Formwork systems selection criteria for building construction projects: a critical review of the literature

The formwork system (FWS) is one of the key components in reinforced concrete (RC) construction. Therefore, selection of the most appropriate FWS plays a critical role in the project success. Because selection of the FWS is affected by several compromising and conflicting criteria, since the early 1990s, numerous studies have been carried out to identify the FWS selection criteria and (or) have employed various multicriterion decision-making (MCDM) methods. However, there is no research to date that has conducted a critical review of the previous studies addressing the FWS selection criteria in construction projects. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap. For this purpose, a critical review of the relevant literature was carried out using an integrative approach, and the findings were validated through face-to-face interviews with professionals specialized in formwork engineering. The findings of this study should provide practitioners with a useful guide that can assist them in selecting the most appropriate FWS.