Feedback

I like the subject of the model-building. Modelling static structures suits EM well I think, though there are issues in handling the two-way transfer of dependencies that is sometimes required (a force applied at A affects B and v.v.). I'm not sure that I understand what the relationship to a finite element analysis is. It sounds a bit as if your proposal is to model all the relationships between blocks using agency rather than using dependencies. To make the conceptual link with EM clear, you will need to consider the modelling of dependency as agency in this context, I think. (This is a central topic in Ashley Ward's PhD thesis, to be published any time now hopefully, but there are simple anticipations of some of the thinking in Edward Yung's MSc thesis.) The comparison with Repenning's model of a bridge using AgentSheets may be useful here.

Perhaps you have already seem the lathe model - this is probably not in a good enough state to be run these days, but it can be found in wmb/public/projects/misc/. It makes use of many definitions, and incorporates models of forces, strains and stresses.

Your submission is strong on what your model is going to be like, but not quite as clear about where EM fits in. Perhaps discussion of the roles of agency and dependency in EM would be a useful aspect to consider. There may also be mileage in the idea of EM as well-suited to illustrating historical developments (cf railway history).

Good to find some other external references e.g. on static and modelling engineering structures that can be used in elaborating your theme.

Need to be careful with spelling:

dependancy --> dependency
stuck as forces -> such (?) as forces
consitutent -> constituent