Amirudin, R B (1998) The application of a knowledge-based engineering approach to the structural design of steel framed office buildings. PhD thesis, University of Reading, UK.
Abstract
Computer technology has only had a significant impact in three area of structural design: namely, analysis, detailed design and drafting. These applications are only of real benefit in the latter stages of design when generally the overall form of the structure is well defined. The design quality of a structural system is mostly determined during the conceptual or preliminary design stage since the succeeding design tasks generally aim at satisfying the constraints imposed during this stage. Thus, if design is to be improved considerably, attention needs to be paid to the early stages of the design and improvement made in these stages. This research effort addresses automation of design at the early stages of the structural design process and development of knowledge-based computer tools that assist an engineer in the preliminary phase of structural design. The effort is aimed at using knowledge-based engineering (KBE) approach to develop a knowledge-based structural design application to support early stages of the design process. Issues in the use of KBE for building design system for structural design are discussed and observation based on experience are offered. A prototype KBE design system for steel framed buildings has been developed as part of this investigation. Given the spatial requirements of a building, the prototype design system can generate an overall 3D model that include virtually all elements of the building frame right from the start of the design process. Each element in the 3D model has been designed to satisfy structural constraints. The 3D representation of the design enables an engineer to examine the impact of the design decision on other disciplines and on construction thus giving the engineer the opportunity to improve the design. The system can be link to other structural design packages (such as) structural analysis, detailed design and CAD system) to form an integrated design environment. This approach used during conceptual design will enable the design to be developed to a high level of accuracy before moving on to the later stages of design. It also improved the continuity between conceptual design stage and later design stages. Knowledge and reasoning behind the prototype design system are elucidated in the thesis and implementation details are discussed. Representative examples are used to illustrate the working of the of prototype design system.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | accuracy; automation; building design; design decision; drafting; improvement; structural design; design process; reasoning |
| Index terms: | prototype, accuracy, structural analysis, reasoning, design process, design quality, conceptual design, structural design, design decision, preliminary design, design stage, engineer, 3D model, office building, building design, package, implementation, automation, knowledge-based engineering, drafting, investigation |
| Subjects: | profession, architectural engineering, construction type, computational design, data collection methods, design methods, technical documentation, modelling and simulation, knowledge management, contractual arrangements, professional practice, architectural design, structural engineering, design practice, automation and robotics, professional development, cognitive psychology |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Digital Applications, Construction Technology, Procurement, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Information Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here