Analytic Hierarchical Procedure and Economic Analysis of Pneumatic Pavement Crack Preparation Devices

Various approaches have been used in crack preparations and each of the approaches has advantages and disadvantages. Although the routing method has been widely used and seems to be the best approach among the approaches, it is not a complete solution for crack preparation. This paper compares and evaluates a pneumatic crack cleaning device (CCD) developed by Robotics and Intelligent Construction Automation group at Georgia Tech, over existing devices. Surveys were conducted to discover factors that affect the performance of crack/joint preparation work. Then, data for such information were collected via field tests for devices such as router, heat lancer, air blower and CCD. Performed field test results and follow-up interviews demonstrated that the utilization of CCD has potential to offer improvements in productivity, safety, and maintenance cost. An analytic hierarchical procedure (AHP) and economic analyses were conducted. The AHP analysis considered three factors including safety, quality and productivity while the economic analyses examined the alternatives in various ways. The results indicated that the CCD was ranked first and second for the AHP analysis and economic analysis, respectively. In conclusion, the field tests and results revealed that the utilization of CCD achieved satisfactorily in performance, quality, safety and control, and showed that it has high potential in crack cleaning practice.