In this paper, an ongoing investigation on the development of SPERIL Systems, which are knowledge‐based expert systems for damage assessment of existing structures, is described. The development of a new version, SPERIL‐3, is presented and the motivations for the development of this system are discussed. Specifically, knowledge organization and knowledge acquisition in this system are emphasized. The automation of knowledge acquisition is presented and discussed.In this paper, an ongoing investigation on the development of SPERIL systems, which are knowledge‐based expert systems for damage assessment of existing structures, is described. The development of a new version, SPERIL‐3, is presented and the motivations for the development of this system are discussed. Specifically, knowledge organization and knowledge acquisition in this system are emphasized. The automation of knowledge acquisition is presented and di