Floor finishing materials & systems: an expert system for evaluation and selection

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with designing and developing a computerized expert system model for the evaluation and selection of floor finishing materials and systems, as a model for developing a comprehensive evaluation and selection system for building finishing materials in general. The research noticed through his previous research work that building material evaluation and selection in the Dammam and Al-Khobar areas of the Eastern Province of Saudi arabia depends on no rational methodology. Thus, the necessity became evident for developing a rational system that may help Design professionals and Users of building materials evaluate and select materials in a rational scientific manner. A field survey was conducted by interviewing expert personnels of a group of construction and maintenance firms, specialized material suppliers, as well as, design professional consulting offices. The survey provided the needed data for the considered 58 floor finishing materials and systems, concerning material life cycle costing and the determination of performance requirement criteria weights for each of the building's functional spaces. A rational evaluation and selection model was designed incorporating the field survey results. Then the model was formalized into a computerized expert system model to evaluate and select material options based on qualitative and quantitative analysis.