Application of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving in Tunnel Construction

Despite the importance of innovation in construction, there is no structured approach to systematically support innovation. The theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) provides a unique approach for structuring the development of innovative solutions for technical problems and has the potential for substantial results in construction innovation if used properly. This paper describes TRIZ and introduces its tools through applications in the field of utility tunnel construction. This paper describes how TRIZ tools can be used to generate conceptual solutions to a number of tunnel construction problems. In order to assess the practicality of the TRIZ analysis, the proposed solutions are compared to recent innovations in the field and actual solutions developed by experts. The comparison shows that although TRIZ tools were used by nonexperts in the tunneling field they included most of the features that exist in solutions developed by experts and were also able to point to technologies that are not yet widely used in the tunneling industry. The use of TRIZ in these applications showed that despite the advantages of the theory, further research and supporting tools are required to facilitate its day-to-day use in the construction industry.     

Comparison of a written feedback procedure, group brainstorming, and individual brainstorming.

Compared the productivity of a written feedback procedure with that of group and individual brainstorming in 48 undergraduates divided into 4-member groups. The written feedback procedure consisted of group members generating ideas independently, receiving written copies of each other's ideas, and then resuming to work independently. Each group generated solutions to 2 brainstorming problems. The productivity of both the written feedback procedure and individual brainstorming exceeded that of group brainstorming. The productivity of the written feedback procedure did not differ significantly from that of individual brainstorming. Results suggest that, as presently applied, the utility of the written feedback procedure does not exceed that of individual brainstorming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

TRIZ理论中无矛盾问题产品创新方法研究

TR IZ方法中的40个创新法则,是解决系统矛盾的最佳创新方法,当设计者确认系统矛盾特性,可以由矛盾表找出解决问题的最佳方法。有时候,设计者只知道要改善系统某一工程特性,但不知道或者无法预测系统可能恶化的矛盾特性,便无法所使用矛盾表,找到对应的创新法则以解决问题。文章将提出一种在无矛盾信息时可以使用TR IZ的创新法则来解决工程问题的方法。并以实例说明,证明其可行性及方便性。     

Cognitive stimulation and problem presentation in idea-generating groups.

One technique that may facilitate group brainstorming is decomposition of the task so that categories of the problem are considered one at a time rather than simultaneously (A. R. Dennis, J. S. Valacich, T. Connolly, & B. E. Wynne, 1996). Two studies examined this possibility for both solitary and interactive brainstorming in which major categories of a brainstorming problem were presented simultaneously or sequentially. In the 1st study, participants in the sequential presentation condition generated more ideas than did those in the simultaneous condition in both the individual and the group conditions. In the 2nd study, individuals exposed to either a high number or low number of idea categories demonstrated enhanced performance. Simulations of the data demonstrated that the results were consistent with an associative memory model of the idea generation process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of trust on creative problem solving groups.

Examined the dynamics of interpersonal trust in group creative problem solving. Each member of 29 4-person groups of undergraduate females was led via manipulated feedback from 3 other group members to perceive a high trust, low trust, or control (no trust) manipulation condition. Two instructional sets were used: a standard brainstorming technique and synectics. Performance was measured by the number of ideas each group generated. Self-report data were taken on perceived effort, satisfaction, and group attractiveness. The high trust and control groups outperformed those in the low trust conditions on each of 3 tasks. Also, it appears that when information about trust is lacking in the group, members assume that relatively high trust exists. No differential impact due to problem-solving instructions was found. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social influence processes in group brainstorming.

A series of studies examined the role of social influence processes in group brainstorming. Two studies with pairs and 1 with groups of 4 revealed that the performance of participants in interactive groups is more similar than the performance of those in nominal groups. A 4th study demonstrated that performance levels in an initial group session predicted performance on a different problem 2 sessions later. In a 5th study it was found that the productivity gap between an interactive and nominal group could be eliminated by giving interactive group members a performance standard comparable with the typical performance of nominal groups. These studies indicate that performance levels in brainstorming groups are strongly affected by exposure to information about the performance of others. It is proposed that social matching of low performance levels by interactive group members may be an important factor in the productivity loss observed in group brainstorming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

基于TRIZ理论的转炉上料系统创新设计

石灰是炼钢用重要辅助材料,石灰质量好坏直接影响钢水冶炼效果,针对炼钢厂上料系统距离长、环节多、落差大造成入炉石灰粉末多的问题,采用TRIZ理论确定物理矛盾和技术矛盾,运用TRIZ创新原理对上料方法进行创新设计,解决了入炉石灰质量问题,证明了TRIZ理论在钢铁冶炼行业的可行性和高效性.     

Teaching medical faculty how to apply continuous quality improvement to medical education

BACKGROUND: An eight-hour workshop was conducted at a professional meeting in 1996 to introduce medical faculty to the principles of continuous quality improvement (CQI) as they relate to change in medical education and to provide participants with opportunities to use specific tools for applications to education. Four two-hour sessions focused on an introduction to CQI, understanding and mapping processes, identifying change ideas, and testing a change for improvement. TESTING A CHANGE FOR IMPROVEMENT: The goals of the final session were to plan a pilot test of an improvement, identify the steps of the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle, and consider change for improvement in the context of one's own organization. Working in small groups, participants chose a specific change one might try in the following example: improving student performance in a neuroscience course. POSTSESSION EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP: Immediately following the workshop sessions, participants represented by administrators in medical education and clinical and basic science teaching faculty completed evaluations on the usefulness and likelihood of their using CQI tools. One year later, of the 32 workshop registrants who were mailed surveys, 15 respondents rated their change in understanding of CQI and their use of CQI techniques. More than 60% of the respondents reported application of CQI principles at their organizations. CQI methods used most frequently included structured team meetings, prioritizing opportunities, and brainstorming. CONCLUSION: The significant application of CQI principles and methods reported by participants one year after a brief intervention supports a need and utility for CQI principles and tools in medical education.     

Assessing Construction Engineering-Related Delays: Egyptian Perspective

The sources of construction delays include engineering, construction, financial/economic, management/administrative, and force majeure. This paper presents a knowledge-based expert system dedicated to engineering-related delays. Three categories of engineering-related delays are considered in the proposed system. These are: (1) design development; (2) workshop drawings; and (3) project parties changes delays. The knowledge of the system is acquired from literature, Federation International des Ingenieurs-Conseils (FIDIC) contract forms, domain experts, as well as a questionnaire survey. Three classes of participants (consultants, contractors, and employers) have been approached to get their feedback on the cases of engineering-related delays. The design of the questionnaire and criteria for selecting participants are described. The feedback of the participants is analyzed to draw the main causes of engineering-related delays. The proposed system’s built-in rules utilize the procedure of FIDIC contract forms for both design-bid-build and design-build projects. In addition, it provides flexibility in utilizing other customized procedures. The system advises on the claim entitlement, responsibility, and compensability of claims. A case study is presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed expert system.     

An experimental study of the effectiveness of brainstorming.

In the study of conditions favorable to creativity 2 different ways of conducting brainstorming groups were compared. 3 groups each composed of 7 university students were given instructions to uncritically invent names for 3 kinds of articles; 3 other groups of students each composed of 7 persons were given instructions to also invent names for the same articles only to do so critically. 150 different students rated the invented names of both groups for quality. "For each product, the noncritical condition produced a greater number or responses than the critical condition… . If it is the purpose of problem solving to produce a specific number of ideas of highest possible quality, these best ideas will tend to be of higher or equal quality when the noncritical method is used." From Psyc Abstracts 36:02:2HD45W. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Productivity loss in brainstorming groups: Toward the solution of a riddle.

We conducted four experiments to investigate free riding, evaluation apprehension, and production blocking as explanations of the difference in brainstorming productivity typically observed between real and nominal groups. In Experiment 1, we manipulated assessment expectations in group and individual brainstorming. Although productivity was higher when subjects worked under personal rather than collective assessment instructions, type of session still had a major impact on brainstorming productivity under conditions that eliminated the temptation to free ride. Experiment 2 demonstrated that inducing evaluation apprehension reduced productivity in individual brainstorming. However, the failure to find an interaction between evaluation apprehension and type of session in Experiment 3 raises doubts about evaluation apprehension as a major explanation of the productivity loss in brainstorming groups. Finally, by manipulating blocking directly, we determined in Experiment 4 that production blocking accounted for most of the productivity loss of real brainstorming groups. The processes underlying production blocking are discussed, and a motivational interpretation of blocking is offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

基于深度强化学习的炼钢车间天车调度方法

针对炼钢车间天车任务产生的动态不确定性,提出了基于深度强化学习算法的炼钢车间天车调度方法。首先,基于强化学习将天车调度问题转化为对天车操作动作序列的求解,采用DQN(Deep Q-network)算法构建动作价值网络模型进行求解;然后,以某钢厂出钢跨天车调度为研究对象,以任务完成总时间最短为目标,介绍了基于深度强化学习的天车调度方法的具体设计;最后,采用实际数据对天车动作价值网络模型进行训练,与目前现场广泛使用的基于固定分区的天车调度方案进行仿真试验对比。结果表明,基于深度强化学习的天车调度方法在任务完成总时间上减少了11.52%,提高了天车任务的完成效率,说明了方法的可行性和优化性,为天车调度研究提供了新的思路。     

Cognitive stimulation in brainstorming.

Research on group brainstorming has demonstrated that it is less effective for generating large numbers of ideas than individual brainstorming, yet various scholars have presumed that group idea sharing should enhance cognitive stimulation and idea production. Three experiments examined the potential of cognitive stimulation in brainstorming. Experiments 1 and 2 used a paradigm in which individuals were exposed to ideas on audiotape as they were brainstorming, and Experiment 3 used the electronic brainstorming paradigm. Evidence was obtained for enhanced idea generation both during and after idea exposure. The attentional set of the participant and the content of the exposure manipulation (number of ideas, presence of irrelevant information) influenced this effect. These results are consistent with a cognitive perspective on group brainstorming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brainstorming on a "hot" problem: Effects of training and practice on individual and group performance.

Assigned 96 undergraduates to 8 treatments in a 2 * 2 * 2 analysis of variance in which the factors were videotape training, practice, and individual vs. group brainstorming. Ss were asked to generate ways that individuals might influence United States foreign policy. Significant interactions were found between videotape training and practice and between videotape training and individual vs. group brainstorming. Expected facilitation of performance through videotape training did not materialize. Group practice followed by individual brainstorming produced the largest number of ideas. The general superiority of individuals over groups appears even more pronounced when the problem is real and motivation is high. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Value Engineering and Optimal Building Projects

The goal of any engineering design is to obtain an optimal solution to the design problem. This paper examines how value engineering contributes to the process of obtaining an optimal solution to the design problem for a building project. The factors that determine a building project and its costs are listed and these factors fall into two groups; one group relates to specific engineering systems, while the other group is general in character and relates to the whole building. Value engineering is effective because its procedures give opportunities for raising design issues associated with the latter group of factors as well as for providing for peer-review of the design. A summary of other methods of optimal design—such as design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA), concurrent engineering, and total quality management—is given, and these methods are compared with value engineering. Cost minimization in building construction is discussed with examples from the writer's experience on building projects in West Africa and the Middle East.     

Influence of brainstorming instructions and problem sequence on a creative problem solving test.

"The experiment was designed to study the effects on creative problem solving of instructions to express solutions without evaluation (brainstorming) and instructions which required only solutions of good quality and which involved a penalty for solutions of bad quality (nonbrainstorming). Each S [32 college students] was given two problems which required creative ability, in two testing periods." One was with and one without brainstorming. "Significantly more good solutions were produced under brainstorming… . There was no significant difference in the nonbrainstorming performance in the two test periods." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computer brainstorms: More heads are better than one.

Research has consistently found nominal group brainstorming (in which members work separately without communicating) to be superior to brainstorming in which group members interact verbally. This article presents the results of an experiment that found the reverse to be true for computer-mediated electronic brainstorming. In this experiment, 12-member electronically interacting groups generated more ideas than did 12-member nominal groups, and there were no differences between 6-member electronic and 6-member nominal groups. The authors attribute these results to the ability of electronic brainstorming to introduce few process losses (production blocking, evaluation apprehension, and free riding) while enabling process gains (synergy and the avoidance of redundant ideas). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of group participation on brainstorming effectiveness for 2 industrial samples.

Problems were presented for brainstorming to 48 research scientists and 48 advertising personnel employed with the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. Within a counterbalanced experimental design, each S brainstormed certain problems individually and other equated problems as a member of a 4-man team. Individuals produced not only more ideas than groups, but they accomplished this without sacrificing quality. The net superiority of individual performance over group participation is highlighted by the fact that 23 of 24 groups produced a larger number of different ideas under the individual condition. The superiority of individual brainstorming over group brainstorming was relatively greater when it was preceded by group participation. Apparently, group participation is accompanied by certain inhibitory influences even under conditions (e.g., brainstorming) which place a moratorium on all criticism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic Programming-Based Approach for Structural Optimization

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce genetic programming into civil engineering problem solving. This paper describes a genetic programming-based approach for simultaneous sizing, geometry, and topology optimization of structures. An encoding strategy is presented to map between the real structures and the genetic programming parse trees. Numerical results for two examples reveal that the proposed approach is capable of producing the topology and shape of the desired trusses and the sizing of all the structural components. Hence, this approach can potentially be a powerful search and optimization technique in civil engineering problem solving.     

Effects of task instructions and brief breaks on brainstorming.

Experiment 1 examined the effects of additional brainstorming rules for groups and looked at whether the presence of a facilitator who actively enforced the rules of brainstorming was beneficial. Experiments 2 and 3 examined whether the additional rules and brief breaks were beneficial to individual brainwriters and electronic brainstormers working alone. Clear benefits of the additional rules were found under a variety of conditions. The presence of a facilitator to enforce the rules enhanced the efficiency of idea generation (number of words used to express ideas) but not the number of ideas generated. There appears to be a small benefit to taking breaks in brainwriting sessions, but the benefit of breaks is reduced or eliminated in electronic brainstorming sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)