Component-Based, Information Oriented Structural Engineering Applications

Abstract

Component-based software development has gained wide acceptance within the computer science discipline and the software development industry. Apparently, application of this concept has not been attempted for the development of software for structural engineering applications. This paper presents the overall framework for component-based software development for integrated structural engineering applications using the principles of information transformation. An information-oriented review of the overall structural design process is carried out to develop the information content and transformations involved in this process. This information transformation concept is then used to propose a framework for the development of software for integrated structural design applications including the identification of key packages, patterns, components, class hierarchies and object models. Use of extensible markup language is proposed as the main information description and communication standard. The advantages of using the proposed framework are discussed along with application and implementation scenarios.