Title: A decision-making framework for designing water distribution networks based on multi-objective optimisation

Authors: Farhad Yazdandoost; Ardalan Izadi

Addresses: Faculty of Civil Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran ' Faculty of Civil Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Multi-objective optimisation of water distribution networks (WDNs) design would be an effective step towards the proper management of these infrastructures. This in turn depends upon how well the decision maker (DM) identifies the trade-off between the objectives. Here, a three-step framework is proposed to address this challenge. Part of the WDN in Iran, has been optimised by NSGA-II based on cost and resilience index (RI) objectives. The obtained non-dominated solutions located on the Pareto front were then processed through the entropy method to quantify the weights for the objectives while considering the preferences of the DM. Finally, the TOPSIS method was used to determine the best choice. The results, compared to those proposed by the original design consultants and cost-benefit analysis (CBA), show that the current proposed framework can be used as a more reliable tool to verify WDNs cost-benefit analysis while creating a better balance between the objectives.

Keywords: multi-objective optimisation; resilience index; cost; NSGA-II; TOPSIS; water distribution networks; WDN; genetic algorithms; decision making; networks design; Iran; entropy; cost-benefit analysis; CBA; water supply.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCDM.2016.081379

International Journal of Multicriteria Decision Making, 2016 Vol.6 No.4, pp.269 - 289

Received: 22 Sep 2015
Accepted: 28 May 2016
Published online: 06 Jan 2017 *

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