Set Pair Analysis Method Research Articles

Research on the Socio-Spatial Resilience Evaluation and Evolution of the Central Area of Beijing in Transitional China

In recent decades, the increasing threats of global climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics have brought extensive attention to resilience theory. However, most studies focus on the physical aspects of cities, overlooking the significance of the social perspective. This study addresses this gap by using social areas as the core spatial unit for analysis. By constructing a scientific indicator system and employing the set pair analysis method, this study comprehensively evaluates the multidimensional resilience levels of Beijing’s central area during its transitional period (1990–2020). The findings reveal that socio-spatial divisions, which emphasize the network structure of social relations and the dynamic changes in social spaces, are more suitable than traditional administrative divisions as fundamental units for resilience assessment. During Beijing’s transitional period, the comprehensive resilience of the central area and all social areas steadily increased, although social capital resilience faced the challenges of loss and slow recovery. Social areas with a unique internal connection, such as those based on ethnicity, exhibited more positive social capital resilience development. Additionally, social areas with lower population diversity and greater homogeneity tended to have higher comprehensive resilience and a more positive trend in social capital resilience development, whereas highly heterogeneous social areas faced significant constraints in resilience development. These findings may provide valuable insights for cities and communities to enhance their capacity to address future uncertainties and assist policymakers in making informed governance decisions.

Blockchain-driven framework for financing credit in small and medium-sized real estate enterprises

PurposeThis study aimed to improve the financing credit evaluation for small and medium-sized real estate enterprises (SMREEs). A financing credit evaluation model was proposed, and a blockchain-driven financing credit evaluation framework was designed to improve the transparency, credibility and applicability of the financing credit evaluation process.Design/methodology/approachThe design science research methodology was adopted to identify the main steps in constructing the financing credit model and blockchain-driven framework. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP)–entropy weighting method (EWM)–set pair analysis (SPA) method was used to design a financing credit evaluation model. Moreover, the proposed framework was validated using data acquired from actual cases.FindingsThe results indicate that: (1) the proposed blockchain-driven financing credit evaluation framework can effectively realize a transparent evaluation process compared to the traditional financing credit evaluation system. (2) The proposed model has high effectiveness and can achieve efficient credit ranking, reflect SMREEs' credit status and help improve credit rating.Originality/valueThis study proposes a financing credit evaluation model of SMREEs based on the FAHP–EWM–SPA method. All credit rating data and evaluation process data are immediately stored in the proposed blockchain framework, and the immutable and traceable nature of blockchain enhances trust between nodes, improving the reliability of the financing credit evaluation process and results. In addition, this study partially fulfills the lack of investigations on blockchain adoption for SMREEs' financing credit.

Study on water resources carrying capacity based on Pressure-State-Response modeling: An empirical study of the urban agglomeration in Central Yunnan, China.

Water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) is the basis for sustainable regional development and an important indicator of core competitiveness, and its quantitative assessment and comparison is a key link in clarifying the development capacity of the region. The study comprehensively considers economic, social, resource, environmental and ecological factors, constructs a WRCC evaluation index system based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model, adopts the entropy value method to assign weights to each index, and utilizes the set-pair analysis method and the obstacle diagnostic model to evaluate WRCC of the urban agglomerations in central Yunnan (UACY) in the period from 2008 to 2020. The results show that the comprehensive development of WRCC of UACY is characterized by stage-by-stage evolution in the time dimension, with a decreasing trend in the carrying capacity from 2008 to 2012, and an overall fluctuating upward development trend from 2013 to 2020. In the spatial dimension, Kunming's WRCC is generally poor, and Honghe and Yuxi have the greatest advantages in water resources storage and conservation capacity. The stress of water use in Kunming is higher, but Kunming has advantages in industrial structure and water resources development and utilization rate. Through the diagnosis of obstacle degree, the main obstacle factors of WRCC have large differences among cities (states), but the main subsystems constraining WRCC are all pressure subsystems. The results of the study can provide data support for water resources related policies and rational water resources dispatching in the UACY.

A Set Pair Analysis Method for Assessing and Forecasting Water Conflict Risk in Transboundary River Basins

A Set Pair Analysis Method for Assessing and Forecasting Water Conflict Risk in Transboundary River Basins

A Multiple Model Approach for Flood Forecasting, Simulation, and Evaluation Coupling in Zhouqu County

Flood disasters are considered to be one of the ten natural disasters that threaten the survival of mankind. They occur frequently and have a serious impact on the national economy. For quicker response to the sudden flood, in this paper, the relevant characteristics of flood forecasting and disaster assessment are comprehensively studied to establish the corresponding models, and a multi-objective culture shuffled complex differential evolution (MOCSCDE) algorithm is proposed to optimize the model parameters. It can achieve better convergence and significantly improve the model accuracy. Then, a river hydrodynamic model is established to simulate the flooding process, and the characteristics of flood evolution, such as water depth, flow speed, duration, and submerged area, are analyzed. Third, based on the above-mentioned flood forecasting and flood evolution calculations, the relative membership function (VFS) is determined via the set pair analysis method (SPA), and the variable fuzzy set model (SPAVFS) is used for flood risk assessment. Finally, through the study of flow forecasting at Zhouqu hydrological station, it is found that the accuracy of the forecast result of the built model is best compared with LSTM and XAJ model, the mean relative error is only 7.6%, and the certainty coefficient can reach 0.96, which surpass the baselines by 20% and 7.9%.

Research on Operational Safety Risk Assessment Method for Long and Large Highway Tunnels Based on FAHP and SPA

Compared to the construction phase, the assessment of tunnel safety risks during the operational stage has not been thoroughly conducted, and the related research work is relatively lagging. To deepen the research and application of theoretical methods for assessing operational tunnel safety risks, and to improve the level of hazard investigation and prevention in long and large highway tunnels, this paper establishes a tunnel section assessment index system from four perspectives: tunnel condition, traffic characteristics, operational environment, and operational management. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach is employed, and a practical classification standard for the indicators is proposed. Based on the traditional Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy analysis theory, a new form of questionnaire survey, known as the expert system analysis method, is introduced to collect expert opinions. A novel approach for determining fuzzy numbers based on expert opinions is proposed. Consequently, a combined model for assessing operational tunnel safety risks in long and large highways is established by integrating the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and the Set Pair Analysis (SPA). This model effectively combines subjective weighting with objective evaluation, thereby enhancing the accuracy of operational tunnel safety risk assessment for long and large highways. The safety risks of three long and large tunnels within the G1523 Yongguan Expressway were assessed using the evaluation method proposed in this paper. A comparative analysis was conducted between the results obtained using the proposed Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and Set Pair Analysis (SPA) method and the traditional Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) evaluation. The results indicate that the operational tunnel safety risk assessment method based on FAHP and SPA exhibits greater rationality and accuracy compared to the traditional AHP approach.

Performance optimization of geopolymer mortar blending in nano-SiO2 and PVA fiber based on set pair analysis

Abstract The method of set pair analysis was used to evaluate the comprehensive performance of geopolymer mortar (GM) based on metakaolin and fly ash modified by nano-SiO2 (NS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber, and the design of mix proportion for GM was optimized. According to the experimental results, the addition of the NS and PVA fiber can improve the comprehensive properties of GM. The properties of GM are better when the NS content is 1.5% and PVA fiber content is 0.6%. The comprehensive performance of GM included workability, mechanical properties, fracture properties, and durability, and the typical performance parameters were selected as slump flow, compressive strength, bending strength, fracture energy, loss ratio of compressive strength after cycles of freezing-thawing, and electric flux values. The results show that the weights of each indicator derived from the method of set pair analysis have reduced subjective arbitrariness, improved the evaluation accuracy, and made the conclusions obtained from the set pair analysis method more scientific and reasonable. The method of set pair analysis combines the mechanical properties, durability, and workability of GM blending in PVA fiber and NS to achieve a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative evaluation, which can provide a new method for assessing the comprehensive performance of the GM composites blending in PVA fiber and NS in the future.

Risk state evaluation model for China's food import using G1-LS and variable weight SPA based on bottom-line thinking

PurposeTo maintain the bottom line of food import risk in China, this paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model based on bottom-line thinking after analyzing the decision-making ideas embedded in the bottom-line thinking method.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the order relation analysis method (G1 method) and Laplacian score (LS) are applied to calculate the constant weights of indexes. Then, the worst-case scenario of food import risk can be estimated to strive for the best result, so the penalty state variable weight function is introduced to obtain variable weights of indexes. Finally, the study measures the risk state of China's food import from the overall situation using the set pair analysis (SPA) method and identifies the key factors affecting food import risk.FindingsThe risk states of food supply in eight countries are in the state of average potential and partial back potential as a whole. The results indicate that China's food import risks are at medium and upper-medium risk levels in most years, fluctuating slightly from 2010 to 2020. In addition, some factors are diagnosed as the primary control objects for holding the bottom line of food import risk in China, including food output level, food export capacity, bilateral relationship and political risk.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model following bottom-line thinking for food import risk in China. Besides, SPA is first applied to the risk evaluation of food import, expanding the application field of the SPA method.

Study on Highway Landscape Environment Assessment and Grading Method

The assessment and grading of a highway landscape environment is the basic work of highway route layout and landscape planning, and it is also a key link to whether the highway can be integrated into the surrounding environment. This article analyzes the connotation and value standard system of highway landscape assessment and proposes a highway landscape environment assessment method that combines a quantitative assessment and a humanistic assessment. Consequently, a highway landscape environment assessment indicator system with landscape features, environmental harmony, visual environment and environmental carrying capacity as assessment contents is constructed. Finally, using the set-pair analysis method, an evaluation model for grading the quality of the highway landscape environment is proposed. The model divides the highway landscape environment into four grades and proposes highway landscape planning and design strategies under the conditions of different grades. The theory is applied in the landscape planning of the Xi’an-Baoji highway in China. The results show that the overall assessment of the total indicator is “Grade 2”, the environmental carrying capacity of the subsystem is “weak”, and the landscape quality is “good”. This theoretical approach combines discursive cognition with quantitative analysis to achieve a systematic and refined assessment of the highway construction environment.

Research on Safety Evaluation and System Development of Tunnel Lining Based on Set Pair Analysis

Considering the importance of lining thickness in lining safety, and realizing the synchronization of safety evaluation and information development, this paper combines the methods of literature research and field investigation, focuses on six influencing factors, such as the deterioration of lining materials, the deformation of lining and the lack of tunnel clearance, et al. An evaluation index system of structural safety classification is established, and then substantiates each index and defines its quantitative or qualitative evaluation criteria. Through the normalization processing, the state of the evaluation index can be characterized by the normalized value. Analysing the characteristics, structure, relationship, trend and the mode of their mutual connection between the indexes by set pair analysis method, the calculation formula of the connection degree is obtained, and then the set pair potential vector is obtained. According to the principle of maximum set pair potential, the safety evaluation of lining structure is divided into five levels: safe, safer, less safe, unsafe and extremely unsafe. With the help of App Designer tool in MATLAB software, a program suitable for lining safety evaluation is designed and developed independently. Combined with a tunnel project in Chongqing, the above method is used to judge the lining safety of the tunnel project in order to provide a quick way for tunnel safety evaluation.

Risk Assessment of Oil and Gas Pipeline Based on Vague Set-Weighted Set Pair Analysis Method

This study focuses on a risk assessment method for oil and gas pipelines. Oil and gas pipelines are usually constructed in a complex geological environment and are potentially dangerous. Risk assessment is a key step for their safety management. Therefore, the present paper establishes a risk indicator system as the risk assessment foundation, and we propose a risk assessment method to obtain a quantitative assessment result for the pipeline based on set pair analysis (SPA) theory. For the weight values of each indicator in the assessment process, this paper presents a calculation method based on vague sets theory. Then, a pipeline in the Yanchang oilfield was taken as a case study to verify the feasibility of the method, and the final assessment result was 2.911, which meant the pipeline was relatively safe. The method could also obtain the risk level of each indicator, showing that geological conditions, extreme weather, and public safety awareness were particularly unsafe, and service time, pipeline deformation, ground activity, and operation training were relatively unsafe. It is expected that the risk assessment result could provide a reference for pipeline safety management.

Evaluation of water resource’s carrying capacity based on three-element connection number a case study of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

This study is to analyze the relationship between human settlements system and water resources, select the water resource?s carrying capacity index, and construct a system based on the human settlements system theory for the water resource?s carrying capacity index. The index weight is determined by the analytic hierarchy process, and the set pair analysis method is used to calculate the connection number and evaluation grade of samples in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province from 2016 to 2019. The results show that there are differences in water resources carrying capacity from the perspective of human settlements in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province, and the changing trend of water resources carrying capacity in the three regions is different. The introduction of human settlement theory into the construction of water resource?s carrying capacity index system can better reflect the carrying capacity of water resources to human society and can provide a new perspective for other related research in the future.

Multi-objective optimization of heating operation of stratum ventilation under different clothing insulations using Taguchi method, RSM, and SPA-TOPSIS

Stratum ventilation (SV) for heating can provides a comfortable indoor environment, good intake air quality, and energy efficiency when operated correctly. The studies that have been conducted have focused on the operations of SV that occupants’ clothing insulation was set to a fixed value (i.e., clothing insulation of cooling season and heating season is 0.5 clo and 1 clo, respectively), with little attention to different clothing insulations. This study aimed to access the optimal ventilation parameters (i.e., supply air velocity, supply vane angle, and supply air temperature) to satisfy the requirements of thermal comfort for occupants with different clothing insulations, whilst improving indoor air quality and achieving energy savings. Firstly, based on experimentally validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, the Taguchi method was used to analyze the effects of operation parameters (i.e., supply vane angle, supply air velocity, supply air temperature, and outdoor air temperature) on the thermal comfort of occupants with different clothing insulations. The results show that the operation parameters affected the thermal comfort of occupants with different clothing insulations inconsistently. Then, taking clothing insulation as one of the important influencing factors in the optimization process, the multi-objective optimization of stratum ventilation for heating conditions was performed by a sequential preference technique based on the set pair analysis method (SPA-TOPSIS) of similarity to the ideal solution. To reduce the costs of computational, response surface models (RSMs) of ventilation performance was formulated and then used to assess the ventilation performance for all operations optimized by SPA-TOPSIS. The results showed that the dynamical optimization of ventilation parameters significantly improves ventilation performance considering different clothing insulations.

Effectiveness Evaluation of Optical Illusion Deceleration Markings for a V-Shaped Undersea Tunnel Based on the Set Pair Analysis Method and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution Theory

To improve traffic safety in undersea tunnels, the speed control effect of optical illusion deceleration markings (OIDMs) in V-shaped undersea tunnels and their applicability to drivers were explored. In this study, UC-Win/Road software was used to build a simulation scenario, and the V-shaped Jiaozhou Bay undersea tunnel in Qingdao, China, was selected as the simulated road section. Four kinds of OIDMs were selected as the research objects. According to the physiological and psychological response characteristics of drivers to the visual recognition process of OIDMs and vehicle driving parameters, three primary and six secondary evaluation indices were identified. The analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight method was applied to assign weights to each evaluation index in combination, and a comprehensive evaluation model based on the set pair analysis method and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution was constructed to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of the OIDMs based on the ternary coefficient and the comprehensive evaluation index. To verify the accuracy of the model, the data of the three secondary evaluation indicators with larger weight coefficients were statistically analyzed, and the results showed that the results of the statistical analysis of the data were consistent with the results of the model test. In the entrance section of the tunnel, the combination of white inverted fishbone deceleration markings and red warning pavement has the highest comprehensive evaluation index of γ A1 = 0.9611. In the downhill section of the tunnel, the white variable-spacing inverted fishbone deceleration markings have the highest comprehensive evaluation index, γ B1 = 0.9644.

Safety Assessment of Channel Seepage by Using Monitoring Data and Detection Information

Seepage analysis has always been the focus of channel safety and stability research. Establishing a diagnosis method based on osmotic pressure monitoring data and combining the detection information to achieve osmotic safety is also an effective way to ensure the safety and stability of osmotic engineering. In this paper, a high-fill channel section of a water diversion project is taken as an example, and the study of osmotic safety is carried out by analyzing the engineering characteristics of linear engineering. High-fill channel sections were selected to study the temporal and spatial characteristics of various monitoring data reflecting the osmotic behavior of linear engineering; that is, these data reflect the time-varying regularity characteristics of the osmotic pressure value and the changing regularity of environmental variables. A single-point multifactor model of the monitoring data was established by establishing an evaluation index system, combining the monitoring index value method and the cloud model theory method according to the distribution law of the measured data and considering the uncertainty of the osmotic pressure data. Additionally, this model was integrated with the set pair analysis method to determine the monitoring data evaluation level; channel detection data information was collected, the abnormal detection of detection information was realized, and the monitoring data results were used to verify the detection results. In this way, an adaptive evaluation method reflecting the working behavior of high-filled channel sections is established, and a diagnostic technology for the safe operation of high-filled channel sections of linear engineering is proposed. The application results show that this method is suitable for engineering an osmotic safety assessment.

Interface Management Performance Assessment Framework for Sustainable Prefabricated Construction

Prefabricated construction (PC) has been regarded as a sustainable construction method for its inherent advantages such as energy savings, emissions reductions, and cleaner and safer working environments. However, PC development has been hindered by its inherent weaknesses of fragmentation and discontinuity. Effective interface management (IM) is regarded as integral to PC project success for its appropriate management of numerous interfaces with high complexity and uncertainty among the organization, information, and logistics. Although some researchers mentioned the effectiveness of IM for PC projects, systematic assessment methods for IM performance are missing. This study aims to systematically develop a framework to assess the IM performance of PC projects to address this gap. Through a comprehensive literature review, nineteen indicators of IM performance were identified and grouped into four categories. By combining the objective weighting method of an ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator with the set pair analysis (SPA) method of uncertainty assessment, a nineteen-indicator assessment model was developed. Finally, a case study was constructed using the proposed framework, and the feasibility and applicability of the OWA-SPA model were proved. The assessment results provided by the assessment model could guide project managers for better IM and serve as a valuable reference for researchers in the construction industry.

Evaluation Method of Ecological Tourism Carrying Capacity of Popular Scenic Spots Based on Set Pair Analysis Method

By making adaptive adjustments to the tourism activities and tourism structure carried out in the tourist area, the natural resources of the scenic area can be protected while pursuing economies of scale. Moreover, it achieves a benign interaction between scenic spot development, planning, carrying capacity, and benefits, so that the scenic spot can develop sustainably under the condition of grasping the carrying capacity and restrictive conditions. This paper combines the set pair analysis method to evaluate the ecological tourism carrying capacity of scenic spots, so as to improve the quantitative effect of ecological tourism carrying capacity of scenic spots. In addition, this paper introduces the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to determine the weight of the evaluation indicators and combines the set pair analysis method to establish a comprehensive evaluation model. The research results show that the evaluation method of ecotourism carrying capacity of popular scenic spots based on set pair analysis proposed in this paper has a good effect.

An Assessment of Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Regional Water Resources Security in the DPSIR Framework in Jiangxi Province, China.

Water resources are critical for the survival and prosperity of both natural and socioeconomic systems. A good and informational water resources evaluation system is substantial in monitoring and maintaining sustainable use of water. The Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework is a widely used general framework that enabled the measurement of water resources security in five different environmental and socioeconomic subsystems: driver, pressure, state, impact, and response. Methodologically, outcomes of water resources evaluation based on such framework and using fuzzy set pair analysis method and confidence interval rating method depend critically on a confidence threshold parameter which was often subjectively chosen in previous studies. In this work, we demonstrated that the subjectivity in the choice of this critical parameter can lead to contradicting conclusions about water resources security, and we addressed this caveat of subjectivity by proposing a simple modification in which we sample a range of thresholds and pool them to make more objective evaluations. We applied our modified method and used DPSIR framework to evaluate the regional water resource security in Jiangxi Province, China. The spatial-temporal analysis of water resources security level was carried out in the study area, despite the improvement in Pressure, Impact, and Response factors, the Driver factor is found to become less safe over the years. Significant variation of water security across cities are found notably in Pressure and Response factors. Furthermore, we assessed both cross-sectionally and longitudinally the inter-correlations among the DPSIR nodes in the DPSIR framework. The region-specific associations among the DPSIR nodes showed important deviances from the general DPSIR framework, and our analysis showed that in our study region, although Responses of regional government work effectively in improving Pressure and State security, more attention should be paid to improving Driver security in future regional water resources planning and management in Jiangxi Province, China.

Assessment of safety status of shield tunnelling using operational parameters with enhanced SPA

This study investigates the safety status for a shield machine during tunnelling. An enhancement of the existing set pair analysis (SPA) method incorporating with interval-based fuzzy numbers is proposed to assess the safety status. The enhanced SPA overcomes the limitation of a judgment procedure concerning the positive or negative characteristic of a risk factor in existing SPA. The assessed results were validated by the high-risk sections related to cutter exchange in field construction. The percentage of the risk levels III and IV obtained from the enhanced SPA is greater than that from the existing SPA. The comparison indicates that the enhanced SPA is more effective to identify higher risks than the existing SPA methods. Meanwhile, the SPA methods are firstly used to assess the construction risk using shield parameters, and the enhanced SPA is better than the existing SPA methods during application.

Spatial Equilibrium Evaluation of Regional Water Resources Carrying Capacity Based on Dynamic Weight Method and Dagum Gini Coefficient

With the rapid economic development and the acceleration of urbanization, the pressure on the water resources system is becoming intense. As an important indicator of water resources security and sustainable development, the water resources carrying capacity has become a hot issue. To overcome the limitation of commonly used methods for weight determination and to evaluate the regional water resources carrying capacity reasonably, the index weight determined by the Analytic Hierarchy Process method was revised by the subtraction set pair potential to calculate the dynamic index weight. Then, the dynamic weight was combined with the set pair analysis method to evaluate the regional water resources carrying capacity dynamically. In addition, the Dagum Gini coefficient and its decomposition method were used to analyze the overall difference of water resources carrying capacity in the whole region and the differences within and between subregions considering the lack of quantitative research in spatial equilibrium. Finally, a case study was carried out in Anhui Province, China. The results showed that from 2011 to 2018, most of the water resources carrying capacity for 16 cities in Anhui Province were in a critical state, with the strongest in the south of Anhui Province and the weakest in the north. The overall spatial difference of carrying capacity in Anhui Province showed an increasing trend from 2011 to 2018. Furthermore, the slightest difference within the subregion was in the north of Anhui Province, while the largest was in the south. The most significant difference between the subregions was between the south and the north of Anhui Province. The primary source of carrying capacity spatial difference in Anhui Province was from the difference between subregions. The results of the case study suggested that the method proposed in this paper are conducive to the early find of possible disadvantages of spatial equilibrium and can effectively identify the main source of regional spatial difference in water resources carrying capacity, which means that the method can be widely applied to similar issues.