.

23 2 - 2543

31

1 2

10140

Mid-Rise

Mid-Rise
Floor-layout

Mid-Rise

Mid-Rise

1
2

32

. 23 2 - 2543

A Knowledge-Based System
for Preliminary Building Design and Cost Estimate
Pasit Lorterapong 1 and Pongphan Isarotaikul 2
King Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi, Bangmod, Toongkru, Bangkok 10140

Abstract
Conceptual cost estimate is a very important process in the project feasibility study. It
provides approximate construction costs that can be used in the project cash flow analysis. It
mainly involves preliminary design which is a complicated, time-consuming, and knowledgeintensive in nature. This process is normally performed by experts. The accuracy of the conceptual
design is vital since it affects the decision to continue or terminate the project.
This study presents a software system that has been developed as a tool to assist architects
and engineers in performing design and cost estimates for mid-rise building projects in the conceptual
phase. The prototype system called Mid-Rise employs the knowledge-based approach to model
the conceptual design process and to capture knowledge pertaining to architectural and structural
design of residential-office buildings. The system can be used to generate a number of practical
floor-layout alternatives according to the size of the plot and users requirements. The height of
the building is then checked with the official regulations depending on the locality of the project.
Mid-Rise also performs approximate structural analysis and design as well as construction cost
estimate. The construction costs determined using the proposed system are found to be very close
to those performed by experiential engineers.

1
2

Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering.

Former Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering.

 . 23 2 - 2543

33

(Need)

(conceptual design)

[1]
Ulrich Robert [2]

Gerhard [3]

34

. 23 2 - 2543

ARCHPLAN Canegie Mellon Conceptual Design

ARCHPLAN



ARCHPLAN
Bedard Ravi [4] Floor Layout
Conceptual Design

Ghosh Kalyanaraman [5] EXSEL




(Conventional
Programming)

Kitti [6]
KSDE
KSDE KSDE
Radomdej [7]
(pre-design)

 . 23 2 - 2543

35

(Knowledge-Based System)

[6]
(domain expert)
1) (knowledge base) 2)
(inference engine)
1
Knowledge-Based System
Knowledge-Based Inference Engine
(KB)
1

(conventional programming) (data)
(algorithm)
(knowledge)

1.
2. (knowledge acquisition)
(domain expert)

36

. 23 2 - 2543

3.
(knowledge representation)
(prototype)


4. (system validation)

Mid-Rise
Mid-Rise
(Layout)

23.0 .. 2522
[9]

Mid-Rise Schematic Layout

/

1. Mid-Rise
Mid-Rise 7
User Interface

Location

Building Perimeter (Set Back)

Pattern Generation Location Building Perimeter

 . 23 2 - 2543

37

Structural System & Core Lift Type Evaluation

Preliminary Structural Design

Cost Estimating
Preliminary Structural Design

[10] [11]

2
(knowledge base) (data base)
(method)

2 Mid-Rise

38

. 23 2 - 2543

2. Mid-Rise
Mid-Rise (user)

Mid-Rise

Mid-Rise

3

Plot

Connstruction Pricing

Boundary

Quantity Takeoff

Schemetic
Layout

Structural Design

3 Mid-Rise

3. Mid-Rise
Mid-Rise (Object-Oriented Programming;
OOP) OOP (inheritance) object
object

object

Mid-Rise 7
user interface 6
object 4

39

. 23 2 - 2543

Location

Building
- (w)
- (l)
-
- Floor Aspect Area (FAS)
-
-
-

1. .

2. .

Instance of

(Center)
(Corner)
(Edge)
Detache

. & .
. &

Schematic Layout
- (w)
- (l)
-
- Floor Aspect Area (FAS)
-
-
-

1.
2.

Floor Layout Design

(Slab)
(Beam)
(Column)
(Footing)

Slab

-
-
-
- %
-
...

Baem

-
-
-
- %
-
...

Inherited by

Column

-
-
- %
-
...

2
n

Footing

-
-
-
- %
-
...

...

4 Object Mid-Rise

4. Mid-Rise
Mid-Rise
forward
backward chaining

40

. 23 2 - 2543

IF
AND
OR
OR
OR
OR
THEN

IF (.) >= 6
AND (.) < 10
THEN (.) = 6 - [(.) / 2]

IF (.) <= 30
THEN = DB12
AND = RB6
AND (.) = 15

(facts)

chain
span
Mid-Rise
[9]
Schematic Design
[12]

 . 23 2 - 2543

41

5. Mid-Rise
Mid-Rise (user-friendly) 5 8
Mid-Rise 5

2

6

Mid- Rise 1
Edward Joseph [13]

1 4
Mid-Rise
6
(Cast-in-place beam with pre-cast
slab) Mid-Rise
7
8

42

. 23 2 - 2543
1

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Cast-inPlace Beam
& Cast-inPlace Slab
4
4
4
2
1
2
4
4
4
2

Cast in
Place
Beam &
Pre-Cast
Slab
3
1
2
3
2
1
3
4
1
1

Flat
Slab

Posttension
Slab

2
3
2
1
3
3
4
3
3
4

1
2
1
4
4
4
4
2
2
2

1 = / 4 =

 . 23 2 - 2543

7 Graphics

43

44

. 23 2 - 2543

Mid-Rise
Mid-Rise
[8]
5-6 2539 2,039
5,400
Mid-Rise 1,749
-16.58




Mid-Rise




[10], [11]

 . 23 2 - 2543

45

1. , 2532,
, , 1-35
2. Ulrich, F. and Robert, W., 1995, Software Environment to Support Early Phases
in Building Design (SEED): Overview, Journal of Architectural Engineering, Vol. 1,
No. 4, pp. 147-152.
3. Gerhard, S., 1988, ARCHPLAN: An Architectural Planning Front End to
Engineering Design Expert Systems, Expert Systems for Engineering Design,
Edited by Michael, D.R., New York, Academic Press, pp. 257-277.
4. Bedard, C. and Ravi, M., 1992, Knowledge-Based Approach to Overall
Configuration of Multistory Office Building, Journal of Computing in Civil
Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 336-353.
5. Ghosh, D.K. and Kalyanaraman, V., 1993, KBES for Design of Steel Structural
Elements, Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 23-35.
6. Kitti, L. 1997, A Knowledge-Based System for Design Cost Estimating (KSDE),
Master of Engineering Thesis, Civil Engineering Program, Asian Institute of
Technology, pp. 1-5.
7. Radomdej, T., 1994, A Pre-Design Cost Estimating Model for Office Building in
Bangkok, Master of Engineering Thesis, Civil Engineering Program, Asian Institute
of Technology, pp. 1-3.
8. , 2539,
,
, 4-123.
9. , 2538,
1, , 76-418.
10. , 2537,
,
,
96-106.
11. , 2537,
,
46-60.

46

. 23 2 - 2543

12. , 2541,
,

13. Edward, A. and Joseph, I. 1995, The Architects Studio Companion: Rules of
Thumb for Preliminary Design, New York, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 17-169.