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Indexed by:期刊论文

Date of Publication:2012-02-01

Journal:JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Included Journals:SCIE、EI、Scopus

Volume:18

Issue:1

Page Number:43-59

ISSN No.:1392-3730

Key Words:wireless sensor network; construction material tracking; decision model; fuzzy

Abstract:As the size and scale of construction projects increase, inefficiencies related to the manual operations about field data in current tracking systems are becoming an important issue. While emerging wireless technologies are providing a feasible vision of ubiquitous computing and sensor networks applicable to the large-scale construction industry, it has become even harder to select a suitable technology for tracking construction materials because of the differing functionalities, capabilities, and scope of application of the specific technology. This research proposes a multi-criteria decision-making model that leverages the decision process in choosing various wireless technologies available on the market. To justify the selection of a specific technology, a fuzzy method was adopted to provide an appropriate way to decide among five alternatives (e.g., RFID, GPS, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and UWB). Fuzzy ranking was obtained from the aggregated fuzzy appropriate index (FAT) based on a person's point of view (optimist, pessimist, or neutral). The results showed that Wi-Fi might be a suitable solution for optimists and neutral persons, but UWB might be the better alternative for pessimists. The results of this research may assist construction engineers in applying reasonable decision-making procedures in a fuzzy environment such as construction sites, and rank the relative importance of the various criteria and alternatives specified in this research.