Evaluation of Exterior Wall Assemblies Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process Method for Value Engineering

Abstract

The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method presented in this paperis used to analyze three representative exterior wall assemblies from the perspective of manufacturers, designers, and consumers. Considering technical, economic, social, and environmental factors, a model and subsequent indicators were developed for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The approach discussed in this paper originated as a response to recent building code changes in China, and the need for value-engineers to better understand a set of newly developed wall construction assemblies in a way that minimizes subjective errors in the value-engineering evaluation process.