I thought this was a very interesting course to take. As much as we are encouraged to think about our future as college graduates, we don't always think about where the industry is going. I learned a lot about where the industry is headed regarding AI, improvements to BIM, and many other components. For example, my term project is focusing on virtual reality and augmented reality in construction. Both of those technologies are entering the construction industry really quickly and it can completely change how a building is designed and constructed. This class really helped me to think about future job possibilities and where the industry is going.
I think my favorite thing from the class was having guest speakers. It was really beneficial to have professionals speak on what their companies are doing in intelligent building design. It was also really nice to be able to make professional connections. It provided real life insights that most classes don't offer.
I also really liked that a lot of the class was self taught. It was interesting to supplement what was talked about in class with blog posts. It was nice to learn for ourselves as well as from our peers. I liked that there were a variety of topics. Many of the posts made me think outside the box. This is what I also really like about the final project. We were allowed to choose something that interested ourselves for an opportunity to learn something new for ourselves and from our peers.
Overall, I thought this was a really great class. It had a variety of different things to learn and it was a prep for the future more than just a few years. It gives us a head start in order to help lead the industry as it evolves.
Comments
Maria Raggousis - I agree that there were many aspects of this course that exposed me to things I otherwise wouldn't not have been exposed to. I know I hadn't really ever been exposed to thinking about sensors and I know I wouldn't have ever4 really had to program a database. This is really helpful to have this knowledge as I can now have conversations with people I normally wouldn't have been able to input anything on.
Chris Sager - I agree that this is a class that you get out what you put in, just as it says on blackboard. I know that since I chose to learn each week during the blog posts and put in a lot of effort in the assignments, I got a lot out of the course. I hope other students enjoyed it as much as I did.
Maissoun Ksara - I agree that I too learned a wide variety of skills that will benefit my future. I know I otherwise wouldn't have been exposed to learning how to program databases or really how to edit Revit families. The Revit project actually benefited another course this term and I'm sure that many other things will benefit my future.
Showing posts with label Francischetti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Francischetti. Show all posts
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
B5 - Taryn Francischetti - Relational Database Theory
Before looking at what exactly relational database theory is, it is important to understand some history and even what a database is. According to Hugh Darwen, "a database is an organize, machine-readable collection of symbols to be interpreted as a true account of some enterprise... A database is typically available to a community of users, with possibly varying requirements" [1]. Databases really started when the need to "efficiently manipulate large amounts of structured information" came into place [2]. Databases allow many users to access many files at one time. They help to keep all data from any type of program organized.
Relational databases allow files to be related by a common field. A diagram of a relation is shown below [1]:
This diagram shows that relations, or the tables, can be broken up into n-tuples, or rows, and attributes, or columns. Relations can be modeled using one-to-one relationships, one-to-many relationships, or many-to-many relationships. One-to-One relationships occur only if every row in the first table has at most one row in the second table. One-to-many relationships occur when every row in the first table has zero, one, or many rows in the second table, but for every row in the second table there is only one row in the first table. Many-to-many relationships occur when every row in the first table can have many rows in the second and for every row in the first table there can be many rows in the first table [3]. These examples can be seen below.
These relations are then modeled by a DBSM or database management system. The commands that are written to manage DBSMs are SQL. DBSMs can create and destroy variables in the database, take note of integrity rules and authorizations, update variables, and provide results of queries [1].
As organized and helpful as relational databases are in data management, there are a few issues. The first problem is that of incomplete information. This problem arrises when there is an assumption that the model is a completely determined finite structure. Algebraic mechanisms can be used in order to model uncertainty in order to attempt to correct for null values. As many equations as have been proposed, there is still not a perfect fix. The further away from the model, the fewer analytical and algebraic tools are available to solve the problem. The second problem is that of database updates. This is a very complicated issue that has to deal with the languages of databases. A database update is either completed manually or automatically and the database could experience a view update problem where incomplete information is included in the update [2]. Although there are problems the relational database model is still extremely strong in how databases are ordered and how their information is accessed.
[1] https://dvikan.no/ntnu-studentserver/kompendier/an-introduction-to-relational-database-theory.pdf
[2] ftp://ftp.cs.brown.edu/pub/techreports/89/cs89-39.pdf
[3] https://theplatypusdatabase.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/fundamentalsofdbdesign.pdf
Comments
Brennan Connolly - Object Oriented Databases seem much simpler than those that use SQL to access data. For me, it seems that finding objects is much simpler than trying to sort through words to find information. However, both types of databases have their niches. The metaphor that was used from the youtube video really provided a great example for the differences between the databases.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b5-object-oriented-databases-brennan.html
Paulina Gawor - This post greatly expanded upon how information is accessed in what I wrote about, relational databases. Once the code is explained a bit more, SQL is a fairly straightforward way to access relational databases. The nice thing about it is that SQL is a standard and so it can easily be transferred to more than one database.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b5-sql-paulina-gawor.html
Ronald Park - Databases are a very important part of design firms and really all business firms. They are great for any structural firm where anyone would need to access templates at any point in time. Each company has a standard template for different documents and its so much easier when the standards are already stored in a database. I never really thought about databases providing security to the firms files but security in documents is one of the most important things, especially when there is so much information that could be accessed.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/ronald-park-group-d-b5-uses-of.html
Relational databases allow files to be related by a common field. A diagram of a relation is shown below [1]:
Relationships [3]
Top left: one-to-one, Top right: one-to-many, Bottom: many-to-many
As organized and helpful as relational databases are in data management, there are a few issues. The first problem is that of incomplete information. This problem arrises when there is an assumption that the model is a completely determined finite structure. Algebraic mechanisms can be used in order to model uncertainty in order to attempt to correct for null values. As many equations as have been proposed, there is still not a perfect fix. The further away from the model, the fewer analytical and algebraic tools are available to solve the problem. The second problem is that of database updates. This is a very complicated issue that has to deal with the languages of databases. A database update is either completed manually or automatically and the database could experience a view update problem where incomplete information is included in the update [2]. Although there are problems the relational database model is still extremely strong in how databases are ordered and how their information is accessed.
[1] https://dvikan.no/ntnu-studentserver/kompendier/an-introduction-to-relational-database-theory.pdf
[2] ftp://ftp.cs.brown.edu/pub/techreports/89/cs89-39.pdf
[3] https://theplatypusdatabase.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/fundamentalsofdbdesign.pdf
Comments
Brennan Connolly - Object Oriented Databases seem much simpler than those that use SQL to access data. For me, it seems that finding objects is much simpler than trying to sort through words to find information. However, both types of databases have their niches. The metaphor that was used from the youtube video really provided a great example for the differences between the databases.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b5-object-oriented-databases-brennan.html
Paulina Gawor - This post greatly expanded upon how information is accessed in what I wrote about, relational databases. Once the code is explained a bit more, SQL is a fairly straightforward way to access relational databases. The nice thing about it is that SQL is a standard and so it can easily be transferred to more than one database.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b5-sql-paulina-gawor.html
Ronald Park - Databases are a very important part of design firms and really all business firms. They are great for any structural firm where anyone would need to access templates at any point in time. Each company has a standard template for different documents and its so much easier when the standards are already stored in a database. I never really thought about databases providing security to the firms files but security in documents is one of the most important things, especially when there is so much information that could be accessed.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/ronald-park-group-d-b5-uses-of.html
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Ng Andrew - B4: Virtual Reality on Jobsites
Virtual Reality on Jobsites
Project Description/Why It was Chosen:
Alexander Koo, Taryn Francischetti, and I chose to do our
project on Virtual Reality in the Construction Industry. With the upcoming
years, technological impact in most industries would make processes much more
convenient and “interesting”. Virtual Reality being one of the peculiar
advances has touched the surface of the construction industry and is starting
to be implemented. The reason we chose this topic is because of the great
amount of benefits. VR if set up on a construction site can enable contractors,
architects, engineers, etc., to overlay their design with existing features.
With proper orientation of survey “control points”, the device can detect the
space that the design should be built on and populate the visual representation
right on top of what is on the site. The huge convenience of having the design
seen as a virtual representation would increase construction efficiency by many
folds as the parties involved, in my opinion, should collaborate easier and
detect any flaws in design earlier in the process.
Relation to IB:
Intelligent Building involves an integrative approach in
construction. VR being “integrative” and “intelligent” (to be determined with
future improvements) follows the idea of Intelligent Building as it would involve
a new technology that may make the building process more efficient. VR would
allow for parties involved in construction to get the model, possibly from
BIM/Revit, and have it shown at the site the design is going to be built. By
seeing the design at the site, collaboration should increase. Walkthroughs of
the design at the site may allow for clients to understand and get the idea of
what is going to appear after construction. This will also allow for any
changes in design and reduce the amount of possible change orders, ultimately
saving money. By bringing the design to reality, or I should say a “virtual
reality”, the design process should become more efficient.
Challenges:
The virtual reality in construction is still only starting
to be implemented and has not become a standard practice. Finding research for
the paper, that may have to go up to 3500 words, may be a challenge. The
numbers to support how the technology works may have to be pulled from current
devices that aren’t used for construction and then explained in an
entrepreneurial approach. The approach may include an explanation on surveying
then research on detection/recognition programs. Once explaining how the VR
device can find the survey points, the idea of populating the visual representation
of the design on site will then be researched. Many flaws with the overlaying
of the model to existing features may occur.
References:
Comments:
Maisson Ksara – Intelligent buildings not being the same as
green buildings is an interesting concept. I would guess your research will
find a lot of LEED topics such as what specifies a platinum or gold
certification. You may find the LEED’s point system. One thing that could be
something interesting that LEED does is that: For some of their points
rewarded, the owner of the building can give money to build some green
infrastructure elsewhere, perhaps in a 100mile radius, if the green
infrastructure physically can’t be built on his/her site. Since the green
feature would be elsewhere but LEED may term the building green, it wouldn’t
technically be “green” but may be “intelligent”.
Egla Qori – Using Revit to model a structural frame for a
forty-story hotel sounds great. Using a school project to gain insight of an
application for your career is something good. It sorts of makes me jealous of
not thinking along the same lines. One thing I am wondering however is how the
shape of the building would be like. Would there be different elevations on the
site? Is the building a rectangular box or would it have some geometric complex
shape at the roof or along the side? I know framing would probably have a column
stacked rectangular grid, but with my lack of experience, I am curious if the
framing would change if some architectural feature demands it.
Andy Dinh – Comparing the use of Revit and Bentley
Architecture is something I wouldn’t know so I would like to read your paper
when it’s done. I have never used Bentley applications, and I unfortunately don’t
know what the interface even looks like. Sharing files between the two would
also go hand in hand with what we just researched with BIM limitations. If
there is a way, that’ll be cool. One thing I’m wondering though: Are the
programs similar? And if they are wouldn’t one program try to absorb the other?
Would people eventually gravitate to one program as opposed to the other as it
is more used? I know Revit is trying to be the “centerpiece” of the
construction process, and I don’t know anything about Bentley Architecture. As
a third party without much knowledge, if I were a designer and Revit were the
main program, I wouldn’t touch Bentley Architecture unless I had to.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Taryn Francischetti - B4 - Project
My group consists of Alex Koo and Andrew Ng. Our project investigates the use of virtual reality on construction sites. It seems that from the past, society was supposed to be much further along with the development of virtual reality than it actually it. Virtual reality is finally becoming feasible on construction sites due to the use of BIM software in multiple industries and there is a growing interest in the VR community [1]. This project was chosen to see how the use of VR on job sites could help further buildings to be intelligent buildings. For example, A construction worker could place on a VR head seat while on the job site and visualize what connection would go where for beams. This would greatly reduce the number of errors on job sites. The group chose this project because VR could significantly help the construction industry even though many people are not aware of it yet. The impact of this hopefully will not be far off. There are currently around 419 virtual reality startups, although that is assumed to be greatly underestimated [1].
I think the use of virtuality is greatly related to intelligent buildings. For example, a common VR headset that is used by many gammers, the oculus rift, allows for architects to visualize what their building will look like as if they were an occupant, which cannot be achieved through normal BIM software [2]. If these plans can be used to help building the building on the job site then it really is creating an intelligent building. The use of VR can make intelligent BIM drawings so much simpler as almost all errors can be avoided.
As Professor Mitchell pointed out in his review of the project, it is a very broad topic. The group has to be very specific in exactly what is being researched and why using engineering knowledge. The other thing that is going to be a bit difficult is finding reliable, up to date sources. This is a very new technology so there is not always a lot of diverse information.
[1] https://aec-business.com/virtual-reality-construction/
[2] https://www.viatechnik.com/resources/50-virtual-reality-technologies-in-architecture-engineering-and-construction/
Comments
Elga Qori - I really enjoy that you and Arthur are using this class to help with your senior design project. I think it is a great idea to create families of similar beams, columns, and the like. I know autocad uses a similar feature that is called blocks. I structurally designed an apartment building with very similar rooms and therefore similar structural plans for each one. This made it so if I edited one item all of them edit just like the families in revit. I think this project will greatly benefit you.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b4-team-project-smmary-egla-qori.html
Andy Dinh: I think you and Ronald park have a good project idea. I personally have used a Bentley product before, RAM structural. having experience in both programs I can see a lot of similarities. The nice thing is that it seems where one leaves off the other picks up. For example, Revit allows almost unparalleled architectural design while RAM can fully design all structural members given one button click. It will be very interesting to see how the rest of the Bentley products tie into the RAM software and if it could maybe even be better than Revit.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b3-andy-dinh-term-project.html
Ronald Herazo: I like your project with Zhijing Zheng and Joe Chaudhari. It sometimes seems that surveyors are almost forgot when thinking about intelligent buildings. In reality, the foundation of the entire building and site layout relies on them. If their job can be made easier through the use of 3D scanning and newer robotic devices, it could really help out the entire building.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/assignment-b4-group-ronald-herazo.html
I think the use of virtuality is greatly related to intelligent buildings. For example, a common VR headset that is used by many gammers, the oculus rift, allows for architects to visualize what their building will look like as if they were an occupant, which cannot be achieved through normal BIM software [2]. If these plans can be used to help building the building on the job site then it really is creating an intelligent building. The use of VR can make intelligent BIM drawings so much simpler as almost all errors can be avoided.
As Professor Mitchell pointed out in his review of the project, it is a very broad topic. The group has to be very specific in exactly what is being researched and why using engineering knowledge. The other thing that is going to be a bit difficult is finding reliable, up to date sources. This is a very new technology so there is not always a lot of diverse information.
[1] https://aec-business.com/virtual-reality-construction/
[2] https://www.viatechnik.com/resources/50-virtual-reality-technologies-in-architecture-engineering-and-construction/
Comments
Elga Qori - I really enjoy that you and Arthur are using this class to help with your senior design project. I think it is a great idea to create families of similar beams, columns, and the like. I know autocad uses a similar feature that is called blocks. I structurally designed an apartment building with very similar rooms and therefore similar structural plans for each one. This made it so if I edited one item all of them edit just like the families in revit. I think this project will greatly benefit you.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b4-team-project-smmary-egla-qori.html
Andy Dinh: I think you and Ronald park have a good project idea. I personally have used a Bentley product before, RAM structural. having experience in both programs I can see a lot of similarities. The nice thing is that it seems where one leaves off the other picks up. For example, Revit allows almost unparalleled architectural design while RAM can fully design all structural members given one button click. It will be very interesting to see how the rest of the Bentley products tie into the RAM software and if it could maybe even be better than Revit.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b3-andy-dinh-term-project.html
Ronald Herazo: I like your project with Zhijing Zheng and Joe Chaudhari. It sometimes seems that surveyors are almost forgot when thinking about intelligent buildings. In reality, the foundation of the entire building and site layout relies on them. If their job can be made easier through the use of 3D scanning and newer robotic devices, it could really help out the entire building.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/assignment-b4-group-ronald-herazo.html
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Abdullatif Alkandari - GroupC - B3
Possible Future Advantages of Revit
Revit
has proven itself among the leading software programs in building design and
has developed overtime. It now features 3 separate templates in order to allow
the user to choose whether an Architectural, Structural or Mechanical one is
most suitable to the intended project. And within each template, the user has a
variety of component options to work with (Families). It is more user-friendly
compared to some other BIM programs and provides the opportunity to get a
realistic view of the project in order to put it into perspective. With these
features in mind, it is expected to see future enhancements to the software
that can make it even more capable and practical.
From a
structural perspective, Revit can be expected to take its design capabilities
to the next level. Perhaps it is possible for the developers to include the
International Building Code (IBC) design requirements into the software. A
feature like this can make Revit more insightful for the user as it will inform
the user if he/she are violating any codes with their design in progress, and
this will effectively save time and effort as errors detected in the early
stages of design are easier to remedy rather than if are realized later. And
the IBC is one of many standards relating to structural design, so this code additions
can be one of many that can work in Revit.
And
when we look at the mechanical properties of Revit and the great details within
the program, I think it would be possible to make the software more involved in
this aspect of the design. One way to achieve this is installing a built-in
HVAC energy analysis software similar to eQuest or any other program that can
deal with heating zones and energy consumption estimations. Having this
technology within Revit can make it more well-rounded and perhaps one day, all
the design parameters needed to commence the building stage of the project can
be solved for from Revit directly.
And
with regards to the Architectural portion of Revit, it can be expected to have
better performance and yield better results via adding features such as sun
studies and simulations of the design on the proposed site in order to have a
better understanding of the aesthetics of the building and how it can interact
with its surrounding environment. The software can even have the topography
& geology of the site which can in turn give crucial information to the
structural engineer regarding the foundation recommendations.
Resources:
Taryn
Fracischetti: You have shed a light on a very important factor that needs to be
considered regarding Revit and the latest development in the BIM world. The
fact that companies are now steering towards hiring employees with BIM software
experience rather than actual knowledge of the engineering behind the design
processes can be quite catastrophic, especially if people find a better career
in BIM as opposed to Engineering majors.
Ziyang
Lin: I enjoyed how informative and well-organized your post was as it made
really good points regarding the current advantages of BIM. Personally, the “Simulation
and Error detection” was helpful to know where Revit stands right now from this
point of view in order to expect where it can be in the near future. The “workflow”
was another good point that makes collaboration among fellow designers more
convenient and productive.
Paulina
Gawor: I agree with what you had to say about the representation of the
electrical industry in BIM, the programs do not provide the required equipment
for electricity. BIM doesn’t have good circuit designs available and that is
why I believe that this is an important factor to consider for future BIM
updates in order to make them more integrated and serve a wider range of
functions.
Taryn Francischetti - A-Team - Blog Post 3
As discussed in class Revit is a major part of the construction industry and its place seems to keep growing. However, there are many problems that are beginning to arise as Revit, and BIM in general advance in their software. There are also rising problems in how dependent different industries are becoming on Revit and BIM software in general.
It is becoming more common to exchange files between companies as electronic files. This poses a problem in both the amount of information that is exchanged as well as how to protect that information. Salman Azhar speaks in hist article about how one of the risks of BIM currently is, "the lack of determination of ownership of the BIM data and the need to protect it through copyright laws and other legal channels" [1]. He continues on to state that there is no simple way to determine who owns the data. If this is an issue now, it can only become more severe as time goes on. I don't believe that it is currently in Revit's plan to include ownership on their files as it is not technically their responsibility to protect the data. As BIM becomes more popular, companies need to be careful legally in how to protect their files and building plans.
Another concern that was expressed in class was the fact that as BIM becomes more popular, many people may become too dependent on it and not have the basic skills to function without it. The article from Architectural Ellipsis speaks about how many companies that are looking to hire interns are looking only for people who have work experience in Revit [2]. This seems to be becoming an easier thing to fill as most companies already have as many senior staff as they need, but are lacking employees who have experience in new technology. The problem that many companies are going to run into if they continue this practice is that their newer employees aren't going to have work experience beyond that of BIM modeling. This is going to create a sort of bottleneck in the company where completing projects outside of BIM will become nearly impossible. It is important to continually educate the younger generation in how to not rely on software if companies are going to stay out of trouble.
One last concern that was expressed is that Revit may not be able to keep up with all of the updates it needs to go through. The program could theoretically run into Moore's law and not be able to keep up with itself. This concern was even expressed by our speaker last week, Kayleigh Houde from BuroHappold Engineering. She expressed how difficult it was to update Revit each year currently. This problem could easily compound itself as the years continue. In the article Is Revit Dead?, the author discusses seven future updates that Revit currently has planned. These include Revit in the Cloud, Revit interoperability with fabrication, and revit collaboration to name a few [3]. With so many updates planned, Revit might not be able to compete even wth itself.
[1] Azhar, S. (n.d.). Leadership and Management in Engineering. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://ascelibrary.org/doi/full/10.1061/(ASCE)LM.1943-5630.0000127
[2] Want to be an Architect?; Don't Learn Revit. (2013, February 5). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://archinect.com/arch-ellipsis/want-to-be-an-architect-don-t-learn-revit
[3] Is Revit dead? (2014, March 29). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.seandburke.com/blog/2014/03/29/is-revit-dead/
Comments
Yosep Bak - I think it is very interesting that one model could easily be used to create 10 apartment buildings in several different places. It makes it extremely efficient to not have to create 10 separate buildings but simply edit one. This type of modeling is very helpful for buildings such as franchises where the buildings are nearly identical. Thousands of dollars can be saved due to less time in creating new buildings.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/yosep-bak-w3-p3.html
Zhijing Zheng - I agree with you that there is an extreme pressure on time and expenses in projects. If the entire project can be built at once then there is an extreme amount of time saved. This is one of the reasons that firms with all different industries in house are really enjoying the Revit collaborate feature. This allows architects and engineers to work on a model at the same time. I have to disagree a bit though as I think this is beneficial to create intelligent buildings that have less coordination issues.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-current-issue-with-revitbim.html
Brennan Connolly - I agree that Revit is headed in a direction that will allows users to easily model energy performance. There are already a few things in revit that can help with this. With improvements it would be very easy to calculate how much natural daylight a building will receive and how much energy the building will save. With future advancements, almost every building will be able to receive LEED gold standards.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b3-group-c-brennan-connolly.html
It is becoming more common to exchange files between companies as electronic files. This poses a problem in both the amount of information that is exchanged as well as how to protect that information. Salman Azhar speaks in hist article about how one of the risks of BIM currently is, "the lack of determination of ownership of the BIM data and the need to protect it through copyright laws and other legal channels" [1]. He continues on to state that there is no simple way to determine who owns the data. If this is an issue now, it can only become more severe as time goes on. I don't believe that it is currently in Revit's plan to include ownership on their files as it is not technically their responsibility to protect the data. As BIM becomes more popular, companies need to be careful legally in how to protect their files and building plans.
Another concern that was expressed in class was the fact that as BIM becomes more popular, many people may become too dependent on it and not have the basic skills to function without it. The article from Architectural Ellipsis speaks about how many companies that are looking to hire interns are looking only for people who have work experience in Revit [2]. This seems to be becoming an easier thing to fill as most companies already have as many senior staff as they need, but are lacking employees who have experience in new technology. The problem that many companies are going to run into if they continue this practice is that their newer employees aren't going to have work experience beyond that of BIM modeling. This is going to create a sort of bottleneck in the company where completing projects outside of BIM will become nearly impossible. It is important to continually educate the younger generation in how to not rely on software if companies are going to stay out of trouble.
One last concern that was expressed is that Revit may not be able to keep up with all of the updates it needs to go through. The program could theoretically run into Moore's law and not be able to keep up with itself. This concern was even expressed by our speaker last week, Kayleigh Houde from BuroHappold Engineering. She expressed how difficult it was to update Revit each year currently. This problem could easily compound itself as the years continue. In the article Is Revit Dead?, the author discusses seven future updates that Revit currently has planned. These include Revit in the Cloud, Revit interoperability with fabrication, and revit collaboration to name a few [3]. With so many updates planned, Revit might not be able to compete even wth itself.
[1] Azhar, S. (n.d.). Leadership and Management in Engineering. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://ascelibrary.org/doi/full/10.1061/(ASCE)LM.1943-5630.0000127
[2] Want to be an Architect?; Don't Learn Revit. (2013, February 5). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://archinect.com/arch-ellipsis/want-to-be-an-architect-don-t-learn-revit
[3] Is Revit dead? (2014, March 29). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.seandburke.com/blog/2014/03/29/is-revit-dead/
Comments
Yosep Bak - I think it is very interesting that one model could easily be used to create 10 apartment buildings in several different places. It makes it extremely efficient to not have to create 10 separate buildings but simply edit one. This type of modeling is very helpful for buildings such as franchises where the buildings are nearly identical. Thousands of dollars can be saved due to less time in creating new buildings.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/yosep-bak-w3-p3.html
Zhijing Zheng - I agree with you that there is an extreme pressure on time and expenses in projects. If the entire project can be built at once then there is an extreme amount of time saved. This is one of the reasons that firms with all different industries in house are really enjoying the Revit collaborate feature. This allows architects and engineers to work on a model at the same time. I have to disagree a bit though as I think this is beneficial to create intelligent buildings that have less coordination issues.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-current-issue-with-revitbim.html
Brennan Connolly - I agree that Revit is headed in a direction that will allows users to easily model energy performance. There are already a few things in revit that can help with this. With improvements it would be very easy to calculate how much natural daylight a building will receive and how much energy the building will save. With future advancements, almost every building will be able to receive LEED gold standards.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b3-group-c-brennan-connolly.html
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Abdullatif Alkandari - B2
Building Information
Modeling (BIM) is an integral part in any project and holds great significance for
many reasons. It benefits many aspects of the project, but I am going to focus
the specific impact it has on the owners and facility managers. Using BIM can
help with obtaining accurate cost estimates and optimizing facility management
as well as maintenance hence improving the overall quality of the building. Due
to the constant development that BIM, it is able to help buildings preform
better and gives the work team better control of the project. Because it is
capable of having multiple users working on it at the same time, collaboration
among the team and their communication is very effective in turn saving time
and money.
In going about the
design process, BIM gives the owner the ability to observe and comment on the
ongoing work of the design team without leaving his office. This replaces the
tedious process of having to meet with the design team and requesting the plans
and drawings. Aside from avoiding the inconvenience, introducing BIM allows the
owners to make early changes if they detect abnormality rather than having
propagations of an error that would be more likely to get neglected when using
traditional way of managing a project.
With all the features
BIM has to offer, owners can get more accurate estimates in the early stages of
the design. By keeping up with the changes to the design in real time, the team
will be constantly updating the program for the owner and contractor to work
with. Furthermore, BIM can reveal details like light fixtures as well as their
energy usage and similar future modifications. This is another example where
convenience can come a long way in contributing to both the performance as well
as the efficiency of the project.
BIM can also be used as
a foundation for good space management, because facility managers can reduce
vacancy and achieve major reductions in real estate expenses based on the
information they get from the models. They can also contribute to economical
retrofits of the building as having 3-dimensional aspects of the building can
reduce the complexity of the building renovations and consequently reducing the
cost.
Some building design
professionals are introducing data on life expectancy and replacement costs on
BIM models in an effort to help facility managers and owners figure out weather
it would be worth investing more in some materials based on a better payback
over the life of the building. I expect this type of technology to be
revolutionary as most project managers are willing to invest more in initial
cost if they can guarantee that it would be a better investment for them on the
long run after factoring in the maintenance cost of the building. Given how
much this can enhance the lifecycle management of buildings, I see that BIM
will have an even brighter future.
References:
Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide To Building
Information Modeling For Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers And
Contractors. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2011. Web. 24
Jan. 2017.
“The Benefits of Lifecycle BIM for Facility Management.” FM Systems. N.p., 27 July 2016. Web. 24
Jan. 2017.
< https://fmsystems.com/blog/the-benefits-of-lifecycle-bim-for-facility-management/
>
Comments:
Samuel Kim: I found your post quite enjoyable to read, the part I liked
most about it was when you put the huge spike in BIM models in perspective. The
numbers you provided were astonishing, knowing that number of BIM files in the
Aconex collaboration profile experienced a 2700% increase shows how far BIM has
come and will hopefully go even further in the years to come.
Ray Powell: I think the part you included about BIM was important,
because in spite of all the advantages this tool offers, it is important to
know that not everyone can intuitively learn to work with it. In some cases,
outside help may be required to get the current staff acquainted with the
modern technology in BIM and along with that, I see a new job opportunity for people
who can pass on this skill to other employees and in effect make them more valuable
to their respective companies.
Taryn Francischetti: The family concept you introduced was a very practical
tool to be used in BIM, I like the fact that it is so convenient and is capable
of fitting multiple objects together. This can significantly aid in
facilitating the design process and saves time and effort. I was also surprised
to learn that Revit has mechanical, energy and environmental components that
contribute to the overall quality of the design.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Taryn Francischetti - A-Team - Week 2 Blog Post
BIM Modeling has many benefits in the construction industry. According to Charles M. Eastman, a BIM tool is, "a task specific application that produces a specific outcome," while a BIM platform is, "an application, usually for design, that generates data for multiple uses" [1]. BIM has not always been as seamless as it is today though. The first BIM platforms were originally the B-rep or the CSG platform. These platforms originated in the 1960s and 1970s. According to Eastman, B-rep stored the results of the definition as a set of operations and object arguments, while CSG stored an algebraic formula to define a shape [1]. It was not long that developers realized the benefit of combining the two software's to begin developing BIM for what it is today.
BIM software uses the concept of families. This allows the user to have predefined objects that can easily be placed into the design such as walls, doors, or windows. Families allow objects to link together so if one object is changed in design, others will follow suit. Eastman states that, "a distinction exists between those objects that interact with other objects, such as walls, beams, slabs, columns - that have complex behavior ... and other objects that do not need to have parametric behavior such as bathroom fixtures, door and window products that have fixed sizes, and other objects that do not vary with their context" [1]. This concept makes it incredibly easy for items such as walls and floor slabs to seamlessly fit together. Most BIM software's have a large set of predefined parameters for the user to work with, but users can define their own.
One of the most common BIM tools today is Revit. While this is most often used for architectural development it is quite handy in analyzing the structural design as well. According to Eastman, Revit is the market leader and contains not only architectural and structural design components but also mechanical, energy and environmental, visualization, and facilities management [1]. Revit works well with import and exports to AutoCAD and SketchUp as well as other modeling programs. Eastman states that Revit's strengths are the fact that it is intuitive and it has great drawing production tools, while its weaknesses include the fact that it slows down if the file size becomes too large and it has limited support for complex, curved surfaces [1]. This however can be supplemented with other programs to have a complete building model. Eastman also outlines quite a few other programs such as Bentley, ArchiCAD, and Digital Project.
BIM software is greatly helping out the building industry. It become much easier to be able to place objects in a building such as a column or a wall without having to draw each component as individual lines. This allows a simpler design and ensures items are incorporated better. Building design becomes more efficient as there are fewer setbacks in design coordination.
References:
[1] Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R., & Liston, K. (2008). BIM Handbook. Pages 65-91. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
Comments:
Christopher Sager: I agree with your comments that BIM will become more common and a need for greater interoperability. I also agree that the chapter would have to be a bit dated as there are already better exchange interfaces in affect. There are many secure measures taken today to ensure building safety that have stemmed from the International Standards Committee.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b2-group-b-week-2-blog-post-chris-sager.html
Peter Dannemann: I also agree that I don't often think about BIM modeling outside of building use. This is most likely due to the fact that I have really only been exposed to the software for modeling buildings. However, I ran across instances in my reading of Chapter 2 that explained how engineers used BIM modeling in designing the Boeing 777. Ultimately, BIM modeling has many different uses in many different sectors. It is more of a concept idea of placing pieces rather than lines into a model.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b2-group-c-peter-dannemann.html
Nick Pawlikowski: I had never really thought about the use of building model repositories as a way to share building files. I agree that these are going to become very important as more and more information is incorporated into building models. I know that Revit has a small form of this idea in its program called Collaborate. Collaborate allows many users to view and work on a model at the same time. This allows users to see real time changes and comments on their work. With a bit of development this idea could help simplify file exchanges.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/nick-pawlikowski-interoperability.html
BIM software uses the concept of families. This allows the user to have predefined objects that can easily be placed into the design such as walls, doors, or windows. Families allow objects to link together so if one object is changed in design, others will follow suit. Eastman states that, "a distinction exists between those objects that interact with other objects, such as walls, beams, slabs, columns - that have complex behavior ... and other objects that do not need to have parametric behavior such as bathroom fixtures, door and window products that have fixed sizes, and other objects that do not vary with their context" [1]. This concept makes it incredibly easy for items such as walls and floor slabs to seamlessly fit together. Most BIM software's have a large set of predefined parameters for the user to work with, but users can define their own.
One of the most common BIM tools today is Revit. While this is most often used for architectural development it is quite handy in analyzing the structural design as well. According to Eastman, Revit is the market leader and contains not only architectural and structural design components but also mechanical, energy and environmental, visualization, and facilities management [1]. Revit works well with import and exports to AutoCAD and SketchUp as well as other modeling programs. Eastman states that Revit's strengths are the fact that it is intuitive and it has great drawing production tools, while its weaknesses include the fact that it slows down if the file size becomes too large and it has limited support for complex, curved surfaces [1]. This however can be supplemented with other programs to have a complete building model. Eastman also outlines quite a few other programs such as Bentley, ArchiCAD, and Digital Project.
BIM software is greatly helping out the building industry. It become much easier to be able to place objects in a building such as a column or a wall without having to draw each component as individual lines. This allows a simpler design and ensures items are incorporated better. Building design becomes more efficient as there are fewer setbacks in design coordination.
References:
[1] Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R., & Liston, K. (2008). BIM Handbook. Pages 65-91. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
Comments:
Christopher Sager: I agree with your comments that BIM will become more common and a need for greater interoperability. I also agree that the chapter would have to be a bit dated as there are already better exchange interfaces in affect. There are many secure measures taken today to ensure building safety that have stemmed from the International Standards Committee.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b2-group-b-week-2-blog-post-chris-sager.html
Peter Dannemann: I also agree that I don't often think about BIM modeling outside of building use. This is most likely due to the fact that I have really only been exposed to the software for modeling buildings. However, I ran across instances in my reading of Chapter 2 that explained how engineers used BIM modeling in designing the Boeing 777. Ultimately, BIM modeling has many different uses in many different sectors. It is more of a concept idea of placing pieces rather than lines into a model.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b2-group-c-peter-dannemann.html
Nick Pawlikowski: I had never really thought about the use of building model repositories as a way to share building files. I agree that these are going to become very important as more and more information is incorporated into building models. I know that Revit has a small form of this idea in its program called Collaborate. Collaborate allows many users to view and work on a model at the same time. This allows users to see real time changes and comments on their work. With a bit of development this idea could help simplify file exchanges.
URL: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/nick-pawlikowski-interoperability.html
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Term Project Idea - Taryn Francischetti, Andrew Ng, Alex Koo
Our idea for the term project is to investigate the future of virtual reality on job sites. For example, a virtual reality headset would be loaded with a building plan and then be incorporated with the real world so the plans can be seen directly while building.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Assignment B1 - Taryn Francischetti - A-Team
The future is not far off. Many people argue that we are already living in it. Technology is advancing faster than ever. Futurist Thomas Frey argues that things such as artificial intelligence and software embedded in all things will be common place ten years from now [1]. This is going to be a major factor on the building industry if machines will be building the building itself.
Software has already been produced such as the video that shows the video of SAM, the bricklaying robot, working with a mason on site [2]. Robots with AI intelligence such as SAM greatly increase safety on job sites. SAM can do many real time calculations to ensure that all bricks will be placed in the exact same way. The building will have very few errors in construction, if there are any at all, due to the consistency of a robot's work. This variability will be even further reduced if the robot is able to learn through artificial intelligence. For example, MIT researchers have created a new AI system where the machine learns in real time such as the way a human can research the answer to a question [3]. This allows the robot to quickly solve a problem that could be encountered during the building process.
AI can also be used for other things than just building. It can also be used for building inspections such as the robot that does building inspections [4]. This could make building inspections in hazardous conditions much safer. With AI, the robot could easily document the problem and even suggest ways to fix it. Eventually, the robot could be able to deal with a problem all the way from diagnosis to repair. This would be able to ensure worker safety as the robot would make it so human beings are not being put in harms way. The only down side of AI on job sites is the loss of jobs. Many people would have to be retrained to maintain the robot or learn something new completely. The robots on the job site will eventually be able to complete buildings very quickly and humans could become almost obsolete. This was already done on many production things such as the assembly lines for cars. The future of buildings becomes a very intriguing place as AI becomes more and more popular. There are pros and cons for robots but the future of these being common place is not far off.
References
[1] http://www.futuristspeaker.com/business-trends/72-stunning-things-in-the-future-that-will-be-common-ten-years-from-now-that-dont-exist-today/?nocache=1
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYo4PAWRIHE
[3] http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-machine-learning-system-that-trains-itself-by-surfing-the-web
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycWStiPjQU0
Comments
Ronald Herazo - I did not know that wireless connections were being worked on such as WiGig. If large amounts of data could wirelessly be transferred, it would greatly increase productivity on job sites. Laptops work fairly well but many of them are not able to complete, or connect to, databases without being wired. I've also only every considered perceptual computing to be a thing of the future. It would be amazing if hand gestures were incorporated into computer-user interface within the next ten years. His post can be found here.
Christopher Sager - I disagree that the future of drones being able to decipher buildings and being able to put a building together. Drone technology has come very far in the last few years. For example, drones are now able to fly places based off of photo recognition and fly without a person controlling it. Technology is probably not too far off for the drone to be able to fly a component of a building and put it in place. Granted, there may have to be more than one type of drone to complete the task such as one acting as a crane and one welding but with time, fewer robots will be needed as their software becomes more and more intelligent. His post can be found here.
Nick Pawlikowsi - I found the section on the steel 3D printing robot very fascinating. It is extremely advantageous for the building materials to be produced and assembled on site, let alone at the same time. Many costs decrease such as production and specifically transportation costs of the materials. This would also help further in the construction of the building as multiple components could easily be assembled together instead of separate pieces having to be assembled after the fact. There has been more than one instance where shop drawings were misinterpreted and building failure has occurred. His article can be found here.
Software has already been produced such as the video that shows the video of SAM, the bricklaying robot, working with a mason on site [2]. Robots with AI intelligence such as SAM greatly increase safety on job sites. SAM can do many real time calculations to ensure that all bricks will be placed in the exact same way. The building will have very few errors in construction, if there are any at all, due to the consistency of a robot's work. This variability will be even further reduced if the robot is able to learn through artificial intelligence. For example, MIT researchers have created a new AI system where the machine learns in real time such as the way a human can research the answer to a question [3]. This allows the robot to quickly solve a problem that could be encountered during the building process.
AI can also be used for other things than just building. It can also be used for building inspections such as the robot that does building inspections [4]. This could make building inspections in hazardous conditions much safer. With AI, the robot could easily document the problem and even suggest ways to fix it. Eventually, the robot could be able to deal with a problem all the way from diagnosis to repair. This would be able to ensure worker safety as the robot would make it so human beings are not being put in harms way. The only down side of AI on job sites is the loss of jobs. Many people would have to be retrained to maintain the robot or learn something new completely. The robots on the job site will eventually be able to complete buildings very quickly and humans could become almost obsolete. This was already done on many production things such as the assembly lines for cars. The future of buildings becomes a very intriguing place as AI becomes more and more popular. There are pros and cons for robots but the future of these being common place is not far off.
References
[1] http://www.futuristspeaker.com/business-trends/72-stunning-things-in-the-future-that-will-be-common-ten-years-from-now-that-dont-exist-today/?nocache=1
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYo4PAWRIHE
[3] http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-machine-learning-system-that-trains-itself-by-surfing-the-web
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycWStiPjQU0
Comments
Ronald Herazo - I did not know that wireless connections were being worked on such as WiGig. If large amounts of data could wirelessly be transferred, it would greatly increase productivity on job sites. Laptops work fairly well but many of them are not able to complete, or connect to, databases without being wired. I've also only every considered perceptual computing to be a thing of the future. It would be amazing if hand gestures were incorporated into computer-user interface within the next ten years. His post can be found here.
Christopher Sager - I disagree that the future of drones being able to decipher buildings and being able to put a building together. Drone technology has come very far in the last few years. For example, drones are now able to fly places based off of photo recognition and fly without a person controlling it. Technology is probably not too far off for the drone to be able to fly a component of a building and put it in place. Granted, there may have to be more than one type of drone to complete the task such as one acting as a crane and one welding but with time, fewer robots will be needed as their software becomes more and more intelligent. His post can be found here.
Nick Pawlikowsi - I found the section on the steel 3D printing robot very fascinating. It is extremely advantageous for the building materials to be produced and assembled on site, let alone at the same time. Many costs decrease such as production and specifically transportation costs of the materials. This would also help further in the construction of the building as multiple components could easily be assembled together instead of separate pieces having to be assembled after the fact. There has been more than one instance where shop drawings were misinterpreted and building failure has occurred. His article can be found here.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Taryn Francischetti's About Me
My name is Taryn Francischetti and I am a junior BS/MS student with undergraduate AE and graduate CIVE. My concentration is in structures. The background I have relevant to Intelligent Buildings is mostly relevant from my previous co-ops. My first co-op consisted of installing upgraded equipment and technology into and older building such as the HVAC system. My second co-op was a structural design co-op. This is where I gained more experience in BIM modelling in order to create and present construction documents.
My expectations for this class are mainly to further my skill's in BIM modelling as well as databases. I expect that this class will teach me a great deal about the future of buildings such as how buildings could be constructed with the use of robotics or how eventually some pieces of buildings could eventually be 3D printed.
My initial definition of an Intelligent Building is a building that is constructed in a non-traditional manner in order to create a more efficient building in construction and use.
My expectations for this class are mainly to further my skill's in BIM modelling as well as databases. I expect that this class will teach me a great deal about the future of buildings such as how buildings could be constructed with the use of robotics or how eventually some pieces of buildings could eventually be 3D printed.
My initial definition of an Intelligent Building is a building that is constructed in a non-traditional manner in order to create a more efficient building in construction and use.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Names Placeholder Post for Labels, Tags
This post creates the first half of the last names of everyone as a label/tag in the class as of 1/4/2017. I have to add in several posts because it’s limited by Blogger.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)