Course Reflection - Farnelli

When I first registered for the class I had assumed that the class was going to be about responsive HVAC systems and BIM. Though we did spend quite a bit of time on BIM, a lot more of the class focused on construction than I had expected, which was a pleasant surprise. There were three main aspects of the class: blog posts, lectures and a project. Each gave different experiences and benefits, and as a whole I think that I gained quite a bit from the class.

Blog Posts

The blog posts have required us to research various topics in some detail and be able to explain concepts so that others. Some topics had provided reading, such as the Interoperability chapter in the BIM Handbook available online. Others required a bit of outside research, such as investigating what SQL is and how it works. I did learn quite a bit by reading other blog posts, as well. Reading the impressions and responses from the others in my groups gave me some extra perspective on the topics.

Lectures

The lectures, both those run by Professor Mitchell and those which were presented by outside experts, have given us an opportunity to learn more about the topics in application. For example, the videos showing robotic applications were very interesting. The talks by outside speakers were very interesting as well, as they were able to give examples of when the different programs and equipment worked and what needed work for each. In addition, the guest lectures allowed for at least a small bit of networking, and some also very helpful gave career advice.

Project

The project, in my case on 3D concrete printing, gave me the option to look into a specific topic in depth which interested me. I learned quite a bit about the way that the 3D concrete is produced and about the properties of the material. This may not be particularly helpful immediately, but if 3D printing gains as much ground as it is expected to this knowledge could be very helpful in the future.  

Comments:
Bryan Cummings, James Redus, Mark Lodato

B4, Group C- Mridul Chulet

Description of project: The average stay in a refugee camp is more than 17 years that is a whole generation living in very undignifying conditions. Therefore, as the world, and technology develop, solutions must be sought. Hamad and I are going to examine the issue from both a humanitarian perspective and most importantly from an engineer's perspective.  Highlighting the problem and its effect on the world. Furthermore, we want to introduce a solution for the housing of refugees. We plan on using the 3D printing technology to build a permanent city for them and which can later be implemented for use in underdeveloped countries for better housing.  

Why chosen: My interest in this topic was fueled by Hamad. He shared an article with me which talked about the refugees from Syria who are currently housed in the Al Zaatari camp. As civil engineers we thought what in the best interest can we help with refugee crisis. Furthermore, I thought providing permanent houses which last longer and are hygienic than the current camps would be a good start to help the refugees.

Relation to IB: 3-D printing is the process of manufacturing three dimensional solid objects from a digital file which is achieved using additive process. With the increase in popularity of 3-D printing, it is nowadays been adopted by big companies because of benefits such as cheap manufacturing, quick production, less wastage and better quality. Using a 3-D printer is really easy and affordable nowadays. For instance, 3-D printing is so easy that you can print anything you want. Whether its shoes, mobile case, toys, utensils etc. You just have to look up for the design on the internet, save it digitally and print. The main reason we choose 3-D printing for building the houses was because it possible to build houses using a 3-D printer. In the article we read, china was built to 10 houses using 3-D printers in less than 24 hours. Therefore, with the advancement in technology on a daily basis, we will soon be able to build high-rise building and what not just by digitally saving the data and printing it using the 3-D printer.  

Challenges: The main challenges we think we will face will be the legal challenges. It would be easy to implement the 3-D printing technology in the area where the refugees currently reside. Also it would be really difficult to obtain information to carry out case studies for our research so we can make intelligent suggestions for the camp. Furthermore, implementing the 3-D printing technology to build house would be a very big challenge because we wouldn’t know how long or durable these houses would be.

References:

1.       http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/3d-printed-houses_n_5773408.html

2.   http://www.nature.com/scientificamerican/journal/v308/n5/full/scientificamerican0513-44.html

3.     http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e486566.html

Comments,

Hatim,

Great project. I didn’t know concrete mixing would be of great importance until I read your post. I totally agree with you that concrete mix for high rise can be crumb some sometimes and may delay the construction process. Using 3-D printing technology would decrease the construction time and would be cheap. I and Hamad are using the similar technology for building houses using 3-D technology for the refugees and which can be implemented for underdeveloped countries too.

Laura Hill,

I really liked reading your post. I and Hamad are using the similar technology for building houses using 3-D technology for the refugees and which can be implemented for underdeveloped countries too. I am really interested in reading your paper and how 3-D printing can be help for different building materials such as wood fragments, concrete, alloys and plastic. Furthermore, I also believe AI will play an important role in the 3-D printing technology in the coming future.

Hatim Amiji - B4 - Group B

The term project focuses on the present status of construction using 3D concrete printing and how it can be improved, specifically the "concrete mix" in order to achieve construction of big complex structures (i.e. high rises, bridge decks) and the socioeconomic impact of this technology in the society. 3D printing also known as additive manufacturing is a process of producing a three-dimensional object/structure by laying down successive layers of material until entirely completed. Each layer is a thing horizontal cross section of the finished product. 3D printing technology has evolved over the years to an extent that it is now capable of producing bigger structures/objects of varying complexity. In 2014, A Chinese Company “Winsun Decoration Design Engineering Co” printed 10 houses in 24 hours using a 3D printer with a mixture of recycled construction waste and quick-drying cement. In 2015, the same company demonstrated exceptional capabilities of the 3D printing technology as they built the world’s tallest 3D printed building i.e. a five-story apartment building. The building was created using a 6.6 by 10 meter printer which pours layers of a mixture composed of glass fiber, steel, cement, hardening agents and recycled construction waste. Sections of the building were printed in the plant and were assembled on site which is similar to prefabricating concrete designs to create the final building. The building met relevant national standards in terms of building code, it was declared safe, reliable and features a good integration of architecture and decoration.

The rapid evolution and improvement of the 3D concrete printing has led to numerous research on how this can be improved to build projects of even bigger scale and complexity such as high rises, bridge decks, dams etc. The main ingredient of this process is the concrete mix and thus it determines the strength, size and complexity of the structure. Improvement in the concrete mix leads improvement in the overall technology. Also, our research will comprise if the possibility of 3D printing can be achieved using different construction materials not only concrete hence increase the variety/options of construction. The growth of this technology will have socioeconomic impact such as reduction of housing costs hence improving standard of living (since 3D concrete printing is cheaper than conventional construction method), impact on labor union can be enormous since this process in general replaces labor work by the use of a machine which pours layers of concrete.

The research will begin with a brief introduction of 3D concrete printing technology, history and its evolution in the construction industry. Technical aspects of the 3D concrete printing will be discussed such as the machine pouring the concrete mix, the concrete mix itself and its properties as well the as the assembly of the 3D printed construction elements i.e. walls, beams, columns etc. The current application and the future of this industry will be analyzed i.e. what scale and complexity of construction can be achieved as well as the alternative materials which can be used instead of concrete. Furthermore, socioeconomic impact of 3D concrete printing will be explored i.e. impact on economy, labor union and improvement in living standards.

The outline of our project is as follows:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Introduce the project and its deliverables
• History and evolution of 3D printing in the construction industry.
• Technical aspects of 3D concrete printing
• Discuss process
• Concrete mix
• Assembly
• Current applications and future of 3-D concrete printing.
• Scale of construction projects at present
• Complexity of projects
• Alternate materials
• Future
• Socioeconomic impact of 3D concrete printing in the construction industry.
• Impact on economy
• Cost
• Effect on labor unions i.e. jobs creation or reduction?
• Conclusion

References:

1. http://www.archdaily.com/591331/chinese-company-creates-the-world-s-tallest-3d-printed-building

2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/3d-printed-houses_n_5773408.html

Comments:

Maria - I agree with you that robots such as SAM are used in the construction industry at present and it is not only saving time but also reducing construction costs. With the development of such machines, the future holds more prospects of extensive use of robots in the construction industry which will be more powerful, efficient and capable of doing complicated tasks. However, this can have major socioeconomic impact on the society since it is replacing jobs of construction workers hence creating a vacuum in the job market which in turn may have a negative impact on the economy. Therefore it is important to factor in such impacts due to advancement of technology and to find the balance so that the impact is minimized.

http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b4-group-d-maria-ayon.html?showComment=1454448937973#c6663408153290580973

Samuel - RTLS has a wide range of scope, it is like a GPS device attached to every single person in the building however in this case it holds more information than just the location. It can be used in hotels where each guest is wearing a wearable that provides information about his sleep patterns, choice of food/drinks, so that the hotel personnel know when to wake him/her up or what type of food he/she may like etc. This is an interesting idea, and its applications are immense, As Derek mentioned in a big construction site where hundreds of workers are working it can be used to locate a special technician when needed.

http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b4-samuel-boyce-wearables-group-a.html?showComment=1454454434267#c8059420729148418938

B4- Group E- Laura Hill

For our group’s final project, we will be analyzing the origin of 3D printing for buildings and comparing the different materials and methods that are involved in the process, with the outcome being a research paper. 3D printing is something that strikes an interest in each of us individually. Some of us may be more interested in certain areas under the broad topic, therefore we are covering the subject matter as a whole to obtain a deeper understanding of where 3D printing originated, what is happening with it today, and how it may affect the future of intelligent building design.

Although the concept as a whole is relatively broad, we will narrow down on exactly what techniques and ideals are being tested and in some cases already being used in today’s construction industry. We will be going in depth about three major building materials, including wood fragments, concrete, alloys, plastic, and other innovative materials. When it comes to the different structural processes, we will go over how robotics can be considered a type of 3D printing and how that technique is being carried out already in today’s construction industry. Because 3D printing isn’t completely new, we will go into examples of how the technique is already being implicated; including examples of entirely 3D printed buildings and/or buildings with structural components that were 3D printed.

3D printing can be considered a type of intelligent building because of its innovative technology and new to the industry concept. It is changing the way the industry works in that it is creating a quicker and more efficient way to construct buildings. Rather than hands on construction, 3D printing enables technology to take care of the building aspect, and in some cases, uses artificial intelligence to do all the work for us. Although the initial cost of having a 3D printer large enough to construct an entire building, with time 3D printing will actually be able to cut costs with the lack of human labor involved and reducing the potential for harm and medical fees of workers who hurt themselves during construction. Finally, the design aspect being done on the computer and then transferred to the printer can be considered a type of artificial intelligence and therefore adds to the intelligence of the 3D printed building.

Initial Sources to be used:

1. Win Sun 3-D Printed Villa/Apartment Building

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20150118-winsun-builds-world-first-3d-printed-villa-and-tallest-3d-printed-building-in-china.html

2) UAEIC 3-D Printed Office Building:

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1698870470?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=10559

3&4) Printing with Regolith (or other moon rocks)

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20140002630.pdf

http://www.esa.int/Highlights/Lunar_3D_printing

5) 3-D Printing and Rapid Casting (Concrete and Alloys)

http://search.proquest.com/docview/214028287?pq-origsite=summon

6) 4-D Printing of the Future (Future)

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1650538777?pq-origsite=summon

7) 3-D Printing and its applications (Introduction)

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1432214803?pq-origsite=summon

8) Comparing Environmental impacts of 3-D Printing vs. Traditional Machining

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1648113434?pq-origsite=summon

9) Future of 3D Printed Buildings

http://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/meet-the-future-of-3d-printed-buildings_o

Comments:

Karan Sagar Sinha:

My group also decided to do our final project on 3-D printing; however, we are looking into various materials and techniques as a whole. It will be interesting to see how our section on concrete compares with your project. Initially, you can tell via your post you have done a lot of research already on the topic. Specifically, I thought it was interesting where you brought up that creating structural components via 3-D printing techniques actually use less materials than normal techniques, as this is something I would have believed to be the case.

Allison Lock:

Right off the bat, your topic stood out to me when reading through the other posts from group E. This is mostly because adaptive building is something that really interests me, but at the same time it is something that I know little about. It will be interesting to see how the past compares to the current technologies, and how both compare to what may be yet to come in the future.

B4- Kuzniarowicz Group E

For our final project, my group will be analyzing the applications of 3-D printing technologies in the construction field today in order to write a research paper for the final project. Over recent years, the technologies of 3-D printing have been a new and booming topic in the engineering and research fields. There have not only been advancements in availability and affordability of 3-D printing for the general public, but also the applications in which it can be used. There are a number of different 3-D Printing technologies that are currently being tested and applied to construction projects, such as the United Arab Emirates Innovation Committee’s plan to 3-D print an entire office building. In addition to fully 3-D printed construction projects, the technology is also being utilized in the creation of innovative and sustainable building materials such as concrete, plastic-based, wood-based, and alloy-based bulk materials.  Although the technology is still up and coming, breakthroughs in 3-D printing are continuously occurring. One of these breakthroughs includes the utilization of 3-D printers to create structures for a manned Mars space mission.

The breakthrough technology of 3-D printing has already made, and will continue to make, significant economic and social impacts in the world today. In the field of construction, the use of 3-D printing technologies could significantly decrease the cost associated with materials as well as simplify the overall construction process to make it more efficient.

A general outline for our final project on 3-D building technologies is as follows:

v  Abstract

Ø   An overall summary of the research, discoveries, and conclusions made about 3-D printing

v  Introduction

Ø  History of 3-D Printing

Ø  Background information about 3-D printing in Construction

Ø  Examples of 3-D printing applications

v  Topic 1: 3-D Printing and Building Materials

Ø  Fully 3-D Printed Materials

§  Concrete

Ø  Using Additives in 3-D Printing

§  Wood-based Bulk Materials

§  Plastic-based materials

§  Alloys

§  Other (moon rocks)

v  Topic 2: 3-D printing in Construction

Ø  Printing Methods

Ø  Structural Components

v  Topic 3: Entirely 3-D Printed Structures

Ø  WinSun China Builds 1^st 3-D Printed Villa and Apartment Building

Ø  UAEIC 3-D Printing Office Building

v  Future of 3-D Printing

Ø  Additional Construction Applications

Ø  Growth of Scale of Printing

v  Conclusions

v  References

1)    Win Sun 3-D Printed Villa/Apartment Building

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20150118-winsun-builds-world-first-3d-printed-villa-and-tallest-3d-printed-building-in-china.html

2) UAEIC 3-D Printed Office Building:

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1698870470?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=10559

3&4) Printing with Regolith (or other moon rocks)

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20140002630.pdf

http://www.esa.int/Highlights/Lunar_3D_printing

5) 3-D Printing and Rapid Casting (Concrete and Alloys)

http://search.proquest.com/docview/214028287?pq-origsite=summon

6) 4-D Printing of the Future (Future)

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1650538777?pq-origsite=summon

7) 3-D Printing and its applications (Introduction)

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1432214803?pq-origsite=summon

8) Comparing Environmental impacts of 3-D Printing vs. Traditional Machining

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1648113434?pq-origsite=summon

Comments:

Cathlene Farnelli – 3-D Printed Concrete Properties

Cathlene,

You have stated a number of very good considerations on the topic of 3-D printing of concrete but there are many more thanks that you should consider. I would look into some of the fully 3-D printed buildings that are already in existence (WinSun China, and the UAE Innovation committee’s plan to fully print a building) and consider how they use concrete in their design. I would also look into using concrete material as an additive in 3-D printing. My group is also considering 3-D printing applications so I feel that we could help each other out with sources and information. I have attached sources in my post so feel free to take a look.

Kate Flint – Daylighting Technologies in Intelligent Buildings

Kate,

Like you, I also really enjoyed AE 340 (I hope you had Hartnichek) and I feel that this is a very important topic in building design today. I am currently in the AEI senior design competition and daylighting is one of the major considerations we must account for in the design for our 17-story office building. Daylighting is important in every building from hospitals to schools. This topic is very challenging because you do not only have to consider the building automation aspect of the design but also the economic impact of a satisfactory daylighting design. I would do significant research on how daylighting technologies can reduce of and increase the efficiency of a building. The idea for your topic is very general and there is a lot of information that could be included in your final report depending on which route you take. Good Luck!

B4 - Group E - Swartz

My group’s project is the use of 3D printing in the construction industry. We will explore the current and future uses of 3D printing technology including the materials, methods, and real life examples. So far, we have specified the main materials being 3D printed in the construction industry as concrete, metal, plastic, wood, and other materials such as regolith, a material that is abundant throughout the earth, moon, Mars, and some asteroids [1]. The main methods of 3D printing will also be explored such as the machines used and the feasibility of those methods.

We will also discuss real life examples of 3D printed structures and investigate their benefits and limitations. A real life example that will be explored is China’s 3D printing of the world’s first villa and the world’s tallest printed apartment building. The villa was printed in less than 3 hours and used a combination of 3D printing and modularity to print and assemble the building [2]. Another example that will be explored is a 3D printed office building in Dubai. The building will include a completely printed interior layout, including printed furniture. Contrary to the villa example in china, the proposed office building will be printed on site with a 20 foot tall 3D printer. The materials that will be printed include special reinforced concrete, fiber reinforced plastic, and glass fiber reinforced gypsum. Similarly to the villa, the office building will be completed in a fraction of normal construction time, a matter of a few weeks [3].

My group will also explore the future of the 3D printing industry in construction, and the possibilities it presents. A possibility that involves the use of regolith is the printing of structures on the moon, planets, and asteroids in space. These structures may one day require no physical man power to construct and will be completed in a fraction of the current time.

A basic outline of our project can be seen below:

3D Printing in Buildings

·       Abstract

·       Introduction

·       History of 3D Printing

·       Background of 3D Printing in Construction

·       Examples of 3D Printing Applications

·       Materials

·       Concrete
·       Metal

·       Wood

·       Plastic

·       Alloys

·       Other (Moon Rocks)

·       3D Printing in Construction

·       Printing Methods

·       Structural Components

·       Entire Structure Examples

·       WinSun China builds world’s first 3D printed villa and tallest 3D printed apartment building

·       UAEIC 3D Printing Office Building

·       Future of 3D Printing

·       Additional Construction Applications

·       Growth of 3D Printing

·       Conclusions

·       References

References:

[1] http://www.esa.int/Highlights/Lunar_3D_printing

[2] http://3dprintingindustry.com/2015/07/20/3d-printed-modular-villa-assembled-in-three-hours/

[3] http://3dprint.com/77550/dubai-3d-printed-office/

Comments:

Alexis Aikins-

This sounds like an interesting topic. We have all always learned that sunlight imposes a large thermal load on buildings, but the effect of sunlight on occupant productivity is something that also needs to be considered. It is also good that you will be incorporating what you learn during this research on your senior design project. That only makes this topic that much more important because it demonstrates the real life application of your research. I also agree with what you said about the control of daylighting being an adaptive technology. The weather is unpredictable, and can only be controlled in buildings through the use of sensors and other intelligent building components. Good post.

Mohammed Alqallaf-

This sounds like an awesome project, and one that really needs to be done. It is good that you are able to incorporate your senior design project into this project, because it will only increase the overall quality of your design. You project also demonstrates the need for modeling existing buildings with BIM software, because of renovations such as the alumni labs. I also liked your point about having hand on BIM experience will help you to better understand the building integration process, and I believe that that knowledge is important for everyone in the construction industry to understand. Good Post.