Selection aid of alternative techniques in urban storm drainage - Proposition of an expert system

The choice of BMPs in urban stormwater drainage is most often made with a p oor understanding of site constraints, and of the possibilities afforded by these techniques. This leads to extra costs and malfunctioning. To reach f easible choices, we have formalised a decision-making process, taking into account multiple criteria and the large number of partners involved in that kind of process. We have then developed a decision-aiding procedure split up into two phases: an elimination phase permits us to exclude solutions wh ich are identified as unworkable according to site considerations and a dec ision phase which allows the decision makers to compare and at least to cho ose a scenario built up with feasible solutions. This paper more particular ly deals with the first phase. This elimination phase, which is suitable fo r an expert system type of representation, has been implemented using a sof tware called DELTANOE constructed for operational design issues but also fo r pedagogic purposes including conception, realisation, maintenance and man agement recommendations as well as sketches and photo examples. After prese nting the context and basic principles of the elimination phase, we present the way the associated tool has been constructed and validated. (C) 1999 I AWQ Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.