REPCON: Expert System for Building Repairs

Abstract

Buildings, whether adequately designed or not, develop a variety of problems over the years. The choice of an appropriate repair method requires systematic observations of the symptoms and relating them to their probable cause. Building repairs, in general, demand a high level of expertise. This paper outlines the development of REPCON—an expert system for building repairs. Evolution of elaborate knowledge nets pertaining to various building defects, using knowledge elicited from the domain expert, is discussed. These nets are then transformed into rule bases. The expert system's metaknowledge base is used in a unique way to guide the user in the diagnostic process by means of checklists called “proformae.” Externally activated graphics programs have been used to help the users to identify crack patterns. REPCON is intended to assist building‐repair consultants and township‐maintenance engineers in their day‐to‐day tasks.