A Fuzzy Logic-Based Assessment Framework for Infrastructure Projects' Sustainability in Developing Countries

摘要

There are variable sustainability indicators that may impact the performance of infrastructure projects, which are necessary to be identified in order to improve the performance of these projects. This paper proposes a fuzzy logic-based assessment framework that can assist in identifying and ranking different sustainability indicators impacting infrastructure projects and determine the sustainability outcome of the project. The framework is composed of two main models: (1) a fuzzy expert system that identifies the quality of the experts participating in the decision-making process by computing their relative importance weights; and (2) a sustainability indicators' assessment model that ranks the sustainability indicators, based on their possibility of existence, to enable determining an overall sustainability value of a given infrastructure project. Sustainability indicators are identified through literature review and interviews with experts. The indicators are ranked by experts using fuzzy numbers to identify the most significant indicators. A case study of an infrastructure project in Egypt is conducted to identify, and rank different sustainability indicators affecting the construction of infrastructure projects in Egypt. The consent of framework development can be generalized and applied to other countries by changing related sustainability indicators and expert opinions. The framework solves a major problem that faces infrastructure construction project teams who want to rank and assess quantitatively sustainability indicators that exist in their projects prior to the start of the construction phase.