Applying Fuzzy Theory to Develop a Model for Inspecting and Assessing Soil and Water Conservation Facilities

Abstract—The majority of soil and water conservation facilities are located in remote areas, posing measurement difficulties involving precision instruments. Therefore, visual inspection with the advantage of rapidness is the primary assessment method used. However, standards regarding identification of the degree and relevancy parameters of damage may vary among inspectors. To overcome inspector subjectivity caused by various scoring systems, this study used fuzzy set theory to build an evaluation model that defines the membership functions of the semantics range. The semantics were used to infer current facility conditions, which were classified into various condition index (CI) levels. Also, based on the analysis results of condition index (CI) by the proposed model, an overall structural-functional index was used to obtain parameter U, which indicates the maintenance urgency for facilities in specific regions. The results could serve as a reference for management to formulate decisions regarding facility maintenance. This study used a systematic assessment method to reduce differences caused by inspector subjectivity and enhance assessment consistency of current structural conditions and maintenance urgency. Keywords-Fuzzy, inspection, maintenance, assessment, Infrastructu