Overcoming Concreting Problems of Rigid Pavements using Knowledge-Based System

Abstract

Highway engineers encounter numerous problems during rigid pavement concreting. Thus, deciding on appropriate controlling measures is a crucial task. These problems affect the quality of pavements and increase initial cost. Experts can control them, but novices cannot. Therefore, this study describes the development of a novel knowledge-based system to control concreting problems of rigid pavements. The knowledge that includes problems encountered in the domain, their causes, preventive actions, solutions, and their effects was acquired from the experts by different methods and was presented in a classified format. The calcified knowledge was transferred into rules and coded in software by using Visual Basic. The system was tested by different users involved in highway engineering, including experts and novice engineers. The mean values of the overall system evaluation by the four types of users based on the 5-point Likert scale were 4 and 4.5 respectively. The developed system can be used to help highway engineers overcome the problems during concreting of rigid highway pavements, identify their causes, preventive actions, and effects on the construction process. It can also be used to help the experts formulate decisions quickly. The system facilitates decision making of domain experts by reducing unnecessary inputs, performing quick calculations, and providing classified recommendations. In addition, it can be used as an instructional tool for pavement engineers or highway engineering students, to interchange the expertise among the experts, and to transfer expertise to the next generation of engineers.