Design codes as expert systems

Abstract

Design codes contain a large amount of causal and experiential knowledge. However there are two primary difficulties in using them: they are large and complex; and they require substantial understanding on the part of the user. One of the significant difficulties in implementing expert systems is in acquiring the appropriate knowledge. However, design codes already represent knowledge in a codified form, albeit an ill structured one, and are therefore ripe for the application of this technology. An expert system shell written in Prolog has been implemented and examples of the use of the system with the Australian Model Uniform Building Code are presented to demonstrate its capabilities. Finally, some ideas about the future development of a comprehensive expert system and its environment are presented. © 1985.