Rule induction from cases of retaining wall selection

This study investigates rule induction's capability in generating rules for selecting appropriate retaining wall systems. 181 rules were firstly induced from 254 retaining wall selection cases presented in previous engineering design reports in Taiwan. The induced rules were then tested against four actual cases of retaining wall system to evaluate their performance. Test results are extremely satisfactory. Based on the test results presented herein, rule induction approach is appropriate for dealing with retaining wall selection problem at the project planning stage. This study also shows that rule induction approach is highly promising for resolving experience-oriented problems in the construction industry.