Logic‐Based Approach for Modeling Organization of Design Standards

Abstract

Several studies have been conducted on representing and processing design standards for design automation. One of the main outcomes of these studies is the standards analysis, synthesis, and expression (SASE) model. To extend the utility of the SASE model for processing (reasoning about) design standards, a logic‐based approach is proposed. This approach provides: (1) A formal language, founded on predicate logic, for representing the standard; and (2) a mechanical means for reasoning about the standard using the language. The formal language is used to model the overall organization of a portion of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) design specification. The model, called the formal organizational submodel, is composed of a set of axioms that capture the relationships between the classifiers and the provisions of the standard. Reasoning about the formal organizational submodel is accomplished using the resolution theorem proving strategy. This paper's main contribution is its use of predicate logic and theorem proving for representing and reasoning about the organization of design standards, respectively. This approach facilitates the processing of the organization of design standards in ways that have not been addressed before.