Date of Degree

2008

Document Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

First Advisor

Wilfrid A. Nixon

Abstract

This thesis presents an application of Work Domain Analysis (WDA) to the domain of Winter Road Maintenance Operation (WRM). WDA is the first phase of Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA), a methodology for analyzing complex socio-technical systems. WDA can help to structure system information in a manner that is meaningful for decision making and computer-based information system design. The Abstraction Decomposition Space (ADS) is an important tool used during the Work Domain Analysis. In this thesis an ADS model for Winter Road Maintenance (WRM) work system is created. This model gives a innovate structural description of WRM work system that can help WRM operators gain a more detailed understanding about the components in WRM work domain and their interrelationships. This model structures the WRM work domain in a manner that can help to identify information requirements for effective and efficient WRM operation decision making. In this thesis, from the ADS model, 65 information requirements are extracted. This thesis makes a theoretical contribution to extending application of Work Domain Analysis and proves WDA is a worthwhile and valuable technique to improve WRM information collection and decision making, which will result in more effective and efficient WRM operation.

Pages

v, 91

Bibliography

88-91

Copyright

Copyright 2008 Ju Qiu