THE HAZTIMATOR KNOWLEDGE-BASED (EXPERT) SYSTEM - PROVIDING DESIGN ANDTIME COST ESTIMATES FOR HAZARDOUS-WASTE REMEDIATION/

Development, implementation and tentative validation of a prototype of the Haztimator system, a knowledge-based (expert) system (KBS) intend ed to provide design and time/cost estimates for hazardous waste remed iation projects, is presented. The prototypes evaluates one potential remedial alternative, soil vapor extraction followed by vapor-phase gr anular activated carbon for air emissions control. Haztimator represen ts the first known expert system in the environmental field with a pri mary knowledge domain of system design. As shown by this work, the env ironmental field is a prime example of a problem domain where KBS deve lopment can be used as a tool for obtaining and exploiting ''compiled' ' knowledge-knowledge which can be used to explain heuristics in terms of first principles.