Knowledge Based Systems For Civil And Structural Engineering

Included in this volume are a selection of papers on the application of knowledge based systems to civil & structural engineering. The papers were presented at the Third International Conference on the Application of Artificial Intelligence to Civil and Structural Engineering held 17-19 August 1993, Edinburgh.

Proceedings of a symposium at the ASCE National Convention, held in Nashville, Tennessee, May 10-11, 1988. Sponsored by the Structural Division of ASCE. This collection contains 16 papers presenting applications of expert system technology to civil engineering problems with emphasis on microcomputer implementations. Papers are divided into four categories: structural engineering, geotechnical and environmental engineering, construction, and general. Topics include knowledge acquisition and machine learning, using PROLOG on a Macintosh, an environment for building integrated structural design exxpert systems, an integrated rule-based system for industrial building design, and integrating an expert system shell with spreadsheet programs. Expert systems for hazardous waste management, diagnosis and treatment of dam seepage problems, and analysis of activated sludge are presentd. Also covered are knowledge elicitation techniques for construction scheduling, an expert system for construction contract claims, and knowledge acquisition for a contractor prequalification knowledge-based system. Finally, logic programming to manage constraint-based design, and development of an earthquake insurance and investment risk analysis system are discussed.

The goal of the volume is twofold: to help engineers to understand the design and development process and the specific techniques utilized for constructing expert systems in engineering and, secondly, to introduce computer specialists to significant applications of knowledge-based techniques in engineering. Among the authors are world famous experts of engineering and knowledge-based systems development.

Expert Systems in Construction and Structural Engineering is a valuable reference both for researchers interested in the state-of-the-art of civil engineering expert systems, and practitioners interested in exploring the practical applications of this new technology.

This volume and its companion volume includes the edited versions of the principal lectures and selected papers presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Optimization and Decision Support Systems in Civil Engineering. The Institute was held in the Department of Civil Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh from June 25th to July 6th 1989 and was attended by eighty participants from Universities and Research Institutes around the world. A number of practising civil and structural engineers also attended. The lectures and papers have been divided into two volumes to reflect the dual themes of the Institute namely Optimization and Decision Support Systems in Civil Engineering. Planning for this ASI commenced in late 1986 when Andrew Templeman and I discussed developments in the use of the systems approach in civil engineering. A little later it became clear that much of this approach could be realised through the use of knowledge-based systems and artificial intelligence techniques. Both Don Grierson and John Gero indicated at an early stage how important it would be to include knowledge-based systems within the scope of the Institute. The title of the Institute could have been: 'Civil Engineering Systems' as this would have reflected the range of systems applications to civil engineering problems considered by the Institute. These volumes therefore reflect the full range of these problems including: structural analysis and design; water resources engineering; geotechnical engineering; transportation and environmental engineering.

This volume and its companion volume includes the edited versions of the principal lectures and selected papers presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Optimization and Decision Support Systems in Civil Engineering. The Institute was held in the Department of Civil Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh from June 25th to July 6th 1989 and was attended by eighty participants from Universities and Research Institutes around the world. A number of practising civil and structural engineers also attended. The lectures and papers have been divided into two volumes to reflect the dual themes of the Institute namely Optimization and Decision Support Systems in Civil Engineering. Planning for this ASI commenced in late 1986 when Andrew Templeman and I discussed developments in the use of the systems approach in civil engineering. A little later it became clear that much of this approach could be realised through the use of knowledge-based systems and artificial intelligence techniques. Both Don Grierson and John Gero indicated at an early stage how important it would be to include knowledge-based systems within the scope of the Institute. The title of the Institute could have been: 'Civil Engineering Systems' as this would have reflected the range of systems applications to civil engineering problems considered by the Institute. These volumes therefore reflect the full range of these problems including: structural analysis and design; water resources engineering; geotechnical engineering; transportation and environmental engineering.

Included in this volume are papers presented at the First International Conference on the Application of Artificial Intelligence to Civil & Structural Engineering, 19-21 September, 1989, London.