Selection of Building Materials Using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process

Building materials play a vital role in the construction industry as they are directly related to quality, cost, constructability, and location-specific availability of material and skill. Selection of building materials is critical when there are too many alternatives. Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques are widely used to make such decisions simpler. For accurate decision-making, the selection of the appropriate MCDM method is very important. Most of the researchers used TOPSIS or AHP as MCDM techniques for decision-making in the construction industry.

In the present study, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used as an MCDM technique. The criteria and alternatives were identified for decision-making. The alternatives selected were locations specific to Hanamkonda, Telangana state, India. The criteria and alternatives were chosen for the building materials like cement, bricks, sand, doors, pipes, and tiles. The weights were calculated for each alternative fuzzy AHP geometric mean method. The weights of alternatives were evaluated and ranked.

The best materials for cement, bricks, sand, doors, pipes, and tiles were Portland pozzolana, burnt clay bricks, river sand, UPVC, UPVC/CPVC, and marble, respectively.

Thus, building materials can be selected using fuzzy AHP by the client for the successful execution of a project based on his/her preferences and the location of that project.