Application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for sustainable pavement performance management in Qatar

Purpose Pavement is one of the main elements of the roads network. It is extremely essential to study and understand the factors affecting its performance and highlight the most important ones for decision-makers and pavement experts to consider during the design, construction and maintenance stages. The purpose of this paper was to identify the factors affecting pavement performance and rank them according to their importance using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for decision-makers and pavement experts to consider during the design, construction and maintenance stages. Design/methodology/approach A survey was developed considering 29 factors found in the literature that affect pavement performance. The survey was sent to pavement professionals in Qatar to rate their perception of factors affecting pavement performance to enhance roads' sustainability. 205 responses were collected and analyzed using AHP. Findings The findings indicate that the factor "unconsidered heavy vehicles volume" is the most critical factor that affects pavement performance. The second most critical factor affecting the pavement performance is the "low asphalt content" due to escalating binder aging, reducing fatigue life of the pavement and decreasing the durability of roads. The third and fourth factors are "poor mechanical and thermal properties" and "unexpected high traffic volume," respectively. These two factors are strongly attached to the first and second factors since the traffic volume affects the pavement performance less but similar to the heavy vehicles and a mix with poor mechanical and thermal properties is related indirectly to the asphalt content in the mix. Originality/value The research provides help for decision-makers in the construction industry to improve the performance of pavements using a multi-criteria decision-making tool. This paper's outcome would help the pavement management professionals in the construction industry to improve pavement performance and management, increase the pavement's life cycle and reduce maintenance costs.