Planning a Least Cost Gas Pipeline Route: A GIS & SDSS Integration Approach

Abstract

Optimal route planning in mountainous areas is a challenging issue which requires scientific approaches and multiple criteria to be satisfied. Research identifies and evaluate the various criteria inevitable for route planning and presents a model of an automate route planning system using least cost approach. Linear features such as roads, railway, streams, and rivers have been considered as major obstacles in the course of pipeline. Rank weighted method has been used to assign the weights to hurdles according to prioritization. GIS analysis incorporates the cost weighted distance function based upon cost weighted distance and cost weighted direction rasters which are further integrated with shortest path function. Topographic diversifications in mountainous areas require critical evaluation between elevation and slope data consequently slope data has been more emphasized to facilitate the heavy vehicle movement carrying construction material to the site. Study area includes the typical mountainous terrain of Hattar, Haripur District, and Murree, Rawalpindi District, as the source and destination for pipeline route planning respectively. Result of the research is in the form of a prototype development for optimal route planning.