The Final Rating from Table 23 shows that of all the alternatives, Alternative 1— floating 

 plant (hopper dredge), on either a 2- or 3-year cycle, is the most desirable. If the periodic nature 

 of operation of a floating plant is undesirable (i.e., if a somewhat continuous supply of sand is 

 wanted), then Alternative 2-the semifixed alternative, is the most desirable (based on the 

 decision matrix in Table 23). The least desirable alternative is Alternative 3—Crawldog. Note 

 that all criteria were given equal weighting. Changing the subjective grades assigned to the 

 criteria and/or weighting certain criteria more than others may change the selection results. 



Chapter 7 Conclusions 85 



