A compromise programming model for site selection of borrow pits

Road fill construction requires soil for filling low areas; this soil is obtained from temporary mineral workings known as 'borrow pits' (BP). Between a number of possible BPs, the appropriate site should be selected based upon conflicting econo-technical and environmental criteria aiming at achieving optimal BP performance while minimizing the adverse impacts to human and natural resources. For solving this problem a model for BP selection has been developed by this research using compromise programming (CP). The model incorporates a hierarchical structure integrating criteria and sub-criteria whose relative importance is set by the decision makers. Possible alternative BP sites are subsequently assessed on all these sub-criteria. Based upon this analysis, the model determines the distance of each of the possible alternatives from the utopia (ideal) point; the option with the minimum distance is considered the best compromise. The relevant concepts are exemplified through the presentation of a case study concerning the BP site selection for an Egnatia Motorway section in northwest Greece. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this work is that the CP approach is appropriate and valid for BP selection and, furthermore, it may also be used for other multiple objective construction-related site selection problems.