method. To gather modeling data from a focus group consisting of professional bridge engineers, a semi-structured interview and two questionnaires are conducted. When applying the proposed model to two active bridge construction projects in Egypt, it reveals that "Span by Span using launching girder" and "precast post tension girder" are better suited to cases one and two, respectively. The study makes a contribution by presenting a decision support system that combines value engineering methodology and a multi-criteria decision-making method (TOPSIS). This system empowers designers and decision-makers to make project decisions considering specific criteria and constraints.