sean@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU (Sean McLinden) (10/06/88)
I am well aware of a number of AI applications to CAD that are used in building design, but I am curious to know if anyone has looked at the various processes that occur during the engineering phase of a project. It seems to me that the process is quite interesting. I don't propose to know a lot about it, but once the architect has finished the basic design it is left to the engineer to determine what materials and methods to use for the support systems (this is a GROSS oversimpli- fication, I realize). (S)he, in turn, must approach subsystem engineers for things like mechanical, electrical, plumbing designs. These, to carry it further, will deal with the contractors, and their suppliers, to get estimates of the cost and strenghth of material, the availablility of components, and the like. The whole process goes through a number of iterations. What seems interesting about it is how much information is available during this process, yet most of the decision-makers need only know a selected amount in order to answer specific questions posed to them. In that sense information transfer between agents involves a type of structured query (no reflection on the relational database), that is to say. There is a common expertise between participants which allows them to make decisions quickly by sifting through a lot of information while retrieving only that which pertains to the problem at hand. Considering the number of dollars involved in U.S. Government funded construction, it seems that GSA or OMB might be interested in developing such a system. It would, of course, require a set of standards for expressing certain concepts which almost assuredly does not exist in the industry, already. Any pointers would be appreciated. Sean McLinden Decision Systems Laboratory University of Pittsburgh
gilbert@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Gilbert Cockton) (10/11/88)
Professor Geoffrey Trimble at Loughborough University of Technology has been associated with a number of construction industry expert systems. He has a chapter in a forthcoming book on Knowledge Elicitation edited by Dan Diaper of Liverpool Polytechic and published by Ellis Horwood. Geoffrey Trimble is Professor of Construction Management in the Department of Civil Engineering. Loughborough University of Technology is in Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK. Domain experts have been heavily involved in the coding of some of these systems, as well as the knowledge elicitation. Committment from sponsors to use a system has proved to be major factor in the succesful completion of a system. Not surprising, but important to anyone developing something in a research setting. -- Gilbert Cockton, Department of Computing Science, The University, Glasgow gilbert@uk.ac.glasgow.cs <europe>!ukc!glasgow!gilbert