Usefulness of Mining Methods in Knowledge Source Analysis in the Construction Industry

The mining methods are classified as the methods of data analysis and the knowledge acquisition and they are derived from the methods of “Knowledge Discovery”. Within the scope of these methods, there are two main variants associated with a form of data, i.e.: “data” and “text mining”. The author of the paper tries to find an answer to a question about helpfulness and usefulness of these methods for the purpose of knowledge acquisition in the construction industry. The very process of knowledge acquisition is essential in terms of the systems and tools operating based on knowledge. Nowadays, they are the basis for the tools which support the decision-making processes. The paper presents three cases studies. The mining methods have been applied to practical problems - the selection of an adhesive mortar coupled with alternative solutions, analysis of residential real estate locations under construction by a developer company as well as support of technical management of a building facility with a large floor area.