Abstract
The objective of this paper is to implement a decision support system for materials selection for projects under design or construction by consultants and owners. The paper focuses on issues of materials approval, selection criteria and materials information management. The proposed system includes database and decision support components. The database can enhance the functionality of the selection process as it provides a source of information to feed into the decision support component. The decision support component relies on the quantitative methods of value engineering. Construction involves processes that deal with materials in all stages of a project. Decision making in project meetings requires the application of knowledge from many disciplines, by all parties in the project teams to select materials and avoid delays for the project under construction. Acquiring and recording information (in a database) regarding material quality, durability, specifications, and maintenance requirements is a vital part of good project management practice. It is anticipated that using such a system for materials selection will provide an improved tool that systematically enhances the selection process and enables upgrading the system during project life cycle.