Cumincad : CUMINCAD Papers : Search Results

CumInCAD is a Cumulative Index about publications in Computer Aided Architectural Design
supported by the sibling associations ACADIA, CAADRIA, eCAADe, SIGraDi, ASCAAD and CAAD futures

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_id	0a09
authors	Akin, O., Dave, B. and Pithavadian, S.
year	1987
title	Problem Structuring in Architectural Design
source	February, 1987. [4], 15 p. : ill. includes bibliography
summary	The purpose of this research is to describe in operational terms the process of problem structuring while solving spatial problems in architectural design. The designer's behavior is described in terms of problem structuring, when problem parameters are established or transformed, and in terms of problem solving when these parameters are satisfied in a design solution. As opposed to problem solving, the structuring of problems is an under-studied but crucial aspect of complex tasks such as design. This work is based on observations derived from verbal protocol studies. To consider various levels of skill, the research subjects range from professional architects to novice designers. Subjects are given space planning problems which require them to develop solutions in accordance with individually established constraints and criteria, the majority of which are not explicit stated in the problem description. Based on the results of the protocol analysis, a framework is developed which explains how information processing characteristics, problem structure and different levels of expertise interact to influence the designer behavior
keywords	architecture, design process, problem solving, protocol analysis, problem definition
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/05/17 10:09

_id	ascaad2006_paper20
id	ascaad2006_paper20
authors	Chougui, Ali
year	2006
title	The Digital Design Process: reflections on architectural design positions on complexity and CAAD
source	Computing in Architecture / Re-Thinking the Discourse: The Second International Conference of the Arab Society for Computer Aided Architectural Design (ASCAAD 2006), 25-27 April 2006, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
summary	These instructions are intended to guide contributors to the Second Architecture is presently engaged in an impatient search for solutions to critical questions about the nature and the identity of the discipline, and digital technology is a key agent for prevailing innovations in architectural design. The problem of complexity underlies all design problems. With the advent of CAD however, Architect’s ability to truly represent complexity has increased considerably. Another source that provides information about dealing with complexity is architectural theory. As Rowe (1987) states, architectural theory constitutes “a corpus of principles that are agreed upon and therefore worthy of emulation”. Architectural theory often is a mixed reflection on the nature of architectural design, design processes, made in descriptive and prescriptive terms (see Kruft 1985). Complexity is obviously not a new issue in architectural theory. Since it is an inherent characteristic of design problems, it has been dealt with in many different ways throughout history. Contemporary architects incorporate the computer in their design process. They produce architecture that is generated by the use of particle systems, simulation software, animation software, but also the more standard modelling tools. The architects reflect on the impact of the computer in their theories, and display changes in style by using information modelling techniques that have become versatile enough to encompass the complexity of information in the architectural design process. In this way, architectural style and theory can provide directions to further develop CAD. Most notable is the acceptance of complexity as a given fact, not as a phenomenon to oppose in systems of organization, but as a structuring principle to begin with. No matter what information modelling paradigm is used, complex and huge amounts of information need to be processed by designers. A key aspect in the combination of CAD, complexity, and architectural design is the role of the design representation. The way the design is presented and perceived during the design process is instrumental to understanding the design task. More architects are trying to reformulate this working of the representation. The intention of this paper is to present and discuss the current state of the art in architectural design positions on complexity and CAAD, and to reflect in particular on the role of digital design representations in this discussion. We also try to investigate how complexity can be dealt with, by looking at architects, in particular their styles and theories. The way architects use digital media and graphic representations can be informative how units of information can be formed and used in the design process. A case study is a concrete architect’s design processes such as Peter Eisenman Rem Koolhaas, van Berkel, Lynn, and Franke gehry, who embrace complexity and make it a focus point in their design, Rather than viewing it as problematic issue, by using computer as an indispensable instrument in their approaches.
series	ASCAAD
email
last changed	2007/04/08 19:47

_id	efb2
authors	Blinn, James F.
year	1987
title	Platonic Solids
source	IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. November, 1987. vol. 7: pp. 62-66 : ill
summary	The problem in constructing Platonic Solids is to find explicit coordinates for the vertices. The article describes how to find orientations that allow the vertex coordinates to be as simple as possible
keywords	computer graphics, geometric modeling, algorithms
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	21d1
authors	Blinn, James F.
year	1987
title	How Many Ways Can You Draw a Circle?
source	IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. August, 1987. vol. 7: pp. 39-65
summary	This is a first in a series of columns on computer graphics. In this column the author discusses the different algorithms one can find for drawing circles. The algorithms collection can be categorized by the two types of output: line endpoints or pixel coordinates. This comes from the general dichotomy of curve representation - parametric vs. algebraic. The language used is a mishmash of several programming constructs
keywords	drafting, circles, algorithms, programming, techniques
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	ecaade2017_172
id	ecaade2017_172
authors	Brand?o, Filipe, Paio, Alexandra and Whitelaw, Christopher
year	2017
title	Mapping Mass Customization
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2017.2.417
source	Fioravanti, A, Cursi, S, Elahmar, S, Gargaro, S, Loffreda, G, Novembri, G, Trento, A (eds.), ShoCK! - Sharing Computational Knowledge! - Proceedings of the 35th eCAADe Conference - Volume 2, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, 20-22 September 2017, pp. 417-424
summary	Mass customization (MC) and personal fabrication (PF) are current relevant topics in architecture offices practice and schools design research. Architects are adopting information based design and production techniques as a response to architectural century challenges. However, is not clear how various authors used and transformed the concept in practice, research and industry after three decades since the MC term was introduced by Davis (1987). Therefore, is essential to map the most relevant works in the field in relation to production and design control. The paper presents some of the results of the ongoing study through an evolving map that aims to visualize relationships, layering complexity and revealing difference.
keywords	Mass Customization; Personal Fabrication; Housing; Map
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	8e02
authors	Brown, A.G.P. and Coenen, F.P.
year	2000
title	Spatial reasoning: improving computational efficiency
source	Automation in Construction 9 (4) (2000) pp. 361-367
summary	When spatial data is analysed the result is often very computer intensive: even by the standards of contemporary technologies, the machine power needed is great and the processing times significant. This is particularly so in 3-D and 4-D scenarios. What we describe here is a technique, which tackles this and associated problems. The technique is founded in the idea of quad-tesseral addressing; a technique, which was originally applied to the analysis of atomic structures. It is based on ideas concerning Hierarchical clustering developed in the 1960s and 1970s to improve data access time [G.M. Morton, A computer oriented geodetic database and a new technique on file sequencing, IBM Canada, 1996.], and on atomic isohedral (same shape) tiling strategies developed in the 1970s and 1980s concerned with group theory [B. Grunbaum, G.C. Shephard, Tilings and Patterns, Freeman, New York, 1987.]. The technique was first suggested as a suitable representation for GIS in the early 1980s when the two strands were brought together and a tesseral arithmetic applied [F.C. Holdroyd, The Geometry of Tiling Hierarchies, Ars Combanitoria 16B (1983) 211–244.; S.B.M. Bell, B.M. Diaz, F.C. Holroyd, M.J.J. Jackson, Spatially referenced methods of processing raster and vector data, Image and Vision Computing 1 (4) (1983) 211–220.; Diaz, S.B.M. Bell, Spatial Data Processing Using Tesseral Methods, Natural Environment Research Council, Swindon, 1986.]. Here, we describe how that technique can equally be applied to the analysis of environmental interaction with built forms. The way in which the technique deals with the problems described is first to linearise the three-dimensional (3-D) space being investigated. Then, the reasoning applied to that space is applied within the same environment as the definition of the problem data. We show, with an illustrative example, how the technique can be applied. The problem then remains of how to visualise the results of the analysis so undertaken. We show how this has been accomplished so that the 3-D space and the results are represented in a way which facilitates rapid interpretation of the analysis, which has been carried out.
series	journal paper
more	http://www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon
last changed	2003/05/15 21:22

_id	a1a1
authors	Cornick, T. and Bull, S.
year	1988
title	Expert Systems for Detail Design in Building
source	CAAD futures ‘87 [Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-444-42916-6] Eindhoven (The Netherlands), 20-22 May 1987, pp. 117-126
summary	Computer-Aided Architectural Design (CAAD) requires detailed knowledge of the construction of building elements to be effective as a complete design aid. Knowledge-based systems provide the tools for both encapsulating the "rules" of construction - i.e. the knowledge of good construction practice gained from experience - and relating those rules to geometric representation of building spaces and elements. The "rules" of construction are based upon the production and performance implications of building elements and how these satisfy various functional criteria. These building elements in turn may be related to construction materials, components and component assemblies. This paper presents two prototype knowledge-based systems, one dealing with the external envelope and the other with the internal space division of buildings. Each is "component specific" and is based upon its own model of the overall construction. This paper argues that "CAAD requires component specific knowledge bases and that integration of these knowledge bases into a knowledge-based design system for complete buildings can only occur if every knowledge base relates to a single coordinated construction model".
series	CAAD Futures
last changed	1999/04/03 17:58

_id	9999
authors	Coxe, W., Hartung, N.F., Hochberg, H.H., Lewis, B.J., Maister, D.H., Mattox, R.F. and Piven, P.A.
year	1987
title	Success Strategies for Design Professionals
source	New York, McGraw-Hill
summary	As consultants with the opportunity to analyze literally hundreds of professional design firms, we have found the search for ideal management methods challenging. Each time we've observed a format that appears to work well for some or many firms, an exception has soon appeared, contradicting what looked like a good rule to follow. For example, some firms do outstanding work organized as project teams, others are very successful with a departmentalized project structure, and still others get good results with a studio format. One of the major puzzles for observers has been finding a relation between the project delivery system used by firms (that is, "how we do our work") and how the organization itself is operated (that is, "how we structure and run the firm"). After years of study and trial and error, a model has begun to emerge that holds promise for creating some order among these issues. At the heart of this model is the recognition that although no one strategy fits all firms, there is a family of understandable principles from which almost any firm of design professionals can devise its own best strategy. We call these the SuperPositioning principles. This book sets forth the theory, a set of master strategies derived from it, and some thoughts on how to put the principles to use. We look forward to further learning in the years ahead from the experience of professionals who apply the principles in their own firms.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	0518
authors	Degelman, Larry O. and Miranda, Valerian
year	1987
title	Development of Interfaces for CAD Processing in Architecture
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1987.095
source	Integrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum [ACADIA Conference Proceedings] Raleigh (North Carolina / USA) 1987, pp. 95-104
summary	Substantial efforts within Europe and Japan, as well as the U.S., have been placed on automating construction processes within the building industry, while lesser efforts have been focused on computer integration in the design processes. This paper addresses the design end of the design/build spectrum and how this subject is approached in the educational and research programs at Texas A&M University. The problems of fragmentation and incompatibility of existing software data bases for building design are recognized as being the major drawbacks to significant progress in Computer-Aided Design. This is followed by a description of proposed models for future interfaces and communications linkages necessary for successful computer integration in the building design process. Efforts in the area of CAD development are undertaken within the "computers in architecture" emphasis area in the PhD program at this university and are targeted at resolution of the CAD interface problems. This happens in both the teaching and research programs. Initially, the communication problems between the building design team and the building systems software are being approached through a PhD-level course in software development for building design problems. In this context, the non-graphical aspects of CAD are being addressed through the development of user friendly, tutorial- type software. Longer range research objectives are directed at the special three-way interfaces between the (1) Design Team, (2) Graphics Handler, and (3) Analytical Engine, and the linkages of these to the Common Data Base.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:55

_id	8cff
authors	Fridqvist, Sverker
year	1989
title	Computers as a Creative Tool in Architecture
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1989.x.k1l
source	CAAD: Education - Research and Practice [eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 87-982875-2-4] Aarhus (Denmark) 21-23 September 1989, pp. 9.6.1-9.6.4
summary	The School of Architecture at Lund Institute of Technology was augmented by the establishment of the Computer Studio in 1987. As a result the school now has a device for teaching and research in the architects' use of computers. We are now conducting several research projects as well as courses and an education project. The third and fourth years of the education at the school of architecture are arranged as education projects instead of traditional lecturing. The students choose from projects that are organised by different departments at the School of Architecture. The issue is that the students will ask for instruction when felt needed, and that learning will therefore be more efficient. The Computer Studio has conducted such a project during the first half of 1989. We have tried to encourage the students to use our different computers and programs in new and creative ways. One of the issues of the computer project is to teach the students how computers are used at the architects offices today as well as expected future developments. The students shall be acquainted well enough with present and future possibilities to make good choices when deciding upon buying computers for architectural use. Another issue is to develop new ways of making and presenting architecture by using computers. As a group the teachers at the school of architecture have a very restrictive attitude towards the use of computers. We hope that our project will open their minds for the possibilities of computers, and to engage them in the development of new ways to use computers creatively in architecture. An interesting question is if the use of computers will yield different outcomes of he students' work than traditional methods. An object for research is whether the added possibilities of considering different aspects of he design by using a computer will make for higher quality of the results.
series	eCAADe
email
more	http://www.caad.lth.se/
last changed	2022/06/07 07:50

_id	2ac0
authors	Galle, Per
year	1987
title	A Formalized Concept of Sketching in Automated Floor Plan Design
source	177 p. 1987. DIKO Research Report No.87/3
summary	CADLINE has abstract only. Automated floor plan design, though originally motivated by the difficulties encountered by architects manually designing building layouts, raise several questions that may be of relevance to related application areas as well. e.g. design of electronic circuitry. One such question is, 'how do we come from a given set of constraints on size and placement of rooms (components) to a set of floor plans (circuit layouts) that satisfy these constraints?' In manual architectural design, sketches are used as an intermediate step. The present work is a study of a number of formalizations of the sketch concept which have been or could be used in computer- generation of architectural floor plans. A particular type of sketch, called the 'delta-derivative', is suggested and developed. The delta-derivative of a desired solution plan is an approximation of that solution plan and usually several other similar or 'equivalent' solutions. The idea is to generate sketches ('abstract' plans) before solutions ('concrete' plans), because they are simpler to compute, weeding out sketches that are not 'promising', and trying to refine the remaining sketches into solutions proper, thus limiting the amount of combinatorial search. Several abstraction levels of sketches may be used in this process. However, constraints as specified by the user of an automated design system are assumed to apply to the solutions; therefore a major theoretical problem which is addressed in the report is the derivation of sketch-level constraints that define which sketches to be generated. A comprehensive floor plan design system based on these ideas has been implemented, and empirical results are reported which confirms certain predicted advantages of delta-derivatives but also shows that the sketch-level constraints based on the developed theory are too weak if used alone; they allow generation of too many sketches which cannot possibly be refined into solutions. The report finally conjectures a solution to this problem
keywords	CAD, planning, architecture, floor plans, design, combinatorics, programming, abstraction
series	CADline
last changed	1999/02/12 15:08

_id	0740
authors	Herman, M. Jackson, N. and Pomerenke, S.
year	1987
title	Four-D Architectural Exploration Through CAD: Applications of the Computer to Architectural History
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1987.055
source	Integrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum [ACADIA Conference Proceedings] Raleigh (North Carolina / USA) 1987, pp. 55-64
summary	This paper, which is based on ongoing research, demonstrates methods of utilizing Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to explore objects of architectural significance in relation to time and space. The paper shows how the use of animated walk-through allows these objects to be experienced with the realism of built form which no other means of recording can achieve. The paper argues that, through the use of the computer, the whole nature of Architectural History, as it is currently taught in schools of architecture, will need to be changed and that a more pragmatic, hands- on approach to the subject will have to be adopted. Thus we advocate that the computer, the tool of today and the future, will allow students to experience architecture in the way they did in the past, from the Grand Tour to the architectural apprenticeship, aU before the introduction of architectural academies.
series	ACADIA
type	normal paper
last changed	2022/06/07 07:51

_id	c890
authors	Hutchinson, Peter J., Rosenman, Michael A. and Gero, John S.
year	1987
title	RETWALL : An Expert System for the Selection and Preliminary Design of Earth Retaining Structures
source	Knowledge Based Systems. 1987. vol. 1: pp. 11-23
summary	This paper describes an expert system for the selection and preliminary design of engineering earth retaining structures. It describes the domain and how the knowledge was acquired from textbooks, questionnaires and interviews. Details of the implementation of RETWALL using the expert system shell BUILD are provided as is a full script of a session
keywords	expert systems, knowledge, representation, engineering, applications,knowledge acquisition, software
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	acadia12_239
id	acadia12_239
authors	Jackson, Jesse ; Stern, Luke
year	2012
title	Fabricating Sustainable Concrete Elements: A Physical Instantiation of the Marching Cubes Algorithm
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.2012.239
source	ACADIA 12: Synthetic Digital Ecologies [Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) ISBN 978-1-62407-267-3] San Francisco 18-21 October, 2012), pp. 239-247
summary	This paper explores how an algorithm designed to represent form can be made physical, and how this physical instantiation can be made to respond to a set of design imperatives. Specifically, the paper demonstrates how Marching Cubes (Lorensen and Cline 1987), an algorithm that extracts a polygonal mesh from a scalar field, can be used to initiate the design for a system of modular concrete armature elements that permit a large degree of variability using a small number of discrete parts. The design of these elements was developed in response to a close examination of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian Automatic system, an architecturally pertinent historical precedent. The fabricated results positively satisfy contemporary design criteria, including maximal formal freedom, optimal environmental performance, and minimal life-cycle costs.
keywords	Form-finding Algorithms , Digital Fabrication , Sustainability , Frank Lloyd Wright , Concrete , Tectonic Elements
series	ACADIA
type	panel paper
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:52

_id	af13
authors	Kennedy, Michael
year	1987
title	The Initial Start: Beginning CAADD for the Brand New Student
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1987.065
source	Integrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum [ACADIA Conference Proceedings] Raleigh (North Carolina / USA) 1987, pp. 65-76
summary	Described is a teaching system presently being used during the first five weeks of a first course in Computer Aided Architectural Design and Drafting (After these five weeks students spend eleven weeks actively using a 2-D drafting package and a 3-D surface modeling package). It is the view of the author that a student can obtain much more from her or his first course in CAADD if some fundamental concepts are covered specifically and dramatically, rather than assumed or conveyed by osmosis. On the other hand, one does not want to significantly delay the teaching of he principal objective: how to use a computer as a partner in design and production. The answer to meeting these two divergent objectives is two-fold: (1) careful organization with computer based tutorials, and (2) integration of architectonic lessons during the introduction. The objectives of he initial five weeks are (1) to demystify computers, (2) teach the fundamental concepts of computer systems relating to hardware (disks, cpu, memory, display), and software (programs, data, files), (3) illustrate programming and program design, and (4) convey the concept of discrete symbol manipulation and its relation to graphics and text.
series	ACADIA
last changed	2022/06/07 07:52

_id	ecaaderis2023_45
id	ecaaderis2023_45
authors	Morton, David, Ahmed, Tarek MF and Humphery, Richard
year	2023
title	BIM and Teaching in Architecture: Current thinking and approaches
source	De Luca, F, Lykouras, I and Wurzer, G (eds.), Proceedings of the 9th eCAADe Regional International Symposium, TalTech, 15 - 16 June 2023, pp. 105–115
summary	Increasing use of BIM has represented a continuing shift in traditional assumptions on how we navigate the design process. BIM is affording the student the ability to gain a greater understanding of their design ideas via the exploration of scale, spatial organisation and structure, amongst many other design layers, in increasing levels of detail, at the same point in the design process. Architectural education is at a delayed tipping point where architectural students are increasingly looking towards BIM to streamline their design process drawn by the production of realistic visualisation, but with a lack of knowledge and skill in its application. With a lack of guidance and understanding around the application of BIM, the use of BIM in this manner overlooks the potential of BIM to construct and test virtual simulations of proposed schemes, to support design enquiry. A historical concern for the pedagogy constructed around the students’ design process is the application of methods and techniques that support the progression through the design process, (Ambrose, 2014; dash mei & Safari, 2018). This study examines the design process of architectural students and the interaction between analogue and digital methods used in design. These primary modes of communication, offer the opportunity to query the roles and rules of traditional architectural conventions around ‘problem finding’ and ‘problem solving’, challenging the ‘traditional’ design process examined by pioneers like Bruner (1966) and Schon (1987). These approaches are distilled from the findings of the study and presented as guidance to those teaching in architectural aBIMemia to align pedagogic goals to methods of abstraction in this new era of design education reconsidering digital methods in design.
keywords	BIM, BIM, Design Process, Architecture, Learning
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2024/02/05 14:28

_id	e304
authors	Porada, M.
year	1988
title	Digital Image: A Bridge Towards Mental Images?
source	CAAD futures ‘87 [Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-444-42916-6] Eindhoven (The Netherlands), 20-22 May 1987, pp. 209-216
summary	How we see things depends on our education and our cultural pre-suppositions. This does not allow to convey some logical form, but nevertheless makes possible a more global and less formalized understanding of the objects, their environment and their physical proprieties. In architecture, the digital image acts according to two directions: (-) representation: the fine images are a means of communication between the different parties implementing building projects. (-) modelization: in addition to its iconic qualities the layers of different models simulate the most different aspects of the ,image and the environment characteristics. // At this level our vision is directly concerned with the design of the studied object; it acts both in the design process and in the expression of our conceptual images. How does modelization work? Infographical representation deals with a more or less schematic and conceptualized world the reading of which is more typified than particularized. It deals with a schematization nearly "ideographical" of the mental image thus is produced "synthetism", a neologism similar to such expressions as realism or abstractionism.
series	CAAD Futures
last changed	1999/04/03 17:58

_id	8a38
authors	Rasdorf, William J. and Parks, Linda M.
year	1987
title	Natural Language Prototypes for Analyzing Design Standards
source	Southampton, U.K: Computational Mechanics Publications, 1987. pp. 147-160
summary	CADLINE has abstract only. This paper addresses the use of natural language processing for acquiring, processing, and representing knowledge from design standards. A standard is a set of provisions providing principles, models, rules, limits, and particulars that are established by some authority for some purpose. In their textual form as written documents, design standards cannot directly be used in computer-aided design (CAD) systems. This paper demonstrates how standards can be transformed, using natural language processing techniques, from their textual form to alternative representations that more readily lend themselves to use in computer-aided design systems, supporting a variety of design applications. The language being transformed is the Building Officials and Code Administrators Building Code, one set of requirements that govern the design of buildings. Prototype computer subsystems have been developed that transform natural language sentences to case-grammar format and finally to subject-relationship- object triplets. The three prototypes that achieve these transformations are described: a parser, a semantic analyzer, and a query system. During one processing cycle, the system identifies that data items in a provision and the relationships between the data items. It also interacts with the user to add new data items to its knowledge bases, to verify data items found, and to add to its vocabulary. Alternatively, it responds to natural-language questions about the contents of the standard by identifying the relevant provisions within the standards. Processing formal documents requires knowledge about vocabulary, word-order, time, semantics, reference, and discourse. Despite the relative clarity of formal writing as it occurs in standards, the difficulties of implied responsibility, multiple meanings, and implied data items remain. A long-term research program at North Carolina State University has been defined that builds on these prototypes to further investigate knowledge acquisition and representation for standards
keywords	design, standards, analysis, AI, natural languages
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	a18d
authors	Rasdorf, William J. and Storaasli, Olaf O.
year	1987
title	Educational Fundamentals of Computer-Aided Engineering
source	International Journal of Applied Engineering Education. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1987. vol. 3: pp. 247-254
summary	The role of computer science is increasing in nearly every engineering discipline. One of the dilemmas in engineering education today is how future engineers can best assimilate the advanced, yet fundamental, knowledge of computer science appropriate for their professional engineering career. This paper suggests that the role of the academic community must be to prepare engineering students to use computer methods and applications as a part of their fundamental engineering education. It is the responsibility of colleges and universities to incorporate contemporary computing fundamentals into their academic curriculum to improve the professional qualifications of their engineering graduates. This paper discusses current educational practices and their shortcomings as well as new options to reinforce and enhance the role of computing in engineering. The key ingredients, operating system fundamentals, data structures, program control and organization, algorithms, and computer architectures (relative to concurrent processing) are discussed. The paper suggests that to convey the essentials of computer science to future engineers requires in part, the addition of computer courses to the engineering curriculum. It also requires a strengthening of the computational content of many others so that the student comes to treat the computer as a fundamental component of his work. Indeed this is a major undertaking but the benefits of advanced computer knowledge by new engineering graduates promises to provide significant future innovations in the engineering profession. The proper tradeoff between engineering fundamentals and computer science is changing with many of the concepts of engineering now being packaged in algorithms or on computer chips. The impact of advances in computer technology on engineering education are therefore discussed. Several of the benefits of enhanced computational expertise by engineers are enumerated and case studies of recent NASA initiatives whose success required that engineers possess an in-depth knowledge of computer science are presented
keywords	CAE, civil engineering, education
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 10:24

_id	4910
authors	Rasdorf, William J. and Watson, Bruce R.
year	1987
title	A Knowledge-Based Approach to Engineering Information Retrieval and Management
source	London, UK: Chapman and Hall Ltd., 1987. pp. 267-295
summary	Building design, construction, operation, maintenance, and control are all processes that have achieved various levels of computer use. Although the degree of computerization varies significantly, one common aspect of the computing needs of each process is an abundance of data in the form of tables, standards, project definition information, catalogs, etc. In most cases this data is stored in files which are independently used for input to stand-alone single-process application programs, such as a structural analysis application. The utility of these independent files is therefore limited to a single application. As concepts of integration of engineering applications evolved, the use of databases and database management systems (DBMS) increased. A number of issues of significant concern emerged. First, there is a need to retrieve data from many independent, possibly widely distributed databases. Second, there is a need for a uniform means of doing so. Third, such databases routinely undergo dynamic change. Changes in a database schema commonly result from the evolution of a design, from changes in the design process itself, and from changes in other subsequent downstream processes. Such continuing changes must be reflected in the database schemas and they subsequently require that application programs be updated and that online users be educated on a continuing basis. This chapter describes a knowledge-based expert system that provides access to and integration of the many underlying databases needed to support the building design/construction process. The unique aspect of the expert system presented in this chapter is its capture of the knowledge that an experienced human user incorporates in his search for data in a database, i.e., it seeks to identify and use the generic knowledge needed to operate a DBMS to retrieve data. This knowledge is used by the interface to enable both the online users and the application programs to request data without knowing the data's location or precisely how to ask for it. Further, the interface makes use of mechanisms that allow the user to request data without knowing the exact name by which it is stored in the database. In doing so it formalizes the levels of complexity of that knowledge and points out the multidisciplinary applications of the research results
keywords	civil engineering, knowledge base, database, expert systems
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 10:24

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