Application of Hybrid MCDA Tools for Constructability Review in Infrastructure Projects: A Bridge Case Study

Constructability assessment is a critical component of infrastructure project management, with substantial implications for a nation’s economic growth. Despite significant advancements in this field over the past decades, the development of a comprehensive constructability assessment model remains an ongoing challenge, particularly concerning the integration of all critical elements throughout the infrastructure project life cycle. A significant gap exists in the availability of a systematic Constructability Review Process (CRP) to generate customized decision matrices tailored to the unique specifications and requirements of individual projects. To address this challenge, this study identifies and evaluates the most critical constructability factors through an extensive literature review, followed by an online survey to quantify their relative importance. Based on these insights, a novel Decision Support System (DSS) is proposed which leverages a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework for the constructability assessment of large-scale infrastructure projects. The application of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study of a large-scale bridge project in Australia, providing a practical example of its efficiency. The results showed that the proposed framework can enhance decision-making processes in the complex conditions and not only to mitigate the risks of failure by applying CRP to evaluate project options based on specific criteria and constraints in the feasibility stage, but also improve the project outcomes by enabling designers and decision-makers to choose the best alternative.