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COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVE ENGINEERING DESIGNS 1
Author(s) -
Znotinas Nora M.,
Hipel Keith William
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1979.tb00288.x
Subject(s) - flexibility (engineering) , viewpoints , set (abstract data type) , computer science , process (computing) , sensitivity (control systems) , fuzzy logic , engineering design process , risk analysis (engineering) , management science , mathematical optimization , operations research , engineering , mathematics , artificial intelligence , art , medicine , statistics , electronic engineering , visual arts , programming language , operating system , mechanical engineering
Procedures are presented for comparing and evaluating alternative engineering designs for a particular water resources project. By using certain aspects of fuzzy set theory, it is possible to introduce both quantitative and qualitative considerations into the decisionmaking process. In addition, the viewpoints of the various interest groups involved with the water resources development can be realistically incorporated by the evaluation techniques for the alternative designs. Methods are given for eliminating undesirable alternatives and thereby obtaining a reduced set of possible feasible solutions to the problem. Because of the flexibility of the evaluation methods, the viable alternatives should not only satisfy economical, technical. environmental and other types of constraints, but these possible solutions should be politically feasible as well. A method is formulated for checking the sensitivity of the feasible results with respect to the factors that are considered in the analysis.