Class Reflection

It is the final week of this quarter and the intelligent building class goes to end. Based on 10 week study, I expanded my knowledge on building aspect; moreover, I learned several things both on technology and learning method. It is well beyond my expection.  

For technology, it gives me the opportunity to deal with BIM and database.  Compared with the first few weeks when I barely know what BIM is, now I can run Revit and draw something with it. It is a great progress to me. The practice is necessary and usually cost more time but less effort than I expect, however, I get a deeper understanding on how it works and when the building design is finished, the feeling of creation is good and we play with it more, focusing on the better developing model and more application of Revit such as cost analysis. Although it is only a preliminary try, we enjoy the process and it is worth the time. When the class is over, I still want to work on that to develop a better version.  Thanks to the class I find another powerful software---access, one type of databases.  When I did the homework, I realized I can combine my research record into it to make a better organization.  Gabrielle Carpenter’s said she use access daily to manage her finances, I agree that is a good idea.

In addition, I also appreciate the guest lecture on  sensors in the service of increasing building efficiency and database as Xiang said. They give me a more clear understanding on what I have learned because when I read the material, sometimes it is abstract and the guest lectures bring the material into real life. Moreover, the database lecture from Dr. II-Yeol Song also addressed several specific problems which I met in the practice. It really helped me a lot.

The more important thing I learn from this lecture is the self-study spirit. Unlike other class, which I can only focused on the questions and seek for the answers, this class addresses more on the exploring part. We need to find the knowledge by ourselves, especially for the update of blog.  Just because of that,  I develop my ability both on writing and reading. For example, for the first blog I needed two days to collect information, but for the last one, the same extent of searching only cost me three hours and I can spend more time on correcting the logic and structure.

In general, this lecture is designed to open-minded and we can bring whatever we learned from class, mostly by ourselves.  Although I have the same feeling as Cifligu that the material presented is plenty against this short time. I think it is the main purpose that to introduce all intelligent building based concepts during 10 weeks as Rita Pauliushchyk  said.  Based on the understanding of aspects I interested, I can further explore the extent.   

Final AE510 Blog Post

Though I thoroughly enjoyed the course, based on the title and description provided when I registered for the class, it was not at all what I expected.  I thought the focus would be more specifically on BIM and buildings designed with BIM.  Though that would be an interesting course, I believe this course expanded my idea of what is possible in our industry despite the somewhat slower pace at which it progresses compared to other industries.

What I found to be the most interesting was the beginning AI material.  I suspect this was strategically placed in the beginning to grab our attention, which was very successful.  I agree with Barry, Jeanine and Kayleigh regarding staying up to date on the new advances in technology.  I find that I sometimes tend not to do this, and this class was a good reminder of why I should and how helpful it can be.

Although I was reluctant at first, I did like the blog aspect of the class.  It allowed us to see what the other students thought regarding topics and allowed us to learn from each other.  Too often students stay quiet in class and are unable to benefit from each other’s work and ideas, only to find out too late that we had some of the same concerns or more often that our contributions aren’t as uninteresting as we think they may be.

I agree with some of the other students that said that Dr. Song’s lecture could have replaced the discussion on databases that took place the week before, as it did cover a lot of the same material.  But, that being said I found this class to be very helpful in terms of understanding what a relational database actually is and what it entails.  Most of us (myself included prior to this class) utilize them (on the front end anyway) almost every day, but have no idea of how it actually works or what goes on “behind the scenes.”

I agree with Mitchell, in that I have always enjoyed Professor Mitchell’s courses and this one was no exception.  I hope that he continues with courses like this one that are designed to open up our minds and let us decide what it is that we want to learn and take away from it.

Course Reflection

After 10 weeks of study, I think AE 510 is a very interesting class and I really enjoy that. This class presents an overview of application of information technology in the construction industry now and their future roles. We talked about the building information modeling, database and the role of network-linked sensors and actuators. Besides, this class gave us a look into the future about how computer tools will be used throughout the whole life circle of building. Just like my classmate M Lorena Alvarado said, we are not only focus on our own area. By investigating the topic mentioned in class, we also took a glimpse at its effect in other careers like computer science, network technology, optimal control and so on. I think this is a good opportunity to prepare for future changes in our field of study.

Another good aspect of this class is guest speaker. Mr. Travis Peyton gave us a lecture on sensors in the service of increasing building efficiency. Dr. II-Yeol Song talked about relational databases. I think he is our best guest speaker in this term. His presentation is not only informative but also thought-provoking and entertaining too. For myself, I learn the most from BIM part of class. This part is new to me and hadn’t worked with before. Although Prof. Mitchell didn’t taught deeply in the class, the tutorial video is very useful and Autodesk wiki helps me a lot. People who are expert in both CAD and BIM will become more valuable in the future. So like Gabrielle Carpenter said, I would have preferred if we could have spent more time on BIM. I think after this class I can confidently say I have a basic understanding of how BIM works.

Overall, I think this class is very forward-looking and flexible. I agree with Maria Gabriela Gonzalez that this class is structure in a way that it’s up to student’s decision how much work and time they want to put into it. But like Prof. Mitchell mentioned in the first class, the more you put into the course, the more you got out of it. I am truly happy to choose this course.

Course Overview

This class definitely met, and exceeded, my expectations for it.  The class was recommended to me from a classmate who told me that it would be an interesting class, and that what I put into it, I could expect to get out of it (learning and grade-wise).  Thankfully, all of that has been true and I would definitely recommend this course to other students.

What I truly appreciated about the class was the beginning of the term - AI and BIM.  The videos we watched in the first couple of weeks on artificial intelligence were extremely interesting.  Learning about what scientists and industry are developing to enhance the construction process and our daily lives is fascinating.  That humans have developed Watson - the computer that responds to its verbal environment - is more than impressive.  Watson, and the developments like it, are something that I wish more people would learn about.  Spurring innovation in this area can only benefit society - from assisting medical personnel to conducting life-saving operations in areas that are difficult/dangerous for humans to making homes and cars smarter.  Additionally, robots, like the ones that flew around the room constructing the art figure, could be used in place of laborers to do the dangerous construction jobs.  They could also stream-line construction by continuously removing waste material or bringing material to an active area.  Although this removes human laborers, these laborers could instead be assisting in other areas at the same time.  Both robots and Watson-like computers can be critical to improving intelligent buildings.  They can interact with systems to update facilities staff and owners on building performance and can use a synergistic approach with other systems to improve building efficiency.  I think that by learning about how AI, robots, and intelligent buildings can all work together, it opened our eyes to the future of buildings.  Although we may hear occasionally about these systems being developed, because it is not out in force in the industry, it would be difficult for us, as emerging entry-level engineers, to promote their implementation.

BIM was also another interesting aspect of this course that I wish we had spent more time on.  Because BIM is becoming a prominent technology in the industry, I would have preferred if we could have spent more time on it.  At the beginning of the term, Dr. Mitchell said that this class was probably termed the "BIM course" and I wish it had been more in line with its nickname.  Personally, for my career, having an in-depth class about BIM, much like many universities do for AutoCAD, would have been extremely beneficial.  I would like to have left Drexel knowing enough about BIM that I could assist in leading a team at my job that had to work with it.  Especially since many people who are currently in industry have limited exposure to the program.  With that being said, having had the exposure to BIM, and knowing the resources that I can go to in order to learn more, I think that I have a solid foundation that I can carry forward in my job.

My least favorite part about the course was the emphasis on databases.  This section seemed the least valuable to me only because it something that I will not have to encounter in my career.  As mentioned above, I would have preferred to spend this time learning more about BIM, AI, and robots.  However, I use Access daily to manage my finances so learning the other tools that the program is valuable for was good knowledge to have.  And, who knows, maybe my supervisor will ask me to construct a database while I am doing my rotation through the project management side!  Reading Kayleigh's blog made me realize that just because I may not use a technology does not mean that I should not know about it.  The biggest issue in any technology-related field is not staying current with new techniques and technology.  Therefore, although databases may not be directly relevant to where I want my career to take me, understanding how they work and their usefulness is good knowledge to have.

Group A: Teaching Hospital

The stakeholders we identified for the teaching hospital include patients, attendings/residents/nurses/PAs, facilities staff, owner/board of trustees, AEC, and the community through research.  We identified these stakeholders through the various phases they would come into contact with a teaching hospital.  The technologies that we identified for these stakeholders as being most important are: acoustic analysis, lighting/MEP systems, sensors, robots, code analysis, database, cost estimate, and models.

• Patients would most benefit from sensors, lighting/MEP systems, code analysis, database, and acoustic analysis
• Doctors/nurses/PAs would benefit also benefit from the same technology that the patients would, with sensors being the most critical to their effectiveness of care.  An effective database will also aid in their research capabilities.
• Facilities staff would benefit greatly from sensors, lighting/MEP systems, models, robots, and cost estimates
• Owner/Board of Trustees would be most interested in code analysis, database, cost estimate, and models
• AEC would benefit from all technologies involved since they are involved in almost all phases of the building's life
• The community would most benefit from the database as doctors are able to pull the patient's personal information, the care the patient received, and the final outcome of the patient from this compiled database

Presentation

Pressure Sensors

    Pressure is defined as force per unit area that a fluid exerts on its surroundings. A pressure measurement can further be described by the type of measurement being performed. There are three types of pressure measurements: absolute, gauge, and differential. Absolute pressure measurement is measured relative to a vacuum. Gauge pressure is measured relative to ambient atmospheric pressure. Differential pressure is similar to gauge pressure, but instead of measuring relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, differential measurements are taken with respect to a specific reference pressure.

    A pressure sensor, sometimes called a pressure transmitter, is a transducer that converts pressure into an analog electrical signal. Because of the great variety of conditions, ranges, and materials for which pressure must be measured, there are many different types of pressure sensor designs. Often pressure can be converted to some intermediate form, such as displacement. The sensor then converts this displacement into an electrical output such as voltage or current. As C. Meraz introduced in her post, the three most universal types of pressure transducers of this form are the strain gage, variable capacitance, and piezoelectric. Chunyi Wang adds other two types of sensor named resonant wire pressure sensor and Pirani gauge sensor. Besides, according to G.Carpenter’s blog, there are three types of electrical outputs available for pressure sensors: millivolt, amplified voltage, and 4-20 mA. 

    Figure above provides an overall orientation to the scientist or engineer who might be faced with the task of selecting a pressure detector from among the many designs available. This table shows the ranges of pressures and vacuums that various sensor types are capable of detecting and the types of internal references (vacuum or atmospheric pressure) used, if any. 

    Common causes of pressure sensor failure include dynamic impact that results in sensor overload, spikes that cause a hole or tear in the diaphragm, moisture ingress whereby liquid seeps in through an interface and between a cable and the sensor, extreme temperature, stress when being calibrated, and wear and tear that produces drift and failure. Advances in pressure sensors should be focus on miniaturization with integration of electronics and control capabilities into the same chip as the sensor resulting from the new, smaller form factors.  By reducing the size of the sensor, pressure sensors can be used in more area.

source:

http://www.omega.com/prodinfo/pressuretransducers.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_sensor

http://www.ni.com/white-paper/3639/en

http://www.omega.com/literature/transactions/volume3/pressure.html

Pressure Sensors

A pressure sensor can detect pressure and then convert it to electricity signal for display. So it acts as a transducer that generates an electrical signal as a function of the pressure imposed [1]. According to G.Carpenter’s blog, the electrical outputs of pressure sensor can be classified into three types: (1) sensors with millivolt output. These sensors are common and economic but need regulated power supplies and not suitable for noisy environment because the outputs are nominally around 30mV, easily being interrupted.  (2) sensors with amplified voltage output. By using the integral signal conditioning  the outputs are amplified,  ranged from 0-5Vdc to 0-10Vdc so they are more steady than type (1); (3) Sensors with 4-20mA output. The signal is the most steady so they are suitable for the long transition distance(1000+ft)[2].

Pressure sensors can use different technologies to detect pressure. The most common method is to measure strain due to applied force over an area also named force collector. For example, as C.Meraz introduced, variable capacitance and piezoelectric sensors are different force collector types. I want to discuss other types of sensors using other properties to infer pressure.

Resonant wire pressure sensor uses the difference of resonant frequency to measure pressure. The input pressure is detected by the high pressure and low pressure diaphragms on the right and left of the unit[3]. Usually, the resonant wire oscillates at its natural frequency. When the pressure changes, the wire tension will change accordingly and the resonant frequency also changes. A digital counter circuit is used to detect the shift and transform the signal to pressure value. The advantage of this technology is it can provide very stable readings over time[1].

Another type of sensor uses the changes in thermal conductivity of a gas[1]. The typical application is Pirani gauge, which was invented in 1906 by Marcello Pirani[4]. The method measures heat loss of a filament to indirectly determine the pressure of gas. For example, within high pressure, there should be more molecules present in the same volume and the chance to collide with heated metal wire potentially high, resulting in more efficiency removing heat than low pressure. Since the thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the gas may affect the readout, the sensor needs to be calibrated before using. The advantage of this method is its accuracy—between 0.5Torr to 10^-4 Torr[4].

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_sensor

2 http://www.omega.com/prodinfo/pressuretransducers.html

3 http://automationwiki.com/index.php?title=Resonant_Wire_Pressure_Transducer

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirani_gauge

Pressure Sensors

According to the National Instruments website, “because of the great variety of conditions, ranges, and materials for which pressure must be measured, there are many different types of pressure sensor designs” [1].

My fellow classmate, G. Carpenter, first addresses in her post the most common type of pressure sensor (strain gage, see Figure 1 for cross section) and what it measures and how it is translated to indicate pressure.  She then discusses different categories of pressure gauges (force collector and other) and their electrical outputs (millivolt, amplified voltage, and 4-20 mA).

Figure 1: Strain Gauge Pressure Sensor Cross Section [1]

I will now discuss the other two most universal types of force collector pressure transducers (according to National Instruments): variable capacitance and piezoelectric.

A variable capacitance pressure sensor measures “the change in capacitance between a metal diaphragm and a fixed metal plate” and the capacitance changes when the distance between the two plates changes and the degree of this change is converted into an electrical signal [1] (see Figure 2).  (Capacitance is described as the “the ability of a body to store electrical charge” [2].)  These types of sensors are also described as, “very stable and linear, but sensitive to high temperatures and more complicated to setup then most pressure sensors” [1].

Figure 2: Capacitance Pressure Sensor Diagram [1]

A piezoelectric pressure transducer utilizes the electrical properties of naturally occurring crystals such as quartz [1], and uses these stacks of crystal to convert motion into an electrical output as they become strained [3] (see Figure 3).  They require no external excitation and are "rugged" [1], however, are not effective with dc or steady-state conditions [3].  These sensors are also highly susceptible to shock and vibration [1], and also require special signal amplification as their output signal levels are low [3].

Figure 3: Piezoelectric Pressure Sensor Diagram [1]

Sources:

[1] http://www.ni.com/white-paper/3639/en

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitance

[3] http://www.digikey.com/us/en/techzone/sensors/resources/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-pressure-sensors.html

Pressure Sensors

Pressure sensors, as the name indicates, measure pressure.  The pressure that it is being measured is typically that of a gas or liquid although pressure applied by a human or animal is also available.  According to Omega.com, pressure transducers “converts pressure into an analog electrical signal”¹.  A strain gage is the most familiar, and common, engineering pressure sensors.  For a strain gage, an electrical signal is generated when “the physical deformation of strain gages which are bonded into the diaphragm of the pressure transducer” ¹.  The strain that is formed from deformation of the diaphragm produces “an electrical resistance change proportional to the pressure” ¹.  Other types of pressure sensors include sensors that measure fluid/gas flow, speed, water level, and altitude².  Some common examples of these are piezometers, manometers, and tire pressure gages.

There are two different categories of pressure gages: force collector types and other types².  Force collector types (e.g. pizoresistive strain gage, capacitive, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, optical, potentiometric) use an item of known area – typically a piston or diaphragm – to measure strain/deflection of the applied force over the applied area².  The other types of pressure gages use different properties (e.g. density) to determine the pressure of the medium.  Some examples of these pressure sensors include resonant, thermal, and ionization².  Wang Chunyi's post describes how resonant and thermal pressure sensors work.  According to his post, resonant pressure sensors have a wire that vibrates at its natural frequency.  As the pressure changes, the resonant frequency of the wire changes in response.  The magnets around the wire create electricity through the wire's vibration which is then transmitted to the readout.  Thermal pressure sensors determine pressure through measuring the heat of a wire.  Under high pressure and constant volume, temperature within the gas, and subsequently the wire, will increase.  This increase in temperature must be calibrated based on the type of gas that surrounds the wire.

There are three types of electrical outputs available for pressure sensors: millivolt, amplified voltage, and 4-20 mA.  Millivolt transducers are typically the most economical sensor and their output is directly proportional to the input power or excitation¹.  However, their output is typically low and so they are not recommended for noisy environments, and distance between the sensor and the readout equipment should be short.  Amplified voltage sensors include “integral signal conditioning which provides a much higher output than the millivolt sensor” ¹.  Because of the higher output level, they are able to be used in noisier environments, like industrial.  The 4-20 mA sensors are the “least affected by electrical noise and resistance in the signal wires” ¹.  This benefit allows the signal to be transmitted long distances (1000+ ft.)¹.

¹ “Pressure Transducers.” Omega.com.

http://www.omega.com/prodinfo/ pressuretransducers.html.

² “Pressure Sensor.” Wikipedia.com. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_sensor

Relational Database Theory

As already described in G. Carpenter and G. Gulbenkian’s posts, the definition of a relational database is, “a collection of data items organized as a set of formally described tables from which data can be accessed easily” [1].  There are many important terms associated with relational database design/theory, some of which were already described by G. Carpenter and G. Gulbenkian, such as tuples (rows) and attributes (columns).  Another important term is relation (or table) which is defined as, “a set of tuples that have the same attributes” [1].  The relational model requires that each row of a table be unique [2].  They go on to say that this uniqueness can be achieved by “designating a primary key – a column that contains unique values for a table” [2].  The below figure shows that the primary key chosen was Customer ID [2].

Figure 1: Table with the primary key as Customer ID [2]

However, “primary keys are a function of individual tables,” therefore, if you want to join together multiple tables you may need what is called a “foreign key” which is “used to reference a primary key in another table” [2].  The figure below shows how the primary key of Customer ID is then used as a foreign key in a different table.

Figure 2: Table with Customer ID as the foreign key [2]

Utilizing the above, multiple types of relationships can be formed between related tables (i.e. one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many) [2].  From there the tables forming the databases can be further optimized by a process called normalization which G. Carpenter also briefly discussed.  The above are the basics for creating an efficient and well designed database.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_database

[2] http://www.deeptraining.com/litwin/dbdesign/FundamentalsOfRelationalDatabaseDesign.aspx

Relational Database Theory

Database is a revolution from flat-file format.  For flat-file, all the data were stored with each record in one large table. For example, if one wanted to place an order, the data was recorded by detailed information such as customer’s name, address, phone number and SSN. This requirement was performed every time when the same one wanted to do the same thing. And the information was written down repeatedly into large files. Thus the problem appeared. Not only the large space was needed to restore the big amount of information (can be either in paper or in computer memeroy), the human sources to maintain these data were also a large pool.

So on 1970, Dr. Edgar Codd first defined the relational database. The biggest advantage of this database was reorganized data in the form of relations to eliminate the redundant data. In other word, the database method doesn’t care the order of columns and rows. It doesn’t equal to the table although every relationship can be depicted as a table. For example, the two different tables below represent the same relation. The computer only needs to memory the relationship between column and rows to generate several tables. In terms of how to generate these relations, terms of tuples and attribute are generated. In relational database theory, a relation is a set of tuples that belong to a data domain. And each distinct domain used in the definition of a relation is called an attribute. For example, the Name, studentid and courseid are three attributes. They belong to different domains.

 

The method is operated by the software called relational database management system(RDBMS). Generally, the RDBMS responds to command. The command is input which is written in the database language such as SQL and the responds are output which include completion codes, messages and results of queries.

The benefit of reducing saving storage space is not a big problem due to the technical development. However, the relational database should be still be used because it can reduce the entry errors as Gayaneh said in her blog.  Because each item is stored only once, so once you can find the specific error you made, you can correct a series mistake.

Sources: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/relational-databases-the-inspiration-behind-the-theory/5034633

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_database

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuple

http://www.zums.ac.ir/files/research/site/ebooks/it-programming/an-introduction-to-relational-database-theory.pdf

Relational Database Theory

According to Wikipedia, A relational database is a collection of data items organized as a set of formally described tables from which data can be accessed easily. The software used in a relational database is called a relational database management system (RDBMS). A relational database is the predominant choice in storing data, over other models like the hierarchical database model or the network model. It consists of n number tables and each table has its own primary key. The standard user and application program interface to a relational database is the structured query language (SQL). SQL statements are used both for interactive queries for information from a relational database and for gathering data for reports.

The relational database was first defined in June 1970 by Edgar Codd, of IBM's San Jose Research Laboratory.  Codd called his paper, “A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks.”  What Codd did was open the door to a new world of data independence. Users wouldn’t have to be specialists, nor would they need to know where the information was or how the computer retrieved it. They could now concentrate more on their businesses and less on their computers.

The example posted by Gabrielle Carpenter is a good way to understand relational database. A relational database allows you to easily find specific information. It also allows you to sort based on any field and generate reports that contain only certain fields from each record. Relational databases use tables to store information. The standard fields and records are represented as columns (fields) and rows (records) in a table. I think the major reasons for the success of the relational model were the high degree of logical independence and it allows a natural and expressive representation based on tables. Today, the ease and flexibility of relational databases have made them the predominant choice for financial records, manufacturing and logistical information, and personnel data. Most routine data transactions—accessing bank accounts, using credit cards, trading stocks, making travel reservations, buying things online—all use structures based on relational database theory.

Hugh Darwen: An introduction to relational database theory

"What Are Relational Databases?" HowStuffWorks. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question599.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_database

Relational Database Theory

A relational database is “a database structured to recognize relations between stored items of information” (Oxford).  According to Microsoft’s MSDN library, a relational database theory “defines a process called normalization, which ensures that the set of tables you define will organize your data effectively”.  In a relational database, the data is collected into tables which allows it to be one of the most effective ways at organizing data.  These tables, in relational database theory, are called relations.  Each table represents a class of objects.  On Microsoft’s website, they call out the following example: “ a company may have a database with a table for employees, another table for customers, and another for stores”.  As with traditional tables, relational database tables have rows and columns, which in relational database theory are classified as tuples and attributes, respectively.  In the example that Microsoft provided above, the tuple would be an employee, customer X, or store #xxx.  The attributes in Microsoft’s example would be names, address, phone number, email address, and social security number (employee table) or credit card number (customer table).  As mentioned above, relational database theory is the most effective way that data is organized because of the normalization process.  Although there are several ways that tables can be organized, normalization optimizes the organization of the data.

Figure 1: Relational Database Table (HowStuffWorks).

The first relational database was created in 1970 by E.F. Codd, a researcher at IBM.  When databases were first created, they were stored in one text file called a tab delimited file.  In this type of file, each entry was separated by a special character and each entry would contain multiple pieces of information about objects that were grouped together (HowStuffWorks).  The table shown above would have the following file:

Lname, FName, Age, Salary|Smith, John, 35, $280|Doe, Jane, 28, $325|Brown, Scott, 41, $265|Howard, Shemp, 48, $359|Taylor, Tom, 22, $250

Figure 2: Tab delimited file (HowStuffWorks).

Although information is able to be determined (once the user understands how to gather their information based on how the data is presented), it is much easier to use the table shown in Figure 1 rather than the text file that is shown in Figure 2.  Relational databases are more efficient than the original tab delimited file because “ it uses the relationship of similar data to increase the speed and versatility of the database” (HowStuffWorks).  Today, relational databases use structured query language (SQL), which is the computer language that is used for all databases, including Microsoft Access.  According to Wang Chunyi, the software used is called the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) which responds to user commands.  This method is beneficial to the user because it can reduce entry errors as mentioned in Wang C. and Gayaneh G.'s blogs.  Errors are reduced "because each item is stored only once, so once you can find the specific error you made, you can correct a series mistake"

"Relational Database." Definition of Relational Database. Oxford Dictionaries. <http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/relational+database>.

"Relational Database." Relational Database Components. Microsoft MSDN. <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa174501(v=sql.80).aspx>. 

"What Are Relational Databases?" HowStuffWorks. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question599.htm

Term Project

Similar to M. Gonzalez and E. Cilifgu, I too am researching robotics in construction, but I will be focusing on the socioeconomic impact of robots in construction.  During many of our class discussions regarding different topics we have shifted the focus of “what all of this intelligent building actually means” for our job market.  So, I decided to use this project as an opportunity to try to figure out what it actually does mean based on research into what effect robotics had on the aerospace and automotive industry.  I choose these two fields as we have also determined in class that the technologies of these industries eventually become used in some form in the building and construction industry.

I realize that the socioeconomic impact on the construction industry as a whole would be a rather large range to try to tackle in just one paper so I have decided to focus on contractors/construction workers for the time being and possibly extend it to engineers and owners if time and resources permit me to.

In my preliminary research, I have found a source [1] that proposes that robots do not always take jobs and can actually create them.  This is interesting as most assume that the introduction of robotics means a loss of human jobs, especially those that are repetitive in nature.  And if this is potentially the case, what kind of jobs are they creating.  Are they similar to the old jobs or is it an entirely new kind of job?  And if it is not necessarily creating the same or new kinds of jobs, does it allow workers to focus their attention on another aspect of the industry?  A different industry?

I, of course, will also discuss the effect that robots have on the safety of workers and the positive social impacts of this.

And in my conclusion, I plan on making projections for the future of robotics in the construction industry based on what we’ve seen in the other two industries.

[1] http://www.ifr.org/uploads/media/Metra_Martech_Study_on_robots_02.pdf

Term Project Description

For projects large and small, complex and simple, architects and other building industry professionals around the world use Autodesk Revit today for building design, documentation, construction and management. So it is critical to completely master this important software. For my term project I will be use Revit to design a 2 floor house and install HAVC system in it. I wanted to do this because as we have discussed in class the industry that we all want to work in is heading in the direction of completely digital 3D BIMs in order to complete construction projects in the future. The future intelligent building will be tightly related with BIM software like Revit and it will become a basic requirement in china for next decade. As a student major in HVAC, I also interest in the energy analysis tool embed in the Revit. Because the energy consumption will be more and more important factor when evaluate a building.

With my partner Wang Chunyi, we plan to present a sheet, composed of house floor plan, elevations and HAVC system construction and its distribution in the house. We also want to generate one report recording all the technical problems we meet and how we solve them. Within the drawing process, we can share the experiences and how to make the design effective and powerful. We can summary what we have learned through the design process.

After reading other posts, I think Rita Pauliushchyk 's group topic about use of sensors in W.W. Hagerty Library is very practical. Since we spend a lot of time studying library, it is critical to analyze the library to see how people feel in its environment and related to sensors. And other people choose intelligent/green building as there topic like Gabrielle Carpenter. Because of energy limitation, the green building is the future direction of our industry. I am also interest in how to design and operate properly in order to make building friendly with environment. As she mentioned in post, I hope to know more about LEED certification and improvement suggestion for their evaluation standard. I am looking forward to hear what they find.

Project: Room design by Revit

The project my partner Xiang Li and I will focus on is BIM designing. Our preliminary idea is to design a two floor building and add a HAVC system in it by Revit.

The purpose of choosing this topic is that we want to learn how to use Revit and further extend our skills on BIM applications. In architecture and construction fields BIM is becoming much more popular recently. I will be no surprised that it will replace other software to dominate the design studios in the future. Based on the reading and learning from class, there are several BIM building design platforms and each one has its own advantage. For example, Bentley, according to the presentation of Mr. Robert last Thursday, is famous for complex simulations and broad range of modeling tools. The products designed by it have won several building prizes. It is suitable for higher level design. We choose Revit as our tool because it is the most popular BIM in the market and is organized in a well-designed and user –friendly interface.

In addition, Revit has many different kinds of objects developed by third parties that can be directly used in the design. Know well about how to use them and further to create the object families is another challenge for us.  

So the project will examine our cognitive depth about Revit application. We plan to present a sheet, composed of house floor plan, elevations and HAVC system construction and its distribution in the house. We also want to generate one report recording all the technical problems we meet and how we solve them. Within the drawing process, we can share the experiences and how to make the design effective and powerful. We can summary what we have learned through the design process.

Our group member Gabrielle Carpenter and Gayaneh Gulbenkian will research on the relationship between green and intelligent building. I am also interested how to use technology to make our building environmental and the extent to name it the “green building”. As mentioned in Gabrielle’s post, the definitions of intelligent building include a broad range of regulations such as temperature control and window shadow control. With these measures operation properly, buildings energy can be saved which called. Their topic is about how the sustainability will contribute to the “green image” of the building.  I am looking forward to the way they predict combination of green and intelligence in the future.

Project Topic: Intelligent and/or Green Buildings

For the term project, I will be focusing on the topic of “Intelligent and/or Green” with Gabrielle Carpenter.  I chose this topic because green buildings a hot topic of today in the building industry and I thought it would be interesting to explore the relationship between green and intelligent buildings. I don’t much background in either subject but I figured this would be a great opportunity to learn more about green buildings and intelligent buildings.

Intelligent, energy-efficient buildings are expected to be an important part of future energy systems.

There are practically no limits to the number of functions that can be incorporated into intelligent buildings: lighting, heating/ventilation, climate control and energy management among others. I’m very interested in how these systems will contribute to the “green image” of the building.   

As G. Carpenter mentioned in her post, I think the biggest challenge with our project is going to be finding information of intelligent buildings because they are referenced in many different ways and there is not one single description of an intelligent building. Everyone has their own definition of what exactly an intelligent building is.

Project: Intelligent and/or Green

For my term project, I will be focusing on the topic “Intelligent and/or Green”.  I really wanted to work on this topic for two reasons.  The first reason is that I have been interested in green buildings since high school.  I was in a magnet program in high school that focused on the environment.  The program not only showed us what was currently out there (we visited a landfill and an incinerator) and what was emerging technology (we visited BP’s solar cell factory and learned a little bit about alternative building materials, like hay bales), but also taught us about the pros and cons of everything (existing and emerging).  During my senior year of high school is when green buildings were just starting to make a name for themselves and people were starting to really analyze their impacts.  It was also at this time that construction of the Philip Merrill Center, headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, had been completed.  The Philip Merrill Center is the first LEED Platinum building; it was so “green” that USGBC had to create the Platinum certification for it because it exceeded the Gold certification standard by such a large amount.  Since it was the agenda of the program to turn out “save the trees (and the animals and the catfish and the spiders and the ….)” high school graduates (who would then hopefully go on and become lawyers or engineers or anyone who would be able to change policies to save the planet), we drove 2 hours to visit the CBF headquarters.  From that day on, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the green industry – whether it was design or construction.  At my alma mater, we were encouraged to always think sustainably.  When we learned new material, someone would inevitably always ask about its sustainability and life cycle.  Thankfully, I get to work at the company that constructed the Merrill Center and try to realize my dream to construct every building “green”.  Since I will be able to make green buildings a part of my career, I chose this topic to learn more about the topic I am so passionate about.

Secondly, I know very little about intelligent buildings.  When I used to hear the term “intelligent buildings”, it was usually the TV version of intelligent buildings that popped into my mind – house that talks to you, cooks food for you, etc.  From the first couple of classes, I know that this may be a future version of intelligent buildings, but right now intelligent buildings are about how they regulate themselves.  This regulation may be adjusting the temperature in a room to be a set temperature or adjusting window shades to allow more or less light inside.  From the knowledge I have of sustainability and how it pertains to green buildings, I am very interested to learn how these two combine with intelligent buildings and how it makes each of the them better.

As Matthew wrote in his blog, infrastructure improvement is a dire need for this country.  The last time this country pushed for infrastructure improvements was in the 60's.  This means that the majority of our infrastructure is over 50 years old and reaching the end of its design lifespan.  The longer we wait to improve infrastructure, the more we jeopardize the safety of the public that we are committed to protect.  In Matthew's post, he also mentioned the importance of improving water systems and conserving water.  As he says, water in this country is taken for granted as we assume that we will have clean water to drink and use when we turn on the faucet.  This assumption is quickly becoming history as the population grows and fresh water is becoming a scare resource.  Through our urban development, we have drastically reduced the pervious surfaces that allow water to infiltrate the ground and recharge our aquifers.  Instead, this water runs off into our surface waters carrying pollutants, which leads to contaminated and dirty water.  Ignoring the problem will lead to countries having to implement other, more expensive, methods at turning unusable water (e.g. saltwater) into drinking water.  Unfortunately, despite the continuing decline in water availability, it remains a minor issue with green buildings.  When I was studying for my LEED exam, I noticed that the section on water management was small compared to the other topics.  When you look at the 2009 scorecard, Water Efficiency only has 10 points compared to 26 for Sustainable Sites and 35 points for Energy and Efficiency.  Only Innovation and Design (6 points) and Regional Priority (4 points) are less than Water Efficiency.  This limitation with green buildings is something that I will be addressing in my paper.

I think the biggest challenge of this project is going to be finding material on intelligent buildings.  Green buildings will be easy to find as everyone is talking about green buildings and their impacts on the triple bottom line.  Intelligent buildings though may be referenced it various terms in research papers which may make them difficult to find.

USGBC LEED Green Associate Study Guide. Washington, DC: U.S. Green Building Council, 2009. Print.