Expert Systems in an Engineering-Construction Firm

Although it has been generally accepted that the field of engineering provides a wide variety of potential applications for expert systems, most developments have been academic in nature. Experience at Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation in the development of expert systems for engineering and construction applications has led to clearly defined priorities for implementation. A better understanding of the nature of these systems and their interaction with developers and end-users has been gained. This paper introduces the technical aspects of expert systems, hardware implementation requirements, current software technologies, applicability of rule-based systems in engineering and construction, and specific systems developed at Stone and Webster Engineering (SWEC).