Assignment B7 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

Reflection of the Course and its impact to my Profession and Future

This is an extremely loaded question but one that we are always asked to answer. 

This course was worthwhile to me because it opened my eyes to new things that I had never seen before. I understood the sensors and how we use them for temperature control and window blind rotations and I actually thought this class would be more about that aspect because my definition of intelligent buildings tends to fall under intelligent operation. 

The other reason it was worthwhile to me is because I was able to speak with more sophistication on topics that I otherwise would have stammered about and not known anything about. I applied to a scholarship and they asked us to write a technical paper on an innovation in construction and honestly I was so ready to answer that question because of all the things that we were exposed to in this class! I typically am skeptical of the future but after seeing proof that this stuff works and then researching it for the paper was the most valuable part. The research portion allowed me to set aside time for this class and digging in more about what I was mostly interested in. I am glad that I chose to do a research topic as opposed to a project because I was getting frustrated with the different programs we were using at the end of their respective assignments. The paper almost felt like a creative outlet that was somewhere between opinion and research - taking the facts and formulating thoughts relevant to them. As someone who is both creative and technical, it was a nice part of my daily routine that was not of the ordinary math problem or computer project type. 

The other aspect of this course was the hands-on projects with the database and the Revit model and while I really enjoyed working with both of those - it is hard to see those new tools particularly impact my career outlook. I understand the need for databases but it is not something that I believe will ever be asked of me and even if it were I would still choose Excel, even after this class introduction (although I am thankful for the introduction). 

What I liked about this class is now I have the ability to talk the language of Revit and communicate to someone else what I would need in Revit if at all - based on the families and the models and the schedules and the database component, I now know what it is capable of. Communication is key in this industry as a professional and I think that is the best take-away form this course. The guest speakers only added to this benefit because hearing from a professional that is immersed in this technology gives us the empowerment of oh I can do this, too! 

In general, I feel that although the details of this class will not help my future - the over arching themes and what we discussed will and has already helped my professional career and future. I see much research and development in the technologies discussed and I think I would be interested in becoming involved in that aspect! 


Responses to Other Students:
Nick Pawlikowski: I think what we got out of this course was different because of personal preference and past experiences. I had dabbled in MS Access before and the material that was brought to this class was not new based on what I already knew and it still didn't fulfill my needs as a database program. I think your last summation sentence is valid in that it depends what the students brought to the table as existing knowledge to make the difference of if the value of the course expanded on that or did not. 


Brandon Mengel: It is easy to see that most people's favorite part of the class was the personal project because afterall, we were the ones who set the scope and decided what would be in it based on our interests! I have to agree with you though, this class is such an overview that it is fulfilling to go deeper into one particular area. To me, BIM and 3D Printing stood out the most although we did discuss other technologies in this class. I think it had to do with the guest speakers and our ability to visualize how it actually works and makes a difference in the world. 


Peter Dannemann: I love the great comments you have about Professor Mitchell's drive. I completely agree - some professors do not use any original material or offer any discussion and the fact that this class was more seminar based and discussion based with real world examples and content from Professor Mitchell's actual interests made it that much more impactful. I didn't realize you were an environmental engineering major but I think that while your points are valid about not actually using the database and Revit families, I think you will be able to better talk to people who do use them in the data collection processes which are all around us. 

Assignment B5 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

SQL - What is it & why is it important?

Introduction:

SQL is an acronym for Structured Query Language. What this means is that there exists databases through computer software and the way that they both store information and retrieve information is done with the help of this formatting and methodology. It is basically a very basic programming language similar to HTML in which the text transforms your data in to a database system. It is a standard method according to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Organization for Standards (ISO) and is used by many database computer software [1]. The two that I am most familiar with using is Microsoft Access (which is similar to Excel) and Oracle, a more powerful database system. 

What is it?

To reiterate, SQL is a simple programming language. It uses words and symbols to store and retrieve information in the computer in an efficient and never changing way. When I picture a database, I picture an Excel file where basically you have your table and you have your columns and rows within that table and you have your data associated with each one. An SQL search allows the user to find specific information in that database with their inputs. 

For example, an SQL "Select" statement allows the user to "Select" columns, "From" any table or multiple tables and finally set a criteria, "Where" you insert the criteria for the column [2]. The reference from Indiana University Knowledge Base includes examples of what that statement will look like and how the outcome of sample data may look. 

In my opinion, this third reference from Microsoft has the better example of how it works and what different search entries would do to the results [3]. For example, imagine you have a table called Employees and it contains a great deal of information about each employee - and you could have hundreds of employees - all across the globe! To start, you may want to view everything - so you might write: 

SELECT * FROM Employees 

which translates to select all columns from the table Employees. Once you realize that is way too much information, you might want to get much more detailed about what information you want it to retrieve. Maybe now I want:

SELECT EmployeeID, LastName, FirstName, City FROM Employees

Now I am limiting my new table to contain four columns from the original who knows how many. Finally, I realize I only want a certain Office Location employee list - so the final query search becomes: 

SELECT EmployeeID, FirstName, LastName, City FROM Employees WHERE City = 'London'

Finally, we see the specific information we wanted to see without sorting or filtering or typing strange formulas that add and count and multiply in Excel - we basically wrote out in words what we were looking for! 

[3]

Why is it important?

If this system were not important, we would not be still using it in almost every industry. This system has no barriers and it allows anybody from a startup company to a complex data center to store their information and have it appear at your fingertips. It is not just information like names and addresses, which I believe it lends itself very useful to, but it is also things like in stores for barcodes, numbers, prices, quantities, and so forth. Particularly in the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction industry we find databases appear in our Building Information Modeling. All this information gets stored and retrieved as we need it and Revit is doing it all the time. Just like our speakers mentioned, in the construction industry with object schedules and cost estimates - this becomes a complex database that can store the measurements of objects, the price per unit, and total prices. In physical equipment it can store specifications like model number, prices, and detailed specifications for the unit. 

The beautiful thing about databases is that they can accept anything to store, numbers, letters, or both. As long as the database is set up correctly, which is honestly the key here, then the SQL process becomes simpler and faster. In my co-op experience, I did not know how to use SQL and I attempted to use Microsoft Access. In the end I exported the database to Excel and used formulas within formulas just to get the information I wanted. I had nested If Statements and Iterative Loops that would make Excel crash because of the massive amount of data I was looking at (Crash Data). Most of it was things I weren't interested in and they were clouding up  my view, unable to get the statistics I needed, just because I couldn't understand how to use Microsoft Access. That is a personal anecdote that truly motivates me to say SQL is important because without it, you lose productivity, efficiency, and organization... trust me, I know. 

Sources:

[1] "SQLCourse - Lesson 1: What is SQL?", Sqlcourse.com, 2017.

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

[2] "What is SQL, and what are some example statements for retrievingdata from a table?", Indiana University Knowledge Base, 2017.

 Available: https://kb.iu.edu/d/ahux

[3] J. Goldstein, "Writing SQL Queries: Let's Start with the Basics", Microsoft TechNet, 2005.

Available: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb264565(v=sql.90).aspx

Comments on Other Blogs:

Drew Hovey: I am pretty glad I read your post because as soon as I heard "relational database" my eyes sort of glazed over. Anything that has these computer algorithms makes my head spin but I thought you presented the material in a way that was clear and easy for me to understand whether I wanted to or not. I didn't know that it worked in the three modes (1 to 1, 1 to many, or many to many). I think I could handle a one to one database because that feels like just a table, one column and one row, but as soon as the multiple relationships appear I guess it would be like even more columns of data that get populated from each other - relating one thing with many other columns or rows (or like your diagram which was not columns or rows). I think I would have to see a relational database in action to fully grasp the differences, however, because I still am unsure what it would look like in terms of the data.

Egla Qori: Since we had the same prompt - I wanted to check out what information you found that I missed - turns out a bunch! I was really looking for the commands and what else people use SQL for, like how to insert information in to the database but I kept finding tutorials for "Select" so I used that as my example and ran with it. I like the table you provided because it shows the flexibility and basically what types of commands you can insert in the select function. Another new thing I learned from your post was the sub-divisions in the language.

Maissoun Ksara: Reading your post will help me piece together what I didn't get from Drew's since it is the same topic. Your introductory quote helped me realize that maybe SQL and databases don't always lend themselves to a relational database the same way. Now that I think about it with the poet poem example, I could have used this in my co-op experience where I was having trouble getting multiple rows of data for the same "ID" in Excel. I had the same ID for the car crash but it had information about Vehicle 1 and Vehicle 2 but not only that, it had Passenger 1 & 2 for each vehicle involved - now I see a relational database would have been much cleaner than my Excel equations trying to call the data... Since you  mention the capabilities can be limiting with extensive amounts of data - I wonder what industries use the relational database the most?

Week 5 Class Discussion - Group B - Opportunities in BIM

Opportunities in the Future of BIM

• Virtual Reality Building Modeling with simulation and real world & hand drawings turns into the computer model

• Scanning of 2D drawings and turning that in to a Computerized plan

• Specifications - the ability to create and edit specs based on Revit models

• Better interaction between modeling and analysis software

• Room scanner that doesn't just do geometry - identifies objects and models them automatically

• Glasses for construction workers that can show and tag items while they are on the site

Assignment B4 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

Describe your project 

- 

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!

Assignment B3 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

The question: What are the current problems with Revit/BIM?

There are many answers to this question depending on who you ask. It is important to note the point of view: beginner, architect, engineer, technician, contractor, or client? 

An article that caught my attention was an editorial by a registered architect, Kelvin Donaldson, titled "The Problem with Revit...", published in 2012 as an article on the Autodesk User Group International United Kingdom website (link here). His words are eloquent and to the point, he notes, "the following challenges are more general to the construction industry rather than to BIM practitioners, [...] they are much bigger than software or hardware problems and much harder to solve, but that doesn’t make them any less real" [1]. And this resonates with me because we automatically assume that problems have to come in terms of the software, the user experience and interface, the glitches and bugs, etc, at least that is how I initially felt before I read his points. In short summary, the challenges he sees with the adoption of Revit & BIM among architecture firms are: 1.) diminishing architectural fees don't allow for a model with enough detail, 2.) demands of the software rapidly outgrowing the computer capabilities in place in the office, and 3.) clients are still conservative in their willingness to try the BIM method of documentation. 

In class our group discussed some of these - in particular the second point regarding the computer capabilities. We noticed just in our short experience that Revit & other BIM software either take a significant time to load as it is (10 minutes +), or they frequently freeze, or they completely crash the program and all your work. These are not infrequent and therefore cause real damage to productivity and efficiency. It may feel like we are saving all this time by using this incredibly powerful 3D model but what happens when it takes 5 minutes just to draw a wall in? Kevin Donaldson's point in the article is that some of this can be solved by upgrading the firm's computer hardware - new, faster computers, larger storage, increased network speeds - but if you are a small Architectural Firm with staff that you can count on two hands, then these sort of amenities simply do not exist. His other point was the incredible packages that Autodesk comes out with - he compared it to grocery shopping and there is a sale, 'Buy 3 for the Price of 2!' but in reality you could not even finish just one item before the expiration date. That is what he feels happens in Autodesk, especially in small firms that cannot fathom using these tools. In my opinion and experience, however, the more staff that is available, the more flexible everyone's time could be in trying and utilizing these features. I will note however, that even though I worked at a large firm for co-op, we continued to have computer crashing issues and AutoCAD version issues - to me the solution was that every machine needed to have both versions that we were working in 2013 and 2016, yet only a few machines had 2016 and they were still reluctant to give the whole office access because of the licensing costs. 

If we look at a different perspective, perhaps a Mechanical, Electrical, or Plumbing designer perspective, we see the more technical aspect of the limitations. Although a little dated, this article by Beck Ireland, titled "Growing Pains", published in 2010 on the Electrical, Construction, & Maintenance website (link here), indicates that a challenge with BIM starts at the beginning, because everyone has to be involved. Many decisions are made upfront and way too many people are in the room at the same time trying to make these decisions. BIM is useful as a construction management tool if those are willing to utilize it, which can be difficult if not all the features are available. They note, "We're still working on this big project, but if we had done it in AutoCAD, we'd be finished already — and we'd have more detail on the drawings,” he says. “It's just the way it is right now” [2]. I think that this has improved greatly since 2010 - every day there are more contributor's making BIM better and more reliable with more detail, and each version that comes out is more user friendly and powerful than the next, but I imagine it can often leave much to be desired if the projects become so big it is hard to keep track of everying. This article further emphasizes that compared to systems like windows and appliances, the electrical engineers cannot simply find their equipment whether that is a switch or particular transformer. The database just is not there for them to really utilize BIM and particularly the 'information' part of it. 

Both articles note that many large clients are now requiring BIM to be implemented in projects. This is an excellent way to further the advancement of technology and it looks like it is not going anywhere for a long time. With each project that finds barriers and limitations with BIM, there will be more solutions found. 

References:

[1] K.  Donaldson, "The Problem with Revit...", Augiuk.co.uk, 2012. 

Available: http://www.augiuk.co.uk/index.php/articles/17-articles/31-the-problem-with-revit.

[2] B. Ireland, "Growing Pains", EC&MWeb.com, 2010.
Available: http://ecmweb.com/design/growing-pains

Comments on Other Student Blogs:

Arthur McCloskey: I think the sad truth is that all of these computer capabilities is reducing our intellectual ability and spatial reasoning on our own. If Revit can become so good and tell you exactly where you should place XYZ components to maximize an architectural element or sun exposure (things like that), then are we really engineers, architects, and designers? If the programming becomes more efficient than the user, that ties in to the Artificial Intelligence component of it and can become a scary world if we think about it in that way. Maybe buildings will be designed and built by themselves... no user input? Only time outside of our lives can tell about that.

Ray Powell: Since I was looking at current disadvantages, I wanted to make sure I had a dose of positivity and read something related to the advantages! I see how it would benefit efficiency and quality of the engineering and bidding process. I think by this system of storing all the information it takes out the guessing work for the contractors and they can provide faster and more accurate bidding numbers, which makes them more attractive, which lends itself to more bidders. It is always a sad sight when there are not enough bidders and the project needs to be re-bid. Further, your point about design specifications and how it is almost like testing resonates with me, because what got me interested in this field was the idea that we could simulate a building digitally and figure out all its problems before it was constructed.

Hayley Seldon : I completely agree with you on the comparison between Revit and other programs. There are some overlaps and basic features but then there are places where the systems veer off from each other. The difference between modeling and drafting from Revit to AutoCAD is significant. Although I used AutoCAD over co-op for bridges, highways, roads, and transportation planning purposes, I cannot imagine making a building in AutoCAD without Revit. It just doesn't seem like the better option. In general, I do think that AutoCAD's topography may be more flexible than Revit's.. but here we are talking about buildings so, again, Revit to me has those capabilities beat. I think Sketchup compares more to AutoCAD than to Revit only because we are dealing with lines and areas as opposed to Revit's object oriented things (floors, walls, doors, modeled specifically). It is like this bizarre triangle of resources available in this modern age. 

Week 3 Class Discussion - Group B - Current Problems with Revit/BIM

We have discussed many current problems with Revit and BIM modeling based on our experiences.

Firstly, just as Kayleigh mentioned, he Phasing of projects has very little capability without making new models. It can get tedious and hard to make sure you are not interfering work between each construction phase.

Another problem that we have observed is that the file size can become very large very quickly and the computers cannot handle those files. Revit Models frequently crash and lag behind - this is both an issue in compressability and the massive amount of information in the model. It would appear that the code is not optimized and is hard on your graphics card to handle.

The next problem we discussed is that we notice the Electrical Engineering field has not had attention in the BIM - it is hard to model because of all the components and there are not these quick fixes that we may see in MEP models. Turning the 3D model in to a 2D CAD printed drawing to be used in construction is also sometimes difficult - lines don't translate as well as symbols do and there is this "double" work that technicians are doing, one for the 3D and one for the 2D.

We also feel that it takes longer to understand the Revit model - it takes more time to set it up in the beginning of the project and may come more easily at the end. Because it is so powerful, there are so many features and it is complicated - so balancing an easy user experience to the capabilities could be improved.

Assignment B2 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

Chapter 3 - Interoperability

Source: C.  Eastman, BIM handbook, 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2008, pp. 65-92.

Brief Summary & Overview:

This chapter in regards to BIM software was explaining the purpose, needs, types, and limitations of "interoperability" of software. In particular, file formats and the way that data is stored and translated from one software to the other so that the original content is retained. We are all familiar with these things even if we have only been exposed to PDF files of JPEG files - technically these are ways of storing data and viewing them across multiple computers and software platforms.

In this industry it is extremely important that we can share the files and electronic data that we have from the Architect to all of the Engineering Departments - structural analysis - HVAC analysis - plumbing analysis - etc. The Chapter refers to many forms of this translation of data - the ones I was most familiar with due to my experiences on co-op are DXF (Data eXchange Format) and the GIS systems of SHP (Shapefile) and SHX (Machine Code version of Shapefile). My understanding of these file formats is that you take the file in one software and export and package it as this file, send it over somewhere else, then that software decodes the items inside and basically has a set of spatial points and visual graphic data that you can then work from so you are not doing the files from scratch.

The chapter goes on to indicate various types of ways that we use this interoperability - private & public - and specific scenarios of what warrants what and details on how the process is done and who (groups & agencies) is interested in the furtherance of these file exchange formats and what the fture might be for this after 2007.

Further Explanations:

I just wanted to look in to and point out a few more details that the authors bring up, a system that I was not familiar with: IFC (Industry Foundation Classes). I wanted to find additional information beyond what is presented in the text because I did not understand what it is, what purpose it serves, and how to use it.

From the AutoDesk Revit Forum:

IFC is an open and neutral file format maintained by buildingSMART. It is ISO certified which means it meets international standards and is considered a standard interoperability system. Files in one system can be saved and exported in to the IFC file format (.ifc, .ifcXML, .ifcZIP) and then imported and "translated" into the next system, whether that is for an analysis program use or to send to a different company with different software.

We are familiar with Revit's library of things (walls, property definitions, thickness, height, attributes) and that is the type of information that an IFC stores so information, time, and quality can be preserved in all stages of a project.

Additional Thoughts & Comments:

Wrapping up this blog post - this Chapter is a little bit out dated - in 10 years a lot can happen in the BIM world and has in the computer world. AutoCAD, Revit, Bentley, and GIS Software have gained traction so much that non engineers are utilizing them for their everyday projects. Interoperability in this day and age is crucial and it will continue to get better. Talking with the industry professionals during my co-op interviews - they have seen Revit in the industry for the whole time that it was there and the compatibility that they have seen between the software has really multiplied lately. Maybe in our lifetimes the systems will become seamless and all systems will be able to read each other or maybe I am just dreaming.

Comments for Other Students:

Peter Dannemann - Chapter 4: I wanted to read your post so that I could learn more about Chapter 4 which comes right after what I was reading on compatibility of files between BIM software and methods. It brings up a great point about its accessibility and use as a tool for everyone, not just the designer. How can we expect other people to understand what they are paying for or spending on their energy or how structurally deficient something is without showing it to them - they can keep inventory on all things related to their buildings - no matter what kind of position, company, or personal scenario that gives way to using BIM tools. 

Drew Hovey - Chapter 2: Your chapter in the book is interesting in that it explains what BIM is and the different uses for it - mine explained the file sharing and data storage so I was confused what other types of data might be stored but after reading your summary regarding parametric modeling, I understand that there is much much more to these models than just a shape file that I was mostly used to from my co-op. I think utilizing these simulations is very important to get ideas of energy costs since we are so focused on sustainability (as we should be). I wonder if they can be or already are integrated with the codes so that the systems can be checked that way in an operational point of view. I feel like a lot of buildings claim energy consumption is down while they are being designed but I want to see buildings that are actually operated that way with the data to show it. I think that is where BIM can go in the immediate future. (Sorry if that was a tangent). 

Nick Pawlikowski - Chapter 3: I like that even though we read the same chapter, our takeaways are different. I think the proprietary programs do have a place in this industry because it cannot all be open source translators - specific companies need to have their own controls to do these translations and interoperability to what they might want to import in their own programs. I unfortunately don't see the future of XML based review but maybe for specific aspects of this industry it is possible to expand on that. I completely agree with you that management of these files is going to be the most challenging part in the next couple of years. 

Week 2 Class - Thoughts about Term Project - Maria Raggousis

I think the most interesting topic to me is the robotics and utilizing them in the construction industry because to me that is real and tangible. The AI/BIM/Computerized things are less tangible to me and how we can apply them to the industry but I see actual benefits from non-AI robotic systems that construct things - for safer systems, exactly as mentioned in class today.

Group B - Week 2 In Class Discussion

Today our group came together to make a prediction of what we believe is going to be the most impacted in intelligent building design within the next 5 or 10 years. Our main focus of our discussion was to discuss the implementation of Artificial Intelligence in the operation and construction of structures. We also concluded that the use of BIM software in line with AI could be beneficial in referencing repetitive circumstances that would not be cost efficient to the project. While it's already minimally implemented in some BIM software, we believe within the next 5 years this same software would be able to give the user more automated information to cut costs and improve design. The software would dramatically improve circumstances.  Next, we believe the future of construction is based on 3D printing and more customized materials, shapes, sizes. Within the next 10 years, we concluded 3D printing could certainly become advanced enough to implement this less expensive and cumbersome form of design in construction with numerous options for owners and designers to choose from.

Assignment B1 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

3D Printing, BIM, Future, Structures
-
We can essentially make a sentence of these topics 

- 

What is the future of structures utilizing building information modeling and 3D printing. 

-

In general, I will only be referring to the futures of structures in this blog post, so I will be doing primary research on BIM and 3D Printing as they relate to this. I think in my personal vision of the future - building information modeling will occur on the computer and models can become 3D printed and micro-tested. As a subset of that, BIM will become so incredibly detailed that things like hinges, switches, and exact duct connections will be modeled. Maybe in the very far future, pieces that break within the home can be taken from the model on the computer and 3D printed to be functioning pieces (things like door hinges or plaster wall pieces in the perfect shape). Building information can also become a part of the future of structures as monitoring systems - place sensors, and every single building will have monitoring systems built in to the computer - reporting every stress of the data. 

BIM notes about the future of structures:

Some research and commentary regarding these systems mention their use in the design process. They mention managing the changes made in the system and managing the cost of those changes [1]. The best benefit I personally see in regards to the management of changes in the design of a building is that the impact can be predicted. The other day in AE 391, Dr. Simi Hoque mentioned that the farther along in the design process, the more expensive any change will be. With the use of these methods in BIM and keeping very specific track of the changes - the article notes that the cost can be predicted [1]. Using that, companies can very quickly test a variety of solutions and maybe they can pick the best one via predicted cost. In summary, this article talks about "five key elements" that would be some useful steps in starting a BIM management program. This article is a lot of talk but they don't actually offer useful solutions to everyday problems. I appreciate their purpose and their opening statement of "managing change" but they don't offer any solutions on how to get there, it basically says, just do it and you will see results. In terms of how this affects the future, I see it becoming integrated to the extreme level- the more advanced cost predictions can integrate with construction costs. It may become a difficult place for contractor's in the bid process if the cost prediction of a whole entire building model will become too accurate. It could even become a simulation for the construction with extreme surveying and advancements in BIM. 

3D Printing notes regarding the future of structures:

The first article I want to comment on is the youtube video regarding robotic construction and 3D printing of construction on the site [2]. It is extremely futuristic and the concept to my brain is too much for me to handle. I cannot fathom a world where we are using incredibly fancy robotics and 3D printing to literally 3D print the buildings on their site. No matter what I believe though, in the future this is coming, and it is coming full speed. As soon as people start talking about what could be, the future is not far behind. The really amazing this is that when they say, "[robotics] could help solve the global refugee crisis" [2]. This is peculiar to me because robotics is such an expensive high end thing, how could it help this poverty stricken situation? After reading, what I realized is that the point of these robotics can be to make these buildings very fast, whenever needed, even temporary, for the influx of refugees at any location. I think the first step and the immediate future of structures is pre-fabricated parts. I think next will come the robotic assemblies on site, and last will occur the 3D printing. 

The last article I want to touch on is extremely recent and is pushing borders in the 3D printing world. It basically says that although we are using 3D printing for models and prototypes, it is not ready in today's world to be used "to create full-scale functional components or habitable spaces—yet" [3]. Researchers are working towards this goal of creating functional real buildings using these technologies. In these test buildings, things like the structure were printed while other things are brought and combined together. It is amazing in the sense that the specific curvature and shape of structural members can be produced. It also talks about how the fibers used are sort of like wood in the way they have a strong grain axis and a weaker one. My biggest concern for these 3D printed parts of the buildings is that are they truly structurally sound or are they only for decoration? How do you test these irregular structural shapes. Sure we can test I-beams made of steel and we know what that strength is like but how do we test this curved structure roof that is made of a strange plastic polymer that feels like wood to the touch? That is why this is so difficult to make in the macro scale and mass produce - we are still not ready and have not found the miracle materials for 3D printing. 

References

[1] Hoffer, Erin; Bennet, Terry D.; Speden, Liam; Thasarathar, Dominic; Stedman, Chris. Autodesk: Business of BIM, "BIM Change Management Considerations",  January through March 2014. Online. 
Part 1: http://autodesk.typepad.com/businessofbim/2014/01/bim-change-management-considerations-part-1.html
Part 2:http://autodesk.typepad.com/businessofbim/2014/03/bim-change-management-considerations-part-2.html

[2] Frearson, Amy. Dezeen, ""Robotic construction and 3D printing are the future" says Wolf D Prix", October 2015. Online. https://www.dezeen.com/2015/10/23/robotic-construction-3d-printing-future-wolf-d-prix-interview/

[3] Gonchar, Joann, AIA, Architectural Record, "Continuing Education: 3-D Printing", May 2016. Online. http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11652--d-printing#CEU


Comments on Other Student Posts:

Peter Dannemann Group C: So Group C was given the slightly different task of observing robotics, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing as opposed to Group B's acknowledgment of structure and BIM. I am really glad I looked at Peter's blog because I did not know what "Quicabot" was. This inspection robot is incredible for structural observations as well as HVAC leakage. I honestly did not know this technology was here already, I imagine it to be in the distant future. I think the future of Quicabot is to become integrated with BIM, it could do its inspection scan and report everything into the building model to be stored. Maybe this scanning inspection robot can do periodic structural inspections, too, on structures in a similar way we are trying to with drones. 

Arthur Mccloskey Group A: I want to explore what the other groups did and am sort of a doubter of AI in the construction field so Arthur, your post helped me see that the future is bright. I guess I just assume AI means that there are talking robots with incredible databases for brains but when you extract that and have the data and the data analysis - the inspection of bridges and structural health monitoring really speaks to me. I wonder about what technology goes into that - at one point is it just a monitor collecting data with a sensor at a certain "threshold" of acoustic changes and when does it become artificial intelligence that can determine if the data it is collecting is from vibration of vehicles or from a sudden crack or even if a bird collided with the structure. 

Nick Pawlikowski Group B: Nick, you commented on my post that you had similar experiences with what I wrote to your co-op position so I wanted to see what comments you had about the future of BIM since you have been exposed to it at work and I have not. I actually did not know that contractor's were adapting BIM faster! What a neat bit of information - I think that is completely useful for them like you said about reducing error and becoming better bidders and smoothing out the construction process. If that is the case, then they will be at the forefront of the technologies - and we engineers and architects will likely be stuck in the paper and CAD age. 

B Team

We do not believe automation advancements in the construction process will be implemented in the very near future (approx.30-40 years) because of current technological innovations, expenses, and social aspects.  However, advancements in the design process will most likely be quick to advance; some advancements are already being seen today.

Maria Raggousis - Intro

Hi, I am Maria Raggousis, Junior BS/MS ArchE/CivE, Structural

• I have very little experience related to intelligent buildings and their systems. My co-ops have been pretty old school without the use of more recent and modern technologies to enhance the building process. I hardly know what the word means or what are examples of intelligent buildings. The only thing I might have been exposed to is the commercialization of intelligent buildings like home security systems and thermostats. I have no exposure to any construction technologies or methods that are of the up and coming status. I have barely used Revit - only in class assignments. 

• My expectations for this class are to receive an overview of what these intelligent buildings are all about - what are the systems that define intelligent buildings - and how we can use this knowledge going forward in our future careers.

• My initial definition of intelligent building would be "utilizing technologies to create structures in non-traditional ways or with non-traditional features that are more efficient and react to their environments"

Names Placeholder Post for Labels, Tags -2

This post creates the second half of the last names of everyone as a label/tag in the class as of 1/4/2017.  I have to add in two posts because it’s limited by Blogger.