Author(s)

K. Lehner, D. Hartmann & P. Holewik

Abstract

Checking the conformance of structural elements to design standards is a typical cognitive engineering process. In this paper, the German DIN 18800 design specification is used as a source of engineering knowledge. A description ist given of an object-oriented, knowledge-based prototype coded in Smalltalk that implements portions of the DIN 18800 specification. Also, an expert system based on the INSIGHT 2 expert system shell is briefly presented to allow a comparison of knowledge representation using production rules and an object-oriented approach. 1 Introduction Designing steel structures in conformance to industry standards is a complex task integrating numerous types of individual, distinct operational steps. Components are required to implement various

Keywords