Risk Management in the Construction Industry Using Combined Fuzzy FMEA and Fuzzy AHP
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 136, Issue 9
Abstract
Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is recognized as one of the most beneficial techniques in reliability programs. FMEA is a structured technique that can help in identifying all failure modes within a system, assessing their impact, and planning for corrective actions. Although this technique has been widely used in many industries, it has some limitations. The purpose of this paper is to extend the application of FMEA to risk management in the construction industry. Fuzzy logic and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) are used to address the limitations of traditional FMEA. In essence, this method explores the concept of fuzzy expert systems to map the relationship between impact (I), probability of occurrence (P), and detection/control (D) and the level of criticality of risk events. A case study is presented to validate the concept. The results obtained confirm the capability of fuzzy FMEA and fuzzy AHP to address several drawbacks of the traditional FMEA application. The use of this approach can support the project management team to establish corrective actions in a timely manner.
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Acknowledgments
During this study, a great deal of support was received from many people within Enbridge Pipelines. The writers would like to express their appreciation to Mr. Guy Krepps and Mr. Fernando Martinez for all the time, effort, and feedback received during this research. We would also like to thank the entire stakeholder group for their input and valuable feedback. This work was financially supported by the NSERC Associate Industrial Research Chair in Construction Engineering and Management at the University of Alberta under Natural Sciences and Engineering Industrial Research Chair Grant No. NSERCNSERC IRCPJ 349527-05.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 136 • Issue 9 • September 2010
Pages: 1028 - 1036
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 27, 2009
Accepted: Feb 24, 2010
Published online: Feb 26, 2010
Published in print: Sep 2010
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