Object-oriented blackboard models for integrated design of steel structures

An object-oriented model-based approach is presented for the integrated design of large structures consisting of hundreds or thousands of members. We model the problem of integrated design of large structures by a hierarchy of cooperating knowledge bases. A dynamic knowledge identification and isolation (DKII) strategy is developed for effective management of knowledge bases (KBs). For efficient storage of KBs, a hierarchical arrangement in the form of a knowledge storage pyramid (KSP) is created. An inheritance gene object-oriented programming (IGOOP) model is presented for constructing the hierarchical relationship among KBs through a rule-based KB allocation technique. An object-oriented blackboard model (OOBM) is developed where the blackboard verifies the attributes of each specialist (KB) dynamically operates on each KB, and monitors continuously the contributions generated by each KB. The major components of OOBM are described. The models and concepts developed in this research are applied to the design of steel structures. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.