Using intelligent semantic technologies in the process of automation and optimization of construction design

KreoDesign — tool for designing construction objects (using BIM-technlogy)

KreoDesign model of residential building (architecture + structure + mep)

Let’s start with the concept of the building design process (simplistic):

Process of building design (residential 3-floors building with reinforced concrete frame)

For this example, work begins with architecture. Architect forms planning decisions (creates floorplans, places windows and doors), selects materials, generates facades and interiors. Thus, an architectural model is formed. Then this model comes to the designer as the technical assignment. The main task of the designer is to ensure the stability and load bearing capacity of the calculated building. The conceptual view of the frame (an approximate formwork or concrete model) the designer forms according to the architectural model. After that the designer needs to calculate concrete model. Then it is necessary to transform the model to an idealized model — an analytical model (plate-and-rod model). Analytical model + loads model + constraints model = design model. An actions model is obtained after calculation the resulting model by the finite element method. After this, the designer can calculate and construct each element, in other words, designer can get a structure model (reinforced concrete model).

And now let’s talk about the features of the KreoDesign and about plans for the application of technology OSTIS (Open Semantic Technologies for Intelligent Systems):

Work with various building codes

There are many norms (codes) or national applications for the design of building structures in every country. Thus, the calculation of structures is performed in different ways. Therefore, it becomes necessary to implement fairly complex interfaces.

A lot of building codes

The OSTIS technology allows to describe the exemplar from different aspects and to create declarative queries:

The possibility of calculating the column for different building codes

Work with different design cultures

The same tasks can be solved in various ways in sphere of construction design as well as in IT sphere. Often project organization or the customers want specific concepts of design. For example, it is more convenient to bring ready-made reinforcement frames than knit the rebars on the construction site. So multivariate design is difficult to maintain.

Different ways to reinforce concrete unit “slab-wall-slab”

At the moment, the most optimal design concepts are chosen. Further it is planned to implement the multivariate design and give the user a choice. But with the current approach, this will seriously complicate the logic of the application.

The OSTIS technology allows to describe the exemplar at different levels of detail and in different directions:

Different levels of detail for concrete frame

Basing on certain axioms

We “force” the user to operate the sections when creating the shape of the building as a whole.

The user’s ability to create a building form

If this axiom changes, then it leads to a series of unpleasant reprocessings on the platform.

Using the technology of OSTIS allows not only to describe entities from different sides, as I said earlier, but also allows describing the design processes themselves:

Description of objects and processes simultaneously

Optimizing the results of work

KreoDesign is developing along the way Automation — Optimization. Accordingly, at the moment we are at the Automation stage. And after the launch of the application, we will begin to receive large amounts of information — the results of calculation and modeling. After that, the Optimization process will begin (using various “smart algorithms”).

True way of development

A great advantage of the intelligent system OSTIS is the ability to record each result of the work (a separate column or frame as a whole). Thus, the knowledge base is obtained, on which various optimization methods can later be applied (this property of the system is called reflexivity).

Brief conclusions

My subjective comparison