TY - CHAP A1 - Alda, Sascha A1 - Cremers, Armin B. A1 - Bilek, Jochen T1 - Support of Collaborative Structural Design Processes through the Integration of Peer-to-Peer and Multiagent Architectures N2 - Structural engineering projects are increasingly organized in networked cooperations due to a permanently enlarged competition pressure and a high degree of complexity while performing the concurrent design activities. Software that intends to support such collaborative structural design processes implicates enormous requirements. In the course of our common research work, we analyzed the pros and cons of the application of both the peer-to-peer (University of Bonn) and multiagent architecture style (University of Bochum) within the field of collaborative structural design. In this paper, we join the benefits of both architecture styles in an integrated conceptual approach. We demonstrate the surplus value of the integrated multiagent–peer-to-peer approach by means of an example scenario in which several structural engineers are co-operatively designing the basic structural elements of an arched bridge, applying heterogeneous CAD systems. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Mehragentensystem Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1481 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bubner, Andre A1 - Friedrich, Torsten T1 - Klassifikation und Definition baufachlicher Verknüpfungstypen als Basis zur Modellüberführung im konstruktiven Ingenieurbau N2 - Die Bearbeitung von Bauprojekten erfordert ein hohes Maß an Fachwissen verschiedener Disziplinen. Dabei kommt eine Vielzahl spezialisierter Fachmodelle zum Einsatz. Zur Übernahme der Daten von anderen Planern in das eigene, neu zu erstellende Fachmodell sind die verfügbaren Inhalte aus verschiedenen Modellen vom Fachplaner entsprechend seiner Anforderungen anzupassen und um spezifische Inhalte zu ergänzen. Dabei ergeben sich Beziehungen, welche die Zusammenhänge und Abhängigkeiten der Fachmodelle untereinander aufzeigen. Eine zugleich allgemeingültige sowie vollständige Vordefinition des durch die Beziehungen beschriebenen Modellverbundes ist kaum möglich. Zur rechnerinternen Abbildung erfolgt aus diesem Grund eine Zerlegung des Modellverbundes in Partialmodelle und entsprechende Verknüpfungen. Die Beschaffenheit des Beziehungsgeflechtes hängt sowohl von der Qualität der Datenmodelle als auch von der Beschreibungsgüte der Verknüpfungstypen, deren Definition ein hohes Maß an Fachwissen erfordern, ab. Mit einem Konzept zur Strukturierung und Zerlegung der Verbindungen in Basiselemente sowie der Integrationsmöglichkeit zu komplexeren Elementen wird eine einfachere Erstellung, Wartung und Anpassung von umfassenden baufachlichen Inhalten ermöglicht. Zur Sicherung einer hochwertigen Beschreibung des Modellverbundes ist ein an die Fähigkeiten des Ingenieurs ausgerichteter Zugang zur Spezifikation und Anpassung der Beziehungsdefinitionen unverzichtbar. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes Datenbanksystem Y1 - 2003 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-2834 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Eslimy-Isfahany, S. H. R. A1 - Pegels, Georg T1 - Net-distributed Co-operation Including Developing Countries, Practical Case Study - Iran N2 - The scientific transfer of key technology features to developing countries, together with adequate competence, localisation and adaptation, is the primary purpose of the proposed investigation. It is evident that introducing high-level CAD design and detailing will improve the planning process in developing countries. Successful utilization of applied information technology for the planning process, however, depends on the user-interface of individual software. Therefore, to open the great opportunity embedded in CAD software for clients globally, the language and character-set barrier of traditional user-interfaces must be overcome. A proposal for a research program is given here to address such issue in favour of global civil engineering. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Iran Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1421 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Gebbeken, Norbert A1 - Baumhauer, Andreas A1 - Ionita, Mihai T1 - Increasing the Reliability and Performance through Automatization and Parallel Working N2 - Re-examination of the behaviour of structures can be necessary due to deterioration or changes in the traffic situation during their lifetime. The Finite Element Method (FEM) is widely used in order to accomplish numerical analysis. Considering the development of computer performance, more detailed FEM models can be analyzed, even on site, with mobile computers. To compensate the increasing amount of data needed for the model input, measures need to be taken to save time, by distributing the work. In order to provide consistency to the model, fedback data must be checked upon reception. A local wireless computer network of ultra-portable devices linked together with a computer can provide the coordination necessary for efficient parallel working. Based on a digital model consisting of all data gathered, structural modelling and numerical analysis are performed automatically. Thus, the user is released from the work that can be automatized and the time needed for the overall analysis of a structure is decreased. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Parallelverarbeitung KW - Simulation Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1397 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hartmann, Dietrich A1 - Meißner, Udo F. A1 - Rueppel, Uwe T1 - Integration of Productmodel Databases into Multi-Agent Systems N2 - This paper deals with two different agent-based approaches aimed at the incorporation of complex design information into multi-agent planning systems. The first system facilitates collaborative structural design processes, the second one supports fire engineering in buildings. Both approaches are part of two different research projects that belong to the DFG1 priority program 1103 entitled “Network-based Co-operative Planning Processes in Structural Engineering“ (DFG 2000). The two approaches provide similar database wrapper agents to integrate relevant design information into two multi-agent systems: Database wrapper agents make the relevant product model data usable for further agents in the multi-agent system, independent on their physical location. Thus, database wrapper agents act as an interface between multi-agent system and heterogeneous database systems. The communication between the database wrapper agents and other requesting agents presumes a common vocabulary: a specific database ontology that maps database related message contents into database objects. Hereby, the software-wrapping technology enables the various design experts to plug in existing database systems and data resources into a specific multi-agent system easily. As a consequence, dynamic changes in the design information of large collaborative engineering projects are adequately supported. The flexible architecture of the database wrapper agent concept is demonstrated by the integration of an XML and a relational database system. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Mehragentensystem Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1410 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hartmann, Ulrich C. T1 - Collaboration in AEC Design : Web-enabling Applications using Peer-to-Peer Office Communicator N2 - A market analysis conducted by Gartner Dataquest in August 2001 has shown the typical characteristics of the AEC design process. High volatility in membership of AEC design groups and members dispersed over several external offices is the common collaboration scenario. Membership is most times short lived, compared to the overall duration of the process. A technical solution has to take that into account by making joining and leaving a collaborative work group very easy. The modelling of roles of collaboration between group members must be based on a commonly understood principle like the publisher / subscriber model, where the individual that is responsible for the distribution of vital information is clear. Security issues and trust in the confidentiality of the system is a central concern for the acceptance of the system. Therefore, keeping the subset of data that will be published under the absolute control of the publisher is a must. This is not the case with server-based scenarios, sometimes even due to psychological reasons. A loosely bound Peer-to-Peer network offers advantages over a server-based solution, because of less administrative overhead and simple installation procedures. In a peer-to-peer environment, a publish/subscribe role model can be more easily implemented. The publish/subscribe model matches the way AEC processes are modelled in real world scenarios today, where legal proof of information exchange between external offices is of high importance. Workflow management systems for small to midsize companies of the AEC industry may adopt the peer-to-peer approach to collaboration in the future. Further investigations are being made on the research level (WINDS) by integrating the viewer and redlining application Collaborate! into a collaborative environment. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Kommunikationsmodell Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1386 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Lehner, Karlheinz A1 - Hartmann, Dietrich T1 - Scenarios for the deployment of distributed engineering applications N2 - Although there are some good reasons to design engineering software as a stand-alone application for a single computer, there are also numerous possibilities for creating distributed engineering applications, in particular using the Internet. This paper presents some typical scenarios how engineering applications can benefit from including network capabilities. Also, some examples of Internet-based engineering applications are discussed to show how the concepts presented can be implemented. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Internet Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1476 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Lähr, André A1 - Bletzinger, Kai-Uwe T1 - Design of an Analysis Environment for Planning Decision Support N2 - In this contribution, the design of an analysis environment is presented, that supports an analyst to come to a decision within a gradual collaborative planning process. An analyst represents a project manager, planner or any other person, involved in the planning process. Today, planning processes are managed by several geographically distributed planners and project managers. Thus, complexity of such a process rises even more. Prediction of consequences of many planning decisions is not possible, in particular since assessment of a planning advance is not trivial. There have to be considered several viewpoints, that depend on individual perceptions. In the following, methods are presented to realize planning decision support. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Schlussfolgern Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1370 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Meißner, Udo F. A1 - Rueppel, Uwe A1 - Theiss, Mirko T1 - Network-Based Fire Engineering Supported by Agents N2 - Building design in Civil Engineering is characterized by the cooperation of experts in multiple disciplines. Close cooperation of engineers in different fields is the basis of high product quality, short development periods and a minimum of investment costs. For each building the engineers have to create a new fire engineering model. The consistent realization of the fire engineering model in all details has high demands on communication, collaboration and building models. Thereby, to preserve the related design models consistent to each other and compatible with the rules of fire engineering is a complex task. In addition, regulations and guidelines vary according to the building location, so the knowledge base must be integrated dynamically into the planning process. This contribution covers the integration of engineers and design models into a cooperation network on the basis of mobile agents. The distributed models of architectural design, structural planning and fire engineering are supported. These models are implemented as XML-based models which can be accessed by mobile agents for information retrieval and for processing tasks. Agents are provided to all planners, they are enabled to check up the distributed design models with the knowledge base of the fire protection regulations,. With the use of such an agent each planner is supported to check up his planning for accordance with the fire protection requirements. The fire-engineering-agent analyzes the design and detects inconsistencies by processing fire protection requirements and design model facts in a rule-based expert system. The possibility to check the planning information at an early state in the sense of compatibility to the fire protection regulations enables a comprehensive diagnosis of the design and the reduction of planning errors. KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Brandschutz KW - Mehragentensystem Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1447 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Miles, John A1 - Joita, Liviu A1 - Burnap, Peter T1 - Collaborative Engineering: Virtual Teams in a Grid Environment Supporting Consortia in the Construction Industry N2 - In the AEC (Architecture / Engineering / Construction) industry a number of individuals and organisations collaborate and work jointly on a construction project. The resulting consortium has large pool of expertise and experience and can be defined as a Virtual Organisation (VO) formed for the duration of the project. VOs are electronically networked organisations where IT and web based communication technology play an important role in coordinating various activities of these organisations. This paper describes the design, development and implementation of a Grid enabled application called the Product Supplier Catalogue Database (PSCD) which supports collaborative working in consortia. As part of the Grid-enabling process, specialised metadata is being developed to enable PSCD to effectively utilise Grid middleware such as Globus and Java CoG toolkits. We also describe our experience whilst designing, developing and deploying the security service of the application using the Globus Security Interface (GSI). KW - Ingenieurbau KW - Verteiltes System KW - Planungsprozess KW - Modellierung KW - Projektmanagement Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20111215-1362 ER -