Analytic hierarchy process-based decision-making framework for formwork system selection by contractors

This article presents a study of the contractors’ preference for formwork system selection in Indonesian context. As decision makers, contractors are faced with challenges in choosing the formwork system for a particular project. While conventional timber formwork has been the most used formwork system in Indonesia, aluminium formwork is present although it has not been widely used. Thus, this research investigates the current practices of available formwork systems and its selection criteria in Indonesia. A decision-making framework (DMF) is developed by considering the appropriate assessment criteria for formwork system selection. This framework is then implemented through analytic hierarchy process technique. The result shows that contractors tend to choose aluminium formwork with a preference at 79% compared to conventional timber formwork with a preference at 21%. These findings can be used as considerations for contractors to start using aluminium formwork due to its excellence compared to conventional timber formwork. This study also proves that the proposed DMF can be applied and provides a sound decision related to formwork system selection.