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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	59de
authors	Lansdown, J.
year	1987
title	The Creative Aspects of CAD: A Possible Approach
source	Design Studies, (8) 2, pp. 76-81
summary	Whilst it is common ground that CAD systems can help designers in many areas, what is not clear is the extent of assistance that can be provided in the creative aspects. A possible approach to creative designing with computers is that of `prototype modification'. It is possible to see all designing in terms of this approach. The distinction between innovative design and design by modification results only from the quality and nature of the prototypes and modifications involved.
series	journal paper
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	a7c1
authors	Galle, Per
year	1987
title	A Basic Problem Definition Language for Automated Floor Plan Design
source	113 p. 1987. DIKU Research Report No. 87/4
summary	CADLINE has abstract only. Algorithms for automated floor plan design need a machine- readable description of properties of the desired floor plans. In this report BPDL ('Basic Problem Definition Language'), a rudimentary language for stating such descriptions, is developed. The development is based on a discussion of pragmatic aspects of possible features of the language. The resulting language is described by formal definitions of syntax and semantics, accompanied by informal explanations. Finally, experiments with a floor plan design algorithm that supports BPDL are reported and it is concluded that even a rudimentary language like BPDL can describe relatively non- trivial floor plan layouts, provided a set of geometrical primitives, attributes and relations that make up the language are carefully chosen. Further research along the lines of BPDL is suggested, and the importance of a systematic approach to development of future specification languages for architectural design is stressed
keywords	architecture, floor plans, design, attributes, relations, semantics, algorithms, synthesis, planning, languages
series	CADline
last changed	1999/02/12 15:08

_id	c7e0
id	c7e0
authors	Maria Gabriela Caffarena Celani
year	2002
title	BEYOND ANALYSIS AND REPRESENTATION IN CAD: A NEW COMPUTATIONAL APPROACH TO DESIGN EDUCATION
source	Submitted to the Department of Architecture in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of Architecture: Design & Computation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
summary	This thesis aims at changing students' attitude towards the use of computer-aided design (CAD) in architecture. It starts from the premise that CAD is used mostly for analysis and representation, and not as a real design aide, and that architecture students have a bias against learning computer programming. For this purpose, a prototypical instruction system that mixes computer-aided design and computational design theory was developed, based on a series of fundamental concepts that are common to both fields. This system was influenced by Mitchell's (1987) The Art of Computer Graphics Programming and Stiny's (1976) shape grammars. Despite being based on solid theoretical foundations, CAD has progressively become an exclusively practical tool, since its origins in the 50's and 60's, while computational design theories have been mostly restricted to the academic circles. This thesis proposes an inversion in the present situation: the study of CAD theory, and the application of computational design into practice. The system proposed provides a conceptual framework that can be adapted to different circumstances, including course formats and resources, as well as students' background and technical training. It is based on seven fundamental concepts from computational design theories that are also important to the study of shape grammars: symmetry, recursion, rule-based compositions, parameterization of shapes, generative systems, algorithmization of design procedures, and shape emergence. These concepts are introduced within a CAD context, where their practical implementation and experimentation are possible, focusing the understanding of the computational nature of design. During this research, the proposed system was tested in two case studies with students from schools that had contrary orientations in terms of the importance of CAD in the architectural curriculum. In these experimental courses, students' activities evolved from using a commercial CAD tool in an innovative way, to the use of programming techniques for creating meaningful tools. Despite not having a statistical reach, the fieldwork allowed drawing preliminary conclusions about the proposed system's efficacy, since virtually all the students reported changing their understanding of the role of CAD in architecture, while some also acknowledged a conceptual influence in other subjects and in the way they see architecture.
keywords	Symmetry
series	thesis:PhD
type	normal paper
email
more	http://www.fec.unicamp.br/~celani/
last changed	2004/11/17 20:51

_id	404e
authors	Oksala , T.
year	1988
title	Logical Models for Rule-based CAAD
source	CAAD futures ‘87 [Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-444-42916-6] Eindhoven (The Netherlands), 20-22 May 1987, pp. 107-116
summary	The aim of this paper is to present the basic results of a theoretic approach to represent architectural individual forms in CAD systems. From the point of view of design methodology and problem solving these descriptions might be conceived' as parts of possible environments satisfying the laws of some design theory in logical sense. This paper describes results in a series of logical studies towards rule and knowledge based systems for design automation. The effective use of programming languages and computers as design aids in architecture presupposes certain capabilities to articulate built environment logically. The use of graphic languages in the description of environmental items e.g. buildings might be theoretically mastered by formal production systems including linguistic, geometric, and spatio-material generation. The combination of the power of formal mechanisms and logical individual calculus offers suitable framework to generate arbitrary e.g. free spatial compositions as types or unique solutions. In this frame it is natural to represent in a coherent way very complex hierarchical parsing of buildings in explicit form as needed in computer implementations. In order to simulate real design work the individual configurations of possible built forms should be designed to satisfy known rules. In the preliminary stage partial solutions to design problems may be discussed in mathematical terms using frameworks like lattices, graphs, or group theoretical considerations of structural, functional, and visual organization of buildings. The capability to produce mathematically sophisticated geometric structures allows us to generalize the approach further. The theoretical design knowhow in architecture can be partly translated in to some logic and represented in a knowledge base. These rules are used as selection criteria for geometric design candidates in the sense of logical model theory and mathematical optimization. The economy of the system can be developed by using suitable conduct mechanisms familiar e.g. from logic programming. The semantics of logic offers a frame to consider computer assisted and formal generation in design. A number of semantic and pragmatic problems, however, remain to be solved. In any case conceptual analyses based on logic are applicable in order to rationally reconstruct architectural goals contributing to the quality of environmental design, which should be the main goal in the development of design systems in near future.
series	CAAD Futures
last changed	1999/04/03 17:58

_id	0a9c
authors	Ozel, Filiz
year	1987
title	The Computer Model "BGRAF": A Cognitive Approach to Emergency Egress Simulation
source	University of Michigan
summary	During the past decade, fire safety researchers have come to the understanding that human factors in fires play an important role in controlling the spread of fire; and in decreasing the number of fire casualties in buildings. With the current developments in computer technology, computer modeling of human behavior in fires emerged as an effective method of research. Such computer modeling techniques offered the advantage of being able to experiment with hypothetical fires in buildings without Note endangering human life. Consequently, a study to develop a computer model that will simulate the emergency egress behavior of people in fires was undertaken. Changes in the information processing capacity of the individual as a result of time pressure and stress was considered as part of the emergency egress decision process. Theories from environmental psychology identified a range of cognitive factors, such as visual access in buildings, architectural differentiation, signage and plan configuration that affect way finding and route selection in buildings. These factors needed to be incorporated into emergency egress models. The model was based on the integrated building data base of the CAD system developed at the University of Michigan, Architecture and Planning Lab., which provided a comprehensive building definition, and allowed both graphic and tabular output. Two actual fire incidences were simulated as part of the validation study. These studies have stressed the importance of the cognitive aspects of the physical environment as a factor in emergency egress. A goal structure that represented the total decision process during fires was incorporated into the model. This structure allowed the inputting and testing of a variety of goal structures by using actions as model blocks. The objectives of the model developed in this study can best be summarized as to study and eventually to predict the route selection and exiting behavior in fires, with the purpose of using such information in making building design and code development decisions, and in suggesting action sequences that will best support the safety of the occupants of a building under different emergency conditions.
series	thesis:PhD
email
last changed	2003/02/12 22:37

_id	8e6f
authors	Wilcox, R. Peter
year	1987
title	Interactive Color Theory - Education, Research and Practice: The Development of CoMoS3
source	Integrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum [ACADIA Conference Proceedings] Raleigh (North Carolina / USA) 1987, pp. 77-86
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1987.077
summary	This paper describes one way to integrate the computer into architectural color research, teaching, and practice. In my work with the Architecture and Interior Architecture programs at the University of Oregon, I am currently developing software exploiting the full three-dimensional and dynamic nature of the Munsell color organization, thereby making it easier for students to learn and apply color theory. CoMoS3 provides an interactive means of understanding and exploring color relationships from within the Munsell system of organization, employing the Munsell harmonies essentially as both a theoretical datum and an interactive "mentor" for color studies. In describing CoMoS3, Color Modelling System in 3D, this paper proposes a method for the integration of computers into one of the more creative and subjective aspects of architectural education and practice. The paper also discusses the problems inherent in this approach and suggests directions for future work.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:57

_id	eb5f
authors	Al-Sallal, Khaled A. and Degelman, Larry 0.
year	1994
title	A Hypermedia Model for Supporting Energy Design in Buildings
source	Reconnecting [ACADIA Conference Proceedings / ISBN 1-880250-03-9] Washington University (Saint Louis / USA) 1994, pp. 39-49
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1994.039
summary	Several studies have discussed the limitations of the available CAAD tools and have proposed solutions [Brown and Novitski 1987, Brown 1990, Degelman and Kim 1988, Schuman et al 1988]. The lack of integration between the different tasks that these programs address and the design process is a major problem. Schuman et al [1988] argued that in architectural design many issues must be considered simultaneously before the synthesis of a final product can take place. Studies by Brown and Novitski [1987] and Brown [1990] discussed the difficulties involved with integrating technical considerations in the creative architectural process. One aspect of the problem is the neglect of technical factors during the initial phase of the design that, as the authors argued, results from changing the work environment and the laborious nature of the design process. Many of the current programs require the user to input a great deal of numerical values that are needed for the energy analysis. Although there are some programs that attempt to assist the user by setting default values, these programs distract the user with their extensive arrays of data. The appropriate design tool is the one that helps the user to easily view the principal components of the building design and specify their behaviors and interactions. Data abstraction and information parsimony are the key concepts in developing a successful design tool. Three different approaches for developing an appropriate CAAD tool were found in the literature. Although there are several similarities among them, each is unique in solving certain aspects of the problem. Brown and Novitski [1987] emphasize the learning factor of the tool as well as its highly graphical user interface. Degelman and Kim [1988] emphasize knowledge acquisition and the provision of simulation modules. The Windows and Daylighting Group of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) emphasizes the dynamic structuring of information, the intelligent linking of data, the integrity of the different issues of design and the design process, and the extensive use of images [Schuman et al 19881, these attributes incidentally define the word hypermedia. The LBL model, which uses hypermedia, seems to be the more promising direction for this type of research. However, there is still a need to establish a new model that integrates all aspects of the problem. The areas in which the present research departs from the LBL model can be listed as follows: it acknowledges the necessity of regarding the user as the center of the CAAD tool design, it develops a model that is based on one of the high level theories of human-computer interaction, and it develops a prototype tool that conforms to the model.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	cf2011_p170
id	cf2011_p170
authors	Barros, Mário; Duarte José, Chaparro Bruno
year	2011
title	Thonet Chairs Design Grammar: a Step Towards the Mass Customization of Furniture
source	Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures 2011 [Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures / ISBN 9782874561429] Liege (Belgium) 4-8 July 2011, pp. 181-200.
summary	The paper presents the first phase of research currently under development that is focused on encoding Thonet design style into a generative design system using a shape grammar. The ultimate goal of the work is the design and production of customizable chairs using computer assisted tools, establishing a feasible practical model of the paradigm of mass customization (Davis, 1987). The current research step encompasses the following three steps: (1) codification of the rules describing Thonet design style into a shape grammar; (2) implementing the grammar into a computer tool as parametric design; and (3) rapid prototyping of customized chair designs within the style. Future phases will address the transformation of the Thonet’s grammar to create a new style and the production of real chair designs in this style using computer aided manufacturing. Beginning in the 1830’s, Austrian furniture designer Michael Thonet began experimenting with forming steam beech, in order to produce lighter furniture using fewer components, when compared with the standards of the time. Using the same construction principles and standardized elements, Thonet produced different chairs designs with a strong formal resemblance, creating his own design language. The kit assembly principle, the reduced number of elements, industrial efficiency, and the modular approach to furniture design as a system of interchangeable elements that may be used to assemble different objects enable him to become a pioneer of mass production (Noblet, 1993). The most paradigmatic example of the described vision of furniture design is the chair No. 14 produced in 1858, composed of six structural elements. Due to its simplicity, lightness, ability to be stored in flat and cubic packaging for individual of collective transportation, respectively, No. 14 became one of the most sold chairs worldwide, and it is still in production nowadays. Iconic examples of mass production are formally studied to provide insights to mass customization studies. The study of the shape grammar for the generation of Thonet chairs aimed to ensure rules that would make possible the reproduction of the selected corpus, as well as allow for the generation of new chairs within the developed grammar. Due to the wide variety of Thonet chairs, six chairs were randomly chosen to infer the grammar and then this was fine tuned by checking whether it could account for the generation of other designs not in the original corpus. Shape grammars (Stiny and Gips, 1972) have been used with sucesss both in the analysis as in the synthesis of designs at different scales, from product design to building and urban design. In particular, the use of shape grammars has been efficient in the characterization of objects’ styles and in the generation of new designs within the analyzed style, and it makes design rules amenable to computers implementation (Duarte, 2005). The literature includes one other example of a grammar for chair design by Knight (1980). In the second step of the current research phase, the outlined shape grammar was implemented into a computer program, to assist the designer in conceiving and producing customized chairs using a digital design process. This implementation was developed in Catia by converting the grammar into an equivalent parametric design model. In the third phase, physical models of existing and new chair designs were produced using rapid prototyping. The paper describes the grammar, its computer implementation as a parametric model, and the rapid prototyping of physical models. The generative potential of the proposed digital process is discussed in the context of enabling the mass customization of furniture. The role of the furniture designer in the new paradigm and ideas for further work also are discussed.
keywords	Thonet; furniture design; chair; digital design process; parametric design; shape grammar
series	CAAD Futures
email
last changed	2012/02/11 19:21

_id	0518
authors	Degelman, Larry O. and Miranda, Valerian
year	1987
title	Development of Interfaces for CAD Processing in Architecture
source	Integrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum [ACADIA Conference Proceedings] Raleigh (North Carolina / USA) 1987, pp. 95-104
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1987.095
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
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
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1989.x.k1l
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	448b
authors	Gerzso, Miguel J.
year	1987
title	On the Reasons for Designing an Object Based Language Called TM
source	1987. 7 p. : ill. includes bibliography
summary	One of the most basic problems in attempting to use computers for architectural applications has been the generation of design alternatives. In order to approach this problem, it is claimed in the paper that in reality it is two basic problems: a methodological problem and a data and procedural representation problem. Diagrammatic Production Rules (DPR's), developed previously by the author, have been proposed for dealing with methodological problem and TM, an object based language, is proposed in the paper for dealing with the data and procedural representation problem. An example of a DPR and a 'program' in TM are included to illustrate the relationship between the two
keywords	languages, representation, OOPS, CAD, applications, programming, architecture, synthesis, design
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_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
source	Integrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum [ACADIA Conference Proceedings] Raleigh (North Carolina / USA) 1987, pp. 55-64
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1987.055
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	e26f
authors	Kalay, Y. (ed.)
year	1987
title	Computability of Design
source	New York: Wiley & Sons
summary	Computer-aided design (CAD) has promised to transform the art and science of architectural design. Yet, despite some significant achievements in the past 3 decades, it has so far failed to do so. This stimulating volume, derived from a symposium held at SUNY, Buffalo in December 1986, explores the reasons why design is so difficult to support by computational means, and what can be done to alleviate this difficulty. Written by an interdisciplinary panel of experts, it presents a varied and comprehensive view of the ways creative design processes can be modelled. The contributors do not all reach the same conclusions, which makes this book lively reading. Topics are arranged into four parts: constructing models of the design process, the computational representation of design knowledge (including spatial information and implicit design intent), methods for computing the design process as a whole (including mathematical programming, expert systems, and shape grammars), and the integration of CAD with traditional design practices.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	0b76
authors	Kalay, Yehuda E. (editor)
year	1987
title	Computability of Design
source	xvii, 363 p. : ill New York: Wiley & Sons, 1987. includes bibliographies and index --- (Principle of Computer-aided Design)
summary	Computer-aided design has promised to transform the art and science of architectural design. Yet despite some significant achievements, it has so far failed to do so. The book explores reasons why design is so difficult to support by computational means and what can be done to alleviate this difficulty. Written by an interdisciplinary panel of experts the book presents a varied and comprehensive view of the ways creative design processes can be modeled mathematically
keywords	CAD, design process, architecture, design methods, knowledge, representation, practice, evaluation, analysis
series	CADline
email
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	21b9
authors	Landsdown, J.
year	1988
title	Computers and Visualisation of Design Ideas: Possibilities and Promises
source	CAAD futures ‘87 [Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-444-42916-6] Eindhoven (The Netherlands), 20-22 May 1987, pp. 71-80
summary	Drawing in all its various forms, from freehand sketching to detailed technical layout, is a type of modelling that designers find indispensable. In many cases, indeed, drawing is the only form of external modelling a designer uses. It has two basic functions: to assist in the externalisation and development of mental concepts and to help in the presentation of these concepts to others. The current thrust of work in computer graphics - although valuable - tends to concentrate almost exclusively on the presentation aspects and it is now possible to create images almost resembling photographs of real objects as well as production drawings of great accuracy and consistency. This paper summarises some of this presentation work as well as developments which might go further in assisting the activities and processes of design.
series	CAAD Futures
last changed	1999/04/03 17:58

_id	e8bb
authors	Lehto, M.
year	1988
title	Optical Discs - Their Application in Mass Data Storage
source	CAAD futures ‘87 [Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-444-42916-6] Eindhoven (The Netherlands), 20-22 May 1987, pp. 189-198
summary	Much of the building designer's time is taken up correlating the various sources of information so as to incorporate it in the design within a limited time span. The building information service should be able to provide him or her by the up-to-date information in a user friendly format. Optical disc technology makes it possible to combine different forms of building data into images which can be mass stored and randomly accessed on a single disc, with the minimal response time by personal computer or CAD- workstation. In this paper the use of various forms of optical disc technology in construction industry and the prototype video disc produced by VTT are described.
keywords	Construction, Optical Discs, Interactive Video Disc, Mass Storage
series	CAAD Futures
last changed	1999/04/03 17:58

_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	6683
authors	Rasdorf, William J. and Wang, TsoJen E.
year	1987
title	Spike : A Generic Design Standards Processing Expert System
source	Southampton, UK: Computational Mechanics Publications, pp. 241-257. Also published in : Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering International Conference Proceedings (2nd. : 1987 : Boston, MA.)
summary	Standards, codes, and specifications play an important role in the design of buildings, bridges, and other engineering systems. A design configuration must be checked against all standards to ensure that it is acceptable. This process of design conformance checking using standards is often very tedious. The successful automation of conformance checking is one of the components of a comprehensive computer-aided design system. In that past, standards were interpreted and converted into application programs written in procedural programming languages such as FORTRAN. This approach is extremely inflexible and often error-prone. To support a fully automated computer-aided design system, standards must be incorporated into the design process in a more generic and flexible manner. This paper investigates the feasibility of alternatively casting standards in a form suitable for processing in a knowledge-based expert system environment. The emergence of expert systems from artificial intelligence research has provided a technology that readily lends itself to the automation of design standards. Knowledge-based expert systems have become a powerful tool in tackling domains like design where some of the problem-solving knowledge is diverse and ill-structured. Using an expert system tool, a standard can be represented and processed independent of a CAD application program. Two prototype standards processing systems utilizing the production system approach have been constructed and are presented herein. Although the obvious direct translation casting the provisions of a standard as rules in a production system has its advantages, a more generic and flexible representation scheme is proposed herein. The approach advocated in this paper is to represent standards as databases of facts which can be readily and generically processed by an expert system. The database representation is derived from a unified view of standards obtained by using the standards modeling tools proposed by previous researchers in this field during the past decade. Building on this existing technology resulted in a knowledge- based standards processing architecture which is generic, modular, and flexible. An implementation of this architecture is presented and described
keywords	standards, civil engineering, expert systems
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	66e5
authors	Rasdorf, William J. and Wang, TsoJen E.
year	1987
title	Generic Design Standards Processing in a Knowledge-based expert system Environment
source	Design Process, National Science Foundation Workshop Proceedings. 1987. pp. 267-291. CADLINE has abstract only
summary	Standards, codes, and specifications play an important role in the design of buildings, bridges, and other engineering systems. A design configuration must be checked against all standards to ensure that it is acceptable. This process of design conformance checking using standards is often very tedious. The successful automation of conformance checking is one of the components of a comprehensive computer-aided design system. In the past, standards were interpreted and converted into application program written in procedural programming languages such as FORTRAN. This approach is extremely inflexible and often error prone. To support a fully automated computer-aided design system, standards must be incorporated into the design process in a more generic and flexible manner. This paper investigates the feasibility of alternatively casting standards in a form suitable for processing in a knowledge-based expert system environment. The emergence of expert systems from artificial intelligence research has provided a technology that readily lends itself to the automation of design standards. Knowledge-based expert systems have become a powerful tool in tackling domains like design where some of the problem-solving knowledge is diverse and ill-structured. Using an expert system tool, a standard can be represented and processed independent of a CAD application program. Two prototype standards processing systems utilizing the production system approach have been constructed and are presented herein. Although the obvious direct translation casting the provisions of a standard as rules in a production system has its advantages, a more generic and flexible representation scheme is proposed herein. The approach advocated in this paper is to represent standards as databases of facts which can be readily and generically processed by an expert system. The database representation is derived from a unified view of standards obtained by using the standards modeling tools proposed by previous researchers in this field during the past decade. Building on this existing technology resulted in a knowledge- based standards processing architecture which is generic, modular, and flexible. An implementation of this architecture is presented and described
keywords	knowledge base, standards, expert systems, civil engineering
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 13:58

_id	ee8f
authors	Rasdorf, William J.
year	1987
title	Extending Database Management Systems for Engineering Applications
source	Computers in Mechanical Engineering (CIME). American Society of Mechanical Engineers, March, 1987. vol. 5: pp. 62-69
summary	During the design of a manufactured component, large amounts of information pertaining to all aspects of the design must be stored, accessed, and operated upon. A database management system (DBMS), composed of a central repository of data and the associated software for controlling accesses to it and operations on it, provides one way to uniformly store, manage, and use this information. This paper presents a framework for an extension to relational database management systems that combines a set of engineering constraints with a database of engineering data items. The representation requires a database that is able to store all of the data normally associated with engineering design as well as the constraints imposed upon the engineering design process. A powerful and flexible constraint processing system is needed to adequately ensure that engineering data conforms to the limitations imposed upon it by the design process. Such a system must be capable of allowing constraints to be invoked at a variety of times, and provide numerous options for the user when violations are detected. This paper introduces a concept called structured constraints that integrates state- of-the-art advances in DBMSs and current research in engineering constraint processing to further enhance CAD system capabilities. It discusses the extensions to relational database theory that are needed to achieve such a constraint handling capability for mechanical engineering applications. The goal sought is a managed repository of data supporting interfaces to a wide variety of application programs and supporting processing capabilities for maintaining data integrity by incorporating engineering constraints. The Structured Constraint model is a general method for classifying semantic integrity constraints. It is based on the structure of the relational model and is therefore independent of any particular query language. In addition, it is a formalism that possesses conceptual clarity and generality which make it useful for representing and communicating arbitrary constraints. The key contribution of this formalism is its basis for a completely definable implementation of an engineering integrity system
keywords	civil engineering, relational database, constraints management, management, DBMS
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 10:24

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