Albano, L D (1992) An axiomatic approach to performance-based design. PhD thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
Abstract
Citing product quality as a mechanism for advancing the competitive advantage of the U. S. construction industry, this thesis outlines and demonstrates a methodology for performance-based design of constructed facilities. The concept of performance-based design is offered as a strategy for facility development: a rational basis for satisfying owners' requirements in various areas of project performance, such as service, durability, ease of construction, and ease of maintenance. The proposed methodology is a systems-based approach to design where the principles of Axiomatic Design as advanced by Dr. Nam P. Suh provide a mathematical framework for making the implications of various design alternatives explicit and for reasoning about the merit of design decisions. Specifically, the Independence Axiom is used to ensure the advancement of solution concepts that are controllable, and the Information Axiom is used to quantify "how well" a proposed design satisfies the governing requirements. The Information Axiom has been extended to include the notion of an Interface Index as a quantitative design aid for reasoning about the complexity associated with system integration. The proposed Interface Index is an information-based metric derived from graph theory, and it is similar to the family of complexity metrics that have been developed for evaluating the modularity of software systems. The validity of the proposed design methodology, including the Interface Index, is demonstrated through application to a case study.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Connor, J J |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | case study; competitive advantage; complexity; design aid; durability; integration; project performance; reasoning |
| Index terms: | reasoning, modularity, strategy, integration, methodology, system integration, performance-based, complexity, design decision, design aid, case study, competitive advantage, validity, product quality, durability, owner, project performance, graph theory, construction industry |
| Subjects: | quality assurance, cognitive psychology, market analysis, organizational theory, research methods, theoretical framing, evaluation and assessment methods, systems engineering, design flexibility, industry analysis, sociology, organizational analysis, project management theory and practice, design practice, management, performance measurement, material degradation and durability, design methods, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Stakeholder Management, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Organizational Design, Design Practice, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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