An Integrated System for Constructibility Assessment of a Design Detail

Abstract

In the traditional system of construction, the two main disciplines of design and construction are separated. As a result of this, construction projects are suffering from many problems such as design complexity, increasing costs and delays. Lack of experience in the part of the design engineer and the unavailability of a systematic approach to aid in the assessment of a design detail is one among other reasons for what seems to be the inherited construction problems. Knowledge based system are found to be suitable for formulating and presenting experience related knowledge and can be utilized to counter this disadvantage. This paper describes the development of a computerized system that integrates an expert system with conventional computer programs to aid the user in assessing the constructibility of a detailed design. Knowledge for this particular domain was gained from design engineers, architects, and field practitioners such as site and planning engineers. The development of the appropriate knowledge acquisition and integration techniques are covered in details. The system is tested with practitioners and novices and the concept of consultation is validated.