Setting road maintenance standards by multicriteria analysis

This paper discusses the evolution of highway maintenance standards determination, from purely engineering judgement through the application of scientific research to the inclusion of economic assessment in the process. It then proceeds to discuss more recent initiatives that have identified the need to include not only engineering and economics in the determination of maintenance standards but also social and political factors, together with environmental aspects where appropriate. Finally, multicriteria analysis (MCA) is suggested as an appropriate decision-making tool capable of taking proper account of the dominant social, political and environmental issues in an all-embracing and logical process. The suitability of four candidate MCA methodologies was studied: the utility theory approach, the goals programming approach, methods based on the outranking concept and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The research has concluded that the AHP is the most appropriate to use, at least initially, owing to its operational advantages. An example of its use in the determination of highway maintenance standards is provided.