A Knowledge Discovery Framework for Civil Infrastructure: A Case Study of the Intelligent Workplace

Abstract

Large databases are becoming increasingly common in civil infrastructure applications. Although it is relatively simple to specifically query these databases at a low level, more abstract questions like ‘How does the environment affect pavement cracking?’ are difficult to answer with traditional methods. Data mining techniques can provide a solution for learning abstract knowledge from civil infrastruc-ture databases. However, data mining needs to be performed within a systematic process to ensure correct and reproducible results. Many decisions must be made during this process, making it difficult for novice analysts to apply data mining techniques thoroughly. This paper presents an application of a knowledge discovery process to data collected for an ‘intelligent’ building. The knowledge discovery process is illustrated and explained through this case study. Additionally, we discuss the importance of this case study in the context of a research effort to develop an interactive guide for the knowledge discovery process.