Demarcation of potential sites for construction material using RS and GIS techniques in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Demand for construction materials in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka has risen significantly due to accelerated construction work in progress to restore the destroyed infrastructures during the civil war. Ground surveying methods to locate quarries within this area are not applicable due to security reasons and inaccessibility. Thus a Remote Sensing method is suitable for this task. This study introduces a methodology to locate suitable quarries and sand mines for constructions in the Eastern province. LANDSAT ETM+ images were used for classification. Feasible rocks and sand deposits for quarry operations were located using Multicriteria Analysis (AHP). Four different criteria were used by assigning weights to each criterion. Proximity to roads, construction locations, important places and land use type were the four criteria used. Rocks and sand deposits were given a map value according to the suitability and divided in to four groups. The highly suitable rock quarries and sand deposits were considered in closest facility analysis. The results showed that the integration of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) can serve as an effective tool in demarcating suitable sites for construction material and this methodology can also be applied for projects of similar nature.