B4 BIM Macros

Project Description

The topic of our project is BIM macros. I will work with Yipin Geng to explore Revit’s macro language. We will develop one or more useful macros to show the potential and advantages of this tool.

Why I Chose Revit Macros

Revit is the most frequently used BIM software. It helps the industry in every perspective. From architectural designing phase to structural and MEP engineering phase as well as from the simulation and analysis phase to scheduling and construction phase, Revit plays a huge role connecting everything and everyone in the industry together. It saves money and time while reducing errors and mistakes. Revit is so powerful that companies will change to use Revit gradually in the future.

As an Architectural Engineering student at Drexel, I learned Revit in several courses. However, I only learned simple concepts, tools and applications to finish my homework assignments. There are still a lot more Revit could do that I want to explore. That is the reason I chose Revit macros.

Relation to Intelligent Building

Working in Revit, sometimes there are boring or repetitive tasks. For example, renaming sheets, renumbering rooms, changing family names are all not exciting tasks that you have to do it more than once. However, Revit provides a tool called Macro to do the tedious job for us. A macro is a series of user-created commands and functions that are written using the Revit application programming interface (API) and created in SharpDevelop, an open-source integrated development environment (IDE) integrated into Revit. Macros are stored inside Revit project files and are run directly from Revit. [1] Using macros, Revit can automate these kind of repetitive tasks. You can save tons of time and money and work more accurately by writing macros. I consider Revit macros as one big component of intelligent building since it is intelligent and it can do human’s advanced job.

Challenges

The biggest challenge is programming skill. Although we can choose from four different languages to write our macros codes, we are required to learn at least one language to develop one fully functional macro. The other challenge is finding a repetitive task that applies our macro.

Reference

[1] https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/getting-started-with-revit-macros

[2] https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Revit-Customize/files/GUID-4DFDA8CD-B0FD-492E-8EDE-A28C29B1E316-htm.html

[3] https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Revit-Customize/files/GUID-D3A09447-BA7F-4045-88BF-EA8B37F0D46D-htm.html

Comments

Maissoun Ksara

I personally consider that intelligent building and green building will be the next generation of the architecture and construction industry. I’m excited to see your project that focuses on the relationship between these two subjects. Combining intelligent building and green building, the living environment would be perfect for us in the future.

Aziz Alsaleem

Artificial Intelligence is not far away from us. It is coming to us very soon. AI could be implemented in almost every industry. I’m excited to see your project on AI integration into the construction industry. It seems very challenging to me since the concept is still so new. For the topics we discussed in class, I think that AI is behind everything including intelligent building, robotics, and 3D printing.

Rachel Frank

The current applications of robotics in the construction industry are powerful and various. Robotics can tremendously increase the safety and efficiency of construction. I can’t wait to see your project. I’m wondering how much work robots can do now and in the future. Also, I would like to see the disadvantages of robots in the construction industry.

Week 4 Project - Mridul Pareek

TOPIC

I chose to write a paper about structural health monitoring or SHM using wireless sensors. Just like humans need to go to the doctor for a check up, where he collects data about our body through temperature etc., Structural health monitoring does the same for a building's health. It is of utmost importance to make sure that we have technology in place which can provide us with precise and up to date data about the building's condition.

RELATION TO IB

Wireless sensor technology is still very under utilized in many parts of the world for SHM, and where it is applied, it is not used efficiently. An intelligent building must be able to tell the people in charge of its health when something is not right with it, and an efficient system of wireless sensor coupled with a database which stores the information from the sensors would be a giant step in SHM.

CHALLENGES 

Although research of these wireless systems has been ongoing for the past 20 years, there are many problems with regarding efficient use of such system. Environmental conditions for each job site is different, so each system has to be modeled such that it fits effectively in its respective site. Bad internet connection, environmental noise and other such situations make the system ineffective and thus unwanted. For writing the paper, i would be using published papers as i do not possess the resources which would let me do any experiment on an actual job site.

Sources:

Lynch, Jerome P., and Kenneth J. Loh. "A summary review of wireless sensors and sensor networks for structural health monitoring." Shock and Vibration Digest 38, no. 2 (2006): 91-130.

Lynch, Jerome P., Yang Wang, Kenneth J. Loh, Jin-Hak Yi, and Chung-Bang Yun. "Performance monitoring of the Geumdang Bridge using a dense network of high-resolution wireless sensors." Smart Materials and Structures15, no. 6 (2006): 1561.


PEER RESPONSES 

1) Ng Andrew (https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/ng-andrew-b4-virtual-reality-on-jobsites.html) and his team have a very interesting project about VR on a construction site. If somehow they manage to find a way to use it effectively on a job site, it would revolutionize the way construction is done. The ability to see the building before it is created in real time on the site would be very helpful for the construction process and noting out problems before they are actually made. However, since there is next to no conclusive research right now since the technology is fairly new, it would be certainly difficult to find the resources required.

2) Yosep Bak (https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/yosep-bak-w4-p4.html) chose to explore the relationship between an intelligent and a green building. It is certainly a very interesting topic to research since often times the two terms are confused, which is easy to understand as they are heavily related. Since an intelligent building has a varying definition to different people, i wonder if completely isolating the differences in each element of the two would help us standardize the definitions of intelligent and green buildings respectively.

3) Rachel Frank (https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/group-project-rachel-frank.html) chose to research upcoming technology in robotic assembly and how it can be related to construction of buildings. Robotics and AI are barely used in construction right now so it would be difficult to find resources for research. It is an ambitious project such that they are focusing on the past, present and future of the technology. Relating that to its potential uses is a very difficult task indeed and i wish them the best of luck.

Assignment B4 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

Describe your project 

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Why it was chosen, relation to Intelligent Buildings, & Challenges

The project that I will be working on is with my group partner, Rachel Frank, and we will be writing a paper. The title of this paper is: Emerging Technologies in the Robotic Assembly and Construction of Buildings. 

I think what we really want to focus on is three-fold, firstly, what technologies have been used in recent history that are robotics-oriented (~1980's to Present), secondly, what are the types of projects that people are working on currently and implementing, and finally, what is the feasible direction that these robotic technologies will go in our immediate future of 5-10 years. Through these items, we wish to discover the groups that are developing these systems, what they are used for, and how they work. In addition, we will make a distinction between robotics in the actual construction of structural components and robotics inside the home for interior design purposes (easy layout and configurations like movable walls). 

Why it was chosen:

This topic was chosen because we had a hard time believing it had potential. Once we were exposed to it through this class, it got us wondering if this was actually something that could be used widespread. Doing more research on the blog posts, I found something that mentioned how we could use robots to "mass-assemble" small shelters that may be temporary for emergency situations and I really appreciated that. We want to look deeper on things that are relevant and almost coming out in today's world - not things in the far future. The reason for this is because we want to see what the change will be in our immediate careers because the far future feels like empty dreaming. 

Relation to Intelligent Buildings:

The relation to intelligent buildings is more clear with the interior components - when there are robotics integrated inside the building, things like partition walls can be customized and the building becomes intelligent - if there is an interface where you can choose your room purpose. Maybe there is robotics that can say, I want to have X people over in this room and it sets the chairs and tables and walls for you! In terms of the actual robotic construction, an intelligent building is wholesome and if there are robots that can build these buildings by themselves, I would consider that intelligent. The less human input in the process, the more intelligent the building gets. 

Challenges:

I think the biggest challenge with our research paper will be to clearly define what the topic is based on the information that we find. I am not even sure what is out there so based on the peer-reviewed sources we find, the paper will take shape. I also think a challenge will be to write concisely, not get off-topic, and stay reasonably near the word count - I do not want to provide Professor Mitchell with something that is way too long! I think there is a discrepancy between what technology we think is out there and what is actually in practice and exists. 

Comments on other Posts:


Brandon Mengel: I did not even realize that we could attempt to create a Revit family as a project. Reading your plan of action and potential challenges, I think I am actually happier that I chose to go with the paper. We have been using Revit so much in all our classes lately that I don't think I could handle doing another project because exactly the way you said it - it can suck up all your time without you even noticing. I think that your skills are much more honed than mine and I hope that YouTube can help you when working with the different materials. I am not sure but I think that you would have to have a counter-top family and a cabinet family and a lighting family and then finally there be a family that places the components together. I wish you the best of luck and I really think you can complete this project successfully - just don't get too bogged down on all the intricate details! 


Joseph Chaudhari: Your topic is super super cool to me! I was exposed to a lot of site surveying technology from companies during co-op and I thought the way the 3D point clouds were made and all the scanning involved for the terrain was amazing. The technology in my head is so far advanced but that just goes to show how much further it can go. Definitely on the leading edge of what technology we use in the "building" world. If this technology comes in to fruition in our lifetimes - which I suspect of all the technologies, this one will - the efficiency and accuracy in which buildings can be modeled will increase. Although the AI may decrease overall jobs - I think it will just make a shift towards what kind of jobs there will be. 



Maissoun Ksara & Drew Hovey: I have a feeling your paper will be both fun to write and informational. You will learn many things in the process of the research but I also think that there is a hint of opinion in there that will make this a great paper in the end. I agree with your general statement that intelligent buildings does not suggest green buildings. But, I think they could be subsets of each other - intelligent buildings can lend themselves to be green - for example monitoring the sun, controlling shades or insulation or window tint to reduce HVAC loads - but things like using recycled materials to make a building sustainable does not necessarily mean it has become intelligent. Interesting items to discuss... discussing the future of these two items and how they relate will be a challenge. I hope the future is extraordinary, intelligent, & green!

B2 - Group C - Andy Dinh - BIM for Owners and Facility Managers (Chapter 4)

BIM software can offer many benefits to owners and facility managers to receive better overall higher quality buildings. The use of BIM can also provide buildings with better performance within their systems. Buildings will have different functions for different owners and managers, but BIM with its continual development allows for a wide range of building planning. With different people being able to collaborate on the same BIM model, it allows for better communication of ideas with less errors. With this reduction, project time and cost can also be reduced. BIM certainly is not for everyone, and it will take time for those who are new to it to learn, but the development of software and technology has certainly made it easier than it has been in the past. BIM can provide many benefits to building program through such areas as:

Performance of buildings: Use of lighting and energy based programs through BIM, building performance can increase overall with better accuracy through these programs. This will help in reducing costs overall through building efficiency and with better turn over time for projects.

Project Management: All the ideas and designs of the buildings are just as important as the building itself. As an owner or manager, having a small understanding of BIM technology can help communicate ideas between you and the designers. Better communication within projects can lead to shorten project schedules and a reduction in errors by knowing which owner and local code requirements to follow.

Reduction of costs: Money always plays a big part into any project. Projects can be stalled if not enough financial backing is provided. With more reliable cost estimates, owners can get better feedback on the design of the building which can allow for allocation of resources needed in other departments. Providing earlier feedback in the project's lifetime is very beneficial as well when decision making is needed on what is to be provided.

Information streamlining: As stated a few times above, communication is a pretty big factor. It is not just about communication between designers and constructors, but it is also as important to relay information to the owner or facility manager. This allows for the owners or managers to play a bigger role within the building industry, rather than being left to just handling typical problems like delays and quality issues. There are even tools specifically geared towards owners and facility managers to gather the information they are looking for.

References:

http://osp.mans.edu.eg/elbeltagi/Fac%202%20bim%20facility.pdf

http://www.mpwengineering.com/bim-benefits-for-owners/

http://damassets.autodesk.net/content/dam/autodesk/www/solutions/bim/BIM_for_Owners.pdf

Comments:

Hayley Selden (link) - It was an interesting take to read about how BIM is for others involved in the building concept. There are definitely different advantages for contractors and owners through BIM software, especially through implementation. Owners know what they want out of a building versus contractors knowing what is possible to be built. Communication of these ideas and restrictions helps a project move along much more smoothly.

Maissoun Ksara (link) - Knowing how much parametric modeling has developed certainly puts a perspective on things. I like being able to see how modeling has developed over the years, allowing for more complex creations. Your listing of the pros and cons certainly highlights the advantages of such modeling techniques, and how beneficial it can be. Seeing how popular Revit has been among the industry (at least in my experience) really does show how much it has come along to help contractors.

Nick Pawlikowski (link) - Before this class, I had never really heard of the word interoperability. Things can be assumed of it based on what is within the word, but reading your post helped me gain a lot better insight as to what it stands for. Having the ability to give data across to others to work on a joint task is very useful, especially in our class with a focus in construction and buildings. The different formats companies have to work around with and how complex is has gotten with the development of newer software and technology does provide a challenge. Having the answer in using building model repositories is smart and hopefully this helps in reducing further issues that interoperability still has.

Final Project - Mridul Pareek

I think my final project is going to be related to sensors and their application in structural health monitoring. I would try to deal with the current issues with wireless sensors and their potential in the long run. I may also make some educated guesses about sensor applications in the future of SHM.