Decision making on the optimised choice of pneumatic formwork textile for foam-filled structural composite panels

The selection of an appropriate formwork system not only affects the entire construction duration and cost, but also affects subsequent construction activities such as electrical, mechanical, and finishing work. The current intuitive judgment approach in the selection of fabric formwork systems cannot assure an optimal and consistent result. This paper introduces a decision-making method for selection of the most appropriate pneumatic fabric formwork for foam-filled structural panels in rapidly assembled buildings (RABs) that will be used in semi-permanent housing such as post disaster sheltering. First, using a questionnaire survey, six most effective criteria for a suitable pneumatic fabric formwork; permeability, strength, relative cost, durability, sew-ability, and aesthetics are identified. Some experimental tests were conducted to determine the selection indicators for the criteria like durability and strength for each candidate. Then a value matrix for these factors has been defined and calculated, and the best pneumatic formwork candidate for foam-filled structural composite panels is selected from a list of seven potential candidates, using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP).