Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Hybrid Techniques for

Construction Engineering and Management

Aminah Robinson Fayek, Ph.D., P.Eng., M.ASCE 1

Abstract: Construction engineering and management are vital for successful project execution, and both researchers and practitioners con-
tinually seek ways to improve construction processes. Fuzzy logic plays an important role in many construction engineering and management
applications, which are reviewed in this paper. This paper discusses the limitations of fuzzy logic and how this theory has been combined with
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other modeling techniques to develop fuzzy hybrid techniques, and describes the aspects of construction problems and decision making that
are most effectively modeled using these techniques. Fuzzy hybrid techniques that are most common in construction are presented and
examples from construction literature and the author’s research program are provided. The author shares her vision of future research
in this area, which is based on her expertise and experiences collaborating with construction industry partners, who have helped shape
her research program and its impact on industry. Finally, the author presents her thoughts on the challenges construction researchers face
in translating research to practice and measuring its impact, and she discusses some potential solutions from her research program. This
paper is based on the 2019 Peurifoy Construction Advancement Address, which the author presented in Montreal, Canada, in June 2019.
DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001854. This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Author keywords: Artificial intelligence; Fuzzy hybrid techniques; Fuzzy logic; Machine learning; Multicriteria decision making;
Optimization; Simulation.

Introduction has a number of limitations, researchers have integrated fuzzy logic

Construction management has always been necessary for organiza-
tions to deliver project results that meet or exceed performance
objectives, such as time, cost, productivity, quality, and safety.
Managing the construction process requires the development and
application of techniques that improve organizations’ abilities to
plan, structure, forecast, control, and evaluate projects. The deci-
sions and processes involved in managing construction projects
are complex and contain considerable uncertainty. Construction
management also involves challenges that arise because all projects
are to some extent unique, so knowledge and data cannot be di-
rectly transferred from one project to another for use in predicting
future project outcomes. Therefore, construction organizations rely
heavily on experts to make quick decisions, which are characterized
by subjective reasoning. Although most decision making in con-
struction requires the use of modeling techniques that can capture
and process subjective uncertainty and linguistically expressed
expert knowledge, uncertainty has been treated as a random phe-
nomenon in traditional modeling approaches. To address these
challenges, researchers have applied fuzzy logic to construction
process modeling and decision making. Although fuzzy logic alone
1 When it was introduced by Zadeh (1965), fuzzy set theory trans-
Director, Construction Innovation Centre, Tier 1 Canada Research
Chair in Fuzzy Hybrid Decision Support Systems for Construction,
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Strategic Construction Modeling
and Delivery, Ledcor Professor of Construction Engineering, and Professor,
Hole School of Construction Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmen-
tal Engineering, 7-232 Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, Univ.
of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 1H9. ORCID: https://orcid.org
/0000-0002-3744-273X. Email: aminah.robinson@ualberta.ca
Note. This manuscript was submitted on October 15, 2019; approved on
December 31, 2019; published online on April 18, 2020. Discussion period
open until September 18, 2020; separate discussions must be submitted for
individual papers. This paper is part of the Journal of Construction En-
gineering and Management, © ASCE, ISSN 0733-9364.
with other techniques that have complementary strengths, leading to
the development of advanced and powerful fuzzy hybrid techniques.
This paper provides an overview of the role of fuzzy logic and
fuzzy hybrid techniques in construction engineering and manage-
ment. Applications of these techniques, which have been developed
by the author and the greater construction research community, are
also presented. The author shares her perspective on future research
directions in fuzzy hybrid techniques with the aim of encouraging
further advancement of this field of study to improve construction
engineering and management practice. The author also provides her
experience-based views on the role of industry collaboration in
shaping research, as well as her thoughts on the challenges con-
struction researchers face in translating research to practice and
measuring its impact. Finally, the author presents potential methods
of increasing the impact of research on practice, which may stimu-
late discussion in the academic construction community. This paper
is based on the 2019 Peurifoy Construction Advancement Address,
which the author presented in Montreal, Canada, in June 2019.
Background on Fuzzy Logic
formed the way that uncertainties are modeled. Fuzzy sets extended
the notion of classical (i.e., crisp) sets, and classical (i.e., Boolean)
logic was therefore extended to handle fuzzy sets, leading to the
new approach of fuzzy logic. Fuzzy sets were first introduced to
represent the values of real-world parameters when the boundaries
between different states of a parameter are not sharp (i.e., not crisp),
due to the subjectivity or vagueness of the measure (e.g., warm
weather), incomplete information, or ambiguity in specifying an
exact value (i.e., nonspecificity or resolutional uncertainty) (Pal and
Bezdek 1994). Fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic provide an approach
to modeling the uncertainties of real-world parameters that is

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J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064

 complementary to probability theory, which addresses random
uncertainty (Zadeh 1995). Fuzzy logic enables the mathematical
translation of linguistic variables into numeric form; it also allows
reasoning with ambiguous information and in the absence of com-
plete and precise data (Zadeh 1965).
As an illustration of fuzzy logic, consider the productivity of a
construction crew, which can be affected by a number of variables,
including its size, its skill, the temperature in the surrounding envi-
ronment, and the quality of its supervision. Some uncertainty in
these variables is a result of subjective uncertainty or vagueness
because the variables are best described in linguistic terms, such
as high-quality supervision or warm temperature. For example, in
classical logic a temperature of 23°C may be classified as hot, while
a temperature of 22°C may be classified as warm, but no temper-
ature can be hot and warm at the same time. In reality, the temper-
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ature on any given day can be simultaneously hot to a certain
degree and warm to a different degree. A drop in temperature of one
degree should not change the classification of that temperature from
hot to warm, although it may be hot to a lesser degree.
Classical (i.e., crisp) set theory imposes a sharp boundary on
uncertain concepts: an element either fully belongs or does not
belong to a set. Fuzzy set theory provides a way to overcome these
classification challenges by allowing an element to partially belong
to a set through its membership degree. Membership functions
make it possible to capture the gradual transition and overlap be-
tween concepts. Because of overlap, fuzzy logic systems react more
smoothly to changes in their environment and therefore better
match reality. For example, the classification of a temperature of
22°C versus 23°C should be almost the same, and a model that ac-
counts for temperature to predict productivity should give almost
the same results with both of these temperatures as input. Unlike its
name implies, fuzzy logic is not about inaccurate thinking or de-
cision making; rather, “fuzzy” refers to the nonsharp boundaries
between concepts and not to the logic itself.
Evolution of Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Hybrid
Techniques in Construction Engineering and
Management
Although fuzzy logic has a long history in a broad range of disci-
plines, its application in construction engineering and management
is relatively new in comparison with other engineering disciplines,
such as control systems engineering. Chan et al. (2009) provided an
overview of fuzzy logic and fuzzy hybrid techniques in construc-
tion management research from 1996 to 2005, during which time
there was a steady increase in their application in construction.
Hybridization is the process of combining two or more techniques
in order to integrate their strengths and overcome their shortcom-
ings. At the time of Chan et al. (2009), fuzzy logic techniques were
more commonly applied than fuzzy hybrid techniques in construc-
tion management research. However, researchers soon realized that
models based on fuzzy logic alone are limited in their ability to
address all facets of most construction problems for the following
reasons: an inability to learn from data, extensive reliance on expert
knowledge, a context-dependent nature, a lack of capacity for
generalization, and an inability to capture dynamic conditions.
Construction research has therefore evolved to focus on integrating
fuzzy logic with other techniques that have complementary
strengths; the resulting fuzzy hybrid techniques have the necessary
functionality to overcome each technique’s limitations. Research
on fuzzy hybrid techniques in the construction domain has in-
creased over the past decade, and applications have become highly
diversified (Gerami Seresht et al. 2018).
© ASCE 04020064-2
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Aspects of Construction Problems and Decision
Making Most Effectively Modeled Using Fuzzy Logic
and Fuzzy Hybrid Techniques
Based on the author’s experience, construction problems and deci-
sion making are most effectively modeled using fuzzy logic and
fuzzy hybrid techniques when
• Problems are characterized by subjective uncertainty, ambiguity,
and vagueness, which are not naturally modeled as random
phenomena. Such uncertainty, ambiguity, and vagueness may
stem from the use of approximate reasoning and linguistically
expressed expert knowledge, with the latter often not formally
documented in construction.
• There is a reliance on experts to make quick decisions using
subjective information and approximate reasoning based on
their experience rather than on precise numerical data (e.g., good
ground conditions, bad weather), when solutions require the
combination of a large body of expert knowledge with subjec-
tive and sometimes contradictory opinions, and when more than
one answer or solution is possible.
• Problems are characterized by inexact input and output
and imprecise or unstructured variables, requiring heuristic
reasoning based on experience and judgment rather than
algorithms.
• A problem or process is unique, therefore requiring new input
variables and modeling techniques that can capture variability in
the absence of adequate historical data.
• Numerical project data do not meet the standards of quantity
or quality required for effective modeling using probabilistic
methods, or the data are not completely reflective of new project
contexts, limiting the direct transfer of knowledge and data from
previous projects for use in predicting how future projects may
unfold.
• There is a need to account for the underlying characteristics of
a problem and the complex relationships between variables that
cannot be measured in certain terms and that are frequently
ignored. If subjective factors and expert reasoning are ignored,
or if such information is modeled using methods that are in-
tended for other purposes, such as probabilistic methods, the
resulting systems may be inaccurate because they capture only
part of the problem.
• There is a need to make the construction decision-making pro-
cess more transparent, allowing experts to express themselves in
linguistic terms rather than strictly in numerical terms, which
better suits their thought processes and makes these systems
more readily accepted by industry practitioners.
Fuzzy Hybrid Techniques for Solving
Construction-Related Problems
There are four main categories into which most applications
of fuzzy hybrid techniques in construction engineering and man-
agement can be grouped (Fig. 1). In fuzzy optimization techniques,
multiple construction project objectives are optimized. Fuzzy
machine learning techniques are often used in construction for
predictive modeling or classification. Fuzzy multicriteria decision-
making techniques provide decision support in construction. Fuzzy
simulation techniques are used to model and predict the behavior
of construction systems under different conditions (Gerami
Seresht et al. 2018). Each of these fuzzy hybrid techniques is
described in this section, with examples of applications from
construction literature.
J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 Fuzzy Hybrid Techniques
Optimization Machine Learning
Genetic algorithms Artificial neural networks
(e.g., Liu et al. 2017) (e.g., Oshodi and Lam
2018)
Differential evolutionary
algorithms Clustering techniques
(e.g., Cheng et al. 2014) (e.g., Ouma and Hahn
2017)
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Particle swarm
optimization
(e.g., Song et al. 2018a)
Ant colony systems
(e.g., Sambhoo et al.
2014)
Fig. 1. Fuzzy hybrid techniques commonly used in construction.
Fuzzy Optimization Techniques
Construction tasks, such as scheduling and project site layout, often
have multiple objectives (e.g., cost, time, resource use, quality, and
safety) that must be met simultaneously. These tasks are therefore
formulated as nonlinear optimization problems, but because of their
complexity, the optimum solution cannot always be determined
analytically. In such cases, merely good solutions are sometimes
sought through heuristic and metaheuristic optimization. In con-
struction problems, however, subjective uncertainty must fre-
quently be dealt with, and traditional heuristic and metaheuristic
optimization cannot account for it. When fuzzy logic is combined
with optimization, the resulting fuzzy optimization is able to pro-
cess fuzzy variables and/or fuzzy restrictions (Haghighi and Ayati
2016). The optimization algorithm can be improved when fuzzy
logic is applied to the optimization method itself (Cheng and
Prayogo 2017). Fig. 1 shows examples of optimization that have
been combined with fuzzy logic for use in construction.
Fuzzy Machine Learning Techniques
With the advent of new technologies for automated data collection,
storage, and analysis, construction organizations have been increas-
ing the amount and types of data they collect. This change has led
to greater interest in machine learning, which is a field of computer
science wherein systems are developed that can learn from data
for different applications [e.g., pattern recognition (Lu et al. 2018),
predictive model development (Zuo and Xiong 2018), and data
classification (Li et al. 2017)]. These systems cannot, however, pro-
cess subjective variables and reasoning, which are often present in
construction problems. Fuzzy logic systems based purely on expert
knowledge, on the other hand, are not able to learn from data and
adapt to new contexts (e.g., different construction sectors or differ-
ent projects in the same sector). Models that integrate fuzzy logic
and machine learning (i.e., models that combine knowledge- and
data-driven approaches) are more reflective of reality than those
that use only one kind of approach; they can learn from data, and
they are appropriate for use in construction (Hüllermeier 2015).
© ASCE
J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064
Multicriteria
Simulation
Decision Making
AHP Monte Carlo simulation
(e.g., Nguyen et al. (e.g., Attarzadeh et al.
2018) 2017)
TOPSIS Discrete event simulation
(e.g., Song et al. 2018b) (e.g., Sadeghi et al. 2016)
System dynamics
VIKOR
(e.g., Nasirzadeh et al.
(e.g., Wang et al. 2018)
2014)
PROMETHEE Agent-based modeling
(e.g., Tabaraee et al. (e.g., Raoufi and Fayek
2018) 2018)
ELECTRE
(e.g., Yin and Li 2019)
Fig. 1 shows examples of machine learning that have been com-
bined with fuzzy logic and applied in construction.
Fuzzy Multicriteria Decision-Making Techniques
In construction, expert knowledge is often used in decision making.
Multicriteria decision making (MCDM) can help a group of experts
select and rank alternative solutions according to various conflict-
ing criteria. While MCDM has been used successfully, it does not
capture the vagueness and subjective uncertainty that often ac-
company construction problems, which are further complicated by
incomplete information, imprecise data, multiple criteria, and
multiple decision makers. In addition, some criteria are not natu-
rally evaluated numerically (i.e., assigned a crisp number) by ex-
perts. In these cases, it is more appropriate for experts to use
linguistic assessments and natural language to evaluate criteria.
To make it possible for experts to use natural language in their eval-
uations, fuzzy logic is integrated with MCDM to develop fuzzy
MCDM (Chen and Pan 2018). Fig. 1 shows examples of MCDM
that have been combined with fuzzy logic for use in construction.
Fuzzy Simulation Techniques
Simulation is used in construction to develop and execute
computer-based models of systems, such as construction processes
and project management practices, in order to understand underly-
ing behaviors, make predictions, and improve performance. The
behavioral uncertainties of real-world construction systems fall
into two categories: probabilistic or random uncertainties that can
be modeled using numerical data, and nonprobabilistic uncertain-
ties that include subjective or linguistically expressed information.
Commonly used simulation techniques can address some of the
complexities of construction systems, such as dynamism and the
interactions between influencing factors, but they are not able to
account for nonprobabilistic uncertainties, and they rely on the
availability of sufficient numerical data. By integrating fuzzy
logic with simulation techniques, researchers have developed fuzzy
simulation techniques that can handle both probabilistic and
04020064-3 J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 nonprobabilistic uncertainties and overcome the lack of sufficient
numerical data in modeling. Fig. 1 shows examples of simulation
techniques that have been combined with fuzzy logic and applied in
construction.
Examples of Applications of Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy
Hybrid Techniques from the Author’s Research
Program
The author has been applying fuzzy logic in her research program
for close to 30 years and has witnessed its increased acceptance and
use in construction. She has expanded the scope of application of
fuzzy logic by solving a wide variety of practical problems, many
of which have been identified as important by her construction in-
dustry partners. Over time, her research has evolved to focus on
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fuzzy hybrid techniques, which have led to more advanced models
and applications. Some of her most recent fuzzy hybrid applica-
tions are described in this section.
Fuzzy Machine Learning and Fuzzy Optimization to
Predict Construction Labor Productivity
Productivity is a major concern of the construction industry, and
methods to improve productivity were identified as an area of in-
terest by several of the author’s industry partners. A multitude of
factors and practices on both a project and an organizational level
interact and affect productivity. Some of these variables are difficult
to quantify and are best evaluated subjectively, while others are
quantitative. Because of the large number of variables that affect
productivity, it is challenging to use either purely expert knowledge
or purely statistical methods to establish the relationships between
variables. The author therefore combined fuzzy logic with cluster-
ing, machine learning, and genetic algorithms, an evolutionary
optimization technique, to develop labor productivity prediction
models for different project contexts. Her research team collected
expert knowledge and field data and used fuzzy c-means (FCM)
clustering to develop fuzzy inference systems (FISs) to model
the complex relationships among variables that affect productivity.
These FISs were used to predict concreting labor productivity for
four different project contexts (industrial, warehouse, high-rise, and
institutional buildings). The FISs were optimized using genetic al-
gorithms to improve both accuracy and interpretability, the latter of
which allows users to understand the reasoning behind the models
and their results (Tsehayae and Fayek 2016). These techniques
were also applied to develop labor productivity prediction models
for electrical and shutdown activities. The context-specific FISs
were then adapted for different project contexts using linear and
nonlinear evolutionary-based transformation, thereby reducing data
collection requirements for developing new models in different
contexts (Tsehayae and Fayek 2018).
Fuzzy Machine Learning and Fuzzy Multicriteria
Decision Making for Project and Organizational
Competencies and Performance
Construction organizations are seeking innovative approaches to
measuring their internal competencies, so they can improve their
project and organizational performance, which has traditionally been
assessed using predefined performance measures. However, the re-
lationships between competencies and performance measures are
rarely defined. Competencies are both functional (i.e., practice–
based) and behavioral (i.e., people–based). It is challenging for orga-
nizations to model and map competencies to performance because of
the multidimensional nature of the variables and their relationships.
© ASCE 04020064-4
J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064
The author and her research team used fuzzy machine learning and
fuzzy MCDM to overcome this challenge (Omar and Fayek 2016).
They integrated prioritized fuzzy aggregation, factor analysis, and
fuzzy neural networks (FNNs) to develop a model that can identify
the competencies that contribute most significantly to improve-
ments in project key performance indicators (KPIs), as shown in
Fig. 2. The model makes it possible for construction organizations
to focus on improving the competencies that have the greatest effect
on overall project performance. The author and her research team
are now expanding these models to the construction organization
level to determine what makes organizations competent and how to
measure, predict, and improve construction organization perfor-
mance (Tiruneh and Fayek 2019).
Fuzzy Multicriteria Group Decision Making and
Weighting of Expert Opinions
Many of the author’s research projects require that experts provide
their opinions in multicriteria group decision making (MCGDM);
either these opinions must be aggregated or consensus must be
achieved among experts. Since better solutions are achieved when
multiple experts participate in decision making, it is common to
find a group of decision makers representing different points of
view, backgrounds, and levels of expertise working together to
solve construction problems. If the group of experts is hetero-
geneous (i.e., the importance of the experts’ opinions varies based
on their experience and knowledge levels), it is common to assign
qualitative or quantitative weights to the experts’ opinions based
on how relevant their expertise is to the problem (i.e., based on an
expert’s degree of importance).
The author has developed a variety of techniques for assigning
weights to experts and aggregating their opinions or reaching con-
sensus in applications that involve MCGDM. The systems devel-
oped using these techniques contain collective knowledge that is
more heavily weighted toward greater expertise, thereby improving
the MCGDM process. For example, Elbarkouky and Fayek (2011b)
determined expert weights from a consensus weight factor for each
expert based on the similarity of his or her opinions to the opinions
of other experts, and used these weights in modified similarity ag-
gregation. They used this method in a fuzzy similarity consensus
model to define stakeholder roles and responsibilities in different
project delivery systems.
To determine expert weights based on essential qualification
attributes, Elbarkouky and Fayek (2011a) used an FIS incorporated
in fuzzy preference relations consensus to reduce conflicts in the
assignment of task responsibility between owners and contractors
in different project delivery systems. Awad and Fayek (2012) de-
termined expert weights based on experience measures using a
multiattribute utility function combined with the analytic hierarchy
process (AHP). They then used the weights in aggregating experts’
opinions to develop an FIS for predicting the risk of contractor
default in surety bonding. Monzer et al. (2019) used fuzzy AHP to
determine the relative importance of a set of attributes related to
decision makers’ expertise in order to derive expert importance
weights. They combined this technique with fuzzy aggregation op-
erators to aggregate experts’ opinions on the probability and impact
of construction project risks (i.e., threats) and opportunities in order
to determine project contingency. Fayek and Omar (2016) used a
fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal sol-
ution (TOPSIS) to aggregate a group of decision makers’ views on
the importance and levels of satisfaction of a set of interrelated cri-
teria, which they used in prioritized fuzzy aggregation to evaluate
the relative importance of construction project competencies that
affect performance.
J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 8. FNN: Calculate percentage of
Start Finish
improvement in project key
analysis analysis
performance indicators (KPIs)
Project competencies AND logic OR logic Project
fuzzy factor groups neurons neurons KPIs
y1
Project 1. FNN: Identify fuzzy factor groups v1
Fuzzy Factor w1
Project Competency Competency affecting project key performance
Group x1 z1
Coefficient
indicators and corresponding

v2
4. Project cost management 0.101 project key performance indicator

w2
2. Project scope management 0.099 values
1. Project integration management 0.099
6. Project resource management 0.092

3
w

w4

3
v
3. Project time management 0.086 w
Functional x y v
Competencies 17. Project workface planning 0.082 zk
Factor Group 2 7. Project risk management 0.082
(x2)
14. Project environmental management 0.076 2. Factor Analysis:
9. Project safety management 0.072 Use fuzzy factor
15. Project commissioning and startup 0.070 group to recall
associated project
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11. Project quality management 0.065

18. Project contract administration 0.053 competencies
7. FNN: Apply new fuzzy factor
group value to network and
generate new project key
performance indicators

No. Ranked Project Competency and Evaluation Criteria 3. Prioritized Fuzzy Aggregation:
Recall prioritized evaluation criteria
4 Project Cost Management (i.e., using the fuzzy importance
4.1 Policies and procedures for project cost management are developed at score) for the different project
the company level. Roles and responsibilities for applying practice on the
competencies 6. Factor Analysis: Calculate new
project are clearly identified for the responsible teams. fuzzy factor group value
4.7 A cash flow analysis is regularly carried out to monitor the financial status
of the project.
4.8 Updated cash flow with changes to the cost baseline is regularly
conducted.
… …
1 Project Integration Management
4. Prioritized Fuzzy Aggregation:
1.1 Policies and procedures for project integration management are 5. Prioritized Fuzzy Aggregation:
developed at the company level. Roles and responsibilities for applying Implement improvement strategies
Recalculate overall project
practice on the project are clearly identified for the responsible teams. to project competencies’ evaluation
competencies’ scores
… … criteria

1. Identification Phase 2. Quantification Phase

Fig. 2. Identifying and quantifying the relationship between project competency evaluation criteria and project key performance indicators (KPIs).
(Reprinted from Automation in Construction, Vol. 69, M. N. Omar and A. R. Fayek, “Modeling and evaluating construction project competencies and
their relationship to project performance,” pp. 115–130, © 2016, with permission from Elsevier.)

Fuzzy System Dynamics to Predict Project-Level
Productivity and to Perform Risk Analysis
Although labor productivity is important to construction owners
and contractors, overall project productivity is equally important
in determining cost performance. Based on her industry partners’
input and changing needs, the author and her team expanded labor
productivity prediction models to include other resources, such as
equipment and materials. In order to identify the most significant
drivers of productivity, they also explored relationships between
factors that affect productivity and how those factors interact and
change over the course of a project. They accomplished these tasks
by developing fuzzy system dynamics (FSD) modeling approaches
that process both fuzzy and deterministic inputs and capture the
dynamic aspects of productivity, using them to create a predictive
model of multifactor productivity for equipment-intensive activities
(Gerami Seresht and Fayek 2018). The author and her team mod-
eled relationships between system variables using either math-
ematical equations or FISs developed via FCM clustering. They
used fuzzy arithmetic in mathematical equations containing subjec-
tive system variables, and explored different fuzzy arithmetic op-
erations to determine the best approach for reducing uncertainty
overestimation in the simulation results of the FSD model. They
are now exploring integration of fuzzy machine learning techniques
to define the relationships between system variables in order to
increase model accuracy. Siraj and Fayek (2016) used these
FSD modeling approaches to develop a model to assess construc-
tion project risks and opportunities and to determine project con-
tingency (Siraj and Fayek 2016); this model is now being expanded
to determine the most appropriate risk response strategies and to
assess the impact of these strategies on project contingency.
Fuzzy Agent-Based Modeling to Assess Construction
Crew Motivation and Performance
Another important aspect of productivity is construction crew mo-
tivation and performance, which is of concern to many owners,
contractors, and labor organizations. The overall performance of
a crew is a function not only of its individual members, but also
of the dynamics of the crew as a whole, and the situation or context
in which the crew performs its tasks. The author and her team
applied modern motivation theories, based on the concepts of effi-
cacy, engagement, identification, and cohesion, and modeled these
factors, not only at the individual level, but also at the crew level
and in the project context (Raoufi and Fayek 2018). They also de-
fined a number of metrics to measure the impact of crew motivation
on performance, the latter of which has some subjective measures,
such as counterproductive behavior. In order to model the attrib-
utes, behaviors, and interactions of crew members and crews with
each other and their environment, and to derive overall crew

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 behavior to predict performance, the author and her team developed
a fuzzy agent–based modeling (FABM) method. This method en-
ables agent-based modeling to incorporate subjective uncertainty in
the form of membership functions, fuzzy rules, and an FIS to model
agent attributes and behaviors. This model accurately predicts crew
performance based on crew motivation levels, so that both motiva-
tion and performance can be most effectively improved. The author
and her team are now expanding their FABM to include probabi-
listic uncertainty, and they are using Monte Carlo simulation to ex-
plore and compare the performance of crews in various scenarios.
Fuzzy Arithmetic for Risk Analysis and Contingency
Determination
Introduced by Zadeh (1975), fuzzy numbers are specific fuzzy set
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types that are used when exact values are not precisely measurable.
The author has used fuzzy numbers and fuzzy arithmetic in several
applications. For example, the author and her team applied fuzzy
arithmetic methods to determine construction project contingency
(Elbarkouky et al. 2016), and used them in FSD models to predict
productivity (Gerami Seresht and Fayek 2018) and to determine
construction project contingency (Siraj and Fayek 2016). There are
two approaches for implementing fuzzy arithmetic. The first is the
α-cut method, which is simple to implement but results in overesti-
mation of uncertainty that increases with each calculation step
and reduces the interpretability of the results. The second uses
the extension principle, which reduces overestimation but has been
limited in implementation to computational methods that use only
two t–norms (i.e., min and drastic product); the application of these
t–norms creates challenges in implementing fuzzy arithmetic. The
min t–norm produces the same result as that of the α-cut, along
with the same overestimation of uncertainty, but the drastic product
t–norm produces results that are highly sensitive to changes in in-
puts, limiting its use in construction. The author and her research
team developed novel computational methods for performing fuzzy
arithmetic by the extension principle on triangular fuzzy numbers
using the drastic product t–norm and the Lukasiewicz (i.e., bounded
difference) t–norm. The drastic product and Lukasiewicz t–norms
reduce overestimation of uncertainty and sensitivity to changes in
inputs, thus making the use of fuzzy arithmetic in construction
more effective (Gerami Seresht and Fayek 2018, 2019). These com-
putational methods are being further developed to include trapezoi-
dal and Gaussian fuzzy numbers and to incorporate other t–norms,
such as the family of Yager t–norms, which are parametric.
Future Research in Fuzzy Hybrid Modeling for
Construction
Fuzzy hybrid modeling techniques require further research to facili-
tate their more widespread use in construction research and appli-
cation. Emerging areas of research the author has observed include
• Improving methods of eliciting and aggregating expert knowl-
edge, combining such knowledge with data-driven techniques,
and integrating data in different formats.
• Exploring how the increasing availability of data allows more
data-driven methods of formulating fuzzy sets, and investigating
novel approaches to using increased data availability to improve
fuzzy hybrid modeling techniques in construction.
• Combining expert-driven and data-driven methods of member-
ship function development and calibration, as well as developing
more robust and automated data-driven methods of specifying
membership functions and determining the most appropriate
fuzzy operations for fuzzy hybrid systems.
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J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064
• Using data-driven methods to adapt and transfer fuzzy hybrid
models to new contexts, eliminating the need to develop new
systems from first principles, and greatly reducing the data re-
quirements of each new context.
• Developing optimization techniques to help with the selection of
the best fuzzy system configurations.
• Exploring machine learning techniques, such as reinforcement
learning, that have the potential to deal with data limitations
that hinder the application of traditional machine learning
techniques.
• Exploring methods of clustering data, such as conditional fuzzy
clustering and collaborative fuzzy clustering, and machine
learning methods, such as deep or hierarchical learning, that
can deal with the high dimensionality (i.e., the large number of
inputs) of most construction problems.
• Integrating fuzzy machine learning techniques with efficient
evolutionary algorithms.
• Combining two or more fuzzy hybrid methods to create models
with a greater capacity to deal with multiple facets of construc-
tion problems simultaneously—for example, integrating fuzzy
simulation techniques with fuzzy machine learning, fuzzy opti-
mization, and/or fuzzy MCDM techniques.
• Developing methods of using experts’ importance degrees in
MCGDM problems as input in the feedback mechanism of
fuzzy consensus reaching and reducing experts’ importance de-
grees in the next consensus round if the expressed preferences
are inconsistent.
• Automating the collection of subjective and behavioral data, in-
cluding emotional states and motivation levels—for example,
using direct methods, such as sensors, to collect physiological
data that can be used to derive information on human emotions,
fatigue, reactions to the environment, and other physiological
factors.
In addition, implementing advanced fuzzy hybrid techniques on
software platforms that do not require knowledge of the techniques
on which the software is based will make them more accessible to
construction practitioners.
The author’s research program is now focusing on integrating
many of the fuzzy hybrid techniques and tools she has developed
to create a framework that will enable the transfer of data and de-
cisions from one tool to another. The framework is shown in Fig. 3,
which includes a reference for each aspect of the framework that the
author has addressed. The framework will support construction
management decision making at multiple levels, including activity,
project, and organization, for improved project planning, execu-
tion, and control. This framework will make it possible to model
both project management functions, such as scheduling, estimating,
and risk analysis, and project management processes that are re-
quired for the physical construction of projects. To support her
fuzzy hybrid modeling approaches and their application, the author
is creating a data warehouse for both numerical data and expert
knowledge, and she is exploring how the construction industry
can effectively digitalize its functions and processes. This frame-
work will provide the construction industry with real-time decision
support and will contribute to improved decision-making practices,
which are essential for increasing innovation and competitiveness
in construction.
Industry Collaboration and Impact on Construction
The author has built a research program founded on the principle of
university-industry-government collaboration, through which she
continues to perform leading-edge research into fuzzy hybrid
J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 Identification of key project management functions and construction processes
Organizational level Project level
(e.g., Tiruneh and Fayek 2019) (e.g., Omar and Fayek 2016)
Numerical data collection and
expert knowledge acquisition
Data mining techniques
Pattern Evolutionary Feature selection
recognition algorithms
(e.g., Tsehayae and
(e.g., Raoufi and Fayek (e.g., Awad and Fayek Fayek 2016)
2018) 2013)
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Fig. 3. Framework of integrated fuzzy hybrid techniques to support decision making in construction.
techniques to solve practical problems facing the construction in-
dustry. Her collaborative research program is facilitated by the
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC) Industrial Research Chairs (IRC) Program, which pro-
vides matching funds for industry financial contributions to “create
mutually beneficial collaborations between Canadian universities
and private and/or public sector partners that lead to advancements
that will result in economic, social or environmental benefits for
Canada and Canadians” (NSERC 2019). The author holds the
IRC in Strategic Construction Modeling and Delivery, currently
in its third consecutive five-year term. Her work is also supported
by the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program, which recognizes
innovative world-class researchers who have made an international
impact in their fields, and which “stands at the center of a national
strategy to make Canada one of the world’s top countries in re-
search and development” (CRC 2019). The author holds the Tier
1 CRC in Fuzzy Hybrid Decision Support Systems for Construc-
tion. The success of the author’s industry collaborations has ben-
efited her research program and impacted the construction industry
in several ways, which are discussed and illustrated with examples
in this section.
Multiple Perspectives and Meaningful Input
The author’s industry partnerships have brought together owners,
contractors, and labor groups, some of which are direct competi-
tors, to collaborate on issues of industry-wide importance. Through
these partnerships, some of which have spanned close to 23 years,
© ASCE
J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064
Activity level
(e.g., Tsehayae and Fayek 2016)
Extraction of data from Extraction of data from
organizational databases external sources
Data instance Data warehouse
selection
Fuzzy hybrid techniques
Fuzzy machine learning Fuzzy simulation
(e.g., Gerami Seresht and Fayek (e.g., Sadeghi et al. 2016)
2018)
Development of decision support
systems (DSS) for construction
Verification and validation
Organizational-level Project-level DSS Activity-level DSS
DSS
she has contributed to a culture of university-industry collaboration
where each party views the other as part of the fabric of doing busi-
ness and increasing knowledge in the construction domain. The
multiple and diverse perspectives of her industry partners have en-
abled her and her team to carry out research that is important to all
parties in construction and to develop comprehensive solutions that
can only be addressed through a multiparty collaborative effort.
The long-term sustained funding from the NSERC IRC has ensured
the continuity of her research program by providing uninterrupted
financial support. This program has also helped ensure that industry
partners provide meaningful input to the research by contributing to
the definition of problems and providing extensive in-kind support,
including access to expert knowledge and data. The consistency of
her partners has also ensured that her research evolves over time to
address the most relevant issues facing the industry.
For example, the author’s productivity studies have covered two
IRC terms, and they have involved a cross section of her industry
partners. Initially, these studies focused on labor productivity
(Tsehayae and Fayek 2016, 2018), as this was identified as the
major concern of the construction industry at the time. These stud-
ies have since been expanded to include multiresource project-level
productivity (Gerami Seresht and Fayek 2018) and overall capital
project productivity (Ayele and Fayek 2019), based on the chang-
ing needs of the construction industry and the author’s partners.
These studies have involved significant expert knowledge and field
data collection, and they have produced a number of data collection
instruments, some of which are being used by industry partners. For
example, PCL Construction, a leading contractor, has incorporated
04020064-7 J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 these data collection tools in a training manual for foremen. In each
study, participating companies received confidential reports based
on their data, and all data were pooled to identify the most signifi-
cant factors affecting productivity in the Alberta construction
industry.
Application of Theoretical Techniques to Solve Real-
World Problems
Through her industry partnerships, the author has applied her fuzzy
logic techniques to solve many real-world, practical problems. The
in-kind support provided by industry partners has enabled her team
to develop and validate their work using real-world data to ensure
the quality of the developed models and the usefulness of the de-
veloped products. Students are often on site or in corporate offices,
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generalized risk analysis software tool, Fuzzy Risk Analyzer
(FRA), that can be customized by any owner or contractor to suit
different project types and construction sectors.
Development of Solutions to Immediate Problems in a
Short Time Frame and Dissemination of Research
Results
Through her collaborative research program, the author has com-
pleted many short-term projects that had immediate benefits and
bridged the gap between academic theory and engineering practice.
Developing solutions to practical problems that are identified as
relevant and important by industry has helped build trust with and
make an impact on the construction industry. The author has imple-
mented these solutions in useful products and found effective ways

to disseminate results so that her industry partners can use them in

working alongside industry personnel to conduct research and im-
practice, thereby helping organizations better manage their projects
plement their findings.
and workforces and increase their competitiveness.
A representative example of the author’s ability to use fuzzy
The author has found the following methods to be the most
logic to solve practical construction problems in collaboration with
effective for research dissemination:
industry partners is the development of the Fuzzy Contingency De-
• Easy-to-use software tools with user interfaces that do not re-
terminator (FCD) software tool. Capital Power Corporation (CPC),
quire knowledge of the modeling theory behind the software.
one of the author’s industry partners, is a large owner organization
For example, SuretyAssist, a software tool that uses FISs to
that constructs power generation facilities using natural gas, coal,
evaluate contractors for prequalification and surety bonding,
and wind. Risk management and contingency reserve assessment
was commercialized and licensed by a contractor prequalifica-
are critical to its operations, but the company was facing a number
tion company (CQ Network) because it is user-friendly in ad-
of challenges using Monte Carlo simulation for risk analysis. Since
dition to being accurate (Marsh and Fayek 2010; CQ Network
it often lacked adequate quality historical data, as is frequently the
2019).
case in construction, the company was relying on subject matter
• Technical reports that identify actionable results and technology
experts to choose probabilistic distributions of costs (i.e., inputs
transfer workshops where results are discussed and practitioners
to the simulation) based on experience. However, it is difficult to
are trained in the use of developed tools. For example, the author
schedule meetings for experts; it is time-consuming to arrive at con-
held an implementation workshop based on her productivity
sensus; and experts would rather use natural language (e.g., high,
research that provided construction practitioners with the top
medium, low) than probability distributions of costs to assess risks,
factors and practices they could change and the amount of pro-
making it necessary to calibrate each expert’s meanings for the lin-
ductivity improvement they could expect by changing each
guistic terms. CPC also wanted approaches that would accurately
factor or practice.
capture uncertain events in terms of both risks (i.e., threats) and
• Direct employment of students upon graduation to implement
opportunities, and would provide the company with a reliable and
their findings in partner organizations. The most recent exam-
accurate estimate of contingency. By applying fuzzy logic tech-
ple is a graduate student who was hired by Suncor Energy to
niques, the author and her team developed a novel approach to risk
implement his work on advanced work packaging, which he
analysis and contingency determination that overcomes the chal-
conducted for the construction owners association of Alberta
lenges associated with existing methods of risk analysis that rely
(COAA) (Halala and Fayek 2019); both organizations are
on historical data and involve time-consuming consensus-reaching
the author’s industry partners.
processes.
By adapting fuzzy logic and fuzzy hybrid techniques to suit the
The author and her team developed FCD, which both allows
characteristics of the construction domain and implementing these
experts to express the probability and impact of risks and oppor-
techniques in tools that are readily accepted by practitioners, the
tunities using linguistic terms, and provides users with the ability to
author has contributed to more widespread acceptance of fuzzy
calibrate each expert’s meaning of the terms to suit different proj-
logic across both academia and industry. The solutions she and
ects. To save CPC even more time, the author and her team devel-
her team have developed have provided industry practitioners with
oped a fuzzy MCGDM approach, based on fuzzy AHP and fuzzy
an intuitive approach for expressing their opinions and have made
aggregation operators, to weight individual experts based on their
construction decision making more transparent. With more expe-
level of expertise so that their opinions could be aggregated rather
rienced people leaving the industry than entering it, there is a lack
than forcing them to reach consensus (Monzer et al. 2019). Using
of continuity and proper transfer of knowledge and skills between
fuzzy arithmetic, FCD calculates the contingency allowance for a
construction personnel. The methods and tools the author has de-
project, as shown in Fig. 4 (Elbarkouky et al. 2016). FCD not only
veloped have helped document and capture this knowledge so that
gives contingency values comparable to those derived through
it can be used in future decision making and in the training of new
Monte Carlo simulation, but also narrows the uncertainty range,
personnel.
freeing up contingency reserve for use on other projects. The au-
thor’s application of fuzzy logic has helped CPC significantly re-
duce the time and effort required for risk analysis. FCD has Challenges in Translating Research to Practice and
significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of CPC’s risk Potential Solutions
assessment processes and has been fully integrated into its daily
practices, replacing its existing Monte Carlo simulation methods. The author’s research program is internationally recognized both
The author and her team continue to enhance FCD, and based academically and in the construction industry. She has helped cre-
on demand from other industry partners, they are developing a ate a paradigm shift in how subjective uncertainty and approximate

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J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064

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Fig. 4. Fuzzy arithmetic procedure to determine work package and project contingency. (Reprinted from Elbarkouky et al. 2016, © ASCE.)

reasoning are modeled for solving construction-related problems.
Through her work, she has developed solutions to construction
problems that were previously inaccessible to researchers. By trans-
ferring her academic research into tools that can be used on the job
by her industry partners, her work has helped improve innovation in
the construction industry and helped shape construction practice.
Despite efforts undertaken through her research program, the
author still faces some challenges in translating her research to
practice and measuring its impact. Construction researchers have
created a very large body of knowledge; however, for a number
of reasons, its impact may not be proportional to its size. First, re-
search has a much longer timeline than is often expected by indus-
try. For results to be generalizable, researchers spend years, rather
than months, collecting data, developing models, and training the
students who will carry out the research. Industry expects a more
immediate demonstration of return on its investment of resources.
Second, academic researchers must often work in the established
reward system of universities, which places greater emphasis on
academic than on applied contributions, the latter including tech-
nology transfer. Third, construction industry practitioners are deal-
ing with information overload, and researchers are challenged to
find ways to efficiently communicate their research results, which
are often highly complex, in order for these results to be put into
practice. In this section, the author presents her perspective on pos-
sible solutions to the problem of translating research in practice and
increasing its impact on the construction industry.
Dissemination and Implementation of Research
Results
The focus of academic journals is to disseminate and preserve
knowledge, rather than to instruct practitioners on how to apply
research findings. The author proposes creating a companion jour-
nal for a top-tier academic journal that would allow researchers to
publish a practice paper based on a published academic paper. This
practice paper would be grounded in the theory and rigor of the
published academic research, but it would focus on how the results
can be applied in practice and would use language that is more
readily understood by nonexperts in the field. In addition, creating
efficient methods of training industry in the products researchers
develop, whether new software, processes, or research findings,
is critical if practitioners are to use the results. Applying research
results and innovations to demonstration projects and sharing find-
ings will increase impact and encourage other organizations to

© ASCE 04020064-9 J. Constr. Eng. Manage.

J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064

 adopt research products. Sharing intellectual property developed
through research partnerships is also important so that both aca-
demics and practitioners can benefit from it.
Interdisciplinary Research
Real breakthroughs in construction research require an interdisci-
plinary approach and the ability to communicate, collaborate, and
build relationships outside areas traditionally associated with the
construction industry. Collaborations that work are often based on
both a complementarity of skills and a shared set of values and
objectives. To promote such collaborations, the academic construc-
tion community needs more multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary
funding programs and avenues for dissemination, such as strategic
networks that require researchers to be from different departments,
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faculties, or institutions. Funding mechanisms that support people
rather than projects can help facilitate meaningful research, al-
lowing researchers to focus on longer-term programs. Formal
industry-academic partnerships that are underpinned by long-term
sustained funding are also beneficial in creating impactful research.
Measuring Research Impact
One of the goals of construction research is to develop practical
solutions that can be readily implemented to improve construction
performance and competitiveness. Research and development
(R&D) partnerships are one mechanism to help achieve this goal,
and demonstrating the value of these partnerships is essential for
encouraging investment in research. In addition, demonstrating
the measurable impact of research products is important for encour-
aging industry to adopt them in practice.
However, measuring the impact of research on stakeholders,
such as industry, government, and society, is difficult, as the impact
may not be immediately evident. As part of the author’s efforts to
measure the impacts of her own research program, she developed
a framework to assess the impacts of R&D partnerships on univer-
sity, industry, and government (Daoud et al. 2017). While the en-
gineering domain lacks such a formal evaluation framework, some
industries (e.g., healthcare, finance, education) have formal meth-
ods of measuring research impact through a logic model. The au-
thor adapted the logic model approach to suit the construction
domain and applied it to university-industry-government partner-
ships. For each stakeholder, the framework identifies: research in-
puts in the form of resources, such as funding and access to data;
outputs in the form of activities, such as publications, workshops,
and training; and impact of short-, medium-, and long-term out-
comes in the form of internationally recognized expertise, creation
of innovative technologies, impact on codes and standards, and in-
creased profitability and competitiveness of construction organiza-
tions. This framework can help partners in a research partnership
understand how their investment of resources and their activities
affect targeted outcomes, and subsequently, it can help them in-
crease the impact of their efforts. Additionally, by demonstrating
the measurable value of construction R&D, this framework may
encourage industry and government to implement research findings
and further invest in R&D programs.
Conclusions
Fuzzy logic and fuzzy hybrid techniques are essential to many as-
pects of construction modeling and decision support, especially
when these involve expert judgment and subjective uncertainty.
Fuzzy logic has been applied in construction for at least four dec-
ades; however, more recent applications recognize its limitations
© ASCE 04020064-10
J. Constr. Eng. Manage., 2020, 146(7): 04020064
and therefore combine it with complementary methods to develop
fuzzy hybrid techniques. Fuzzy hybrid techniques have been gain-
ing momentum in both academia and industry for construction en-
gineering and management as more researchers apply them to solve
a variety of problems, including optimization, prediction, classifi-
cation, decision making, and construction systems modeling.
Despite the increased number of applications of fuzzy hybrid
techniques in construction, research must expand to new areas
in order to advance the practicality of these techniques and increase
their widespread acceptance and use. In particular, combining new
machine learning techniques that are not as data-dependent as tradi-
tional machine learning techniques with efficient evolutionary al-
gorithms is a rich area of research for improving fuzzy hybrid
methods. Novel machine learning and clustering techniques can
also be explored to help reduce the high dimensionality of construc-
tion problems to create more accurate and interpretable fuzzy hy-
brid models. Context adaptation is an important area of research,
because developing models for each new project context is time-
consuming and inefficient. Integrating multiple fuzzy hybrid tech-
niques into a single model will lead to systems that can deal with
multiple facets of construction problems simultaneously, enabling
researchers to create more comprehensive solutions. The use of
sensors and other automated methods of collecting subjective and
behavioral data has tremendous potential to advance fuzzy hybrid
models that rely on such data. The author’s future research will be
focused on integrating many of the fuzzy hybrid techniques and
tools she has developed to create a framework of software tools
that can transfer data and decisions from one tool to another to
support construction management decision making at multiple
levels.
Collaborative research with construction industry partners is
critical for defining and carrying out meaningful studies and
delivering research products that have greater potential to improve
construction practice. Industry collaboration requires long-term
theoretical research to develop advanced methods to create innova-
tion, as well as short-term applied studies to solve immediate prob-
lems facing the construction industry. The ability to measure the
impact of R&D and effectively disseminate results is critical for
ensuring that research solutions are implemented in practice and
that there is continued investment in construction research.
Effective research dissemination includes reaching both an
academic and an industrial audience. Many venues exist for dis-
semination of academic research, such as archival journals and aca-
demic conferences. In order to translate research to practice, other
methods of communication are required, including applied jour-
nals, training of industry, and demonstration projects that apply
research results and innovations. Creating opportunities and mech-
anisms for interdisciplinary research is essential for making real
breakthroughs in construction research.
The author hopes this paper will encourage other researchers to
continue to advance the field of fuzzy logic and fuzzy hybrid tech-
niques to deliver innovative solutions to construction engineering
and management problems and to improve construction practice.
Her ideas on how to create even greater impact on the construction
industry through research hopefully will stimulate further discus-
sion and ideas in the academic construction community.
Data Availability Statement
All data generated or analyzed during the study are included in the
published paper. Information about the Journal’s data-sharing pol-
icy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)
CO.1943-7862.0001263.
J. Constr. Eng. Manage.
 Acknowledgments
The author is honored to have received the 2019 ASCE Peurifoy
Construction Research Award and to be in the company of its dis-
tinguished past recipients. She thanks the ASCE Construction
Institute’s Peurifoy Selection Committee for recognizing her con-
tributions in fuzzy logic theory and practice for construction engi-
neering and management with this prestigious award. The author
thanks her many mentors and supervisors throughout her research
career, as well as her colleagues at the Hole School of Construction
Engineering at the University of Alberta. Many undergraduate and
graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff have contributed
to her research program, and she wishes to thank them all. Many
have become lifelong colleagues and friends, and she is privileged
to have had the opportunity to train and mentor them through
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her work and through formal and informal mentoring programs.
The author would also like to acknowledge the many individuals
at her industry partner organizations who have believed in and
sponsored her work over the past 23 years and shared their valuable
experience with her and her team. Finally, the author acknowl-
edges Canada’s federal funding agencies that support her program
and have helped raise its visibility both nationally and interna-
tionally. Specifically, the author’s work is funded by the Tier 1
Canada Research Chair in Fuzzy Hybrid Decision Support
Systems for Construction (950-231642), the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Industrial
Research Chair in Strategic Construction Modeling and Delivery
(NSERC IRCPJ 428226-15), and an NSERC Discovery Grant
(RGPIN-2018-05174).
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