B7 Reflection - Amiji

The course “Intelligent Buildings” provided us a great service in both educating us about the emerging technologies and how it will transform the construction industry in the future. The emerging technology was helpful in giving us the exposure to the current progress of advancements in this field. That is what will allow us to make intelligent decisions in what directions our careers should take. By understanding the direction of current innovations and the field, we [students] have a much better basis for making important career choices. What was particularly helpful here was the introduction into these topics followed up by presentations by actual practitioners working in the industry. This insight into the current, actual practices and precedents is imperative presently as well -- at this time in our lives we still have ample chances to return to school and continue our education. This class was excellent at exposing us to the specific disciplines that will become prevalent in our fields (CAEE) by the time we start our careers.

The second aspect of the course I mentioned -- the ability to reeducate oneself or essentially update your knowledge of the field -- will become invaluable at allowing us options as the industry changes. By continuing to update one's outlooks on the field, the ability to make informed career decisions will be preserved. All of the research we had individually completed is a strong lesson in where and how to look for professional technical information on emerging technologies. This is one of the most important aspects of the course as it begins to instill the idea of learning how to learn -- or acquiring skills necessary to teach oneself. It is extremely important we continue to learn after we leave school and as we progress in our careers. It is unlikely any of us can be effective engineers without this ability to reeducate ourselves when evolution or advances occur in our fields.

The guest lectures were insightful and motivational. These professionals with vast amount of experience and knowledge as well as having worked for multinational companies provided in depth understanding of the actual collaboration of engineers, architects and construction managers in the implementation of the BIM technology such as REVIT. They also talked about the changes that are ongoing in the industry in terms of technology and gave a glimpse of the future of this industry. These lectures also provided excellent networking opportunity for possible co-op and full time opportunities. 

I also feel that the different exercises with BIM (REVIT) and databases also was extremely important for us as CAE engineers as this is how the industry will be developing in the next few years. For us to have a basic understanding before entering the workplace will help for future learning processes involving these types of work. Also by cultivating an early understanding we can better understand what our careers will involve in terms of work. These types of programs will be the standard for our industry and as such we will be spending a tremendous amount of time using them.

Comments:

Jon Swartz

Totally agree with you, the best part of the class I liked was the guest lectures, they provided their real world experience on the use of BIM technology such as REVIT and its practicality in terms of usage in the construction industry, how it is changing the construction process as well as the future of this technology. These lectures also provided excellent networking opportunity for co-op jobs and full time positions.

Hamad Al-Hajri

The database assignment was the most interesting part of the course since it was my first time to ever use Microsoft Access, it was a challenge initially since the actual requirement of the project was not understood as such. However, with the help of Professor Mitchell's tutorials it became easier to finish the task. Also the REVIT creating families assignment was another new feature which I got to learn. 

B5 - Group B - Hatim Amiji

SQL stands for Structured Query Language, is a special purpose programming language designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS). It is used to create, modify, and retrieve and manipulate data from relational database management systems. In SQL, tables and query results are lists of rows: the same row may occur multiple times, and the order of rows can be employed in queries.  SQL is used by most large scale databases to facilitate user and administrator interactions.  Many computer programs need to store and retrieve data.  Instead of implementing their own system of storing and retrieving the data, SQL systems can be used.

SQL works similarly to how an excel spreadsheet is set up; it looks at data in terms of tables.  Within these tables, SQL allows the user to place data, read data, change data, and remove data from these tables. SQL is a natural language for data analysis i.e. the concept of SQL is underpinned by the relational algebra therefore creating a consistent network for organizing and manipulating sets of data. SQL is a productive language for writing queries i.e. SQL engines have multiple ways to execute a query, but the developer does not need to understand any of the underlying database processing techniques. The developer simply specifies the desired set of data using projections (SELECT) and filters (WHERE). SQL engine has a lot of flexibility in how to optimize any given query hence shields the developer from the complexities of the underlying query techniques. In general, SQL provides a robust framework that adapts to new database management requirements.

Overall, SQL is important because it is the most popular language for defining relational database models, which have been the standard in the data industry for roughly the past four decades. Relational databases, as opposed to hierarchical databases, are composed of tables for which the creator explicitly defines the links or relationships. For hierarchical databases, every segment is already implicitly defined in a hierarchical path. The main advantage of relational databases is that they do not limit the user to a strict hierarchy of data and allow the programmer more liberty in regards to defining how the information is joined. As a result, they are more desirable in instances that demand flexible data structures. It is also relatively simple to edit and manipulate those structures.

Citations:

1. http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-SQL-and-Why-It-Is-Important?&id=6909544

2. http://www.thesitewizard.com/faqs/what-is-mysql-database.shtml

Comments:

Mohammed,

Your article was an interesting read. Seems like I underestimated the use of databases in the construction industry and its importance. Database can play an important role in the BIM world i.e. contractors, architects and engineering are working on the same model hence sharing big data in one platform thus the creation of databases can improve data organization and accessibility in order to ensure smooth/efficient workflow.

http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b5-mohammed-alqallaf-group-e.html?showComment=1455058585410#c7466918960644081852

Cathlene,

I have never worked with SQL before but by reading your blog, I can imagine how such programming language can be used to obtain specific family sets from a big REVIT family database. Also creation of new family sets can be organized and manipulated to ease of use during extraction by other parties such as contractors, architects and structural engineers who are working on the same platform.

http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b5-sql-farnelli.html?showComment=1455059530903#c56486159632581299

B4 - Karan Sagar Sinha

For our term project we have chosen to do a research paper on 3D printing that focuses on printing 3D concrete building components. 3D printing is becoming popular in the construction industry day by day. It really fascinated us after Professor Mitchell showed us a video in which the 3D printer was printing concrete blocks in different shapes and sizes. We feel that 3D printing will become very efficient and cost effective. It will reduce the time taken for a building to be constructed as the building components could be prefabricated with provisions cut out for ducts and internal wiring. Structural components that are made via 3D printing, otherwise known as “concrete crafting,” use less material than the same components made using normal concrete forming techniques. Whereas curved concrete structures that are poured into forms are solid, those made via concrete crafting can be hollow, allowing space for essential building services right inside the structural elements of the building.

We are focusing on concrete as our material as we feel that concrete can be easily molded/printed in any shape and size and is easily customizable. This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for architects everywhere. Much like the freeform design of The Bird’s Nest in Beijing, China, 3D printed architectural components are totally unfettered by typical design constraints. The ability to use curvilinear forms, rather than being cost and process limited to rectilinear forms, opens a whole new realm of design.

Modern Architecture is demanding new developments in construction manufacturing technology, a team at Loughborough University has been working on a 3D concrete printing project that could allow full scale building components to be 3D printed on-site to any design. This gives the architects a tremendous degree of design freedom. An example of such a design can be seen from the image shown below, as you can see that the possibilities are endless with concrete and 3D printing. The possibilities using concrete is endless.

The goal of our project is to do an extensive research on how concrete a valid option in building construction and how it has a potential to improve in the future.

The outline of our project is as follows –

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

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20120316-a-second-generation-3d-concrete-printing-is-under-development.html

http://www.viatechnik.com/3d-printing-and-looming-changes-in-the-construction-industry/

Comments:

Allison – I found your topic quite interesting. I can imagine having a mechanism that senses changes and adapts accordingly. Our group was also thinking to do a similar project but then we felt that what all technology would we need in order to have such a mechanism. It really fascinates me on how this could actually be possible.

A.J Kuzniarowicz – We are also doing our research paper on 3D printing and we have a lot of topics in common. I totally agree with the points you’ve made throughout your post about how 3D printing would be cost effective and would also cause some social havoc with the labor unions. Also looking at your outline, under additives, I found it very fascinating and thought provoking that you could add certain components and materials to further enhance 3D printing.

B3 - Group B - Hatim Amiji

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process of integrating different aspects of construction into a single system. The extensive use of computers in the construction industry has played an important role in the widely usage of BIM software such as Revit. BIM has many advantages i.e. it is being used to reduce construction costs by optimizing material usage and also increase efficiency. BIM, being the future of the construction industry with so many advantages however certainly has setbacks at present.

Major issue of BIM development at present is the cost. The software itself is expensive hence it is not used by companies with small budgets. Also, smaller construction projects have less profits which in comparison to the cost of the software is not feasible. Use of BIM also requires extensive training of the employees in usage of the specified software hence adding more costs of operation. For companies which have been working primarily with CAD software or hand drawings will suffer additional costs to convert projects to BIM format.

Interoperability costs also arises, this is a major problem at present. Communication between different software is very limited because file formats are not supported across various platforms. When architects, engineers and construction managers want to share construction files for a project suffer major interoperability issues if they are all using different programs.

BIM model can be shared by  many parties hence engineers, architects even construction managers can contribute to the model this tends to compromise the accuracy of the project. A small flaw or mistake in the model can have an impact on all the parties that are sharing the same file and working on the project.

BIM also creates a problem of ownership/legality. In this case, since a BIM file is shared by many parties this can create confusion when it comes to the ownership of the BIM file. Legal claims can lead to result unnecessary costs to the project.

References

http://construction.about.com/od/Trends/a/Building-Information-Modeling-Risks.htm

B2 - Group B - Hatim Amiji

Interoperability simply means the  capability of a product or system to be interpreted by other products or systems without any limitations. In software, is the ability to pass data between applications, and for multiple applications to jointly contribute to the work at hand. It eliminates the need to manually copy data already generated in another application hence saves time/money and improves efficiency. Unlike geometry exchanges between applications, building model exchanges are much more complex this is because BIM represents multiple kinds of geometry, relations, attribute and properties for a specific building structure. The model created using BIM carries more information and detail than a standard CAD file. BIM's ability of producing more than just drawings creates different problems in exchange of data i.e. analysis tools such as structural, thermal, scheduling and procurement applications are translated differently. The Industry Foundation Class (IFC) is a data model intended to describe building and construction industry data, it is a neutral platform which allows open file format specification that is not controlled by a single or a group of software companies. This unified schema was developed to facilitate interoperability in architecture, engineering and construction industry based on official International Standard (ISO 16739:2013). IFC incorporates a wide range building design, engineering and production information which can be exchanged in this unified platform i.e. wide range of geometry of varying complexity, numerous relations between objects as well as different  properties of structural material and shapes. A BIM software allows engineers, architects and construction managers to communicate on the same platform, this eliminates problems resulting due to file sharing restrictions and thus increases efficiency. During my first co-op, part of my job was to survey hole patterns in fabricated steel girders and then use that data to detect eccentricities with actual hole locations in CAD drawings done using MicroStation. The data obtained from the surveying instrument was not compatible in MicroStation hence those data were manually plotted and compared with actual CAD drawing which was time consuming and unnecessary repetitive work. During my second co-op, I did a similar surveying job however this time a software called PC-DMIS was used to import data from the surveying equipment which was compatible with MicroStation hence saving time and money. Approximately $15.8 billion dollars is spent on interoperability costs on an annual basis, therefore platforms such IFC which allows open sharing of technical data reduces unnecessary additional cost of construction which arises from interoperability limitations.  

References:

Eastman, C. "Chapter 3: Interoperability." BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Engineers and Contractors.

http://www.ncoic.org/what-is-interoperability

http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build04/PDF/b04022.pdf

B1 - Group B - Hatim Amiji

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. My concentration is structural engineering and therefore I am interested in how 3D printing technology can be used in the construction industry. 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. However, 3D printing is a relatively new method of construction and therefore specific building codes for this method are non-existent, hence something to be developed in the future by IBC. Furthermore, the company built a full sized 1,100 square meter mansion with construction cost of only $160,000 using 3D printing technology. A CAD design is used as a template, and the extruder which lays down the material is controlled by a computer. Overall, the process saves between 30 – 60% of construction waste, decrease production times by 50 – 70% depending on the complexity of the structure, reduce cost of labor by 50 – 80% hence resulting in a construction method which is environmental friendly and cost effective. [1] [2]  

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process of integrating different aspects of construction into a single system. It goes beyond the planning and design phase of the project, extending throughout the building life cycle as it incorporates construction management and facility operations i.e. design, build and maintenance of the structure. Using BIM software such as Revit by Autodesk, different phases of construction can be simulated beforehand, hence opportunities such as pre-fabrication or pre-assembling of certain systems can be done off-site which saves time and money. Delivery of construction materials can be scheduled efficiently and thus waste can be controlled/minimized on site. Planning using BIM also prevents possible hazards that can occur during construction of a complicated structure. Models in BIM can be used to detect possible maintenance failures in the building for example: leakage of plumbing systems or HVAC ducts. BIM is now extensively used in large scale construction projects as it enhances efficiency hence reducing cost of construction as it lays the playing field for architects, structural engineers, construction managers, mechanical and electrical engineers who all work together in a unified system. [3]

Skyscrapers are heart of the skyline of any city, they are beautiful however they cast long shadows, hence limiting sunlight and reducing visibility. Therefore the future of such high rise structures is to design a mirror glass façade which would reflect sunlight of the surrounding buildings to minimize shade. Computer modelling can be used to calculate the different angles at which sunlight hits the building façade which can be used to design the curvature of the glass mirror needed to minimize shadows. [4]

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

3. http://extreme.rs/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2011_realizing_bim_final.pdf

4. https://www.evernote.com/pub/view/aengineer/ae-510/20e74c1f-70eb-4d10-9070-7359b759be25?locale=en#st=p&n=20e74c1f-70eb-4d10-9070-7359b759be25

Group B Discussion Post - Week 1

After watching the videos, we can see 3 main changes. The first is an increase in speed in the drone's movement, and a more fluid travel throughout it's path. The second was a better coordination between the drones, as often times, both drones were working to create the same section, and interacting with one another to create sections. Thirdly, the drones had the ability to work in a changing environment; unlike the first, where the structure is more stable, the drones were able to work with a swaying rope which did not always have a defined position.

These tools may be applied in the future in more unknown or unsafe environments, where human interaction is more difficult. The increase in speed makes the use of drones more applicable than before.

Student Names - To Create Tags

Here are the names of the students in AE-510 as of 12/30/2015.  This post is mostly here to create the tags for labeling posts by students.  A second one will be necessary because blogger limits the length of tags that can be added at one time.

Alexis Aikins

Mohammed Al Qallaf

Hamad Al-Hajri

Faisal Alghati

Cristian Almendariz

Hatim Amiji

Maria Ayon

Danielle Beynon

Eduardo Borja

Samuel Boyce

Nikita Chauhan

Mridul Chulet

Sean Coffey

Alexandria Crouthamel

Bryan Cummings

Cathlene Farnelli

Katherine Flint

Bridget Frasca

Laura Hill

Adrian Kuzniarowicz

Yuanjin Li

Mark Lodato

Rebecca Lynch

Alex Palma

James Redus

Gary Reiff

Danielle Schroeder

Yuyang Shi

Yasmina Shields

Karan Sagar Sinha

Jonathan Swartz

Janet Tran

Dianna Vogel

Kai Waechter

William Whitesell

Laura Worley

Haoying Ye

Matthew Zabiega

Derek Zaccheo