AHP based approach for crane selection of building construction in Saudi Arabia: A case study

Cranes are essential equipment used in the construction industry to hoist and place loads. The selection of the proper type of crane is challenging task to project management team. The challenge arises due to the involvement of many factors in the selection process. This paper presents a case study of the selection of the suitable crane in the construction of precast apartment buildings compound in Jubail City in KSA. The approach applied in the selection process is based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique which is capable of solving multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. AHP is utilized to assess the significant influence of the identified main and sub criteria on the selection process. Both quantitative and qualitative criteria are considered in this study through a pairwise comparison. The identified crane alternatives in this study are tower crane, crawler mobile crane, and wheeled mobile cranes. Based on reviewing previous studies and meetings with local experts, 8 criteria of selection were identified which are load lifting frequency and capacity, structure height, project duration, purchase/renting cost, delivery, installation and disassembly, productivity, ground condition, and safety. The safety criteria has a sub-criterion including operator proficiency, wind, and visibility. The results obtained from the AHP showed that the best crane alternative of is the wheel mobile crane.