Applications of fuzzy hybrid techniques in construction engineering and management research

Construction engineering and management (CEM) becomes more complex with increasing project size and complexity. Various fuzzy hybrid techniques have been implemented to handle subjective uncertainty and vagueness in CEM problems. The objective of this paper is to investigate applications of fuzzy hybrid techniques across different CEM applications (e.g., prediction, decision making, optimization) through a systematic review of 255 journal articles published from 2004 to 2021. A checklist of selection criteria for choosing an appropriate fuzzy hybrid technique to solve a specific CEM problem was also established. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a state-of-the-art review of existing fuzzy hybrid techniques utilized in CEM to (1) demonstrate their capabilities to overcome limitations of some standard techniques in solving complex construction problems, (2) determine selection criteria for their applications, and (3) examine the applicability of each fuzzy hybrid technique’s category to given practical construction problems. •A systematic review of fuzzy hybrid techniques in construction engineering and management (CEM) from 2004–2021.•Capabilities of fuzzy hybrid techniques to overcome limitations of some standard modeling and computing techniques.•Integrated categorization and itemized applications of fuzzy hybrid techniques for solving specific CEM problems.•Development of selection criteria for implementing fuzzy hybrid techniques to specific CEM application areas.