Sustainable assessment criteria for airport runway material selection: a fuzzy analytical hierarchy approach

Purpose Airport construction is extremely different than the construction of any other transport infrastructure. It is a vital area affecting both the environment and the economy. Therefore, sustainable selection of building materials represents a very important step. The main objective of this paper was to develop a set of sustainable assessment criteria (SAC) to assist design team members in the selection between two different material alternatives when constructing a new runway in Kuwait international airport. The proposed materials were asphalt or concrete. Design/methodology/approach A set of 24 sub-criteria were developed, those were emerged from three main criteria: technical, environmental and socio-economic. Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) was employed to assign weights and to measure the relative importance of these criteria for the material alternatives selection. The prioritizing process for criteria was based on a survey of 100 responses. Findings It had been concluded from the use of FAHP that asphalt material was a better alternative in maintainability, ease of construction, health and safety, initial cost and energy saving. Concrete was better in fire resistance, durability, decay resistance, energy saving and thermal insulation, maintenance cost, aesthetics, minimizing pollution, impact on air quality, low toxicity, environmentally disposal sound system, amount of likely wastage and raw material extraction method. Originality/value Develop a set of SAC to assist design team members in deciding between two material alternatives to construct a runway.