Application of Analytic Databases to Support Decision Making in Structural Engineering

Complex structural engineering projects that involve information-gathering and decision-making processes need to be approached with appropriate systems and tools. As transactional databases are found to be insufficient for this purpose, engineers are adopting multidimensional information systems that have been successfully used in other areas of management, especially business. Decision making problems encountered in structural engineering are generally multi-stage operations of a considerable degree of complexity. It is essential that such analyses are conducted by advanced information resources and complex relationships between data objects. Advanced information resources require, however, advanced information operations including data gathering, storing, processing and distribution. In order to handle the information complexity, it is vital to apply a systems approach. This approach can be used to describe structures and functions of engineering systems, as well as develop information and functional models of database systems with the aim of performing the most appropriate information-decision processes. It is also important that suitable software tools are applied. One of the most common information solutions used in various areas of management, including structural engineering, is a database system enabling efficient organization and processing of data. Information resources are stored in a database using two-dimensional tables linked by relationships. Data structures are optimized for processing current (transactional) data. Data handling is performed by using algorithmic applications referred to as database management systems. Database systems are applied to support a majority of information and information-decision tasks. Their suitability to support decision making processes, particularly analyses, is considered to be limited, which is mainly due to little information and functional flexibility. The insufficient flexibility of information systems may cause various data formats, especially those from external systems, and "rigid" data structures, which need to be defined as early as at the system design stage, not accepted. Similar limitations are reported for a functional system, the use of which is strictly defined, e.g. data search or aggregation. It has been necessary to develop a new concept of a database system so that the expectations of various areas of data management, whether related to business or engineering, can be met. Databases are now optimized with a view to perform complex analyses, and not only support current, transactional operations. Multidimensional database structures and the corresponding tools for data processing make it possible to use different data sources, and create advanced aggregates and queries, whose forms do not need to be defined at the system design stage. It can be assumed that since analytic processes required for structural engineering projects are similar in structure to those performed in the are