Knowledge, Innovation and Technology in Scientific Research Vol. 4

Securing adequate mass housing for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in India requires the selection of a structural system that optimally balances cost, construction speed, and long-term durability while addressing diverse site and implementation constraints. This study employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) a robust multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique chosen for its capacity to systematically quantify both tangible and intangible factors such as suitability, maintenance issues, and ease of working. Four advanced structural systems were evaluated against five criteria identified by a multidisciplinary expert panel comprising an academician, an architect, a structural engineer, a project manager, and a cost estimator. The AHP analysis revealed Cost Effectiveness (25.6%), Speed of Construction (22.9%), and Maintenance Issues (22.1%) as the three most influential criteria. Consistency ratios (CR ≤ 9.6%) confirmed the reliability of expert judgements. The final synthesis ranked the Monolithic Concrete System with Aluminium Formwork as the most suitable alternative, achieving the highest global priority weight of 33.9%, primarily due to its strong local priorities for Suitability for EWS Housing (0.558) and Low Maintenance Requirements (0.477). The Factory-Made Steel Frame System followed closely at 28.8%, excelling in criteria related to construction speed and logistics. In contrast, the conventional RCC Framed System was consistently rated lowest (16.5%) and deemed unsuitable for large-scale, time-bound housing programmes. The study concludes that industrialised and non-traditional structural systems particularly monolithic concrete technologies offer a superior balance of cost efficiency, rapid deployment, and durability, making them critical to achieving India's ambitious EWS housing objectives.