The development of a knowledged-based expert system to assist ~he New Mex~co State Highway and Transportation Department m the evaluation and design of rehabilitation schemes for flexible pavements is described. The system uses information provided by users to establish preliminary rehabilitation schemes that would be reasonable and cost-effective. A cost-estimate module for ~anking th~ rehabil...

We report on the design of the two Gregorian adaptive secondary mirrors of the Large Binocular Telescope. Each adaptive secondary is a Zerodur shell having an external diameter of 911 mm and a thickness of about 1.5 mm. The deformable mirror is controlled by a pattern of 918 electromagnetic actuators. Its shape is referred to a stable ULE back plate by means of capacitive sensors co-located to ...

The development of graphic based preliminary design programs is appealing because preliminary design involves the consideration of alternatives as concepts or sketches. The use of such a program would allow engineering students and new graduates to gain design experience directly, through their own trial and error. This paper describes a graphic based preliminary design program that was develop...

This paper describes the extension of a multivariate scatter plot for qualitative use. The plot combines effective diagramming practices and modified axis dimensions to cohesively summarize qualitative analysis in the early, unstructured stages of design. The rugplot is a flexible tool that improves understanding of the “hard” limits of the problem, self-imposed “false” constraints, and directi...

  This paper demonstrates a preliminary investigation of geometry, function and its relation to DFX principles, namely DFM (Design for Manufacturing). This is the starting point for research on the development of an expert system that assesses design goals along DFX principles in a feature-based CAD environment. There is a need for a deeper level of understanding of the relationship between geo...