Formwork System Selection Using Choosing by Advantages

Abstract

Formwork system selection is crucial for a project’s success. Despite its importance, contractors select formwork based on individual experience without using a consistent decision-making method. Several numerical methods for formwork selection have been proposed to fill this gap. Nevertheless, the context in which the numerical methods are developed limits their scope of applicability. In this paper, we review previous decision-making methods used for formwork selection and evaluate their applicability in the context of an affordable housing project in Ecuador. The unsuitability of such previous decision-making methods for this case study led to the implementation of the choosing by advantages decision-making method (CBA). We provide justification for the use of CBA, describe its implementation process, and analyze information gathered from interviews with the participants involved in this experience. Findings reveal that CBA helped decision-makers represent the context of their case, leading them to select the alternative that best suited the characteristics of their project. Interviews with project participants indicated that the discussion sessions of CBA generated a social process in which debate, argumentation, and rhetoric played an important role in the final resolution.