KNOWLEDGE-BASED APPROACH TO MODULAR CONSTRUCTION DECISION SUPPORT

The present paper focuses on the decision-making methodology involved in deciding whether or not to use modular construction techniques in building a petrochemical or power plant. The paper identifies those factors that help construction owners and engineers involved in conceptual project design in their modularization decisions and proposes a formal framework for decision-making support. A computerized knowledge-based system assisting in this task is presented and discussed. The system performs feasibility analysis based upon various factors classified into five influencing factor categories-plant location; labor-related; environmental and organizational; project characteristics; and project risks. The system also performs an economic analysis to determine the impact of modularization on cost and schedule. The performance of the system is validated comparing its recommendations with those of the experts in the construction industry. A statistical hypothesis test, conducted on the recommendations of the system and those of the experts, proves the system's credibility.