A knowledge discovery framework for civil infrastructure: A case study of the intelligent workplace

Large databases are becoming increasingly common in civil infrastructure ap plications. Although it is relatively simple to specifically query these da tabases at a low level, more abstract questions like 'How does the environm ent affect pavement cracking?' are difficult to answer with traditional met hods. Data mining techniques can provide a solution for learning abstract k nowledge from civil infrastructure databases. However, data mining needs to be performed within a systematic process to ensure correct and reproducibl e results. Many decisions must be made during this process, making it diffi cult for novice analysts to apply. data mining techniques thoroughly. This paper presents an application of a knowledge discovery process to data coll ected for an 'intelligent' building. The knowledge discovery process is ill ustrated and explained through this case study. Additionally, we discuss th e importance of this case study in the context of a research effort to deve lop an interactive guide for the knowledge discovery process.