Dam Gate Diagnosing Advisor-an expert system for steel structures

Abstract

The Dam Gate Diagnosing Advisor (DGDA) is a frame-based expert system developed in the field of civil and structural engineering for diagnosing dam gates at hydro power stations. The function of DGDA is to diagnose the current status of each dam gate and to predict its remaining life term based on both structural engineering and empirical standpoints. To make the diagnoses reliable, the authors have developed an easy-to-use structural analysis program using the finite-element method and a flexible relational database consisting of questionnaire surveys, measurement data, and design information on each dam gate. Also developed is a method for handling data and knowledge uncertainty, which combines the analytic hierarchy process, a nonBayesian decision theory, with ordinary frame-/rule-based knowledge representation.<>