12 - Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Design

Abstract

This chapter provides an insight into expert system techniques and, particularly, the application of these techniques to architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) practice. It focuses on practical aspects to help professionals in understanding, developing, and appreciating expert systems. AEC design can generally be regarded as a large number of more or less related processes where design usually proceeds from an ill-defined state to a detailed, well-defined design description. Design is a process of creating detailed information by applying knowledge along the way. It is a knowledge-driven domain and immediately appeals to knowledge-based approaches. This chapter addresses the issues of the domain relating to expert system development to present expert system techniques and applications in a domain-relevant context. A knowledge-based system is built in order to preserve valuable knowledge. This chapter provides some guidance on how expert systems can be made beneficial, thereby enhancing confidence in the potential users in AEC design environments. It also presents a number of expert system applications and approaches.