Expert analysis of different-sourced risks interrelations in context of sustainable building requirements

Multicriterial evaluation methodology, adequate for identification and for arrangement of different-sourced risks interrelations being specified in the building process has been presented and discussed in detail in context of sustainable building requirements. The design algorithm, proposed by the authors, is based on the generalisation of the expert-decision--approach, recommended in classical DEMATEL procedure

Identification of building repair policy choice criteria role

Preparation of building repair activities in multi‐family dwelling houses poses an important problem for habitat co‐operatives in Poland. Firstly, such co‐operatives own and manage a lot of buildings. Secondly, scarcity of economic and non‐economic resources requires their effective allocation. Such allocation should be based on properly prioritised actions’ alternatives. Unfortunately, due to the complex influence of the surrounding environment, the influence of a considerable number of components and diverse point of views is to be included during the analysis of repair needs. Potential influences result from a bunch of sources. The sources are of economic, technological, social and environmental nature. To support a decision‐maker effectively, information pertaining to the importance of particular influences is required. Such information can be obtained by special means of multi‐criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology. The application of the chosen approach – Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) for classification of repair needs assessment criteria to shape repair policy appropriately is presented in this paper. Santrauka Pasirengimas remontuoti daugiabučius gyvenamuosius namus sukelia daug problemų tokių namų kooperatyvams Lenkijoje. Pirma, tokie kooperatyvai turi ir valdo daug pastatų. Antra, dėl nepakankamų ekonominių ir neekonominių išteklių reikia juos efektyviai paskirstyti. Toks paskirstymas turi būti pagrįstas išnagrinėjus alternatyvas ir nustačius prioritetines. Deja, remonto poreikio analizę veikia sudėtinga aplinka. Tam įtaką daro daug komponentų, reikia suderinti įvairius požiūrius. Potenciali įtaka kyla iš šaltinių gausos. Yra ekonominiai, technologiniai, socialiniai ir gamtinės aplinkos šaltiniai. Efektyviam sprendimui priimti reikia turėti informacijos apie įtakos svarbą. Tokiai informacijai gauti gali būti pritaikyta speciali daugiakriterinės sprendimų analizės metodologija. Straipsnyje pristatomas metodas, kuriuo vertinami remonto poreikio kriterijai ir padedama suformuluoti remonto politiką. First published online: 21 Oct 2010 Reikšminiai žodžiai: statybos inžinerija, gyvenamųjų namų kooperatyvas, daugiabutis namas, remontas, poreikiai, klasifikacija, dalyviai, daugiakriterinis vertinimas, jautrumo analizė

Identifcation of weather insensitive to construction schedules

Identifcation of weather insensitive to construction schedule

Application of dominant alternatives in real estate valuation

Elastyczność procedur szacowania nieruchomości sprawia, że uprawnieni rzeczoznawcy szeroko wykorzystują przy wycenie nieruchomości doświadczenie wynikające z wycen zrealizowanych w przeszłości. Dokonują tego, rozpatrując cechy wycenianych nieruchomości w kontekście znanych im wycen. Muszą przy tym właściwie uwzględnić cechy trudno mierzalne nieruchomości. Dla ułatwienia oceny takich cech przy uwzględnieniu doświadczenia rzeczoznawcy zaproponowano zastosowanie wielowzorcowej AHP. Przedstawiony przykład obliczeniowy potwierdza jej zalety.Official real estate valuation procedures allow a valuator to use experience without limits. A valuator therefore usually applies features of real estate objects which have already been valuated to evaluate features of a valuated real estate object. Certain real estate features are intangible. As a result, it is important to be able to assess them properly to ensure reliable valuation results. Application of Multiple Dominant AHP is proposed in this regard. It facilitates making justified evaluations while still allowing to utilise valuator’s experience and providing reliable valuation results. A sample analysis is also included in the paper

Identification of priority maintenance needs while including interdependencies between transportation system compoments

W artykule przedstawiono możliwość zastosowania stosunkowo mało jeszcze znanych narzędzi wspomagania decyzji do identyfikacji potrzeb związanych z utrzymaniem złożonych systemów transportowych. Narzędzia te umożliwiają wiarygodne modelowanie zależności między częściami systemów, jednocześnie uwzględniając informacje o niedoskonałym charakterze w trakcie planowania działań utrzymaniowych dla jak najlepszego wykorzystania skąpych zasobów.Possibility of application of relatively less known decision support tools for the identification of maintenance needs in the a case of complex transportation system is discussed in the paper. The tools allow to model the interdependencies between system components while including available imperfect information during planning maintenance activities to utilize the available scarce resources in the best possible way

Identification of Key Factors for the Development of Agricultural Biogas Plants in Poland

Agricultural biogas plants are a renewable source of energy and at the same time enable the disposal of biodegradable waste generated in agriculture and the food industry. In Poland, a program aimed at constructing agricultural biogas plants has been in operation since 2010 with the goal of producing 1.7 billion Nm3 of biogas, which has not been achieved. Factors that could influence the development of this energy source were identified based on a register of agricultural biogas producers from the National Agriculture Support Center and data from the Energy Regulatory Office. These factors are technology, substrates, state energy policy, profitability, population density in the commune and the spatial arrangement of the commune resulting from spatial development plans. A pairwise comparison analysis using the DEMATEL method was conducted for these factors. It allowed us to conclude that they are population density and the lack of local spatial development plans in most rural areas. The situation may be improved by the obligation to develop such plans for the entire area of each commune and by locating biogas plants near livestock farms and agri-food processing plants. The selected DEMATEL method is mature and comprehensively verified. It enables research to be carried out in other contexts, taking into account the correlations between factors. It is a universal method, and after collecting expert opinions, research can be expanded. The obtained results of the analysis will allow for further research by collecting the opinions of experts such as biogas plant users, local communities, local government officials and other stakeholders. In addition, further analysis of key factors will be carried out using the DEMATEL method for several scenarios. The PESTEL method will be used to identify key factors

Lower-Level Decision Task Solution While Optimising a Construction Project Schedule

AbstractA bi-level approach for optimisation of a construction project is discussed in the paper. Considered optimisation problem deals with identification of optimal project and a corresponding optimal schedule. Project structure is defined by applied order of technological operations. Application of decomposition-coordination principle facilitates problem solution. We therefore obtain tasks which belong to 2 distinct optimisation levels. The lower optimisation task level is devoted to optimal allocation of execution modes to operations while assuming considered project structures. The global optimisation task level pertains to choice of the best structure for a construction project. Solution of lower level tasks are applied in this regard. The main difficulty in global project schedule optimisation results from multiplicity of feasible construction project structures and a need for solution of lower level tasks. We generally consider application of Monte Carlo simulation (MC) for generating feasible project structures. Mixed linear programming (MILP) and MC is the applied to solve lower level tasks. We also apply metaheurstics combined with MILP to solve lower level tasks while generating feasible project structures. Effects of application of presented approaches for solving lower level task solution approaches are finally compared

Supporting Multi-Attribute, Non-Compensating Selection of the Right Heat Pump Device for a Residential Building, Considering the Limited Availability of the Necessary Resources

Reliable and comprehensive choice of a suitable domestic heat pump for a common dwelling house is discussed in the paper. The application of common and freely available market information about possible heat pump options is considered in this regard. The intangibility, imperfect nature, and overload of available information, as well as a common issue amongst interested homeowners—scarce critical resource availability, e.g., financial means—are also dealt with. A specific, universal multistage decision support procedure is proposed in the paper to help a houseowner to make an informed heat pump choice. At first, a concept of a pairwise comparison and a notion of dominance under imperfect information are utilized to build a kind of option hierarchy. A particular heat pump device is then recommended by means of exploring consecutive option hierarchy levels and an actual houseowner’s critical resource capacity in a non-commensurable manner. It seems that this joint application of common imperfect information about available options and critical resource availability, as well as the ideas of option dominance and non-commensurability, make the approach an interesting way for a casual homeowner to make an informed heat pump device choice. A sample analysis is also applied to show the merits and the usefulness of the approach in the paper

Supporting Multi-Attribute, Non-Compensating Selection of the Right Heat Pump Device for a Residential Building, Considering the Limited Availability of the Necessary Resources

Reliable and comprehensive choice of a suitable domestic heat pump for a common dwelling house is discussed in the paper. The application of common and freely available market information about possible heat pump options is considered in this regard. The intangibility, imperfect nature, and overload of available information, as well as a common issue amongst interested homeowners—scarce critical resource availability, e.g., financial means—are also dealt with. A specific, universal multistage decision support procedure is proposed in the paper to help a houseowner to make an informed heat pump choice. At first, a concept of a pairwise comparison and a notion of dominance under imperfect information are utilized to build a kind of option hierarchy. A particular heat pump device is then recommended by means of exploring consecutive option hierarchy levels and an actual houseowner’s critical resource capacity in a non-commensurable manner. It seems that this joint application of common imperfect information about available options and critical resource availability, as well as the ideas of option dominance and non-commensurability, make the approach an interesting way for a casual homeowner to make an informed heat pump device choice. A sample analysis is also applied to show the merits and the usefulness of the approach in the paper

Using the DEMATEL Method to Identify Impediments to the Process of Determining Compensation for Expropriated Properties

Laws governing the expropriation of real properties for public and socially useful purposes are in force in most countries. The problem of determining fair compensation for expropriated land is a very current one and has already been the subject of research. However, it deals mainly with the method of determining the value of the property without analyzing the procedure itself, and its weakest points in particular. The research objective is to develop a methodology to identify those factors that impede the entire process the most and should be eliminated in the first place. For this purpose, the authors firstly analyzed the procedure for determining compensation for expropriated real properties in Poland and identified factors that may adversely affect this process. Then, the decision support methods were reviewed. Due to the maturity, flexibility, and comprehensively verified quality, the DEMATEL method was used to achieve the research objective. This method allows for the efficient identification of all cause–effect relationships as well as key factors even in the case of very complex systems. Since the DEMATEL method is based on expert knowledge, the authors prepared a questionnaire and asked 16 experts—representatives of public administration at various levels, judges, and property appraisers—to assess the effect of individual factors on each other on a five-point scale. Finally, they analyzed the nature of the factors disturbing the course of the process of determining compensation for expropriated real properties. Thanks to the original multilevel application of the DEMATEL method, which took into account expert knowledge about the complex relationships between the factors, the authors demonstrated that in Poland the key roles in hindering the compensation determination process play two factors: the undetermined legal status and incomplete identification of real estate constituents. The proposed methodology is a universal one and may also be applied for the assessment of other administrative proceedings as well as various factors that determine them