Thesis (doctoral)--Delft University of Technology, 2004. / "Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Board for Doctorates of Delft University of Technology and of the Academic Board of UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education for the degree of Doctor to be defended in public on Monday, 24 May 2004 at 10:30 hours in Delft, The Netherlands." Title from ebook title screen (viewed Oct. 3, 2005).

Expert computer programs have recently emerged from research on artificial intelligence as a practical problem-solving tool. An expert system is a knowledge-based program that imitates the problem-solving behaviour of a human expert to solve complex real-world problems. While conventional programs organize knowledge on two levels: data and program, most expert programs organize knowledge on three levels: data, knowledge base, and control. Thus, what distinguishes such a system from conventional programs is that in most expert systems the problem solving model is treated as a separate entity rather than appearing only implicitly as part of the coding of the program. The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, it is intended to demonstrate how domain-specific problem-solving knowledge may be represented in computer memory by using the frame representation technique. Secondly, it is intended to simulate a typical flood estimation situation, from the point-of-view of an expert engineer. A frame network was developed to represent, in data structures, the declarative, procedural, and heuristic knowledge necessary for solving a typical flow estimation problem. The control strategy of this computer-based consultant (FLOOD ADVISOR) relies on the concept that reasoning is dominated by a recognition process which is used to compare new instances of a given phenomena to the stereotyped conceptual framework used in understanding that phenomena. The primary purpose of the FLOOD ADVISOR is to provide interactive advice about the flow estimation technique most suitable to one of five generalized real-world situations. These generalizations are based primarily on the type and quantity of the data and resources available to the engineer. They are used to demonstrate how problem solving knowledge may be used to interactively assist the engineer in making difficult decisions. The expertise represented in this prototype system is far from complete and the recommended solution procedures for each generalized case are in their infancy. However, modifications may be easily implemented as the domain-specific expert knowledge becomes available. It is concluded that over the long term, this type of approach for building problem-solving models of the real world are computationally cheaper and easier to develop and maintain than conventional computer programs. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D. - Hydrology and Water Resources Administration)--University of Arizona, 1986. / Bibliography: leaves 146-151.

Most flood control reservoirs are operated on the basis of "fixed rules." The discharge from the reservoir at anytime is related to the reservoir level at that time. The rules are usually derived from the most severe floods which have occurred. However, if a method of forecasting future flows is available, as is the case with snowmelt floods, this information should be utilized in the operation of the reservoir. A stochastic simulation technique is proposed for generating equally likely series of future flows over the complete flood season. Two possible operating techniques have been considered in conjunction with the flow simulation procedure. One involves minimizing the expected downstream damages based on a damage function curve. The other operating routine obtains the average solution based on the assumption of perfect hindsight with each of the several possible flow sequences. Methods for using this information to determine appropriate operating procedures are given. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

When we think of floods in the urban environment we also think of damage. We continuously rebuild our infrastructure to alleviate any damage. Although erosion and flooding can be detrimental to our environment, a by-product of the damage is wild nature, offering health and mental benefits and possibly the key to understanding resiliency. Consequently, our perception of nature changes when it pervades our urban environment, becoming a nuisance. As we face rising water levels and urbanization our infrastructure is falling apart more frequently and the role of the landscape architect in designing infrastructure is crucial. How should we design our infrastructure knowing that it will be reworked by water and reclaimed by nature? The thesis proposes the re-design of a road that has been closed several times due to severe flooding and erosion. The road sits within a steep valley in Washington D.C. and acts as the Southern boundary for Rock Creek Park. A creek runs alongside of the path, and the moments of collision are the least accessible to both people and water. The thesis explores the processes of material erosion and deposition, and the movement and power of water and asks: can the process of damage be used to create a more durable path that will enhance connectivity for both water and people? With the goal of enriching the experiential quality of nature in the city, the proposed design exposes the underground processes of water and translates its pattern of movement into a design that reveals, carves, and places a new pedestrian path/dam system that emphasizes the tremendous wildness of stormwater. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The thesis is an exploration of strategies that could be utilised in creating sustainable urbanism, one in which the inhabitants retain a relationship with the environmental and geographic conditions of their place. Promoting awareness of the natural context of urban activities is necessary in an increasingly complex world that is more able to disregard the natural systems that we depend on. Sustainability is seen as crucial in terms of the economic viability of cities as well as the sustainability of the environment in which dense urban centres are situated. In the case of a city located on a flood plain, the viability of the physical and social condition of the urban centre as well as its impact on that of the surrounding region comes to the forefront each time there is a flood. The city of Winnipeg on the Red River flood plain in the central lowlands of the eastern prairie of Canada is chosen as the site for this exploration where the difficulties of freezing temperatures make the problem of building on a flood plain a greater challenge. Several methods are explored in this urban design, demonstrating that urban sustainability and environmental sustainability are not exclusive of one another. The technique of densifying and unifying elements of the urban fabric, including parks and landscaping, residential inhabitation, as well as industrial and commercial activities, can be effective for both environmental and urban sustainability. Techniques explore the incorporation of vertically integrated multi-use buildings, the movement of public areas above street level, and construction on engineered hills, stilts or with the use of floatation devices, resulting in a site specific response to urban inhabitation. The trend toward a generic non-location specific urban lifestyle is superceded in this proposal for a mode of urban dwelling reconnected with surrounding context, marked by experience of seasonal and cyclical conditions of environment inscribed by an awareness of place.

The thesis is an exploration of strategies that could be utilised in creating sustainable urbanism, one in which the inhabitants retain a relationship with the environmental and geographic conditions of their place. Promoting awareness of the natural context of urban activities is necessary in an increasingly complex world that is more able to disregard the natural systems that we depend on. Sustainability is seen as crucial in terms of the economic viability of cities as well as the sustainability of the environment in which dense urban centres are situated. In the case of a city located on a flood plain, the viability of the physical and social condition of the urban centre as well as its impact on that of the surrounding region comes to the forefront each time there is a flood. The city of Winnipeg on the Red River flood plain in the central lowlands of the eastern prairie of Canada is chosen as the site for this exploration where the difficulties of freezing temperatures make the problem of building on a flood plain a greater challenge. Several methods are explored in this urban design, demonstrating that urban sustainability and environmental sustainability are not exclusive of one another. The technique of densifying and unifying elements of the urban fabric, including parks and landscaping, residential inhabitation, as well as industrial and commercial activities, can be effective for both environmental and urban sustainability. Techniques explore the incorporation of vertically integrated multi-use buildings, the movement of public areas above street level, and construction on engineered hills, stilts or with the use of floatation devices, resulting in a site specific response to urban inhabitation. The trend toward a generic non-location specific urban lifestyle is superceded in this proposal for a mode of urban dwelling reconnected with surrounding context, marked by experience of seasonal and cyclical conditions of environment inscribed by an awareness of place.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1986. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-148). Also available via the Internet.

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