Exercise 2

Least Cost Path

1. Introduction
GIS as map production tools and as a database technology have evolved to
include the capabilities for interpretation as well as presentation of mapped data. Within
this context, the interrelationships among mapped data become the focus of attention. In
such work entirely new spatial information is created as users derive and interpret
landscape factors for specific management activities (Berry, 1991). GIS today is a
powerful tool for make a new spatial data that is derived and interpreted from raw data or
landscape factors for any management activities.
GIS has been evolve from just creating such a conventional map to become a
spatial analysis tools. GIS now, is using map as a data, that has characteristic by
describing both the where (location attribute or spatial reference) and the what (data
attribute). The map scale and projection determine the form of coordinate locating of
landscape features in geographical space. Whereas the information can defined by lines,
dots and polygons that has an attribute. In GIS the thing can stored as digital data, and
can be manipulating and analyzing.
The one of useful tool in GIS is spatial modelling. GIS systems store information
as numbers. When you are overlaying the different maps (more than one map) the value
can be summed, averaged, weight-averaged, minimized, or any other appropriate
statistical or mathematical operations. The result is a new number assigned to each
location which is a numerical summary or mathematical function of the conditions
occurring at the location on the input maps (Berry, 1991).
Based on Berry 1987 in Berry 1991, the spatial relationship between roads and
timber resources can be rigorously modelled. Traditional timber supply analysis
generalizes resource accessibility into a few board groupings, such as the proportion of
trees near roads, set back, and distant. The timber supply is calculated from values
describing the typical timber composition within each broad accessibility zone. A serious
limitations in this approach is that all tress are assumed to be transported straight to the
nearest road. This concept of distance as the shortest straight line between two points is
the result of our traditional tool, the ruler-not reality. A straight line may indicate the
distance as the crow flies but offers little information about the complex pattern of
spatial barriers in the real world: such a straight line from a stand of trees to the road
might cross a pond or steep slopes (very realistic obstacles that must be circumvented by
the harvesting machinery), effectively making the distance much greater. In advanced
GIS procedures can consider obstacles in computing effective distance and express the
distance in decision-making terms, such as dollars or gallons of fuel, instead of static
geographical units of meters or miles.
In this exercise, we are going to analysis the cheapest route/path for pipeline from
water spring to industrial site. Atkinson; Deadman; Dudycha and Traynor 2005,
 published a journal is titled Multi-criteria evaluation and least cost path analysis for arctic
all-weather road. The object research is a deep-water port, that be constructed in Bathurst
Inlet and connected to these mining regions by an all-weather road. Least cost path
methodology allows for the objective comparison of alternate scenarios for weighting the
factors that determine the location of a roads route. The methodology is applied, using
three alternate scenarios for road construction that are compared so as to determine the
effectiveness and sensitivity of this approach.
To determine the cheapest path for pipeline, we are using least cost path method.
Least cost path analysis can be used to determine the cheapest route/path from starting
point to it is destination. Since, the calculation regarding piece by piece of the land, the
analysis itself should be done in raster environment. In some cases the shortest path to
destination is not always the cheapest way to achieve it.

2. Data and Methods

a. Data
Administrative boundary (admin_desa.shp)
Exercise area boundary (batas_daerah.shp)
Infrastructure (infrastruktur.shp)
Roads (jalan.shp)
Contour map (kontur.shp)
Land use (landuse.shp)
Residential (permukiman.shp)
River (sungai.shp)
Springs (titik_awal.shp)
Factory (titik_tujuan.shp)

b. Methods
Find suitable pipeline path from water spring to the factory. Suitable path must
satisfy these
criteria:
1. Located near the roads by at most 100 m.
2. The path must be downhill to minimize the usage of water pump, (note
the slope and aspect).
3. Avoid the residential to suppress compensation.
Show final path identified as distinct line by features, and complete it with profile
section of the pipeline path.
 3. Result and Discussion
To create a path for pipeline, we can build a model based on criteria or parameters. Each
parameter is analyzed in model builder schema. There are some criteria for pipelines path. The
first one is should be easy to access, so the pipe line is near from roads which is 100 meters.
Second, the location of water spring is in top of hill and the industrial site is in flat area, that
means the pipeline direction must be downhill, to minimizing water pump usage. Third is the
pipelines path must not place in residential area, to minimizing the compensation. From the
three criteria we can made a model like the following diagram below:

Before we analysis the each parameter, we need to derived the data from database, such
as slope and aspect. To know area direction is downhill from hill to flat land we should calculate
the aspect. Aspect is the direction that a slope faces. It identifies the steepest downslope direction
at a location on a surface. It can be thought of as slope direction or the compass direction a hill
faces. Whereas, slope identifies the steepest downhill slope for a location on a surface.
The important thing in this analysis is giving a new value. The new value is defined from
reclassifying the data such as Euclidean distance from roads, land use, aspect and slope.
Reclassification involves assigning higher or lower values to more suitable locations (or cell
values). By examining the values within each dataset, you can determine which are more
suitable.
After reclassify the data, then by combining the reclassified datasets using the Weighted
Overlay tool, a higher influence (or weight) can be assigned to certain datasets. If all inputs share
the same influence, you can assign each of them an equal percentage of influence. However,
some datasets might require more influence in the weighted overlay process. It might be more
important to avoid the residential area and stay in the downhill slope directions that are cheapest
path for pipeline.
To calculate the least-cost path through the landscape, use the Cost Distance tool. It takes
the cost surface created from the Weighted Overlay tool and calculates from each location (cell)
the accumulated cost of traveling from any location back to the starting point. It also calculates
which direction to take from any particular location back to the starting point using the least
costly route.
The last process in this model uses the Cost Path tool and calculates a path through the
landscape from the finish point along the least costly path back to the starting point. The result is
a path line from start point (water spring) to end point (industrial site), like following map below.

From the path line we can make a profile graph, to analysis effectiveness the model. The
profile graph is showed in following picture below.

Based on the graph above, we can assume that the cost path model is effective enough to
apply for make a pipeline path. Even though, there is a part we need to use water pump because
the elevation is raise up. But overall the model is really effective because the graph goes down
gradually.
 4. Conclusion
By using the least cost path model, we can determine the cheapest pipeline path. The
model need to derived data from the database and need to reclassify to get a new value. The
profile graph shows the effectiveness the model.
5. Reference
Atkinson, D.M.; Deadman, P.; Dudycha, D; Traynor, S. 2005. Multi-criteria evaluation
and least cost path analysis for an arctic all-weather road. Applied Geography
Journal Vol. 25 Page 287 307. Elsevier.
Berry, J.K. 1991. GIS in Island Resource Planning: A Case Study in Map Analysis.
Macarthur Foundation. Tropical Resource Institute, Yale University.