A Pipeline Analytical Program and Dredging Knowledge{Base Expert{System
(DKBES) determines a pipeline dredge's production and resulting cost and schedule.
Pipeline dredge engineering presents a complex and dynamic process necessary to
maintain navigable waterways. Dredge engineers use pipeline engineering and slurry
transport principles to determine the production rate of a pipeline dredge system.
Engineers then use cost engineering factors to determine the expense of the dredge
project.
Previous work in engineering incorporated an object{oriented expert{system to
determine cost and scheduling of mid{rise building construction where data objects
represent the fundamental elements of the construction process within the program
execution. A previously developed dredge cost estimating spreadsheet program which
uses hydraulic engineering and slurry transport principles determines the performance
metrics of a dredge pump and pipeline system. This study focuses on combining
hydraulic analysis with the functionality of an expert{system to determine the performance
metrics of a dredge pump and pipeline system and its resulting schedule.
Field data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pipeline dredge, Goetz, and
several contract daily dredge reports show how accurately the DKBES can predict
pipeline dredge production. Real{time dredge instrumentation data from the Goetz compares the accuracy of the Pipeline Analytical Program to actual dredge operation.
Comparison of the Pipeline Analytical Program to pipeline daily dredge reports
shows how accurately the Pipeline Analytical Program can predict a dredge project's
schedule over several months. Both of these comparisons determine the accuracy
and validity of the Pipeline Analytical Program and DKBES as they calculate the
performance metrics of the pipeline dredge project.
The results of the study determined that the Pipeline Analytical Program compared
closely to the Goetz eld data where only pump and pipeline hydraulics a ected
the dredge production. Results from the dredge projects determined the Pipeline Analytical
Program underestimated actual long{term dredge production. Study results
identi ed key similarities and di erences between the DKBES and spreadsheet program
in terms of cost and scheduling. The study then draws conclusions based on
these ndings and o ers recommendations for further use.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2010-12-8653 |
| Date | 2010 December 1900 |
| Creators | Wilson, Derek Alan |
| Contributors | Randall, Robert E. |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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