Dredging Knowledge Base Expert System
Type:
Presented during:
WODCON XVIII - 2007 Orlando, Florida, USA
Authors:
Wilson
Abstract: A Dredging Knowledge Base Expert System (DKBES) provides U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging operations managers with a direct service to support a sound decision making process concerning their operations. A DKBES will retain hard won knowledge and experience in the face of entire communities of retiring Corps employees and contractors. Furthermore, a DKBES provides rapid, simple, and efficient analytical results that allow corps managers to “do more with less” when confronted with depleting resources and rising demand. This paper discusses how the DKBES uses a knowledge base to define and structure all of the pertinent data associated with the dredging process. This paper further describes data analysis involved to develop intelligent decisions and forecasts in dredging operations. Finally, this paper provides a simplified hypothetical dredge project scenario in a Corps district based on estimated budget and dredge material placement site availability and how the DKBES formulates analysis and makes the final decisions.
Keywords: Dredging decision support, object oriented knowledge structure in engineering, rules based programming, optimization programming, dredging information.