ABSTRACT
The cause and effect diagram is a tool for discovering all the possible causes for a particular effect, sometimes called as Ishikawa or ‘‘fishbone’’ diagram (Fig. 1). It graphically illustrates the relationship between a given outcome and all the factors that influence
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this outcome. Cause and effect diagram combined with fuzzy logic approach have been used to identify the defects in concrete structures. This approach can be used to identify the distress mechanisms in timber bridges as well.
