Application of Uncertainty Analytic Hierarchy Process Method for Asphalt Pavement Construction Quality Control in China

Abstract

A comprehensive asphalt pavement construction quality control evaluation system and a computer program for this system were developed to improve asphalt pavement construction quality in China. The system was developed on the basis of the uncertainty analytic hierarchy process and used a large amount of data collected from actual asphalt paving construction projects and laboratory test results from various provinces and regions in China. The 33 indices incorporated into the system were selected by a panel of Chinese asphalt pavement experts. The indices included parameters related to materials, equipment, personnel, and the construction process that were deemed important in improving quality and performance of asphalt pavements. Weight factors for each of the 33 indices and the higher-level parameters in the three-level hierarchy system were generated by utilizing the uncertainty concept, which allowed the experts to assign relative importance between any related pairs of indices. The program was able to generate rating scores for asphalt pavement construction quality. Through evaluation of the rating scores among the parameters and indices generated by the system, potential problems in an asphalt pavement construction project could be detected in a timely manner and corrective actions applied to remediate the deficiencies detected by the system. The system, the first of this kind developed for assessing the quality control of asphalt pavement construction in China, has been used to monitor several major asphalt pavement construction projects in the country.