• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

This paper presents optimized artificial neural networks (ANNs) claims prediction and decision awareness framework that guides owner organizations in their pre-bid construction project decisions to minimize claims. The framework is composed of two genetic optimization ANNs models: a Claims Impact Prediction Model (CIPM), and a Decision Awareness Model (DAM). The CIPM is composed of three separate ANNs that predict the cost and time impacts of the possible claims that may arise in a project. The models also predict the expected types of relationship between the owner and the contractor based on their behavioral and technical decisions during the bidding phase of the project. The framework is implemented using actual data from international projects in the Middle East and Egypt (projects owned by either public or private local organizations who hired international prime contractors to deliver the projects). Literature review, interviews with pertinent experts in the Middle East, and lessons learned from several international construction projects in Egypt determined the input decision variables of the CIPM. The ANNs training, which has been implemented in a spreadsheet environment, was optimized using genetic algorithm (GA). Different weights were assigned as variables to the different layers of each ANN and the total square error was used as the objective function to be minimized. Data was collected from thirty-two international construction projects in order to train and test the ANNs of the CIPM, which predicted cost overruns, schedule delays, and relationships between contracting parties. A genetic optimization backward analysis technique was then applied to develop the Decision Awareness Model (DAM). The DAM combined the three artificial neural networks of the CIPM to assist project owners in setting optimum values for their behavioral and technical decision variables. It implements an intelligent user-friendly input interface which helps project owners in visualizing the impact of their decisions on the project's total cost, original duration, and expected owner-contractor relationship. The framework presents a unique and transparent hybrid genetic algorithm-ANNs training and testing method. It has been implemented in a spreadsheet environment using MS Excel$^{(R)}$ and EVOLVERTM V.5.5. It provides projects' owners of a decision-support tool that raises their awareness regarding their pre-bid decisions for a construction project.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.457-468
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• 2020

Problems arising during pile design works for plant construction, civil and architecture work are mostly come from uncertainty of geotechnical characteristics. In particular, obtaining the N-value measured through the Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is the most important data. However, it is difficult to obtain N-value by drilling investigation throughout the all target area. There are many constraints such as licensing, time, cost, equipment access and residential complaints etc. it is impossible to obtain geotechnical characteristics through drilling investigation within a short bidding period in overseas. The geotechnical characteristics at non-drilling investigation points are usually determined by the engineer's empirical judgment, which can leads to errors in pile design and quantity calculation causing construction delay and cost increase. It would be possible to overcome this problem if N-value could be predicted at the non-drilling investigation points using limited minimum drilling investigation data. This study was conducted to predicted the N-value using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) which one of the Artificial intelligence (AI) method. An Artificial Neural Network treats a limited amount of geotechnical characteristics as a biological logic process, providing more reliable results for input variables. The purpose of this study is to predict N-value at the non-drilling investigation points through patterns which is studied by multi-layer perceptron and error back-propagation algorithms using the minimum geotechnical data. It has been reviewed the reliability of the values that predicted by AI method compared to the measured values, and we were able to confirm the high reliability as a result. To solving geotechnical uncertainty, we will perform sensitivity analysis of input variables to increase learning effect in next steps and it may need some technical update of program. We hope that our study will be helpful to design works in the future.