A case-based reasoning framework in value engineering

Value Engineering (VE) is the title given to a set of value techniques applied during the design or 'engineering' phases of a construction project that has its origins in the US manufacturing industry. Currently, value engineers attempt to infer design rationale information from drawings and specifications for carrying out the value engineering analysis. Access to design rationales can help value engineers in different ways. Case-based reasoning is a technology for problem solving based on recall and reuse of specific experiences. Case-based reasoning offers techniques for representing and managing complex design rationale cases, augmenting a set of specific design experiences with generalized knowledge and formalizing a typically informal body of knowledge. Agent-based systems technology offers modularity and techniques for handling human-agent interaction, managing and searching information. This paper describes the utility of design rationales in value engineering. It examines the combination of case-based reasoning and agent-based technology to support value engineering analysis. Finally, it proposes a case-based framework in value engineering during design phase.