A knowledge based framework for planning house building projects

Formoso, CT

Abstract

This thesis describes the development of a knowledge based system
which encapsulates some of the expertise used by a number of
experienced construction planners for planning the construction stage
of low rise house building projects in the U.K.
The general objective of the research was to investigate the
feasibility of using knowledge engineering for developing models of
construction planning expertise, which could be employed for tackling
some of the existing knowledge bottlenecks in the construction
industry.
The resulting system can be described as a knowledge based
framework designed for supporting the decision making process involved
in planning house building at a tactical level. One of the main
features of this framework is its ability to cope with incomplete
information.
The knowledge acquisition process involved both the elicitation
of knowledge directly from experts, and the analysis of construction
plans from several past housing developments. The model was
implemented on an expert system shell called LEONARDO Level 3, which
runs in any standard IBM-PC micro-computer or compatibles.
The evaluation of the system focused on the validity of the
model, i.e. the degree at which the outcomes of the system resembled
the outcomes of the human expertise being modelled in the knowledge
base. A prescriptive method of validation was devised specifically for
this study, involving both experts that had provided expertise for the
system, and external experts.

Citation

Formoso, C. A knowledge based framework for planning house building projects. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Sep 22, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 22, 2011
• Award Date: Jan 1, 1991