Introducing reliability measures into multi-criteria decision-making

This paper addresses comparing Alternative Designs (ADs) of an engineering project by taking into account fail-safe behaviour of these designs. The methodology of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) is suggested for the selection of the optimal design among available ones. The prime objective of this paper is introducing reliability and availability into the mathematical framework of MCDM. The discussion also covers applying basic elements of Reliability-Based Optimisation (RBO) and utility theory in solving problems of MCDM. The main message is that the mathematical framework of MCDM is sufficiently flexible to adopt probabilistic attributes (characteristics) of ADs. The paper considers intersections of MCDM with methods of reliability theory. Examples of a combined application of MCDM and reliability theory are presented by both the authors together with a third co-author in a paper given in the same issue of the journal.