Assessing the Land Reclamation Suitability of Beam Fabrication and Storage Yard in Railway Construction: An AHP-MEA Method

Railway construction contributes to socio-economic development but causes the occupation and destruction of land resources. How to effectively restore the temporary land and achieve efficient and rational reuse therefore becomes particularly important. The beam fabrication and storage yard (BFSY), as a large temporary facility during railway construction, occupies a large area of land. However, BFSYs damage the land in the way of pressing and may harden the ground to a high degree due to the use of high-density pile foundations, adversely affecting the soil properties. Therefore, this research aims to develop a model for evaluating the land reclamation suitability (LRS) of BFSY. The LRS evaluation indicator system of BFSY was firstly constructed based on the literature review and expert interviews. Then, an indicator-based model for assessing the LRS of BFSY was developed by integrating the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model and the matter-element analysis (MEA) model. A case project in China was chosen to demonstrate and validate the developed model, and results show that the proposed model can rationally evaluate the LRS of BFSY in railway construction. The findings of this research enrich the knowledge system of sustainable railway construction and guide construction managers to conduct practical suitability assessments of land reclamation. © 2023 by the authors.