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Abstract
This research attempts to model and prototype a knowledge-based system for use in the construction industry to accomplish the automatic generation of initial construction schedules. The schedule can be transformed into a logical network that provides a physical representation of the construction operations plan. The prototype system, which requires symbolic processing and reasoning, is developed based on an intensive modeling that rationally examines industry practice.
The model identifies work breakdown and precedence relationship as the two major concepts in schedule planning. Work breakdown is concerned with the identification of construction activities that result in the completion of project elements. Precedence relationship is related to the sequencing of construction tasks based on the constraints of scheduling.
The knowledge structure of the prototype system is composed of databases, heuristics and algorithms. The databases consist of facts used to represent the structured hierarchy of activities and the formalized task precedence relationships. The heuristics are rules used to determine the breakdown of activities into scheduling modules, the appropriate level of detail and the precedence conditions. The algorithms are procedures used for activity breakdown, task sequencing and task redundancy.
The current application, scheduling a reinforced concrete building, is specifically prototyped to evaluate the model and the effectiveness of the system. A knowledge system shell M.1 is used to prototype this schedule planning system.
The prototype has been evaluated by conducting a laboratory experiment on inexperienced schedulers. By measuring the quality and the time of performance, the results of this experiment have suggested that the system can be an effective productivity tool to construction schedulers and planners. The ability of the system to improve the quality of construction schedules further suggests that the model developed is rigorous enough to warrant its continued development into a production standard system.