B6 - Course Reflection - Mark Lodato

AE 510 or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love BIM

                This course was very interesting and one of my favorite courses that I have taken at Drexel. It provided valuable insight on technological advances in the recent past and suggested possible advances that could take place in the near future as they relate to the construction and engineering industries. Examples of these advances were increased BIM integration in the architectural and structural design and construction processes, the increased roles of robotics in manufacturing and construction, and the importance of sensors and their outputs being stored in databases. The prevalence of guest speakers providing real world examples and stories about technology also helped to cement these ideas about technology.  I also enjoyed the emphasis of working in groups with my peers during class time. The ability to collaborate and gain multiple perspectives and viewpoints on the class topics was invaluable in regards to learning and fully digesting these topics.

                The portion of the course that I enjoyed the most was the guest lecturers. It is always beneficial to learn about BIM and how other technologies impact the world during normal class time, but actually hearing it first hand from engineers in the industry working for larger companies reinforces the class topics greatly. Each of the guest lectures was beneficial, worthwhile, and distinct enough so that each lecturer was separate from one another while still providing valuable information about the same topics. I also enjoyed how each of the lecturers had different perspectives and attitudes regarding BIM and technology in general as it relates to construction. I thought it was very important to look at the same issues from all possible sides and reference points in order to critically think about each topic effectively.

                The topic that I enjoyed the least was databases. This is not to say that the material was not relevant or applicable to the course or to us as engineers, but rather it just did not have the interest and wide appeal that the BIM discussions had. I think it would be beneficial to have a guest lecture about databases for future sections of the course to get another perspective and viewpoint about databases in general and the specifics about how they are applied in the industry.

                Overall, this course was definitely my favorite of the quarter and one of my favorite courses that I have taken at Drexel. I feel that it provided valuable information on the trends that the industry is taking in the professional world as it relates to technology and intelligent building. It definitely impacted me in terms of how I feel about the role of BIM in my professional career and the impact that BIM will have on me in the future. I definitely need to take a closer look at BIM as the technology develops further and familiarize myself better with more BIM software.

**Edit**

Comment 1: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b6-group-b-alex-palma.html

Comment 2: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b7-group-b-schroeder.html

B5 - SQL - Mark Lodato

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is the language for relational database management systems, or RDBMS. SQL is used for tasks involving databases such as updating information, adding information, removing information, and linking information among many other tasks. SQL has been certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been adopted as the standard for database editing and organizational languages. Many different software companies such as Oracle and Microsoft have their own version of SQL in which to use for their own database needs. If a database is considered to be where all of the data is stored, then SQL is what allows that data to be interacted with. This is important because storing information in a table is incredibly easy. It is just rote data input and organization. However, what makes a database very useful is the ability to find, select, and filter that data from the database which is what SQL allows a user to do.

The main challenge present when using SQL is interoperability. An SQL developed for one database system may not be fully compatible if the same SQL would then be used for a different database system. This is mainly due to differences in programmer syntax and programmer style but there are several other reasons why these compatibility issues arise. Some of these reasons are the complexity and size of the SQL standard means that most developers and programmers do not support the entire standard, some guidelines are not specified in SQL standards relating to important functions which leaves these functions open to individual interpretation and implementation, and certain developers may be unwilling to include backwards compatibility in their program language, among others.

**Edit**
Comment 1: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b5-sql-group-b-kai-waechter.html

Comment 2: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b5-group-b-dianna-vogel.html

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL

http://www.sqlcourse.com/intro.html

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/sql_intro.asp

https://www.ntchosting.com/encyclopedia/databases/structured-query-language/

B4 - Group 6 Project Topic - Laser Scanning - Mark Lodato

Laser scanning (Group 6: Kai Waechter & Mark Lodato)

The topic that Kai and I are doing for the term project is laser scanning and its applications in construction, renovations, and maintenance. Laser scanning has an enormous potential application in the construction industry and it is beginning to be used today. Its largest application is scanning an existing building or structure prior to beginning renovations on that structure. Essentially what laser scanning does is scan a building in order to locate the MEP framework or defects within the building that cannot be seen unless walls or ceilings were removed. These scans are then directly imported into a BIM program that can reproduce these scans as design plans within the BIM program to be manipulated within the program. This allows for efficient and non-destructive evaluation of the structure as well as simplicity in designing the renovation details themselves [1], [2].

This topic was chosen because it interests both Kai and me very much in that it is a sophisticated use of technology in our field of interest (structural engineering) in a concentration that also interests us (non-destructive evaluation/testing). Laser scanning is an innovative way to evaluate a building and locate if there are any defects with the structural integrity or MEP framework. All of this information is vital to a contractor if they are planning to renovate an existing building, particularly if this building is large enough that it would take too much time to manually investigate the entire building. This is a waste of time and the larger the building that is under renovation, the more likely that a defect could be missed due to human error. Laser scanning is connected to intelligent building because it is a technique that involves the use of technology in order to make a vital part of the design process streamlined and more efficient [1], [2].

                Some challenges to laser scanning are cost of implementation, technological availability, and integration. Standard surveying and manual inspection and evaluation techniques are still much more cost efficient ways of accomplishing the same task than laser scanning. Laser scanning is still a relatively new technology, and, therefore, is not widely available to a lot of companies. Also, if a company is not using BIM programs in their designs, then laser scanning would be of no use to them. The third most obvious challenge with laser scanning is integration into the BIM programs themselves. Because this is still a new technology there are often integration problems. Scans often have to be edited slightly and processed within the BIM programs before they can resemble plans. However, as the technology evolves, as with most technological advances, these problems should be alleviated in due time [3].

Sources:

[1] http://fieldlens.com/blog/building-better/guide-3d-laser-scanning-construction/

[2] http://www.faro.com/en-us/products/3d-surveying/faro-focus3d/overview

[3] http://rhodes-group.com/newsletter/winter-2012/scanning-the-third-dimension-a-look-at-3d-laser-scanning-in-the-construction-industry-and-beyond/

**Edit**

Comment 1: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b4-group-b-cummings.html

Comment 2: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b4-group-b-shields.html

Group B: Question 2

BIM Improve Buildings vs. It will make no difference or degrade them

Possible degradation?

If people begin to rely on programs, such as Revit, for structural design or analysis without completing the necessary thought and hand calculations supporting the model. The resulting building could degrade or not have the structural strength necessary to withstand day-to-day use.

No Improvement?

The modeling process will be streamlined; however, it may not add any features to the building itself.

Improvement?

BIM could potentially improve the building if it is connected with 3D printing, thus more complex shapes could be created. Furthermore, BIM software could be used for energy analysis and the design improved.

B3: Group B - Current Problems with Revit - Mark Lodato

In class, during Huw Roberts’ lecture, Revit/BIM’s current problems were discussed. Roberts made the point that Revit plans are static, and not dynamic. This is useful to see different versions of the same building, but it means that these plans are not easily changed on the fly. In a constantly changing project where new information is coming in everyday about a construction project, changing the designs in Revit is a necessity. It would be easier to do if these plans were not static as they are now and were dynamic. This feature contributes to the problem of Revit being a platform that is slow to change easily.

Another point that was brought up during Roberts’ presentation was that Revit and most other BIM programs can only show one specific thing at a time. Revit, in particular, can only show the physical design model of the project being built. Revit cannot show things such as a temperature reading overlay of any rooms or the building as a whole, shadow casting of the building, cost of the building or individual sections of the building, etc. It would be very useful if these models could display this information along with the physical model that is already being displayed. There is more to the design of a building than just the physical model and the fact that Revit can only display the physical model is a significant problem with Revit.

Another problem with Revit that was discussed during Professor Mitchell’s lecture arises when someone needs to make multiple models of the same construction project. If someone wants to make an MEP model or an architectural model or any other type of model, that person must make entirely different sets of models for each application. This creates a problem because models are not linked together within one file for ease of access. There are no things such as layers to differentiate between different applications of models. It also creates a time constraint problem as it takes time to create all of these different models. For projects that are in a time constraint, it would be much easier to edit an existing model with a different layer and overlay that layer over the main model instead of creating an entirely new model from scratch. The counter-argument to this problem is that the people who create and look at architectural models do not necessarily care about objects or details present in an MEP or any other type of model.

**Edit**

Comment 1: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-group-b-farnelli.html?showComment=1453818470654#c6563366622835996056

Comment 2: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b3-group-b-kai-waechter.html

B2 - Group B - Interoperability - Mark Lodato

Interoperability is the manner in which different software programs, in this case BIM programs, communicate with one another. This is becoming incredibly important in today’s BIM landscape because there are multiple platforms that all perform a specific function in regards to a project different and distinct from other programs. There are BIM programs that can detail architecture, subsurface conditions, water conditions, weather patterns, etc. With a large construction project, all of this information needs to be available and with interoperability these BIM programs can talk to one another. The architecture BIM program needs to know what the subsurface conditions are for the foundation of the building. The subsurface condition BIM program needs to know the hydrologic conditions to determine the bearing capacity and strength of the soils, and so on.

There are the standard pitfalls when discussing interoperability and compatibility in general between software programs, especially when these programs are made by different companies. Different programs might be lacking essential functions that other programs have which would make the file unable to be transferred. The data of one program might be programmed or stored in a different manner that would cause incompatibility issues. As technology gets more advanced and portable computing devices become the norm (tablets, Microsoft Surfaces) these compatibility issues must be ironed out so files can be transferred to different programs and so files can be uploaded and downloaded to the cloud to allow for greater portability.

**Edit**

Comments:

1) http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b2-group-b-farnelli.html?showComment=1453235176576#c232311560124261483


2) http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b2-group-b-kai-waechter.html?showComment=1453236104184#c6377421048914008600

B1: The Future in BIM, 3D Printing, and Structures

BIM/Future

An article in 2014 on McGraw Hill’s website (link provided below) discusses the benefits of BIM and where it can go in the future. Contractors that McGraw Hill surveyed replied that BIM is an extraordinarily helpful tool and its benefits are further increased when collaboration is involved. Specifically concerning a return on investment (ROI) on a project, when contractors use BIM, ROI increases. ROI further increases when contractors have BIM collaboration, which means several BIM programs specializing in different areas of the project communicating with one another and being compatible with one another. What the future holds for BIM is simple according to these surveyed contractors. BIM excels at making a detailed and reliable model from the office environment but is more difficult to take that model into the field. Therefore, tablet and cloud integration into BIM programs would drastically improve the mobility of BIM and further increase its usefulness.

http://www.aconex.com/blogs/2014/01/global-state-of-bim-construction-market-data.html

3D Printing/Structures/Future

An article on CNET describes how 3D printing can be used for construction purposes to build a bridge over a small canal using steel materials. This 3D printer is able to create full scale objects out of metal that has the same properties of normally manufactured metals. The exact procedure of construction of the bridge would involve the use of two 3D printers working in tandem on opposite sides of the bridge. This would require constant communication between the two printers in order for them to be aware of the other printer’s location at all times. The benefit to using two printers simultaneously would be to cut down on time and to reduce the stresses on the bridge during construction. This plan represents what the future holds for 3D printing in terms of construction. Using high-tech and advanced printers to communicate with one another while producing manufacture grade materials.

http://www.cnet.com/news/gravity-defying-3d-printer-to-print-bridge-over-water-in-amsterdam/

**Edits**

Comment on Danielle Schroeder's blog: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b1-group-b-schroeder.html?showComment=1452567176311#c7833413725249195921


Comment on Cathlene Farnelli's blog: http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/01/b1-group-b-cathlene-farnelli.html#comment-form

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.

Mark's Introduction Post

Hey everybody! My name is Mark Lodato. I am a Junior BS/MS student in Civil Engineering with a structures concentration. I enjoy long walks on the beach and getting caught in the rain.


What I hope to get out of this course is a deeper understanding of what intelligent buildings are and what I can do now and in the future to contribute to the field.


I think intelligent buildings can be defined as buildings that can utilize any sort of technology to run more efficiently, be built more efficiently, and be maintained more efficiently. Technology like sensors such as strain gauges to detect weak points within a building, or smart HVAC systems that can read the temperature and humidity in an environment and adjust accordingly are two examples that I feel represent this definition.

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