AHP-based equipment selection model for construction projects

Selection of equipment for construction projects, a key factor in the success of the project, is a complex process. Current models offered by the literature fail to provide adequate solutions for two major issues: the systematic evaluation of soft factors, and the weighting of soft benefits in comparison with costs. This paper presents a selection model based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multiattribute decision analysis method, with a view to providing solutions for these two issues. The model has the capacity to handle a great number of different criteria in a way that truly reflects the complex reality, to incorporate the context and unique conditions of the project, and to allow for manifestation of user experience and subjective perception. The model was implemented in an in-house developed system that was improved and validated through testing by senior professionals. The main academic contribution of the study is in the modification of AHP to correspond with the nature of equipment selection and in its utilization as an effective means for the formalization of knowledge possessed by competent, experienced practitioners. On the practical side, the proposed model offers an efficient, convenient tool that forces the users into orderly, methodical thinking, guides them in making logical, consistent decisions, and provides a facility for all necessary computations.