ABSTRACT
Control theory has been applied to electrical, mechanical, chemical and aeronautical engineering systems and has been found to be of great value in the control of complex systems. A system is often represented by “state space equations” and by means of the equations, the response of the real system can be studied by altering the input (control) signals used to drive the system. Many construction projects are linear in nature: construction of multi-storey buildings, highways, tunnels and canals. It is possible to use the same approach utilized in other engineering disciplines for control of civil engineering systems: a mathematical model using state space equations can be set up to describe a linear construction process. In the model, the important features of a real system are represented by a set of equations. Given a set of input or stimuli, the model will respond in a way which is similar to the real system. In this way, it is possible to study the system and derive an optimal cost for the construction process. Considerable work has been done and it would be of benefit to tap this vast knowledge and experience gained in the development of modern control theory for application in civil engineering. A tunnel construction example is used here to illustrate how control theory could be applied in the optimization.
