Location-based planning and scheduling of highway construction projects in hilly terrain using GIS

Abstract

Traditional construction planning methods like bar charts and critical path method have been found inefficient for repetitive projects like highways. Location-based planning has the ability to simplify a large network of repetitive activities into an easy to understand graphical format. Highway construction projects in hilly terrain involve a variety of spatial and non-spatial information. Availability of all information in a single platform like geographic information system (GIS) has the ability to significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of developing the execution plan. In the present study, a GIS-based location-based planning methodology is proposed for highway construction projects in hilly terrain. To demonstrate the capabilities of GIS, a location-based plan was developed for a highway project being constructed in hilly terrain. The study concludes that GIS can be utilized as a standalone system for developing a comprehensive location-based plan for highway construction projects in hilly terrain.