Agent-enabled model integration in a knowledge-based planning environment

The field of fire protection engineering is characterized by the cooperation of experts and by the distribution of knowledge resources. The availability of relevant knowledge in all states of the planning process is the basis for a high product quality and for optimal conditions for the rescue of persons. Hence, this project aims to create a knowledge based planning environment that offers multiple services for decision support in fire protection engineering. Therefore, structured information resources (such as model and product databases) and unstructured information (such as legal guidelines and other document-based information) have to be identified and integrated. This paper focuses on the integration of distributed partial building models in a network-based planning environment. The implementation of this integration as an agent-based component and its role in the knowledge-based planning environment are presented. Different distributed design models are integrated on the basis of mobile agents. The concept of an agent-based integration of information resources is demonstrated via the implementation of a knowledge based service that checks the distributed models for compliance with fire protection requirements. C o n st ru ct io n I n fo rm at ic s D ig it al L ib ra ry h tt p :/ /i tc .s ci x. n et ognized during the whole planning and construction phase and is the basis for the defensive fire protection. 3 KNOWLEDGE BASED PLANNING ENVIRONMENT FOR FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING As described above, fire protection engineering is a task that includes planners from many fields. The fire protection engineer defines objectives and measures in a fire protection concept. All other planners have to consider the input of the fire protection engineer in their detailed planning. That means checking their work for fire protection deficiencies. The aim of this work is to provide a knowledge based planning environment to integrate all parties of the planning process and to provide knowledge based services to support the planners in their detailed planning regarding fire protection. Different categories of knowledge have to be considered in this process. These are domain knowledge, corporate knowledge and project knowledge (Zarli 2001). These kinds of knowledge have to be incorporated into the building model in the course of the planning process. In this project, it is assumed that distributed planners are working on partial building models. fire protection building elements material clearance areas