A knowledge based expert system for design of berthing structures

Rapid growth in the water transport system demands the construction of more port and harbour structures. Berthing structures are constructed in ports and harbours to provide facilities such as berthing and mooring of vessels, loading and unloading of cargo and embarking and disembarking of passengers. Quays, wharfs, piers, jetties and dolphins are the most widely used berthing structures. The construction and maintenance of these structures are very expensive and, therefore, the most economical design should be adopted. These structures will be checked against limit state of crack, which is important in respect to preventing corrosion. A knowledge based expert system, KNOWBESTD, has been developed using LEVEL5 OBJECT for the design of berthing structures. This paper describes the development of KNOWBESTD and illustrates the design of a typical berthing structure.