An Expert-Based Two-Stage SMART Framework for Selecting Post-Disaster Housing Construction Methods: An Application After the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes

Selecting a construction method for permanent housing after an earthquake requires fast decisions that also consider long-term needs. This study proposes an expert-based, two-stage decision-support framework: alternatives are first screened against mandatory safety and habitability requirements, and the remaining options are ranked with the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART). The ranking stage is illustrated with a workshop held after the February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye, in which 17 technical experts weighted six objectives and fourteen criteria and rated three construction methods assumed to meet the screening requirements: tunnel-form, single-stage modular and flexible (incrementally expanded) modular construction. Under the panel’s weights and ratings, flexible modular construction ranked first (79.9 of 100), followed by single-stage modular (70.9) and tunnel-form construction (45.7). A sensitivity analysis showed that this ranking was robust to changes in the weights. The lead of flexible modular construction rested mainly on its rating for early occupancy of a smaller core unit; it would be lost if this rating fell from 90 to below 58.4, or under combined pessimistic assumptions about delivery time, expansion, later-stage costs and works next to occupied units. The results reflect expert preferences under stated assumptions, not actual construction performance or the preferences of affected households.