Abstract
FireCode is an expert advisory system for assisting building designers to check their plans against the requirements of a fire safety code. This application of expert-systems methodology is rather unusual because much of the knowledge is already available in written form, reducing the effort required for development. However, expert assistance was still required to handle a number of problems in the interpretation of the written code, such as incomplete and ambiguous requirements. These problems are likely to be met during the development of any expert system based on regulations or codes of practice. A strong parallel exists between the development of an expert system and the development of a code of practice; they are both concerned with the formalisation of knowledge. An important conclusion of this work is that the parallel development of an expert system will assist in the formulation of a code of practice.
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