Application of fuzzy analytic hierarchy process model on determination of optimized pile-type

Pile-type selection is a very important stage of foundation design, and there are many field factors influencing the decision of pile-type selection. Since there is a limitation of traditional "major factors method" to satisfy the requirement of modern foundation construction, this study presents an efficient approach, in which analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is employed. AHP is a multiple criteria decision-making tool that has been applied in many fields related to the decision-making, e.g., in the field of economics, marketing, sociology, etc. However, it is rarely reported that AHP is applied in the field of civil engineering for decision making. In this study, AHP combined with fuzzy synthetic evaluation method is employed to select the type of pile used as the foundation of a residential building in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. The results show that fuzzy AHP approach is an easy and efficient way for pile-type selection.