Web-Based Knowledge-Based System on Liquid Retaining Structure Design as Instructional Tool

A novice engineer often faces many difficulties during the design of liquid retaining structures, which involve making many decisions on the basis of judgment, heuristics, code of practice, rules of thumb, and previous experience. There is a need to develop programming environments that can incorporate engineering judgment along with algorithmic tools. In this paper, the development of a web-based knowledge-based system in design of liquid retaining structures, using blackboard architecture with hybrid knowledge representation techniques including production rule system and object-oriented approach, is presented. It is based on British Standards Codes of Practice BS8007 and BS8110. Tailor-made explanations are furnished to direct and assist inexperienced designers or civil engineering students to learn and capture how to design liquid retaining structures effectively and sustainably in their design practices. The use of this intelligent tutoring system in disseminating heuristic knowledge as well as experience to practitioners and civil engineering students is demonstrated.