Analytical hierarchy process as dust palliative selection tool

Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is a multicriteria decision-making tool with diverse applications. Previous studies indicated AHP can be used as a tool for infrastructure management including pavement management and pavement type selection. In this paper, the use of AHP as a dust palliative selection tool is introduced. Fugitive dust in unpaved roads is commonly controlled using various dust palliatives. There are different types of commercial dust palliatives available in the market. Selection of appropriate dust palliative that serves its function without compromising budget and environment is not an easy task. So far, several guidelines have been published for selecting appropriate dust palliative based on surface material type, traffic volume, climate condition and road geometry. However, based on these guidelines, it is likely to have more than one viable dust palliatives. These competing candidate dust palliatives should be compared among each other based on additional criteria to select the most appropriate of all. This can be done using the analytical hierarchy process. The use of AHP as a dust palliative selection tool is demonstrated in the paper using case study data and data from the literature.