The choice of flooring system plays a crucial role in the functionality, and sustainability of built environments .Optimization implementation in the construction industry is still uncommon, and many of design decisions are taken by expert designers based on their own experience without considering different possible alternatives and the factor of cost in their designs. This research endeavors to address the complexities of selecting the most suitable flooring system by proposing a comprehensive model that combines technical and economic factors to assist architects, designers, and decision-makers in making informed choices when evaluating flooring alternatives. For this reasons this research will present a comprehensive study for different types of slabs and provide a rational scientific knowledge based model for selection of the appropriate slab structural system with optimal slab performance and minimum cost taking consideration of the effect of the loading criteria, the cross section shape of the slab, the area of the slab, and the client required functions such as time, constructability (ease of installation) and risk & maintenance on the choice of slab type by designing 160 slab samples with different load range , area and shape variables. By collecting data from these designs and expert opinions we can deduce digital relations between slab area, slab type, cost, time, constructability, and risk & maintenance. The collected and analyzed data will be used to perform a computer aided design tool by integrating multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework, samples design data analysis and expert opinions data analysis that can help structural engineers do their selection on a methodological and economic basis.

Flooring Systems; Slab Design Optimization; Slab Evaluation Model; Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis