Group A Week 9 Story Post - Teaching Hospital

Group A:

Mark Odorizzi, Sarina Tufano, Dung Tran, Nay Ye Oo (Sonny), Alyssia Deutsch, Kerry Milligan

The Prologue:

Discussion of the current hospital situation - and the shortcomings that will be solved by an intelligent building

This story begins at a run down teaching hospital named “The Rickety”. Every doctor, nurse, intern, patient and visitor have been slightly creeped out by the small corridors, the uneven temperature distribution and the lack of new technologies. The lights were always flickering, making anyone in their presence feel uncomfortable. Those systems that did work, made erie noises and thumped randomly at any given time, but highly prefered to do so in the dead of night. Since this building was constructed before codes had been renewed, not many rooms had significant means of egress or sufficient natural lighting which only added to the sinister aura the building gave off.

In an effort to correct all of the dilemmas faced by this building and its occupants, a team of an architect, engineers, project managers, maintenance crews and hospital personnel got together and made a list of all their individual needs:

“WE NEED MORE ROOM!” - Dr. Milligan shouted

“WE NEED SENSORS TO REGULATE THE AIR QUALITY” - Mech. Engineer

“WE NEED A DATABASE TO KEEP OUR RECORDS” - Medical Students

“WE NEED UTILITIES THAT DON’T BREAK EVERY DAY” - Maintenance Head

“WE NEED QUIETER HVAC!” - Surgeons

“WE NEED FASTER WIFI” - EVERYONE

“WE NEED MORE MOTION SENSORS” - Dr. Milligan requested

“WE NEED MORE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE” - Project Manager   

“WE NEED MORE EASE OF ACCESS” - Architect

“WE NEED MORE LIGHT!” - Owners

“WE NEED CHEAPER BILLS!” - Maintenance Head

The hospital employee stakeholders in this story are Dr Milligan (because he was living through the issues and has the most knowledge about what a better space would look like), the project manager (in order to handle all of the differing inputs from the stakeholders, Sarina is needed to represent the hospital as a whole and keep the project on track), and the maintenance officials (Dung is the one who deals with the hospital facilities on a daily basis, and has input on how to best design the new space with maintenance considerations in mind and deals with the creepy doctor who complains about everything).

The non-hospital employee stakeholders in this story include the engineers (Structural: Mark wants to make sure the hospital is structurally sound to handle the heavy equipment and unpredictable live loads), the code compliance consultants (Hospitals have intricate codes applied to them, so Sonny is here to make sure we stick to those codes and provide a safe and acceptable working environment) and the construction management team (Foreman Rizzi needs to make sure the construction does not interfere with existing hospital operations, while still being efficient and on time and budget).

The Fix:

Discussion of the steps taken towards developing an intelligent building and how the new technologies will benefit the occupants/stakeholders.

Many new technologies will be implemented in this hospital so that it can provide a better work and teaching environment. These include code analysis for design and renovation, many types of sensors for occupancy evaluations, a structural/MEP BIM model for programming and design processes, a building program database for better record keeping easier programming and occupational evaluations, as well as robotics for construction methods and acoustic analysis for renovational aids.

To better be able to ventilate and heat/cool the hospital, a new high efficiency HVAC system will be installed. Since many patients and doctors are easily lost track of within the hospital, motion sensors and camera equipment will be installed. Along with that, databases will assist in record keeping methods that are highly effective and user friendly. Additionally, rooms will be made slightly more spacious and more windows will be incorporated with additions being rendered through BIM and all of its associating counterparts within the new model’s operation and functions. This will cause the hospital to become much more efficient in its teaching methods, which will gain it more patients and result in more money which can pay for the best hospital equipment and doctors to keep teaching new interns. Overall, the stakeholders will get large payoffs over the years following this renovation, the patients will become much more comfortable, and the hospital employees will be provided with a much better environment in which to work on a daily basis. In the end, this hospital will also have a much more pleasant facade and no longer be considered the creepy hospital it was once known for.   

Relational Database Theory - Deutsch - B5

Before diving directly into what "Relational Database Theory" is I think it is first important to fully comprehend how a database is defined, along with how Big Data is defined. 

In general, a database can be defined as any collection or storage of information that is valuable, organized, searchable and applicable. In other words, it allows for management of files and their records which can be searched, grouped, rearranged and cross-referenced to facilitate easy retrieval for its users. Databases can be organized in any number of ways that are most applicable for what is being structured. A new technique that is being used more commonly as of late, is combining separate databases into larger entities which are now defined as "data warehouses". This is done mostly to help assist in pattern recognition which just reinforces how important databases and data sources are. 

Next, there is Big Data. According to Cringely, "Big Data" can be defined as "the accumulation and analysis of information to extract meaning." Even though this definition is quite broad, I like how far it allows us to delve into how much data we use and rely on without even knowing or realizing that we do so. I feel as though Big Data is similar to the "data warehouses" I mentioned earlier. In the past, storage of data and the capability to analyze that data was expensive and not done as often. Ever since individual computers became a normalized thing, data collection and storage has become much easier and cheaper to keep records of. Big Data is important because it aids in predicting events, the safety of groups or individuals, problem solving and connecting seemingly unrelated events that would have never otherwise been noticed. 

BIM is similar to Big Data and data warehouses in the way that it is also its own "environment". What I mean is that we treat it like data warehouses when we combine separate Autodesk programs in order to complete a project and use them as cross references, as our guest speaker last week, Derek, had mentioned he does often. It is also used as Big Data in the way that it keeps and stores all information in an organized and applicable way that allows its files to be easily accessed and managed by all those who require it to do so. 

This takes me to Relational Database theory. As stated by Darwin "Relational database theory is built around the concept of a relation" which is meant to be taken from a mathematical standpoint so that any number of things can be more easily related. What is important to remember when thinking of this definition is that relationships between multiple characteristics or objects are relational and not exactly "equal to" and this can be shown most easily by using a table, or most specifically the tables given by Darwin himself:

This table does not depict a relation

This table does depict a relation

What is of utmost importance to note however, is that although the second picture does demonstrate relational data, it does not matter what order the columns and rows are shown in. This data in these tables shown can then be searched. When a this relational data is searched, it is called a "query". To output specific information, constraints dictated by the inputted "query statement" will be applied and this will produce the desired data. Microsoft makes a program named Access Database which allows you to set up your own relational tables and query it at the end. It can be done using any desired informational fields, whether large or small.
 Although I had never thought too much about databases until this term, this is now the second time I have come across it since we just used Microsoft Access in my AE T580 class to teach ourselves how to relate specific data we came up with ourselves in a simple way. As explained by Darwin the order in which we defined our relationships did not matter when we ran a query. Seeing this fact in action helped me understand relational database theory much better. 

Sources:

https://dvikan.no/ntnu-studentserver/kompendier/an-introduction-to-relational-database-theory.pdf

https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#st=p&n=b751f481-0f42-4f45-a51b-a77127a94351&t=ec0a31ef-f3b4-42b8-b58d-6ed4124da841

https://www.britannica.com/technology/database


Comments:

Dung Tran - 
I really like how you approach the main topic of relational databases by first defining databases in general. I did something similar in my post. I also think you did an exceptional job in explaining how the the math side of relational data, or the relational algebra, connects to the overall concept. I did not get the chance to check out Codd's research paper but it seems to be very helpful in understanding this broad and complicated theory.

Chris Thatch - 

I agree that databases are of utmost importance within the construction field, especially within the management aspect of things. I know that a lot more companies are making a bigger effort in going paperless in more recent years which would be very helpful when it comes to contributing to the databases already in existence. While this is more efficient, offices have found themselves actually using more paper. I wonder why this is, do you have any input? Also, could you define what RS Means is in a bit more detail? I have never heard of it but it seems to be quite important.

Jianfeng Xiao - 

Reading your post is very interesting. I like the examples you give that connect ways in which we use data readily available to us now through new technologies that make prior methods of achieving the same tasks obsolete. Data is such a useful tool when it comes to design because it allows for us to take what we know and apply it in smarter ways, hence smarter buildings and environments also! I will have to check out the articles you cited.

Building Type & Intelligence (Deutsch & Tufano)

I am working with Sarina Tufano on this term project and our topic is Building Type and Intelligence. We have opted for the research paper version of this assignment and since we are both structural concentration we have taken "type" to mean materials and structural aspects. To do this we are picking to work with a single family home and design it with the newest smart and green techniques available and adequately researched thus far. The house will not only have smart qualities but will incorporate these starting at the structures very core. It is known that scientists keep developing better and more effective versions of the common materials used in construction. These will be used within the small family home to help keep the structure more self sustaining, extend its life cycle estimate and decrease its impact on the environment while also making it more user friendly.

When it comes to smart and green methods, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably even though they are somewhat different. While discussing the smart materials to be used in the structural design of this home, there will be tables/graphs/figures demonstrating which are just to be considered "smart" which are to be considered "green" and which properties might overlap within those two categories. The structure will take advantage of smart/green facade designs, smart steel/concrete, smart sealant techniques and produce much if not all of its own energy so that it may become LEED, Green Globe, or Live Building Challenge certified as well. It will source other materials needed locally, make an effort to reuse materials that were unused at its previous locations, and attempt maintain little to no waste outputs.

While the International Building Code clarifies different categories of building per "type", we are aiming to take the family home to the next level of what is mandatory in its structural design components. To do this much research will be conducted and definitions of what green and smart mean within a building and how it relates to the overall intelligence will be discussed as well. To demonstrate the materials used, models will be created if time allows. Costs will not be assessed since the main objective of this report is the creation of an optimized intelligent and green structure. However, this does not mean that the efforts to use the best and most "intelligent" materials will not pay out over the first few years of the building's existence. In order to make the building type as smart as possible the structure will maintain manageability so that as technologies improve, the building can also improve.

Jianfeng Xiao:
I notice that our topics are very similar. I like how you have emphasized that you are going to use newer buildings in your assessment since we know how fast technologies have been evolving recently. I am curious to see how you distinguish properties as either "smart" or "green" and which properties you might consider to fall under both classifications.

Sarah Hollis:
I find the history of BIM to be a really interesting topic. I think that reading about how its history has made it become what it is now will definitely lend you a hand in predicting what might be to come in the future. I see that you say BIM allows for fluidity but are you worried that if it becomes too renound and user friendly that people in some fields may lose jobs due to being replaced by any of the programs included in a "BIM Environment"? If you do, which do you think they might be?

Chris Thatch:
Intelligent appliances are such an integral part of what can help make a building more user adaptive and intelligent. I really like how you are going to research and see how many smart versions of appliances are available on the market today because I feel as though much of society is not adequately taught when it comes to better environmental practices. Even with the addition of so many improved products on the market now, many people assume that making a more intelligent or green building will cost so much more and isn't worth it. Little do they know that the returns can start in as little as one year! Your topic is such a good representation of this.

Future Problems with Revit/BIM

Week 4: What are the possible future problems with Revit/BIM?

Some problems that BIM could face in the future include technology becoming too advanced or too simplified. Although a certain amount of user friendly aspects need to be maintained, it would significantly decrease the usability for authorized construction aspects of the program if it were to be made too simple. Along with that, there exist other similar programs which could be described as simpler versions of Revit, such as SketchUp that may be accessed by less advanced users.

In examination of BIM/Revit becoming too advanced too quickly could cause it to be too difficult to learn and not adopted as widely. However, BIM has a sort of monopoly on the construction fields since it is one of the most compatible methods of tying projects together completely. This would deem it very difficult to update, and looking at its history would prove that quick updates or advancement of the program are not the aim of Autodesk corporations. If it were to become too complicated, then all of the older generations within correlated work fields would be unable to perform as well in their jobs. This could lead to greater expenditures in training and other related matters which over time could add up significantly.

Other costs besides those that would have to be invested into necessary training implementations would be due to the program directly. Files containing a large amount of information such as structural and architectural details tend to be quite heavy. If these programs are going to get more detailed, then the files will get even heavier and this will require higher resolution viewing methods along with higher storage systems and rule out people/companies who don’t have the most updated software available for access. 


Comments: 

Mark - I very much agree with your outlook on BIM dependence factor. I never saw this as a downfall but now I can see clearly how too much trust in these types of software could likely get us into trouble. Perhaps even though hand drafting is very much a thing of the past, we should still try to incorporate it into a few college classes or internships so that our generation of engineers has a deeper understanding of methods and design. This could be helpful in aiding us in coming up with better ways to use BIM and get us accustomed to double checking everything in our computerized models instead of trusting them outright.

Cody – I like how you mentioned simple time cutting tasks that BIM can offer as advantages to its users through the use of added commands and coding. Also, I never knew that BIM incorporated energy analysis software. That is quite interesting and must be one of the smaller updates that they keep improving slowly over the years that you had mentioned. While I do agree that it is important for Autodesk to keep listening to its clients, I do believe that it is also important for them to concentrate on listening to the current client base for the best possible improvements to be made.

Lauren – Your post mostly goes to show that even though AutoCAD is a very useful tool, BIM is slightly better with its automated generation of things. For example, in different views such as an elevation, will be automatically created when a user has only created something such as a plan view. I have never heard of MicroStation, but I should look more into it. I do agree that on the surface Revit seems quite simple and easy to follow but mastering it takes a great level of dedication and time. I like how you point out that only so much can be perfected when it comes to AutoCAD and similar programs and therefore it is easier to manage unlike Revit software as one delves deeper into its intricacies.  

Chapter Two of BIM Handbook

     Chapter 2 of this text focuses on the origin of technologies that have been updated throughout the past couple of decades and are still used as common 3D imaging tools. It defines the word behavior as the ability of how an object can update itself and a very important characteristic to maintain when incorporating new and customized features into new BIM programs. It also stresses that BIM environments can include many different architectural platforms so that accessing tools necessary to create any type of object can be made easier.

     The earliest modeling occurred in the 1960s and started with very basic 3D shapes that were able to be modified to a certain extent. Towards the late 1970s this had evolved into more complex structures such as the gable figure shown within the text. CAD systems soon joined within the 1980s but were not as well developed or user friendly as techniques most drafters and designers had gotten used to up until that time. After discovering that shapes could share parameters more shapes were able to be generated within the programs such as AutoCAD and older methods were allowed to be updated as well. Parameters can be thought of as objects that are able to be altered, given specific rules or properties and also be connected to other objects. 
     Much of the processes to create parameters is found within “if-then” statements but had not evolved tools to allow for complex curved shapes. Along with that, the programs were starting to also incorporate self-fixes within the modeling design process which proved to be a lot less work in the end than previous 3D techniques done by hand.  

     Eventually the chapter starts leading up to current generation of BIM tools and the modeling of current structures. They discuss many of the programs that can be included within the BIM environment and how parametric design works. First topic discussed is wall construction and the rules associated with that. Next, they proceed to explain more complicated figures such as difficult design connections. The book goes on to describe several different technologies combined to form a modern parametric modeling system followed by “Base Object Families” that are designed to work well with each other within BIM Architectural Design Applications.  

     Further sections describe what to do when a certain capability does not exist in any BIM tools, how to create user defined objects and which types of libraries can be useful resources since parametric objects are ever-evolving. A common issue that many users have with BIM and associated programs has to do with scalability. This issue leads to usage of a program becoming bogged down when files get too large to process quickly. To overcome this problem, object management can be a good technique to abide by. The last few sections of the chapter discuss Revit in further depth along with the interfaces it works well with depending on the specialist using or creating the file. It defines them as either a tool, platform or environment while listing specific strengths and weaknesses of each as well. 

     After reading other posts within my group, I notice that I am not the only one who did not imagine how much is done in the background to make all of the most useful BIM programs work well with each other. I also had no idea that this design process dates back to the 1960s. This is good because many different types of expertise need to utilize these types of tools to be successful and this software makes it even easier to exchange information and integrate everyone well. 

Comments:

Nay Ye Oo - Thank you for concentrating on the history sections of this chapter. I as well reached the same conclusions you did about CAD being a bit more "rugged" as compared to BIM, especially after reading the chapter. I think it is very interesting that although BIM is more widely used that it is not taught as often as CAD like programs.

Sarina - I like how your post includes a lot of the up to date applications that are considered to create a BIM "environment". It really helps provide a quick summary of the end of the chapter where many different interconnected interfaces are described further in depth. I agree that with the way technology has advanced in the past 50 or so years, that there is no stopping when it comes to the level of detail we can and will achieve in order to keep improving.

C.M. Eastman. "Chapter 2: BIM Design Tools and Parametric Modeling" in BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors

Intelligent Buildings Definition

Intelligent Buildings Definition

Professor Mitchell's: 

"Intelligence" requires the use of adaptive computer technology.

¨Intelligence" may exist in any system or phase of the building process.

We may thus talk of

Intelligent Building Industry

Intelligent Building Design

Intelligent Building Construction (including renovation)

Intelligent Building Operation

We may also subdivide by systems – structure, HVAC etc.

Mine:

An "Intelligent Building" is one that maintains efficiency and connection as well as the flexibility to improve on the original design within an evolving community. 

This does not only have to do with the immediate technology that is expected to be used by individuals within the finished structure every day but starts at the very beginning phases of design and construction as well.

           

         

Blog 1 - A1 - A.Deutsch

Week 1

Group A1

Alyssia Deutsch

Robotics, Future:

It is known that many new technologies concerning robotics are being developed all around the world as of late. One of the most impressive has been self-driving cars such as the ones Tesla has recently released to the public. But what about a car that literally does not allow a human to drive it? It is being predicted that within 2019 GM will release a car that does not have steering wheel or pedals at all! Furthermore, they are trying to get the laws associated with driving in general changed completely on the argument that the current laws are made with human based drivers in mind and will not apply anymore if people no longer need to drive a vehicle manually themselves. However, many questions have been raised such as, where will the steering wheel go? And what about an emergency manual stop? Another idea to take into consideration is what this will mean for more congested areas? Will this help or hurt traffic or get in the way of emergency vehicles? Even though I think that in a perfect world the idea of self driving cars would be a lot more beneficial when it comes to traffic, accidents, human error and overall ease of access, I do not know if I personally am ready for this big of a leap into the future of AI in vehicular versions.

Title: GM Says Car With No Steering Wheel Or Pedals Ready For Streets In 2019

Author: Merrit Kennedy

Date: January 12, 2018

Link: https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#st=p&n=fd08e634-922c-4be7-a980-96e0b3615b07&t=df61eb02-f50b-454a-bd8b-0e016822db0b

AI, Software, Future:

As AI becomes further and further developed and then incorporated into our society, many changes will start to occur. Some of these might be small but larger issues will be discussed and regulated by broad legislation within our government. Before anything can be decided by any committees, an exact definition of what exactly AI is needs to be determined. Since in its simplest form AI just means robots that do things that humans can do it is very difficult to draw the line at what human actions they should or should not be programmed to carry out. Some of the greatest minds that have ever existed such as Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking are afraid that AI might pose a greater threat to humanity than we can realize just yet. Even more scary than that, we must consider what AI could do to individual privacy since algorithms used can be taken from any system of any business or individual. Although we now see AI as a very useful tool to make the most of many growing fields within today’s society, there are many aspects that we have not yet considered. In my opinion, it will probably be a lot more beneficial than hurtful but I would like to know and maintain my own personal privacy to a certain level. This does not go to say however, that we do not willingly bring forms of AI into our own homes. Devices such as Amazon’s Alexa, iPhone’s Siri and Google matched devices are already so widespread that we cannot grasp how much could be found out about us even if we tried (also it would probably be too scary to even want to know). In the end though, I do think that there are way more positives if AI can be incorporated safely into people’s every day lives.

Title: Leave AI Alone

Author: Andrew Burt

Date: January 4, 2018

Link: https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#st=p&n=09262555-447f-41b9-b3f5-f3fbdfbd01fa&t=03ca947a-fa7c-48da-b621-c410f674d57f

Last Names for Tags

Below are the names of the student in Intelligent Building in AY2017-18.  This post is used to create the last names as labels/tags to be used when you enter a post.  It's initially alphabetic, but students added after 1/7/2018 may be at the end.

Amisial, Mariano Anibaba, Abd'Lmalik Oladepo

Arnold, Zachery Todd

Bihun, Oksana T

Chen, Lu

daCostaXimenes, Marino Hero Sutejo H S Dahroug, Shaden

Deutsch, Alyssia M

DiGiovanni, Bradley S

Gibson, Christopher A

Hillinger, Carlos Luis

Hollis, Sarah

Huxley, Jake

Johnson, Cody James

Kujawa, Lauren E

Lovett, Joshua M

Maita, Andrew

Milligan, Kerry M

Mutso, Maria-Irena

Odorizzi, Mark R

Oo, Nay Ye Quelly, Peter Isaac

Shuster, Jordan W Sisson, Thomas

Strohl, Diedre H

Thach, Christopher Tangari, Luciana

Tran, Bach Tran, Dung

Tufano, Sarina Angel Wahbeh, Jacob Tareq

Wicker, Tyler C

Xiao, Jianfeng

Zhang, Shuyuan