OPTIMUM LOCATION SELECTION FOR ASPHALTIC CONCRETE PLANT BY USING AHP TECHNIQUE

Abstract

Asphaltic concrete is considered as a basic support in the construction process generally, and projects of construction and maintenance roads particularly. There is no aspect plants of producing asphaltic concrete depend on realization its own on reduction the costs as possible as they can, the selection of the plant location has great effect in the project success or failure throughout the direct effect on the costs. The plant that has the optimum selections in the location is the one that it can obtain more than others, the different production elements at possible cost lest. Because of the signification of asphaltic concrete plant selection in achievement the plant goals, this demand research on the best methods which help in evaluation these sites, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process is considers one of these methods. The research expresses preparing qualitative and quantitative factors that affect, directly or indirectly, on the selection of the optimum site for asphaltic concrete plants. These factors have been used as a basis to apply the Analytic Hierarchy Process in evaluation the asphaltic concrete plant sites in Diyala governorate to determine the optimum from this aspect. To attain the aim of the research, data have been collected from the literature that deal with the subject of Analytic Hierarchy and the factors effecting selection asphaltic concrete plants, then from the personal interviews with the specialists of designers, constructors and operators for these projects .The results analysis of samples show that the criterions production process input, production process output, production process requirements and qualitative factors have obtained a great portion of relative importance comparatively another criterions between projects . The criterions of production process input and production process output are more important from another criterions in this type of projects .The project Al- Wajhea asphaltic plant had obtained a great portion of relative importance compared with other projects. Finally, a set of conclusions and recommendations have been deduced for different aspects of this subject, such as, the weakness of using the scientific manners to solving the complex problems in great systems management in institutions including AHP method and particularly in the aspect of optimum site selection of projects generally and asphaltic concrete plants particularly.