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

B5 - SQL - Farnelli

Databases are meant to allow users to efficiently access the data stored in them. SQL is the language behind how information is accessed in many databases, and is important because of how widespread its use is and how it can be integrated into a user’s experience. Unlike other types of data storage which involve nested items and data trees, SQL primarily locates data in tables. The fields of the tables can then be used to sort the data and access specific entries. Tables can be related to one another, such as a table of products and their attributes and another of suppliers and a third of product orders. One reason why so many people dislike SQL is because it is geared only toward this type of information storage, and is not readily changed or reinterpreted. However, the purpose of the language is fulfilled by how it is structured. For example, in the figure below from the Wikipedia page the purpose of the statement is to find the USA entry and increase the population by one. 

Figure of sample statement in SQL

To do this, the user first states what they are aiming to do (update information), where this update is located (in a country table), describe the change (increasing the population) and direct the change (only where the country name is USA). This seem to be a very roundabout way of making this update, but often these changes are made with a graphical user interface or more user-friendly dialogue box, with the coding dictated by what the user enters into the search box, etc. The way users interact with Revit’s databases are similarly structured, which I will discuss. The language was not necessarily written with coding in mind, but with efficiently accessing information from a large set of tables. This can be altered easily to tailor it to a different set of data by changing the parameters which are being referred to in the commands, though this may require work upfront. 

A database needs to be able to be created, read, updated, and deleted (CRUD). In Revit, we see examples of these capabilities in the assignment we completed last week. Most of the libraries come already created, but we were able to create families that added their attributes to the database. Every time you add an instance of this bookcase or of a wall, door or any other item you are reading from the stored information. Updating a piece is also very easy, as you can either edit a family file and reload it into the database or make a duplicate of a family or type and edit attributes. Deleting families is also relatively simple using the same “edit type” dialogue which allows you to duplicate a family. While these may seem like trivial tasks, they are important in the way the allow the information to be stored and accessed quickly. Even if only one person in a group knows how to create a family, most can place it in a model and view its dimensions, etc. By linking the information together, it also becomes more easy to find which piece you need. For example, in Revit you are given a ribbon which allows you to pick what sort of element you want to place (for example a wall). Then you can choose what specific type of wall you want to place based on the attributes (thickness, fire proofing, etc). By doing this you are accessing what Autodesk considers the most relevant aspects of the item before placing it. Without this built-in database query, you would have a much more confusing experience. Instead, the way you interact with the program guides you through the stored information in a way which is understandable. 

Sources:

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

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

http://sql.learncodethehardway.org/book/introduction.html

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

Comments:

Kai Waechter: I agree that SQL is important because it is generally the way in which a user interacts with a database. Data is very important and present in today's world, from databases of information about products to the database that holds all of the information of this blog. Having a unified (or at least mostly unified) language behind accessing this information is very important for interoperability and information exchange between databases.
Dianna Vogel: I agree that the coding behind SQL may seem primitive, and this is likely a holdover not only of the age of the language but also of the original use. When it was first invented the amount of data being used in a particular program was not nearly as large as what is used today, and the first uses were likely not web based. Today's use of databases to store so much more information is much more complex and contains many more categories and tables, which is likely why the language seems so cumbersome. The first databases were along the scale of a large Excel sheet, not a set of data which requires a set of servers to hold it as today's do.
 

B4 - 3D Printed Concrete Properties - Farnelli

I have decided to investigate the mix design and structural properties of the various methods of 3D printing concrete. I chose this topic because I was intrigued by the shapes that can be made by this process but wondered if the pieces would have only architectural value. If the printed members can or will be able to in the future be a part of the structural system of a building, the ability to use the process in Intelligent Building practices would expand greatly. If the process can form members of suitable strength, it would be possible to sketch shapes in a BIM program and have them printed. The 3D shapes are simply sliced into layers and the filled area of each layer is communicated to the printer. Spaces could be left open for utilities to pass through, which could prevent further costs for drilling into the members later, etc.
In the past, the systems available for forming concrete are formwork (either cast-in-place or factory fabricated), "self-compacting" (which uses superplasticizers and still requires vibration), and sprayed concrete (which requires a backing material). 3D printed concrete would be able to be made without vibration or any sort of formwork or backing, which could reduce costs. However, this has not necessarily made it immediately the best option.
The major problem with this investigation is that the process still varies quite a bit, with some forms of 3D Printing using direct extrusion and others using sprayed powders. In extrusion, the most important properties for the wet concrete are the "flowability," the ability of the concrete to be pushed through the printer and form consistent filaments, and "buildability," which is required so that the mix will be rigid enough to stay in the planes and not sag while also being able to bond to the layers above.
For the sprayed powder process, the geometry may be better defined, as the layers would be much thinner. It surprised me that this type is so much less explored, but this may be because it can be considered too closely related to shotcrete. In addition, it is difficult to ensure that the water is incorporated in the powder, especially if a low water content mix is wanted.
Another complication is that 3D printed concrete is an anisotropic material because of the way it is made. Bonding between any extruded tubes and between layers has a great effect on the cured properties of the concrete. This bonding variability can increase based on the time required for formation, so larger pieces are very likely to have poor performance in shear along these planes or in tension pulling planes apart.
These points will be the major discussions to be addressed in my paper, along with the results of current testing and the future outlook for when and how 3D printing could form suitable structural concrete members. For example, I have yet to find any references to experimenting with any reinforcement other than small fiber reinforcement, and was wondering if there is any research into how a printer could perhaps print around larger reinforcement.

Sources:

Feng, Peng, Xinmiao Menga, Jian-Fei Chenb, and Lieping Yea. "Mechanical Properties of Structures 3D Printed with Cementitious Powders." Construction and Building Material 93 (2015): 486-97. Science Direct. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095006181500690X>.

Le, T. T., S. A. Austin, S. Lim, R. A. Buswell, A. G. F Gibb, and T. Thorpe. "Mix Design and Fresh Properties for High-performance Printing Concrete." Materials and Structures 45.8 (2012): 1221-232. Springer Link. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1617/s11527-012-9828-z>.

Le, T. T., S. A. Austin, S. Lim, R. A. Buswell, R. Law, A. G. F Gibb, and T. Thorpe. "Hardened Properties of High-performance Printing Concrete." Cement and Concrete Research 42.3 (March 2012): 558-66. Science Direct. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008884611003255>.

Williams, Adam. "Berkeley Researchers Pioneer New Powder-based Concrete 3D Printing Technique." Gizmag. Gizmag, 12 Mar. 2015. Web. 29 Jan. 2016. <http://www.gizmag.com/berkeley-researchers-pioneer-powder-based-concrete-3d-printing/36515/>.

Edit:
Comments on Danielle Schroder and  Kai Waechter's posts.

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 - Farnelli

The Department of Civil and Building Engineering of Loughborough University, UK performed a survey of 13 questions which were given to AEC companies in both the UK and the USA in 2008. The purpose of this survey was to see if they could identify the reasons why use of BIM was much more prevalent in the USA. At that point about 25% of the companies in the USA reported using BIM for design, and only 14% in the UK. While some of this information is no longer as relevant, as some problems have been at least partially addressed, the results to offer some insight into what keeps companies from adopting a BIM program for their designs. The top five barriers according to those surveyed were: waste time and human resource, cost copyright and training, unsuitable for projects, current technology is enough and that people refuse to learn. This first reason is most obvious when BIM is first adopted, as starting a new program always brings in many problems. The first few models would likely take much more time, which would be a very large hurdle. Sheet setups that have been used for years have to be redesigned for the new program, and using the program also generally requires a significant amount of training and experience before workers build up speed. The second barrier, the cost of the program and to train workers, is directly related to this problem. Often business licenses for the software can be very expensive, and good training can be costly as well. Each new version of the software might require additional training, as well.

When these categories are broken down by country, it is obvious that different aspects are more important based on the country. Almost 40% of USA voters agreed that wasting time and human resources was a barrier, with only about half that percentage of UK voters agreeing. US voters also were more likely to believe that the current technology was sufficient. In all other categories the UK believed that they were more of a barrier than the USA did. The largest difference in this case was that less than 5% of USA voters said that people would refuse to learn, while almost 20% of UK believers thought this would be an issue. Interestingly enough, it seems from this study that the USA respondents were more likely to believe that these problems would be barriers, though they are more likely to work in a company that already uses BIM software.

 

Finally, the survey also asked the AEC companies if they thought that BIM would have a future in the industry. About 2/3 of those surveyed believed that BIM at least maybe had a future, with only about 1/30 thinking that it did not. Though these problems have been an issue, the promise of the benefits to the industry if BIM is implemented far outweigh the hesitancy due to the problems with the software.

Another source from an IT company also walked through different factors which can make it difficult to begin using BIM, specifically Revit. They identified problems such as the cost of possibly upgrading the hardware as well, as some firms would not have computers that would be able to handle the software. They also included initial costs due to low productivity. This document also addressed the “people refuse to learn” problem, which I had not really understood before I read this. Here it is explained that the problem lies in the frustration of using the program without proper training. They at least partially address the problem by proposing rolling training, teaching a few people at a time (perhaps on smaller projects).

Sources:

Yan H and P Damian (2008). “Benefits and Barriers of Building Information Modeling.” 12^th International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering, Beijing, 2008.

 “7 Questions You Must Ask Before Moving to AutoDesk Revit: What steps are needed for a successful implementation of this powerful software.” Trust I.T., LLC, Baton Rouge, LA, 2014. <http://www.trustitllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Trust_Autodesk-Revit1.pdf>

Comments on Matthew Zabiega's and Kai Waechter's posts.

B2: Group B Farnelli

I am sure that we have all had experience with collaborative work on a project, and the complications which arise when cross-discipline work is required. BIM programs such as Revit have allowed companies to better coordinate their projects, but these programs still have quite a few limits. For example, often BIM models are used only for the coordination of geometry. Calculations are instead done in separate programs, with each division forming separate models in addition to the central model. Updates then often need to be done manually, which may lead to errors. An increases in beam size which is not notices in the structural department may not be immediately updated in the Revit model, for example, and this may lead to coordination problems when a mechanical engineer places a duct or piece of equipment where he or she believes there is space. While the capabilities of BIM to help coordinate projects are incredible, such problems do exist.
Chapter Two in Charles M Eastman's BIM Handbook covers interoperability, the ability of programs to work together. In the above example, the structural software was not able to update the BIM model itself, and users must check for changes and update models. This leads to the possibility of human error in translation. Eastman discusses the various methods for communicating between programs, including file types such as .dxf which can be read and produced from multiple programs, as I am sure at least a few of us have experienced. I personally have used this capability to form AutoCAD .dwg files from structural models in the past, but this is only a line model and does not directly transition into a BIM model.
The section which most held my interest in the chapter was the discussion beginning on page 114 about Industry Foundation Class (IFC). This representation of various parts in a BIM model is able to coordinate various properties and definitions of different parts of a model. For example, a wall is associated with various spaces it is adjacent to, as well as its materials, fire rating, purpose, etc. While each wall may have many properties, an engineer may be interested in only a few. The structural engineer may not care about the thermal transmittance, for example. The problem with interoperability is that programs used to perform analysis will also need to be selective about which properties to read. Geometry is likely important in all models, but many other properties should be left out of models which do not relate to them. Model View Definitions (MVD) are important as they determine what is exchanged and what is not. However, these are determined by trial and error and may not be standard. According to the handbook, there had been 23 efforts as of April 2010 to define MVDs, each for different purposes and programs. Other attempts to allow for interoperability include several XML transports such as OpenGIS and BCF (BIM Collaboration Format), as listed on page 133.
As the interoperability between programs increases, there may be a need to store further information in the BIM model. For example, perhaps it will be possible to notify the mechanical and structural team members if a beam and a duct are losing clearance space in the model before clash detection kicks in. However, as the amount of information being stored in the models increases there may be increased problems in the future with file compression and determining which specific programs need which specific attributes.

EDIT: Comments on Dianna Vogel's post and Bryan Cummings' post.

B1: Group B: Cathlene Farnelli

The first article I read (for the BIM tag) was “The Plan to Build a Skyscraper That Doesn’t Cast a Shadow,” accessible here. In this article, a pair of buildings designed to be constructed in Greenwich, England were described. These buildings were modeled in Rhinoceros in order to make it possible for there to be no complete shadow between them at any time. The curved inward surfaces of their facades mirror the light downward to the space between them, diffusing the light as well. What struck me most about this design was the complexity of ensuring that the glass panels will be in the correct orientation to mirror the light. Also the article mentioned that the computer program was able to form this shape (after quite a few structurally impractical designs) based on the parameters required by the architects.

The second article I read (for the 3D Printing tag) was titled “MIT's newest 3D printer spouts 10 materials at a time.” This article discusses the shortcomings of current 3D printer technology, which currently can print at most three materials (and these models are very costly). MIT’s MultiFab is able to print ten materials by mixing different polymer components inside the machine before printing them, rather than through simple extrusion. The printer also has an impressive 3D scanner which allows the user to print around objects to be embedded in the new material. For example, in the video we can see that the printer is able to scan an LED light and print a lens over it. While this technology might not have any direct impacts on intelligent building, being able to print multiple building materials, such as both concrete and steel, would be a very big breakthrough. However, this particular printer would not get us any closer, though the idea could possibly be used to try to form different mix designs of concrete during printing.

My third article (for the structure tag) was “Gravity-defying 3D printer to print bridge over water in Amsterdam.” In this article discusses a 3D printer which is able to print steel by “welding” on layers. Those running the project believe that two printers running from either side of a canal in order to form a cantilevered arch bridge after meeting in the middle. The printers could operate autonomously and build the bridge without human interaction. This application of 3D printing to form a structure is obviously more applicable for our purposes. It goes quite a bit further than the rope bridges which we saw in class (though this is a small-scale pedestrian bridge, not one intended for traffic use). The final bridge design has not been determined, though a video after the article shows the sculpture they were able to create and images show some possible ideas.

My final article (for the future tag) was titled “What Jobs Will the Robots Take?” Here Derek Thompson discusses the recent statistic that about half of the jobs in America today could be automated in 20 years or less. The article lists the most “at-risk” jobs, such as telemarketers and tax preparers, as well as the least replaceable, such as surgeons and fire fighters. However, these “safe” tasks, which require more complex algorithms and interaction with others, could very well be automated in the future. Engineers are on the safer side of the spectrum, as they need to be able to diagnose problems, which would be difficult to automate. This reminded me of the first article, as the computer program was able to form a shape that didn’t cast a shadow but was not necessarily able to tell that the design was illogical.

**Edit: comments posted on Alex Palma and Dianna Vogel's posts.

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.

Farnelli Introductory Post

Hello!
I am Cathlene Farnelli and am one of the BS/MS Juniors in the course. I am an AE for undergrad and a CIVE for graduate coursework. I like cats.
I am interested in this course because we have been told many times by professors how quickly what they learned in college about innovative design became obsolete. During co-ops I also saw a lot of managers and professional engineers who know very little about the software used for design, either for modeling or analysis.
I was expecting to gain some familiarity with upcoming design options that may become more prevalent as I become a working professional.
I would define "intelligent buildings" as buildings which make use of computers, sensors, etc. to aid in their design, construction or operation in order to more efficiently or effectively operate.

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