Name: Nuraina Aqilah binti Ariff

Student ID: 2016209086

Group: EC2207C4

The Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Civil Engineering

Definition of Artificial Intelligence in Civil Engineering
Artificial intelligence is a branch of science, involved in the research, design and application of
time efficient projects. AI deals with machines that perform functions, which require intelligence when
performed by people. Artificial intelligence is a concept already embedded in our day to day lives such as
in speech recognition, computer's reasoning, computer vision, EHS compliance, Neural Network in
construction and management.
Artificial intelligence is concerned with the automation of intelligent behavior that think and act
like humans. Artificial intelligence is an extremely broad and deeply embedded in our daily lives. It is
based on interaction of several kinds of disciplines, such as computer science, cybernetics, information
theory, psychology and neurophysiology.
In the field of civil engineering it covers a vast area for human benefits especially in engineering
design construction management and program decision-making and can solve complex problems to the
level of experts by imitating the experts. AI helps in automated data collection and data analysis
techniques to improve several aspects of construction engineering and management for productivity
assessment, safety management, idle time reduction, prediction, risk analysis, decision-making and
optimizing construction costs. For example, the minimization of total weight for a steel, concrete, and
composite structure can be obtained using genetic programming, estimating of energy consumption based
on the available data can be obtained using artificial neural network, and optimal work schedules for the
activities of a construction management can be made by using metaheuristic optimization algorithm.

The Example of Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Civil Engineering

Structural Health Monitoring
Structural Health Monitoring is a large field that comprises various scientific and practical
aspects as well as a number of heterogeneous engineering technologies. The purpose of Structural Health
Monitoring is to accurately identify the current state and behavior of a structure. By automatically
analyzing measured data obtained from monitoring devices in a structure, anomalies are detected duly and
the reliability of structures is assessed almost in real-time. Furthermore, the evolution of structural
deteriorations and damages can precisely be observed. As a result, the costs of maintenance of structures
are reduced significantly because revitalization can be better scheduled than before.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has a long history in computer science, provides a wide variety
of methods for coping with monitoring problems that would be difficult to solve by conventional
computational techniques alone. Following a survey of AI strategies, this paper examines today’s
endeavors in applying AI to monitoring problems. Subsequently, the synergetic implementation of
advanced AI methods in an autonomous, distributed system for monitoring civil engineering structures is
presented. Also known as Hybrid Intelligence, this approach is evaluated in a further step within a
prototype example.
By way of example, Hartmann and Smarsly (2005) incorporate expert knowledge into a SHM
system for the automated computer-based assessment of acquired structural data by using Expert Systems
and Sriram (1997) pursues the application of Expert Systems in various SHM related fields and
engineering problems, such as diagnosis, control and others.
At the Institute for Computational Engineering, a hybrid, AI-based SHM system for monitoring
safety-relevant engineering structures has been developed. For a reliable and efficient monitoring, several
appropriate AI methods have been encapsulated and wrapped into the SHM system using so called
software agents. Software agents represent, in general, proactive software entities that interact with other
agents, and, if necessary, with humans, they are perceptive to their environment and can respond to
change in their environment. Then, the total group of interacting software agents forms an agent system
(the SHM system). There is no need to implement the agent system on a single computer. By contrast,
equivalent to the distributed nature of the monitoring problem, individual software agents can be located
on different computers, which can communicate with each other via the HTTP.

Figure 1 Schematic illustration of the SHM system

Agents which execute specific monitoring tasks are called T or task agents. In addition, T agents
cooperate with three other agent categories in the same agent system. The multilevel approach leads to the
introduction of C or cooperation agents that act as “personal assistants”. Thus, each of the C agents is
assigned to a respective human actor (for example the head of department, a chief engineer or
technicians) to support that actor proactively in solving his specific tasks. Consequently, a C agent
provides an interface between a user and the agent system. P or project agents are responsible for pro-
viding needed structural information associated with the observed structure. Finally, W or wrapper agents
encapsulate external software as well as hardware, such as sensory devices to make them available to the
agent system.
Articles on Applying AI in Solving the Problem
1. Title: Artificial intelligence in structural health monitoring
Author: K. Smarsly, D. Hartmann
Description: This paper examines the efforts of today to apply AI to problem monitoring. The
synergetic implementation of advanced AI methods is subsequently presented in an autonomous,
distributed monitoring system for civil engineering structures. Also known as Hybrid Intelligence,
within a prototype example, this approach is evaluated in a further step.

2. Title: Artificial Intelligence as a Tool in Civil Engineering – A Review

Author: Akshata Patil, Lata Patted, Mahesh Tenagi, Vaishnavi Jahagirdar, Madhuri Patil and Rahul
Gautam
Description: The artificial intelligence sector, or AI, attempts to understand and create intelligent
entities to make the process fairly simple and easy, right and accurate. Typical example of a modern
interdisciplinary subject are artificial neural networks. Sophisticated technique of modeling that can
be used to solve many complex problems serves as an analytical tool for qualified results prognoses.
Using the concept of the artificial neural networks and the results of the performed numerical
analyses make the field of Civil Engineering more accurate, precise and efficient especially in the
fields of smart materials and many more

Conclusion
The application of AI methods from conventional AI as well as computer intelligence to
Structural Health Monitoring engineering problems was presented. The application of advanced AI
concepts and strategies to monitoring problems provides innovative means and ways for improving the
efficiency and accuracy of Structural Health Monitoring. By that, structural safety can be drastically
improved. Also maintenance costs can be significantly decreased. Artificial Intelligence has been
successfully applied to many civil engineering areas like prediction, risk analysis, decision-making,
resources optimization, classification, and selection. AI has a number of significant benefits that make
them a powerful and practical tool for solving many problems in the field of civil engineering and are
expected to be applicable in near future by using sophisticated instruments based on the algorithms and
database to reduce the efforts and cost of construction and management.