B6

This course was very informative and worthwhile. I learned a lot about building technology and how the AEC industry is changing with technological advances. Moving forward, the insight and knowledge I gained from this class will be vastly useful in my professional life and development. Though I am a structural concentration, and structural engineers are usually hesitant to change (due to large liability), change is still inevitable. It is encouraging to see all the ways the job could improve, like better interoperability between AutoCAD and Revit.

I learned a lot that I definitely wouldn't have otherwise learned. I had no clue artificial intelligence applied to the AEC industry. I didn't realize that robots were already becoming players in the industry and weren't just science-fiction/goals for the future. I barely knew anything about databases, but now I can see they're incredibly important to the field and industry.

One thing I will almost certainly use in my professional life is Dynamo. I had no idea it existed, but it is incredibly useful. It's simple to use too, which further encourages me to learn more about it. I'll probably also use Access, too. I've always been a huge fan of Excel, and Access gives me more flexibility in terms of databases, which I have used Excel for before.

I really enjoyed the structure of this course. The assignments were helpful but not overwhelming. I found the blog posts incredibly beneficial. The term project was also really neat as it gave me a chance to dive into something I was interested in but wouldn't have otherwise studied. In my case, that was cobots. I now have more than a surface level knowledge of the benefits they can bring to the AEC industry.

I took this course as an elective, and I am so, so glad I did. I did not learn anything in this class that was "fluff" or irrelevant to me. Databases, sensors, interoperability, AI, robotics, it all applies to me as a young engineer to be. I absolutely recommend this class to anyone in the CAEE department, and possibly others.

Hi Varsha,

I'm glad we were able to learn more about cobots together. It was great learning about a new technology with you and Ina. I hope to see cobots more readily used in the industry sooner rather than later. I completely agree that we have to be prepared for change. It's uncomfortable yet completely unavoidable. I think your idea of making this type of class more common is a great one.

Hi Andre,

I think it's really neat that you as an electrical engineering major took this architectural engineering class. That to me shows how important it is for all branches of engineering to work together in the workplace. I like how you looped this class back to Drexel's one focus of career development. You're absolutely right that this class prepared us for industry. Of course our other more theoretical classes are important, but this class helped me think about AFTER graduation more, and not as just a stepping stone to get to graduation.

Hi Spencer,

I really enjoyed your project and presentation. Dynamo is a vastly useful tool, and it was neat that you took a good portion of the term to dive into it more for not only your own edification, but the rest of the class as well since you presented. I completely agree that this class gave us knowledge that will help us stay ahead of the technological curve. You're completely right that this course gave us resources to, as you put it, keep a finger on the pulse of the industry. This is a very insightful perspective that I hadn't really considered, so thank you.

B5 - Databases in Construction Firms

A database is a collection of data organized on a computer in an easily understandable way. We use databases without even realizing it. The construction industry has lots of data that needs organized. So, using a database makes lots of sense.

What kind of data might a construction firm organize? First, they'd probably organize the different jobs they have at any given moment. Then, each job's specifics would need organized, like what materials are to be used, what employees are assigned each job, where each job is located, and more. By putting all of this information into a computer, the data is easily retrievable.

An organized construction firm can take on more projects and thus earn more money. Plus, I've always found that being organized and feeling organized clears my mind of burdens I didn't know it had. I become more productive.

The term database might make organizing data seem like a daunting task, but really, simply organizing things in an Excel spreadsheet is technically a database. Plus, once the database is set up, it becomes easier to quickly add little bits of data to keep the database up to date.

Construction firms can benefit greatly from using databases if they aren't already. It will keep them more organized and allow them to take on more projects. Plus, it could help allocate resources better. Being organized is never a bad thing.

Cory,

I never thought of using databases for design. I've always seen them as an organizational tool for after the design process. Using them for automation makes a lot of sense. This saves time later.

Stephen,

I have never heard of SQL before. I also don't know much about databases. It's neat that there is a programming language that is made specifically for database information retrieval. There is a lot we take for granted when it comes to databases and how they make our lives better and easier, without evening realizing it.

Madeleine,

I have never considered augmented reality as an aspect of databases, let alone for the design phase of a building. Using AR in the design phase would make visualization so much easier for clients. It would stop miscommunications in their tracks. With the rate of technological advances, I'd expect to see AR used frequently in the industry sooner rather than later. This would be a huge advance for an industry that's so behind the curve.

B4

Originally, Ina, Varsha, and I were going to write a paper on the evolution of construction technology. We would’ve researched historic methods, current methods, and made predictions of future methods. However, we soon realized this would be way too much information to squeeze into a paper. So, we narrowed our focus considerably. Now, our topic is simply robotics in construction. This topic interests everyone in our group for different reasons. I am a BS/MS student in structures. I am interested in how robots can be used to construct buildings. Would robots allow us to construct new connection types? Or would they reduce labor costs so significantly that most buildings become sustainable? It would be interesting to see if robots that built a building could also help monitor the building afterwards, since they’d be more familiar so to speak. 

Buildings that are built without 100% human labor are bound to fall into the category of an intelligent building. Thus, robots in construction directly relates to BIM and intelligent buildings. 

One challenge will be making an educated guess as to the role robots in construction will play in the future. The trend indicates that robots will become increasingly popular, but trends aren’t always reliable.  

Another angle to investigate would be the costs associated with using robotics in the construction industry. Are the costs associated with robotics too high to offset the costs of human labor?Logistically, getting a robot to a site might be tricky. This could increase the costs. What kind of upkeep and maintenance would the robots require? Do they have a long enough life that investment in them is worth it?  

Hopefully over the course of writing this paper, we will gain a better understanding on the pros and cons of robotics, as well as learn more about the currently level of usage in the industry.  

Brian,

I think your research is very relevant to the issues engineers face when designing buildings. The way buildings are built and designed currently just isn't sustainable. Hopefully by researching and discovering uncommon ways to design sustainable buildings, new buildings will be less detrimental to the environment.

Cory,

Modular construction seems like a very cost and time effective method of construction. It will be interesting to see what the downsides are, and if they are significant. I am curious if modular construction will become more or less popular over time. I suspect it will depend on how much human labor will be needed for the project.

Isabel,

It will be interesting to see how the increased usage of Smart Home technology will impact system design. Right now, they're an afterthought by homeowners who desire them. Maybe in the near future, homes will be designed with the usage of Smart Home technology in mind.

Group E - Week 4 Discussion

Overall, our group decided that AutoCAD and Sketchup are helpful in producing rough drafts, then ultimately using them as references to create a more comprehensive, polished final product in Revit. That's not to say that this is Revit's only use, though. 3D visualization is vastly helpful. Minute details, such structural member connections, are easier to view in 3D in Revit than in 2D in AutoCAD. Revit makes section cuts easier once the geometry is in place. In summary, Revit combines many of the best features of other drafting programs into a comprehensive 3D modeling software.

B3

Revit and AutoCAD are both drafting programs used by architects and engineers alike. However, their uses do vary. 

AutoCAD is a drafting program often used by architects. It is vastly useful for creating floor plans, sections, and elevations. However, it is best used for 2D renderings. While AutoCAD can be used for 3D renderings, it is slow and not the best use of the program. Engineering firms do still use AutoCAD. My second co-op was a residential structural engineering co-op, and all of our drawing were created in AutoCAD, and we were still creating new details in the program too. 

Revit is a 3D modeling program. It is useful for creating floor plans, sections and elevations. Revit can create sections automatically from a 3D rendering, as opposed to AutoCAD. In AutoCAD, the sections and elevations need to be hand drafted. I find that MEP engineering firms are beginning to lean more towards Revit. It is good for visualizing ductwork, for example. 

In my opinion, Revit combines the best portions of other drafting programs. Sketchup is useful for elevations. AutoCAD is useful for floor plans. Revit has a lot of powerful tools. It keeps tracking of added components, like doors, and can automatically create a door schedule. It makes sections very easy. It also helps visualize the 3D components of a building well, such as structural connections.  

Revit is not without flaw though. I find it has a steep learning curve, even for people who are technologically savvy. Terminology, such as families, can be confusing. Figuring out how to draw building aspects, like rooves, can also be confusing as it is not always like AutoCAD. However, learning Revit is worthwhile. It is nice to develop floor plans in AutoCAD then transition over to Revit to get a feel for the layout. Revit allows multiple engineering disciplines to come together on one model. Multiple people can work on the same file. Different layers can be turned on and off instead of creating entirely new drawings.  

Overall, Revit is a nice complement to the drafting programs already available to architects and engineers. I do not believe it should serve as a replacement, as other programs do provide functionality that Revit doesn’t. Sketchup is quick and simple. It allows a building to be placed anywhere in the world easily for rendering purposes. AutoCAD’s learning curve is not as steep and is useful for creating floor plans. Maybe one day the line between AutoCAD, Sketchup, and Revit will blur, but until then, Revit is a nice new addition to drafting programs. 

Jake: I agree that BIM is a huge time saver because of its parametric components. It's nice being able to widen the floor in the 2D view, and the 3D view automatically adjusts. This reduces the risk of an error being overlooked until the construction phase. 

Regarding file sharing, I have actually found it's not as advantageous as theorized. Different firms have different software versions. Generally speaking, newer files cannot be opened in older versions. However, if all firms use similar versions, it does work well. 

Michael: Everything you said about transitioning from CAD to BIM makes a lot of sense. It is definitely an expensive transition and sometimes not worth it to small companies, like you said. I’ve experienced smaller companies using older versions of AutoCAD for as long as possible, since upgrading every employee is expensive. This then creates file sharing issues when clients use 2020 and a firm used 2017. It’ll take a while before BIM becomes an industry standard, though I believe it is the way to go.  

Michael: The new uses for virtual reality you mentioned are fascinating. It would be incredible to see a complete building design in real life and walk through it. It would help identify issues with the design as well as aesthetically non-pleasing aspects of the design. This would revolutionize the industry. It would leave no room for guesswork or last-minute decisions, as everything could be visualized up front. I absolutely hope this becomes part of our field within our lifetimes. Of course, with everything, new problems would be created, but this solves a lot of issues, so it’s worth it. 

B2

Building Information Modeling, BIM for short, is a growing trend in the construction industry. It is the digital modeling of a building that provides a variety of benefits. The chapter I read focused on how BIM can be vastly beneficial to contractors.

BIM is not just for modeling the final product. It is useful for determining how a building will be constructed, and can help identify constructability issues. Contractors that use BIM generally save time and money. Regardless of what phase of design the contractor gets in on, BIM will help them. However, the earlier the better.

I am not very familiar with BIM. I know REVIT is becoming more and more popular. I am also not very familiar with contracting. I am only just beginning to understand engineering and construction. I know part of the structural engineer’s job is to determine the quantities of hardware needed for a specific job. If the building is modeled in REVIT, the model will actually keep track of quantities and produce the schedule. This lowers the risk of ordering the incorrect number of supplies. Plus, this helps create a more accurate cost estimate.

BIM allows for massive amounts of collaboration up front, known as integrated design. Instead of the architect passing plans to the structural engineer, then the structural engineer passing the plans on for MEP design, the process is integrated from the start. This helps produce a higher quality building, and an efficient one. Contractors who are involved from the start provide valuable input, as ultimately, they’re the ones constructing the buildings. This helps increase coordination among the contractors and whoever they might need to subcontract.

All the information provided with traditional plans can be provided through a model. Sometimes details can be hard to read. A model will show the component connectivity, and can be easily shown from various perspectives. The model can show different layers, such as HVAC, structural, or MEP.

I frequently hear that REVIT is the new industry standard, and that AutoCAD is being phased out. However, I don’t know any firms that have done away with AutoCAD. That’s what I used on both my co-ops. Since I’m structural, maybe we don’t have as much of a use for REVIT like MEP firms do. Or, maybe people are hoping that by saying REVIT is the new standard, one day it will be true. Ultimately, I can see the merit in BIM, and I do hope that it becomes the new industry standard. It leaves a lot less room for error.

Reference: Eastman, Chuck, et al. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Designers, Engineers, Contractors, and Facility Managers, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/lib/drexel-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5447327.

Spencer,

Since I am unfamiliar with BIM, I didn't realize firm-wide object libraries were a thing. On my second co-op, the majority of my job was AutoCAD drafting. Having access to firm-wide standardized objects would've significantly decreased my drafting time, giving me more time for other things. We definitely had some shared objects, like span arrows, but those still had to be brought in from other drawings. A firm-wide library makes a lot of sense.

Mika,

It's interesting how we create more problems by solving older ones. BIM has progressed the industry, but created new problems, such as data loss. I've personally experienced a lot of issues with different model versions being opened on different software versions. My second co-op had a separate remote computer for people to use, instead of updating everyone's software. Our firm had a lot of technical issues, and people frequently lost data. We had our entire server backed up constantly so data could be restored. The large files frequently caused my AutoCAD to force quit. Hopefully technology keeps improving to solve these issues.

Amanda,

I didn't realize that 92% of operation cost is spend on the users of a building. It makes a lot of sense to use BIM to make a building more efficient. BIM is probably helpful in showing how a larger upfront cost lowers operational costs and produces a greener/more sustainable building. Integrated design is definitely the way to go, and BIM will help make it the industry standard.

Intelligent Building Group E

Intelligent Building

An intelligent building is one that is adaptive. It senses the environment and makes appropriate changes. It is aware of its users and occupants and their needs. It aims for efficiency, ultimately trying to create a more green building.

Blog Post 1

Database 

Article: https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#b=3ca5dd9b-8b1c-4939-875f-262706dc1487&st=p&x=database&n=f8f6f295-ac35-402f-acfd-308a69e0f72e 

Internet Giants, Defied by Bitcoin, Now See its Tech as a Remedy 

This article is about a push toward decentralization among internet giants, such as Facebook and Twitter. The inspiration is the model Bitcoin uses. No one is in charge of the virtual currency. Instead, a network of computers manages it. Even the founder of the World Wide Web is working on ways to help shift private data ownership away from the few. Decentralization is not a panacea though. Facebook and Twitter have their own host of issues that will need addressed either way, like what political content is and isn’t filtered. Naturally, people are skeptical whether Facebook and Twitter are making a genuine effort to decentralize, or if they’re just trying to score some good press. 

I tend to be skeptical of large corporations. The love of money is the root of all evil. Pushing for “increased privacy” sounds more to me like a push for good press, and with it more money. This is not to say that Facebook and Twitter are inherently bad though. Facebook advertisements help small businesses, and Twitter is used for more than “Presidential” tweets. Back when I used Twitter, I’d follow my regional rail line’s Twitter account for instant status updates. Technology is a huge benefit when used appropriately, but also provides huge pitfalls if not careful. Though I am skeptical, I do hope social media sites really are decentralizing.  

Network 

Article: https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#b=3ca5dd9b-8b1c-4939-875f-262706dc1487&st=p&x=network&n=e97c83ba-6bd0-4800-aab5-407cc45a09d0 

Artificial Intelligence System Learns the Fundamental Laws of Quantum Mechanics 

Artificial Intelligence, AI for short, is all around us. For example, it can recognize faces or predict purchasing behavior. Now, AI has started predicting molecular wave functions and electronic properties of molecules. A deep machine learning algorithm was developed by a team of chemists, physicists, and computer scientists. This is what can predict the quantum states of molecules. Normally, solving these complicated equations requires months of computer time. This new algorithm can do it in seconds, which is amazing. This joint effort took 3 years but was well worth it.  

I am not a physics expert by any means, but I remember taking the required physics classes for engineers, as well as the required chemistry classes. In these classes, I learned the basics of quantum mechanics. Atoms are complicated yet fascinating. Electrons move around so fast, and there are so many places within the electron orbit that an electron can jump to. I know quantum mechanics is the “newest” branch of physics. Given the relative youngness of the branch, it appears scientists are making huge strides in understanding the quantum realm.  

Sociology 

Article: https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#b=3ca5dd9b-8b1c-4939-875f-262706dc1487&st=p&x=sociology&n=90ec6b1c-5c00-4bac-9422-76badeb3b6a4 

Inside an Amazon Warehouse, Robots’ Ways Rub Off on Humans 

In the Amazon Warehouse on Staten Island, robots and humans work side by side. A lot of tasks have been automated, but human “pickers” will be around for years to come. These are the people who pick items out of bins to ship out to customers. Amazon is in the news a lot. Some workers claim awful work conditions. That’s what started the investigation to begin with. A man believes he was wrongly fired, as he was being held to unreasonable standards. Robots can work fast, so the humans need to work fast too, right? The workers are definitely finding ways to be more efficient like the robots, as the article title suggests. Adjacent bins are emptied first, as opposed to bins all over the warehouse. This cuts down on walking time.  

I use Amazon a lot. I have a student prime membership, and the quick delivery has saved me many times. I can rent textbooks and get a ream of paper last minute. At what cost though? I often worry I am contributing to the sufferings of Amazon workers. Are the managers being unreasonable? Do they have a point to an extent?  

Future 

Article: https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#b=3ca5dd9b-8b1c-4939-875f-262706dc1487&st=p&x=future&n=b15d7680-c04d-4bcc-9d21-8910d8ba54dd 

The Tech That Will Invade Our Lives in 2020 

Technology is everywhere. Smart homes seem to be the big thing lately. Thermostats connected to phones allow users to heat up their homes before they get home from work. Cars have blind spot monitoring. Smart watches monitor a user’s health. The prediction is that a new cellular network called 5G will become prevalent in the new decade. The article predicts smart homes will go even further. Everything we currently have will keep gaining momentum as the article puts it. 

I personally wear a smart watch. I find it immensely helpful. It helps to have a timer right on my wrist to keep up with my time management. I can see if a notification is important without getting my phone out of my pocket. It even tracks my heart rate and workouts. I am glad this technology is available. 

I am very skeptical of smart homes. Some people have their dead bolts on their front doors connected to their internet, which I think is absurd. It is a lot easier to hack into a homeowner’s internet than most people think. I am hesitant to even get a smart light bulb. I think homes should be off the grid, or internet connections need to be way more secure before smart homes take off.  

Comments to Others 

Brian,  The farming article is really neat. Farmers in this country are so depended on and I don't think a lot of people realize that. It makes perfect sense that we use the technology available to us to increase the efficiency and productivity of farming. This will lower the price of crops and just overall boost the economy. That's a very basic analysis though, as of course much more goes into it than just that. Are the farmers provided training to use the technology? Or does someone do it for them? What cost is there to the farmer? 

Andrew,  The article about 3D printing provides some cool new options. I never would've considered 3D printing a boat. It appears that 3D printing is slowly but surely becoming the new norm, and not so much a niche industry anymore. Previously, I've only ever printed little things, like a little pinwheel. It's crazy to think that one day people might be sailing on a boat that was 3D printed. 

Varsha,  Your post on technology, particularly data collection, is very insightful. Data collection can seem innocent, but it is a huge invasion of privacy. I agree that nothing done on the internet is truly hidden. It's concerning that someone browsing a news site innocently is unwillingly "selling" their private data, and indirectly influencing their internet browsing experience. I'm sure it makes a lot of people want to throw away every electronic they own. However, the human desire to connect and relate to other people is what keeps everyone online. Plus, deleting your Facebook account doesn't get rid of the data they already have.