Expert Knowledge-Based Selection Methodology for Optimizing the Construction of Concrete Piles

Abstract

The construction process can greatly affect a concrete pile’s structural performance. Poor decisions concerning a pile’s foundation may result in these important structural elements being unsafe so that strengthening interventions may be needed in the future. In extreme cases, the structure may even collapse. The choice of the most suitable construction process is usually a matter for the company constructing the piles and tends to be based either on previous experience or simply on the equipment available at the time. The parameterization model described herein has been devised to induce good construction practices. It includes several factors related to each construction process, and it could influence the structural behavior and durability of concrete pile foundations. The software application combines the input data from a given construction works with a database whose decision parameters are defined. It has been customized for Portugal and is based on expert knowledge acquired from some of its largest construction firms. It gives the most suitable construction process as the output plus a list of reasons for the decision. It also establishes relationships between the result and a second database that compiles the costs and the duration of the selected process, which are essential data at the predesign stage.