Course Reflection

This course covered a lot of different topics, all of which I found to be very informative. The course had many different aspects and was all around a good experience. From the professor to the blog posts everything that happened in this class was useful in one aspect or another. There were a variety of assignments that covered a wide variety of topics all of which made me think about the future of the industry and the future for myself.

I would first like to reflect on my professor. Professor Mitchell is a great teacher and really cares about his students. He includes modern technologies such as blog posts and a variety of computer software. He really gets you involved, and is truly passionate about what he does and I feel like it should be publicly recognized how hard he works at making this class better with every year.  The guest speakers that Mitchell brought in were another privilege about this class that us as students would never have had the chance to experience if not for this class.

The topics in this class were a wide variety that covered BIM, databases, robotics, sensors, networks, and 3D printing. All of those topics were very interesting and really showed the potential of the industry to come. It really made me excited for the future and where my career is going to take me. The most interesting topic we covered, in my opinion, was the 3D printing. To me it is an insane concept that I want to dig my hands into, which is probably why I chose it as my final project. My least favorite topic was probably databases. I did not enjoy the assignment at all and I feel that it should be improved greatly or replaced with a different topic. My favorite assignment was probably the final project. This is probably due to the fact that I really enjoy the subject I did my project on, but it also gave me a deeper understanding on where 3D printing came from and where its most probable to go.

Overall I enjoyed this class. I wish I could have spent more time on some of the topics and less on others, but that is neither here nor there, just mainly my likes and dislikes for the topics. I am glad I took this class and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about some cool, not so far in the future, futuristic topics.

Comments on other blog posts:

Ryan Donahue:
I definitely agree with what Mitchell said in the beginning of the term "you get out of it what you put into it.” Is there any topic you feel like you didn't put enough in and as a result you didn't get much back, that you wish you had? What was your favorite and least favorite topics? What would you change about the course if you could? Great post!

Bruder - Movement Sensors- Group E

Movement sensors, or motion detectors as they are usually referred to as, are used mostly indoors to control electric lighting. Motion detection can be defined as “the process of detecting a change in position of an object relative to its surroundings or the change in the surroundings relative to an object. Motion detection can be achieved by both mechanical and electronic methods. When motion detection is accomplished by natural organisms, it is called motion perception.”[3] Movement sensors have many different uses however. They can be used for burglar detection, automatic doors, automatic sinks and paper towel dispensers and soap dispensers, anything that you could think of really. What I’m trying to get at is that they are very multi-useful. Most of the motion detectors that we see in everyday life are passive systems that detect infrared energy.

“These sensors are therefore known as PIR (passive infrared) detectors or pyroelectric sensors. In order to make a sensor that can detect a human being, you need to make the sensor sensitive to the temperature of a human body. Humans, having a skin temperature of about 93 degrees F, radiate infrared energy with a wavelength between 9 and 10 micrometers. Therefore, the sensors are typically sensitive in the range of 8 to 12 micrometers.”[1] The sensors do not just pick up of the heat given off, what they are really looking for is a dramatic change in the infrared light the sensor is changing.

Some of the other types of movement sensors include ultrasonic, microwave, and tomographic motion detector. An ultrasonic sensor works by sending “…out pulses of ultrasonic waves (acoustic sound waves above the frequency that a human can hear) and measures the reflection off a moving object. Motion causes the frequency of the reflected wave to change (Doppler effect).”[2] A microwave sensor works by sending “…out electromagnetic pulses and measures the changes in frequency (Doppler) due to reflection off a moving object.”[2] Finally a tomographic motion detector works by sensing “…disturbances to radio waves as they pass from node to node of a mesh network. They have the ability to detect over complete areas because they can sense through walls and obstructions.”[2] All of these different types of motion detection sensors all have advantages and disadvantages. That being said, their uses are possible for just about anything your mind can imagine.

Comments:

Michael: I had no idea the importance of pressure sensors. I never realized how common they actually are either. I really liked how you included many different uses for a pressure system; it really puts the importance into perspective. Really well written post, two thumbs up!

Audrey: I think it’s awesome that different types of temperature sensors had different limitations, so each sensor has a different uses. I was surprised to find out that the majority of the sensors that require contact to the heat source could contaminate the readings. Do you think there is one sensor that is the best for universal use? Very informative post!

References:

[1] "How do motion sensing lights and burglar alarms work?"  01 April 2000.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/security/question238.htm>  17 February 2014.

[2] "Motion Detector." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.

[3] "Motion Detection." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Oct. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.

Bruder - Databases in Construction Firms

For this blog post we were to research databases, and their use in different situations. My group, Group E, was required to research the uses of databases in construction firms. A database is ‘a usually large collection of data organized especially for rapid search and retrieval (as by a computer)”. (Merriam-Webster)

Databases can be used in many different occupations and many different applications. The more advance technologies get the larger their file size becomes. Using a database reduces the need for multiple copies of a particular file. As construction companies transition into more technological advances like Archicad, Revit, and other BIM services, they are using more mobile computing devices that cannot hold the information they need without using databases. Construction companies can use databases just as efficiently as any other companies.

“Construction projects inevitably generate enormous and complex sets of information. Effectively managing this bulk of information to insure its availability and accuracy is an important managerial task.” There are many different ways for a construction company to use databases. They can use databases in the more general sense, or they can use a database that is over a cloud service. Both have their benefits over another, such as a cloud service does have limitations on storage amounts and download speeds, while an in-house database has larger storage capabilities but you have to be connected to that database through Ethernet or Wi-Fi, which requires you to be within close proximity.

I think that databases are an essential part of a construction company, especially now a days. I remember my second co-op where their database was just a row of filing cabinets with a bunch of unorganized documents and drawing. This made it very difficult to find a particular drawing of file that I would need and took up valuable company time. With databases that are well organized, data can be found quickly and efficiently, which will save time thus improving overall company efficiency.

In conclusion, I think it is imperative for construction companies to have a very formal and well organized database. It makes finding information quick and efficient. There are different types of databases to choose from, so some research should be done to find the best database that suits your companies’ needs.

Comment on other posts:

Comment on Ian’s Post: I had a similar experience as your first co-op with my second co-op. It was really a shame since a lot of companies are willing to distribute tablets as a company expense. So you are pretty much getting a free tablet. It was good to find out that during your third co-op they were more open to the idea and were starting to convert to digital. Good post though!

Comment on Matt's Post: Thank you Matt for that very informative blog post. Do you have any ideas of what the next file storing is going to be? Do you think that the next big thing is already here with cloud databases? I like how you included photos for a more visual representation of how a database works.

Resources:

1.    ASCE. "The Vision for Civil Engineering in 2025." Asce.org. ASCE, 2007. Web. 10

Feb. 2014. <http://www.asce.org/uploadedFiles/Vision_2025_-_New/TheVisionforCivilEngineeringin2025_ASCE.pdf>.

2.    "14. Organization and Use of Project Information." Project Management for Construction: Organization and Use of Project Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

3.    "Database." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

3D Pirating by Mike Wright & Teddy Bruder

Description of Project

3D printing is something that is becoming very popular in future technologies. It will soon be an everyday household item that everyone uses and is proficient at. It will be so common to the point where most of online shopping will be printed at home. This is a very optimistic outlook at what 3D printing will become, but is also not far off of what it can become. This arises the concern for pirating. Once upon a time everyone had to pay for music and movies off the internet, but now everyone downloads everything illegally, and that is what could happen with 3D printing. So we will cover the possibilities of pirating and the protective measures that must be taken into account before it is too late.

Why we Chose Our Project

We chose this project because it is a real possibility and is not far in the future. This is a real issue that could cause pandemonium. People see 3D printing as a very optimistic future and really only think about the wonderful possibilities of 3D printing, never the downsides of 3D printing and the negative effect of it. Plus everyone loves some good drama.

Challenges

Challenges faced during this project will be finding adequate and reliable data to define what the future holds for 3D printing. While 3D printers are a hot technological item currently, there is not much discussion based upon the negative impacts. People are more interested in the possibility of being able to print a pair of boots from amazon rather than consider the impact it has of the postal service or the manufactures. Data may be slim with this look into the subject. Another challenge will be developing or finding restrictions that will be put on these devices to control illegal downloading and printing. If this technology becomes available to the public, overly-restricting the technology will turn people away and reduce the possible advancement in 3D printing. 

Deliverables

For this project the main deliverable will be a paper of 1,750 words or more. A powerpoint project will also be created to present our research and paper.

Relation to Intelligent Buildings

It is possible that 3D printers may one day be capable of printing buildings. While this capability is exciting, it is also dangerous. This project will look deeply into manual labor vs. intelligent buildings and whether or not they can coexist or if the advancement of automated manufacturing will destroy the jobs of manual laborers.  

Project Outline

1. Introduction
1. 3-D printing is a recent development in manufacturing that allows a user to develop a model to be mass produced. This essentially cuts out manufactures of these items. Designers of the models can potentially design, manufacture, and sell the good all in-house. In the future, it may be possible for 3-D printers to be a household item where users can purchase the rights to a model and print at their home. While this technology has great capabilities, it may prove detrimental to many aspects of society.  
2. 3-D Printing- Current State
1. Discuss the current state of 3-D printing and their capabilities.
1. Background information
2. Discuss limitations of current technology.
1. Cost of equipment
2. Ease of use
3. 3-D Printing- Future State
1. Explain what is possible with future technology
1. Future cost
2. Household item possibility
2. Discuss future plans for commercial 3-D printing
1. How will it be incorporated into traditional manufacturing?
3. What is theoretically possible for 3-D printers to achieve?
1. Food
2. Homes
3. Vehicles
4. Pirating
1. Discuss limitations of online piracy in its current state.
2. Explain how being able to access to pirated 3-D plans could affect the industry.
3. Research and explain the potential dangers of this.
1. People illegally downloading weapons.
5. Social Impacts
1. How will the job market be affected if people can print clothing, electronics, or even homes?
2. Will this benefit or harm society in the long run?
6. Regulations
1. What regulations will need to put on 3-D printers in order to stop illegal activities?
2. How will these restrictions limit the capabilities of future 3-D printers?
7. Conclusion

Comment on Other Blog Post
To Dave Barbalace:
I personally think that 3D printing an entire house would be difficult unless they are small in size. I felt like having a 3D printer that big is unpractical and would take as much time to construct as a house would. I look forward to seeing what you come up with and it seems like a very difficult but interesting topic. Over all good post, thorough but short and sweet outline, getting straight to the point so I don't have to read as much, I like that.

To Brian Benson

Brain,

I believe this is a very interesting topic. Most people assume that sustainability and intelligent buildings coincide with each other. It will be interesting to see if that is actually true. I personally believe that sustainability should be a prime concern in intelligent buildings but it is possible that your research may prove otherwise. I look forward to hearing about your results and potential improvements for intelligent building design. 

Week 4 Blog Post - Edward Bruder

The topic I choose is:

• BIM makes the Engineer's Work Easier vs It makes the Engineer's work Harder

     I choose this topic mainly because I personally and strongly believe that BIM will make engineers work easier rather than harder. Not only is it easier, it is also, in my opinion, a lot more fun to work with. BIM is much more advanced then CAD or hand drafting thus leading it to improve building in the future as well.

     BIM can be used many different ways, such as; 2D, 3D, and even 4D. At its most sophisticated level, BIM combines all the documents, data, and software packages used during design, construction, and, ultimately, operation and management into a single electronic source. [1] This will ultimately replace all types of engineering into one system. This system is so powerful that I only know a percentage of what the program can do.

     The performance from BIM will ultimately make work easier for engineers. This is because BIM can do multiple operations to help create a final design. Not only can it help find errors it can also help fix them. This will save time and ultimately help engineers create more efficient and creative designs. BIM is a platform that can provide a comprehensive and interactive assembly of the components in a building to create a new type of energy model. As more information is added to BIM for each individual part of the building, BIM becomes increasingly closer to matching the real world building itself. [3]Designs that would never be possible if not for BIM are being created every day. It is truly amazing.

     BIM’s 3D modeling is also impeccable comparatively to some other programs. You can actually see what the project would look like before it is even built. This is a huge advantage to the industry in the sense that you can change the way the building looks and see what the cost difference will be. All of which makes an engineer’s job easier.

[2]

     As seen from the graph the BIM work flow only has an increase in cost and effort in the detailed design phase of a project. This is a huge advantage over the other phases in a project.

In conclusion I believe that BIM works seamlessly with engineers to create amazing projects. BIM will definitely make work for engineers easier and will further the human advancement with in building projects.

References:

[1] Fortner, Brian.  Special Report: Are You Ready For BIM.  Civil Engineering The Online                 Magazine.  May 2008.

[2] Strafaci, Adam. What Does BIM Mean for Civil Engineers. CE News. October 2008.                       http://www.cenews.com/magazine-article----                                                                                     what_does_bim_mean_for_civil_engineers_-6098.html

[3] Alcorn, Terence. "How BIM Can Improve Building Efficiency." Facilitiesnet. n. page. Print.               <http://www.facilitiesnet.com/green/article/How-BIM-Can-Improve-Building-Efficiency--14297

Comment on Other Blog Post:
To Matt Morimoto:

Matt: I liked how you talked about both the positive and negatives of the BIM system but I'm not sure which side you chose. I do understand the pitfalls of using a BIM program but when I looked at the question I thought of BIM in a personal use frame of mind. What I mean by that is I understand that moving from CAD to BIM is frustrating but I believe that once BIM takes over and it more widely taught in schools it will become like a second language. But very nice post, very well written and insightful.

P1- Project and Team

Team Members

Michael Wright

Edward Bruder

Topic

3-D printing has is going to provide many opportunities, but the concept also has many flaws. Most people expect that these will become mainstream to the point that they will be household items. However, peer-to-peer sharing, which has been limited to software, would allow people to virtually pirate physical goods. Also people could potentially create personal weapons in their own home. This project hopes to discover what 3-D printing is capable of and then examine the social impacts of this new technology if it were to become mainstream.

Group E - BIM for Contractors

For this blog post, my group (Group E) was to read chapter 6 of the BIM Handbook – BIM for Contractors. In this chapter the handbook reveals several different ways BIM can be useful to contractors and how it can be integrated with the construction process. This chapter was very informative and provided a lot of information about the different tools of BIM that I had no idea existed. It is a true insight of what BIM can truly do to help the construction process. In this blog post I will go over some of the BIM tools that I found to be the most interesting from my read.

                One of the more interesting uses of BIM, in my opinion, was clash-detection. Clash-detection is used to show differences in BIM models throughout the construction process. Say that there is an initial design and when it comes time to build it is over budget and cost cuts need to be made. So some changes are made to the design to cut cost, but some of these changes can produce errors when building. Clash-detection can be used to find those error before it’s too late. These can be either large differences in drawings of small ones, they can be system specific of detail specific, all of which can help speed up the construction process immensely and cut down on human error when looking for these clashes. BIM has clash-detection tools built in or you can obtain various types of plug-ins that can do more specific types of clash-detection.

                BIM can also be used for fine-tuned cost analysis. The more detailed the BIM model is the more finite the cost analysis can be. It is also possible to see how much the cost will change by changing small details within the model, such as a type of light bulb that could change the cost dramatically or slightly. BIM can do this analysis quickly and efficiently. One could also use a BIM model to count the amount of a particular item and export it to estimating software.

                BIM offers many different tools to help the construction process become more efficient and quicker, thus providing the world with better buildings quicker and cheaper. Moving completely to BIM in the construction world is truly the next big step in the field of engineering.

Reference:

Chuck Eastman, Paul Teicholz, Rafael Sacks, Kathleen Liston; “Bim Hanbook, a Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors” Second Edition, Chapter 6; Second Edition 2011

Comment:
To: Ryan Donahue

"Mr. Donahue, 
I liked how you stressed the weakness in structural design, and I agree completely.
I also liked how this will close the gap between engineers and architects. This post was highly detailed and was very well written. I am quite jealous of the Co-op experiences you had since mine were so different. Good post though."

Computer Hardware Group E Discussion

There are clear advancements in the computer hardware industry, as presented by the Group E blog posts. The major observations of the group include:

• Designing chips with different processing capabilities that do not fit into the current computer model.
• Combining new technology with current technology to achieve new products. 
• Hardware is now being modeled out of our brain as opposed to objects. 

Our posts talk about processor chips which try to mimic the nervous synapse of the human brain, combining semiconductors with windmills to make a micro-windmills to power small battery powered objects, and hardware which can attach to the human skull and read brainwaves which can send commands to surrounding computers.

Week 2 - Computer Hardware

Computer hardware is consisted of the components that make up a computer. They include many different parts ranging from a micro-processor to a mother board. When you buy a computer it already has all of the required hardware it needs to run efficiently. Additions can be added to a computer to make it faster, have more memory, or just have a longer battery life if the computer is portable.

Computers do not always have to be for personal use for the internet and watching cat videos on youtube. They can be used in things that one would never have imagined 20 years ago; such as in a house thermometer. Computer can take the data from sensors and use said data to control the subject at hand. A thermometer with a computer for example, can be used to monitor temperatures and regulate air flow. It can also be used to monitor the most usage in different rooms.

Computers and their hardware are more advance now then ever. The demand for technologies is ever rising to the point were we are truly living in a digital world.

Group E Definition of Intelligent Buildings

Intelligent Buildings:

• use BIM to integrate systems at the design level
• use automated systems
• use technologies to adapt to future needs

Edward Bruder's Initial Blog Post

I have used BIM in previous classes as well as in my Senior design group. Some of my partners are in this class; Ryan Taylor and David Barbalace. I don't really know what else to write so i am just typing away my thoughts. Buttered pop tarts are delicious.

My expectations for this class are to further my knowledge and interests in my field and in buildings. I do not really have a lot of expectations because I joined this class blindly not really knowing what it was about. Not the smartest move I've ever taken, but with Mitchell as the professor I know I will like this class.

Intelligent Building - Building that uses smart, green, and innovative technology integrated with in the building's systems to create a better overall experience.

Student Names–To Create Topics

Here are your names.  I’ve also used this post to create labels that are your last names.  Please use those labels when posting so it’s easy for people to see what you’ve written.

Abdulrhman Alkraidees - Architectural Engineering
Antonino Badalamenti - Architectural Engineering
David Barbalace - Architectural Engineering
Stephen Bartal - Architectural Engineering
Brian Benson - Architectural Engineering
Adam Brooke - Architectural Engineering
Phillip Brubaker - Architectural Engineering
Edward Bruder - Architectural Engineering
Ryan Donahue - Architectural Engineering
Signe Jakobsen - Study Abroad Visiting
Michael Kilgallon - Civil Engineering
Ian Lagrange de Carvalho - Architectural Engineering
Matthew Morimoto - Architectural Engineering
Esther Ninshuti - Civil Engineering
Andrew Paladino - Architectural Engineering
Dongyan Qi - Architectural Engineering
Yijun Qian - Civil Engineering
Audrey Ryan - Architectural Engineering
Jeremy Sulak - Architectural Engineering
Ryan Taylor - Architectural Engineering
Nameita Toure - Architectural Engineering
Weiyang Wang - Civil Engineering
Melanie Wayne - Civil Engineering
Tyler Woyshner - Architectural Engineering
Michael Wright - Civil Engineering
Kyung Yoon - Architectural Engineering