Reflection

Intelligent Buildings was a course in which I could explore the future of my chosen profession. I enjoyed learning about problems I will be faced with in the future and how professionals and researchers are already working on solutions to said problems. Using technology to solve current issues also gives rise to other difficulties. Through this course, I’ve been taught about the responsibilities I have as a prospective engineer to solve these new problems because of their impacts on society and my profession.

Additionally, this course allowed me to explore some of my weaknesses and work on them. For example, I knew about Revit families before this course, but I’ve never made my own furniture family. I also got to work with databases which was something I wasn’t familiar with. I’m hoping I can use them in the future professionally, although right now, I don’t know where they would fit in. I was also happy to use Revit because it is one of my strengths and I like being able to improve on my current skillset. I was also able to practice my writing skills since we were able to get feedback from the professor on our assignments.

I took this course because I was interested in sensor technology and I believed I would be afforded the opportunity to explore sensors. For my final project I researched CO2 sensors in depth as I believed them to be a viable solution to a serious problem facing the building systems industry. After conducting research, writing a paper, and creating a presentation, I still believe that CO2 sensors are the solution for supplying air on demand. I think my paper and presentation are interesting to read and do a good job at explaining the current status of CO2 sensor technology and their use in everyday applications.

This course touched a lot upon things I have learned in other classes and my Co-Ops. I think a lot of the topics gone over in the class will help me professionally and add to my abilities as an engineer. It also helps to hear about things other students are working on so that we can learn from them as well. Instead of just one teacher we get multiple! I’m looking forward to seeing the presentations in class so I can learn more about some of the topics we have gone over in class and possibly some new topics.

In conclusion, this course is beneficial to people who are new to building systems because a lot of the information presented in the class is common knowledge to people who have been employed by firms who work on buildings over their co-ops. I believe that the project was well geared toward a wide audience because it gave students the opportunity to research something they cared about. All in all, I think the course was beneficial to most students and I think we all took away some important lessons. I feel better prepared for my future in the industry and it was exciting to learn about emerging technology.

Comments:

Robert Borelli: I agree that Professor Mitchell’s videos helped a lot with the assignments. I think that if he hadn’t posted them, I would have had a much more difficult time completing the assignments. Particularly the database assignment. I had a lot of difficulty with that assignment.

Hanyan Chen: I think you have a point with gearing the class more towards digital buildings students. However, I think this class could also be used for students beginning in architectural engineering since it explains and goes over a lot of topics students will encounter on their co-ops.

Laney Fries: I think your “what could happen” comment was spot on. I think that we could have narrowed the topics down to “what is currently happening” instead. We went over a lot of technologies that are arising but not what problems they will solve really.

B6 Course Reflection - Alkiviadis Tsitsios

AE 410, Intelligent buildings has been a very beneficial course to me. Because of technological advances, the building industry is changing. The purpose of the course was to help us understand how these technologies affect the future of our professional career. In terms of design, construction, operation, renovation, and demolition, AE 410 has helped teach the role of information technology in these aspects. Through the review and discussion of articles, many topics have been touched on. The class has reviewed how BIM affects all parties of a project, like owners, architects, engineers, and contractors. It allows you to communicate with all parties, and eases the access of shared information. Additionally, the class discussed BIM technology’s relation to other drafting programs, like AutoCAD. Not only did the class discuss BIM technology, it also discussed database software. In particular, its relation to BIM, and in design, was emphasized.

One of the goals of the course was to become proficient in Autodesk’s Revit. I believe that after this class, I am much more seasoned in the software. There were various assignments and tutorials that forced students to become accustomed to its uses. These tutorials and assignments allowed me to become more familiar with the software. Previously, I had glanced upon the software, and was slow at navigating it. Now I can make my way around, and I am aware of the locations and functions of many of the tools. Additionally, training was instilled for the Database software. Assignments regarding this were helpful. While the training in both softwares were helpful, I believe with slightly more tutorials, as well as some more tutorials on how to correlated BIM with Database software would have been helpful. Nevertheless, the knowledge that I have gained through the assignments and the class will be carried on with me through my career. My first real exposure to BIM and Database software has been through this class. As I progress in engineering, I can always come back to the information that I have gathered in this class for reference. The course has been helpful in understanding the conceptual reasoning behind the use of the software, as well as administering the software for technical use.

ROBERT BORRELLI
I agree that the course is not what I expected. I am glad that we discussed and trained in the softwares. Initially, I thought that it would be an informative course, littered with structural calculations and a buildings relation to technology. The class did emphasize a buildings relation to smart technology, but through demonstration, rather than lecture and speeches.

HANYAN CHEN
Before the course, I already understood that there existed “smart” technology. I did not understand that an entire building could actually be intelligent. Even through the final project, there have been many instances shown where a building could indeed be intelligent. Not only is there automation in manufacturing, and advancements in robotics, there are also advancements in building, and that is intelligent building.



MAALIK KAPTUE
I agree that this course is a lot different than most. Like you said, I am also used to courses which emphasize heavy calculations. It was refreshing to take a course where guest speakers were frequent, demonstrations were helpful, and the ability to be creative was emphasized

Blog Post 6: Course Reflection

I did not have much of an idea of what the class would be like, but I am happy with what I got out of it. I enjoyed the fact that there was a wide variety of topics, especially ones that I did not know much about. I knew about Revit and Building Information Modeling, but I had not taken classes that discussed sensors, robots, or AI much at all. It was very useful to broaden my understanding of what goes into intelligent building and where future technology is headed.

I have a lot of experience with AutoCAD, but barely any experience with Revit. The Revit assignment was very helpful in getting me familiar with the program and the step-by-step instructions, as well as the video walkthrough, was very helpful. I would have liked a second part to this assignment that walked us through using Dynamo as well. The sensor database assignment was useful as well, both in creating a database in Access from scratch and from trying to find data on different sensors.

The lectures and videos on 3D printing, robotics, and AI were all very interesting to me. I had already seen some of the technology that was shown because of my personal interest, however, I had not been keeping up with the new developments. Being able to automatically 3D print buildings and other structures will cause drastic changes in our current infrastructure.

I enjoyed the guest lectures, especially Kayleigh’s because I had never heard of visual programming before. I had been thinking about looking for jobs in BIM so it definitely got me curious when she said, “BIM is dead.” However, this sent me down a path from Building Information Modeling to Visual Design and Construction to visual programming and generative design. Generative design was the topic of my project paper and I learned a lot about it.

Overall, this class was very helpful, and I will use what I’ve learned throughout my career. The discussions and blog posts taught me to research new technology and think/talk about what changes will occur. It is important to learn about future technology and stay ahead of it or else you will be left behind. 


Comments:
To Sean Reifer
I am jealous that you did your project on Dynamo. It was something that I wished the Revit assignment went into. I can learn it on my own, but as you mentioned, it is more challenging to work through it on your own. A video walkthrough detailing exactly what you are trying to accomplish is very helpful in learning quickly.

To Nick Maloney
I agree that we learned about a lot of different topics, but did not have enough time to go in depth with each of them. It was definitely useful to get some information from the various topics, but there are some topics that I wish we went into in more depth. I believe the idea of the project was to allow us to pick what topic we wanted to learn more about during the course and do our own research which worked well.

Yicheng Li
I also learnd a lot of new things about 3D printing, sensors, and databases. I agree that the blogs helped us learn about something new and write about them almost every week as well as read other people's findings. My project focused on generative design which could become a problem when it comes to reducing or eliminating certain jobs. However, I believe some jobs will remain and their tasks will be altered and some new jobs will be created due to the changes within each industry.

Blog 5 - SQL

This assignment required students to read about databases with a particular topic in mind. Each group had a separate topic to explore. I will be reading and discussing about Structured Query Languages (SQL) using information found online.

First, a SQL is a means of communicating with a database and has been adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the standards. Various commands of SQL are present in the different database systems but the simple ones are capable of doing almost everything a user needs ("Sqlcourse - Intro" 2019).

Relational database management systems present data in tabular format. Searching, creating, populating, updating, and deleting are basic functions in SQL that most people will do with a table whether or not it is through using SQL.

Why is using SQL important? Well, most things can be represented as points of data and a large compilation of data into big data can be daunting to use and maintain. However,

SQL is able to perform functions across the entire database meaning that as long as the user has some idea of what they are looking for, they can use a combination of functions to narrow down the data until they find what they want ("Sqlcourse - Intro" 2019). This is why it is important to design a database properly. Proper management of a database using SQL prevents any hiccups in the future and provides better user experience.

After reading Nick Maloney’s post, I interpreted his idea of BIM using “massive amount of data in order to perform their intended functions” as manipulating the elements and their properties in the model and having Revit show the user what the model looks like on the front-end of the software.

It is even more important to companies who provide a service such as insurance or social media. These types of companies can have records of millions of people and they can have actuaries who can determine how much people should pay for insurance or marketers to personalize advertisements on social media.

While SQL may not be a necessary skill to have in the near future, being able to maneuver through data in a table has been a useful skill since the creation of spreadsheets.


Sources:
Maloney, Nick. 2019. "B5 - What Is SQL And Why Is It Important?". Ae-410-510-Ay18-19.Blogspot.Com. https://ae-410-510-ay18-19.blogspot.com/2019/02/b5-what-is-sql-and-why-is-it-important.html.

"Sqlcourse - Intro". 2019. Sqlcourse.Com. http://www.sqlcourse.com/intro.html.


Comments on colleagues’ posts:
Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira
With the advent of big data being used in most companies, it is becoming more important to be able to manipulate data. When we were freshmen/sophomores, we were taught how to use MatLab and Excel but I feel like it will no longer enough in the coming years. Thankfully, the freshmen now are learning programing languages that I feel like it is incredibly useful when learning SQL.

Nana Lin Rasmussen
I think that the tabular method is very easy for beginners whereas more networks of data can be trickier to learn about. I didn’t feel like I was able to handle the database assignment in this class but I feel more confident now that I know how simple it can be.

Yicheng Li
It looks like you have experience with MySQL. What do you think of the usefulness of SQL in the job market today? I don’t have any experience with big data so if you think this is useful then I might be inclined to pick up some SQL.

B5 - Object Oriented Databases

Objected oriented databases are a type of management system which links information to an object. These objects contain identities, attributes, references, relationships and associations. This type of data base combines features of object-oriented systems with database systems [2]. Revit is an example of a software which uses this type of database. Information can be tied to devices which are modeled within a building [1]. With object oriented databases you are able to create hierarchies with types. An example of this would be Revit Families. Revit families are first categorized by what type of model component they are. Within a family you can also create types of that family. Although all 2x2 light fixtures would use the same family in a project, you would create different types under that family for the various manufactures and lumen packages. The data for each of the types of the fixtures varies greatly, so although they look a like on a plan view the data within each of the family types is different. This will influence the lighting levels produced for lighting calcs, lighting fixture schedules outputs, as well as the circuiting if the wattage is different.

Object oriented databases, are more complex. They not only include information, but graphics and visuals. Continuing with the example of Revit. As you draft and populate objects in the model. The database builds and information is gathered. This is because the objects themselves are tied to the properties and data pertaining to the object. From this you are able to collect the data and create schedules as a way to organize the data.

Sources:

[1] “A Brief History of BIM.” ArchDaily, VELUX, 7 Dec. 2012, www.archdaily.com/302490/a-brief-history-of-bim/.

[2] “Object-Oriented Databases (Version 2010).” ODBMS Industry Watch, www.odbms.org/2010/01/object-oriented-databases-version-2010/.

Responses:

Julie, great description. The diagram you used to explain what a relational database is was extremely helpful. Your example helped me better understand how the information is linked and relationships are formed between the data.

Use of Databases in Design Offices

Databases are typically used within design software. Information in stored in programs such as AutoCAD and Revit to be used during design – material sizes, qualities, and others information that is used constantly in the programs and also stored for future use. While these databases are used within the programs, there’s also continuous growth past what information is currently stored. Work is being put towards creating a more integrated process overall within the design process and going into the manufacturing process. While it is known that CAD is used for the design process, CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) is used within the manufacturing process the same way CAD is used – CAD automates design, and CAM automates the manufacturing process. To create a more integrated process, databases are made between both CAD and CAM so that the planning and management of the operations can be done by a computer, and then the database utilizes the information from a CAD program to transfer it to CAM systems. This CAD/CAM database pulls together data from the design phase (dimensions, necessary parts, etc.) in combination with data needed for manufacturing (tools necessary, timing, quantity, etc.). (1) While databases are used on within a single program, it’s important to see how they can be used to overlap different steps of a project to create a smooth-running project overall.

Even on a smaller scale, databases will become more regularly used, specifically in the technology within an office. Amazon’s Alexa devices utilizes database information to give quick responses. Currently, Alexa devices are being introduced to some university students (Georgia Tech, Arizona State, etc.) to utilize during the academic year. Utilizing these devices on this level, students can ask exam grades, upcoming assignments, etc. While this is obviously relevant to students, the same technique could be implemented in other settings as well, including design offices – “Believers say that the use of the technology will only expand” (2) and while the article specifically talks about the expansion within a school setting, it can go much further than that. In a design office, the use of products like an Echo can pull together databases to relay the information (regarding previous projects, standards, etc.) faster than going through books and other methods.

References:

(1)    Khemani, Haresh. “CAD Applications: CAD/CAM Database” https://www.brighthubengineering.com/cad-autocad-reviews-tips/19615-applications-of-cad-software-cadcam-database/

(2)    Ellis, Lindsay. “Hey Alexa, Should We Bring Virtual Assistants to Campus? These Colleges Gave Them a Shot” (August 2, 2018) https://www.chronicle.com/article/Hey-Alexa-Should-We-Bring/244129?cid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=fca8c6a17b7943d696dd417c6c7d660f&elq=02622bf46f104a1d98af1a2355bb2f4b&elqaid=19988&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=9293

Responses:

To Alkiviadis Tsitsios, you bring up really good points about how important databases are. Like you said, databases are being used for more than just storing information, but as a way to share it with other parties. This creates a better communication within construction, which is something that is often difficult in the field.

To Hailey Ihlow, I’m also in the database class, and you bring up a great point about how difficult it can be to actually put together a database and manage it. Applying the knowledge is more of an advanced thing, I agree, because the effort “behind the scenes” is a lot more difficult when it’s not transferring information from tables.

To Aaron Goldberg, you explain the relational database theory well - databases in general is not something I know much about, and your post helped explain past how databases are used generally. I think it’s interesting how it looks towards the future and what can be expected and the idea that companies such as HP are potentially expanding technology even further is quite interesting.

Blog #5: Uses of databases in construction firms_Wenhan Fu

Database can be defined as an organized collection of data. In modern society, we usually refer it as the web-based database system. The advantages of it includes but not limited to the ability to process huge volumes of data; sharing between multiple concurrent users and lastly, minimize the human errors.

There are three most popular and widespread web-based database system in use. In the essay “A Web-Based Database System for Managing Construction Project Knowledge” from Belize Ozorhon et al, it stated that the three most commonly used systems are “the fee-based project management service, the build it yourself solutions and the web-enabled software for the construction industry” (Ozorhon, 2014). Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages in their own prospective and are suitable for different types of company. For example, the fee-based project management services which is provided by an IT company, has advantages include low cost, need for less IT experience, however, there are also limitations regarding the volume of the data and others, this system will be more fit to the startup companies. On the contrary, the build-it yourself solutions allow the larger companies to process more heavily sets if data. It has its own limitations still including the investment requirements of the application, outsourcing and long development cycle.

To sum up, database is a modern technology for construction industry as well for the future to handling the large amounts of data. It will provide huge assists in multiple prospects. However, the limitations still exist. The main obstacle for the development of the databases is the types of databases has it own focus, and some of them will abandon some of the fixture in order to stand out in other criteria. The future development of the database in construction industry will be hugely focusing on the balance of the database and less complex for the none computer specialists.

Citation: Ozorhon, B., Karatas, C. G., and Demirkesen, S. (2014). “A Web-based Database System for Managing Construction Project Knowledge.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 119, 377–386.

Comments:

Harvin Bhandal: Your post on the relational database theory is interesting. It is unexpected the Retional Model was created way back to 1970. Also, there organize structure is also remarkable and still helpful in nowadays database development.

Yidi Li: My post has the same topic as yours. It is interesting the construction industry is one of the field databases actually can help a lot. I think the database will connect the industry even closer and we all can be benefit from it.

Maalik Kaptue: Your post give me a better understanding on how the database can help the design specialists. Indeed, even using the Revit to develop a project contains using the database. The development of  the Revit community is also the development of the database for the design firms.

The Development of Databases and Their Relevancy

A database at its fundamental level is a collection of datum, or facts and statistics. Without context or accessibility, data has no value to employees or firms. A library is the most traditional form of a database whereby people can go find a relevant book pertaining to a relevant subject. However, using computers, databases have become organized and machine readable. The implications of this are that users can look up terms and use variables to access the most relevant information. [1]

The relational data model was invented in 1970 by C. F. Codd. [2] The invention of this model has enabled researchers to understand the theory of data/relationship/ constraint. It has also allowed for many database design methods and the development of the standard database access language. In addition to these things, all commercial modern database systems are based on the 1970 model.

An example of one of the modern access language models is the eXtensible Markup Language or (XML). It has become the standard form of data exchange over the internet. The implementation of this model has led to another form of data management which is storing the XML documents. Researchers have suggested using relational data systems to satisfy this need. [3]

The use of databases has enabled users to quickly and efficiently find data. This ability allows for average people, professionals, and researchers to streamline the process of finding data and implementing it to create, learn, and teach. The advancement of the database makes humans more productive and creates less chance of misinformation. As the development of new concepts become published, databases become more robust and up to date using machine updating. Meaning that humans do not have to worry themselves with trying to keep up with the everchanging world of research articles and the like.

Sources:

[1] Roman, Steven. Access Database Design & Programming. O'Reilly, 1999.

[2] Darwen, Hugh. An Introduction to Relational Database Theory. Ventus Publishing, 2009.

[3] Tatarinov, Igor, et al. “Storing and Querying Ordered XML Using a Relational Database System.” Proceedings of the 2002 ACM SIGMOD International Conference on Management of Data - SIGMOD '02, 2002, doi:10.1145/564712.564715.

Comments:

Harvin Bhandal: I find the maintenance and updating of databases interesting. SQL seems like a very powerful tool that creates an intuitive way to access data. I’m interested to see how algorithms will change in the future to match our diction to optimize search results from person to person.

Alynne Jeanty: It’s important to eliminate the need to use separate databases to find information that could be kept under one database. The implementation of the relational database theory seems like a very important development to eliminate the need to use multiple databases.

Julie Anderson: Your explanation of how rational databases was very informative. The tables helped get your point across effectively. I’d be interested to hear more about how this applies to Building Information technology. Hopefully in the future, we will have tools that will fill out all of the information automatically!

B5: Uses of databases in construction firms

A database is simply a collection of stored information that can be used by management and applications within a certain enterprise. The construction industry is a prime example of an industry that could benefit from the use of a database. More specifically the construction industry can benefit from relational data model databases. The relational data model is a database that can be organized in a series of relations. On the left-most side, there will be a column of attribute names, with subsequent columns having descriptors of the attributes listed. According to Carnegie Mellon, some data that is important to keep track of in the construction field are: intermediate analysis results during planning and design, design documents, including drawings and specifications, construction schedules and cost estimates, quality control and assurance records, chronological files of project correspondence and memorandum, construction field activity and inspection logs, legal contracts, and regulatory documents. [1]

All this data can be incredibly useful on a construction project, but it is also important that there is a centralized database management system. This ensures that everyone on the project would have access to the data with proper authentication. This reduced redundancy because it eliminates the need for multiple databases for different areas of the project and it also reduces inconstancy because all the data is constant across the board. If one data value is changed then it changes for everyone.

The data here can then be used in certain applications used in construction. These values can be the input to perform tasks such as structural analysis, heat loss computation and material quantity calculations. Having a centralized database also make it easier on the application side of the project. If a project had multiple databases with all different layouts, then each application would have to be configured to work with every database type instead of just one. The additional programming required for that configuration would cost the firm unnecessary time and money.

Comments:

Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira- I agree that SQL is a skill that many more people are going to need in the future. With the use of databases only increasing over the years, we are going to need more people to know how to manage them.  

Tyler Madden- I never thought about location disparities when I was looking into databases for this assignment. I think that’s a very important reason that databases are so important in the industry. A lot of the time, people that are working on a project may not be on the project site. Having a central internet connected database allows anyone to work on the project from anywhere.

Julie Hansted Anderson- Good job at explaining rational database theory. The visual really helps put into perspective how the items are related to each other.

Citation:

[1] https://www.cmu.edu/cee/projects/PMbook/14_Organization_and_Use_of_Project_Information.html#14.4%20Organizing%20Information%20in%20Databases

B5 - Relational Database Theory

The use of databases is relevant in nearly every industry. The ability to store enormous amounts of data in database is useful in many ways such as being able to find (manually or electronically) any piece of data and its associated properties in an organized manner.

One model used to create databases is the Relational Model. This model was created by E.F. Codd, an IBM programmer, in 1970 [1]. Instead of traditionally organizing data sets in a hierarchical form, Codd proposed using tables instead. The tables consists of both rows and columns. Tables are referred to as relations, whereas rows are known as tuples and columns are attributes. Each tuple represents a different element, or a unique key to represent different instances of data entries. One analogy to describe how a relational database works is to define a relation as a set with two elements; a head and body. The head then contains the different attributes such as {ID, email} and the body shows the tuples such as {1, bob@msn.com} [3].

A relational database is usually maintained by SQL ( Structured Query Language) [2]. To access data, queries use operators such as select, project and join. Select identifies tuples (rows), project is for columns (attributes) and join is a combination of both [2]. Its main advantage over traditional organizing systems is that it reduces redundant data by its ability for users to filter and queue for the exact data they need [1]. Another advantage is that new entries can be put in without having to modify the entire database. The mathematical operators within each attribute help to make the organization more practical and efficient. However, one disadvantage to using a relational database is that it may take time to set up (still faster than manually inputting a large amount of data) and is highly variable in the way its programmed.

A relational database is a great innovation that has been used almost everywhere since its inception in the 1970s. It helps companies store huge amounts of data and retrieve necessary information with the use of queries. Companies, such as Microsoft are actively working on new and improved database organization systems, such as graph databasing to make the process work through “large analytical work loads” [4].

[1] Biscobing, J. (2018, May). relational database. In TechTarget. Retrieved from https://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/definition/relational-database

[2 ]Wikipedia contributors. (2018, December 7). Relational database. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:16, February 12, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Relational_database&oldid=872459713

[3] Relational Database Theory (2014). In O'Reilly Media. Retrieved from http://archive.oreilly.com/oreillyschool/courses/phpsql2/phpsql203.html

[4] Martin, A. J. (2017, February 20). Love lambda, love Microsoft's Graph Engine. But you fly alone. In The Register. Retrieved from https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/20/microsoft_graph_database_the_big_difference/

Comments on Others

Weiyi, I really like that you inputted a picture in your post. Databases are somewhat of an abstract concept - and it can get cumbersome to describe through text alone. Use of images really puts what you are trying to convey in a concise and understandable manner. I originally thought of databases as mainly useful for housing information such that you’d find in a phone book. However, your post shows its capabilities in office buildings, with the capability to estimate energy saving potentials.

Jenny, you did a great job in explaining what an object oriented database is and what its used for. I think the use of object oriented databases could speed up the manner that engineering drawing files are transferred from person to person. From experience, I know that takes a while. Also, with its emphasis on using a visual aid, I think it would be more intuitive to utilize over other types of databases.

Tyler, I can totally see the importance of databases in construction industry. As one of my coops was in a construction consulting firm, there is truly a lot of information that needs to be kept track of. Businesses that have a database system that is carefully curated and maintained tend to be more organized.

Week 6 - Relational Database Theory

The relational model was developed by E.F. Codd around 1968 as a mathematical principle to visualize large data, make it more scalable, enhance its performance, and make it portable. In simple terms, a relational database uses relations between values and symbols to organize data. The theory behind a relational database consists of rules and terminology that dictate how the relational database is represented and interpreted. 

One representation of a relation can be shown as a table independent of the order in which its given (i.e. rows and columns). However not every table displays a relation therefore the terminology used to describe the anatomy of a relation is different than that of a table (i.e. the word table is substituted for relation, tuple for row, and attribute for column). A set of attributes is also referred to as the head, and the degree refers to the number of attributes. A set of tuples is also referred to as the body, and the cardinality refers to the number of tuples. Attributes correspond to names and types, while tuples correspond to the values that are defined by the attributes. 

The relational database theory is different from structured query language (SQL) which is another communicative method for databases that stems from the relational database theory. For example, SQL automatically orders the data whereas for a relational database the order of the data is arbitrary, and SQL allows the data inputted into rows to be duplicated unlike relational databases which cannot have duplicate tuples.

Why do we use the relational database theory? One reason is that it will save time from having to arbitrarily guess which database design to use. The objective of a good database is to reduce the redundancy of data to save storage space and avoid inconsistencies, and to ensure that the data is secure, accurately represented, and maintains its integrity. The emergence of inconsistencies due to abstraction or “accurate data extraction” is avoidable by using the relational database theory, and many of these inconsistencies include deletion errors, incorrect or multiples of results, and comparison of unrelated variables. Relational databases can be customized for particular applications; in smart buildings these applications include energy efficiency measures and building automation systems. These databases are well known and accepted as an industry standard as opposed to NoSQL which tends to pose fewer benefits in most situations.

References:

[1] http://archive.oreilly.com/oreillyschool/courses/phpsql2/phpsql203.html

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

[3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_database

[4] https://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ehchua/programming/sql/relational_database_design.html

Comments:

Richard Kimball – You mentioned normalization of databases which is not a concept that I came across in my research and will be sure to review. It is important that as the amount of data increases with the emergence of new technologies, that databases are able to be enlarged to accommodate growing needs. With the increase in size of databases it will likely become more difficult to track the accidental changes or potential losses in data. I think security of this information especially when being transferred will bring about new ideas to this field.

YIDI LI – The Database Manager Program sounds like it would be beneficial not only in construction firms presently but for future construction practices under the assumption that artificial intelligence technologies would be programed to assist in construction design. While this could be far beyond the realm of possibility, I think these databases could interact with technologies, even dictate or send data, which would allow for projects to be monitored by machines instead of humans. 

Nick Maloney – I discussed relational databases and the use of SQL lead me to inquire about why SQL and other databases employ different languages. From a proprietary business standpoint it makes sense however I think that the transition between using one database or another could be made easier if the languages were similar. Perhaps the two databases could even work together and do so very efficiently if they were the same language.

Blog 5 - Uses of Databases in Construction Firms - Alkiviadis Tsitsios

There are numerous methods and organizational tactics for the gathering of information in project management and construction. Databases are useful because they provide a computer based system that helps manage information for the users. Warehouses are used by many construction firms to store equipment and provide an inventory of the materials that are used for projects. Written records have always been used, but now databases can be used to store that information forever, while having the ability to share it with other parties. Computer based database systems also have the significant advantage in the ability to rapidly retrieve the information for immediate use while lowering costs. The database requires a great amount of attention to guarantee that the program can accomplish all tasks.

The Database Manager Program is a software that directs the storage, maintenance, manipulation, and retrieval of data. By issuing specific requests to the DBM, users have the ability to retrieve and store data. The DBM helps free the user from the detail of HOW data is stored. A wide range of users with different needs can use the same database by utilizing DBM. For example, the DBM can be used to report on all project tasks which have been scheduled to be underway at a particular date or time. Using a query language, the DBM will be available to the user in this way. A conceptual data model exists which shows the user an abstract representation of the data. The overall configuration of the information is called the conceptual schema. Within a record of a datafile, a piece of data may hold value. In this case, the datafile may consist of a series of records that contain predefined variables. These variables may be text characters or numbers. There is also the relational data model, where the database is organized in relations, or tables of data which are arranged in ways detailed inthe data dictionary. Tables can illustrate “DESCRIPTION”, “ITEM_CODE”, OUTPUT, TIME_UNIT, and other inputs. The data recorded in each row can be obtained during bid preparations, whether taken from past projects, or commercial services. The number of attributes in a relation can be expanded however much desired as well. There are many uses for databases in construction.

Formative vs Summative Assessment - Eberly Center - Carnegie Mellon University, www.cmu.edu/cee/projects/PMbook/14_Organization_and_Use_of_Project_Information.html.

JULIE HANSTED ANDERSEN
Well thought out descripton on rational database theories, which I was uninformed about prior to reading your post. Its use in managing databases. Using links to relate tables between one another is a useful tool that can be used in engineering and construction.

MAALIK KAPTUE
Because I wrote about database management in construction firms, learning about its impact in design offices is helpful. Having the ability to view material schedules, and observe components of architecture is very beneficial in the design of a project.

BLAS ANDRES RODRIGUEZ VIEIRA
Thank you for informing about SQL, as it is the standard language for relational database management. Having a language that can be understood universally is very useful. Because it is the standard language, it can be used to perform tasks and update data.

Blog post 5: Rational databases theory

Rational databases are relationships between data which is represented in tables. It is a way to structure and organize data. This theory was developed by E.F Codd in 1970 and have been used since then to manage databases.  A table characterizes one entity type where the rows represent each types and the columns represent the value for the type. The row has its own unique key which is called a primary key. By linking the key with other keys from other tables it is possible for the data to be related with other types. This creates a relationship between other tables and creates specific data. It could be a useful information in a building project where you would like to get information about e.g. the different door which are used in different rooms. A table would then describe the doors with an ID number, name of the door, and material. An other table would describe the rooms in the building also with an ID number, name of the room and size of the room.  Each table could have information about all the doors in the project where many of them has the same name and material but the ID is the unique key. The same is for the rooms where the ID for the room is the unique key. A new table with only the ID numbers of the doors and the rooms can then show the connection between the doors and the rooms. It can then tell how many of a specific door is in a specific room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvrpuBAMddw

https://aws.amazon.com/relational-database/

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

Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira: Your post made it easy for my to understand what SLQ is and why it is important. It is interesting how you in the end of your post describes how important it is for almost all business to be able to understand the language of the databases because almost very thing becomes digital and we therefore store more and more data.

Tyler Madden: Interesting how the databases can be used in the construction business to improve effectivity and thereby save more. In the company where I work we sometime makes databases of tables when we are doing inspections of a lot of buildings where we have a specific ID for each building and then we can put in data for the roof, walls, foundation etc. It is a very easy way to get collect all the information we have for each building. And a easy way to get the information further to the owner of the building to tell them how the conditions is of all the e.gs roofs at all the buildings.

Weiyi Tang: Well described how the data in the design phase. It made think of how the simulation programs for energy and indoor climate actually works with the different input data we use.

B5 - Relational Database Theory

A database is an organized set of data generally accessed across a computer system. Interaction between a database and the end user is generally done through the database management system which helps bridge the gap between the data and the user by interacting with and analyzing the data. When databases become more complex, computer scientists tend to rely on formal design and modeling techniques to understand and create databases. In general there are two primary types of databases: relational database systems which became popular in the 1980s and rely on rows, columns, and tables as well as a specific language known as Structured Query Language (SQL). More recently, non-relational databases gained popularity, typically referred to as NoSQL, however, I am going to briefly focus on relational databases for the purposes of this post.

Relational database theory was initially proposed by EF Codd in 1970. The model sorts data into tables (also called “relations”) of rows and columns. Rows, referred to as “tuples” represent instances of that type and columns represent values attributing to that instance. A relation is defined as a set of tuples that share the same attributes. Each row in a table has a unique key. Rows can be linked to other rows in other tables through the addition of a column for the key of the linked row. While the relational database theory continues and can get much more complex, I am just covering the very basics of relational database theory.

Relational database theory is used today, and is being implemented in some instances to improve efficiency. Amazon Aurora, for example is a relational database built for the cloud that “combines the performance and availability of high-end commercial databases with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of open source databases” [1]. According to Amazon, Aurora is up to five times faster than standard databases and provides security and reliability without sacrificing costs by automating repetitive, time-consuming administration tasks such as “hardware provisioning, database setup, patching, and backups” [1].

While my knowledge of databases is still minimal (due to the fact that we have yet to cover them in class) I do look forward to learning about what a database is, the fundamentals of relational databases, and how they apply specifically to the AEC industry.


Sources:

[1] Amazon Aurora – Relational Database Built for the Cloud - AWS. (2019). Amazon Web Services, Inc.. Retrieved 12 February 2019, from https://aws.amazon.com/rds/aurora/
[2] Relational Databases 101: Looking at the Whole Picture. (2019). Agiledata.org. Retrieved 12 February 2019, from http://www.agiledata.org/essays/relationalDatabases.html
[3] Relational Database Theory. (2019). Archive.oreilly.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019, from http://archive.oreilly.com/oreillyschool/cours



Comments:

Alec: I really like your article. After doing research on databases, it was difficult for me to immediately envision ways that the AEC industry could directly utilize databases. I’m curious what percentage of firms use formal databases currently and how many use the idea of databases but in an informal, less efficient manner.

Ren: I enjoyed reading your take on this topic. You seemed to take a more technical approach explaining and defining the key terminologies. This was something I struggled to do as I still have not mastered databases conceptually. I think your explanation, specifically regarding the need for keys, was very thorough.

Yidi: Your article explains how databases can be utilized in the AEC industry. Similar to Alec’s article, you identify the array of data that a construction firm may need to keep track of at once, which, I agree, is certainly a place wherein databases can be utilized. My question is that for larger firms, it seems that databases are the only solution to managing this amount of data, so what are firms who aren’t using databases utilizing to keep track of their numbers? I’m curious what the alternatives are to databases. Great article though.

B5 - Relational Database Theory

Relational database theory is the theory behind the relational model which is applied to design relational database. A database model is “a type of data model that determines the logical structure of a database and fundamentally determines in which manner data can be stored, organized and manipulated”. The relational database is one of the most popular examples of a database model which uses a table-based format. The theory of it is firstly proposed by E. F. Codd in 1969 when he tried to find an approach to “satisfy the widest possible ranges of users and uses”.

A database is defined by Wikipedia as “A structured collection of records or data” and can also be understood as “an organized, machine-readable collection of symbols.” When these machine-readable symbols are organized into a collection of relations, it becomes a relational database. Here, many people use the word “table” as an alternative to “relation” as this model using columns and rows of tables to organize data. Note that the SQL also uses table instead of relation. However, every relation can be considered as a table, not every table is a relation. There can be multiple tables represent one relation in many cases. In tables of relational database, there must be “a column or group of columns, called primary key, to uniquely identify each row”. That means each row in a table has its own unique key. When people want to link different tables, they can add a column for the unique key of the linked row. This column is called foreign keys. Primary keys and foreign keys give people a way to tie different tables together so the tables can communicate when people need to perform some specific commands. “The primary keys within a database are used to define the relationships among the tables. When a PK migrates to another table, it becomes a foreign key in the other table.” Usually, people call these rows as records or tuples and call these columns as attributes. In codding format, a set of attributes is also called the head and a set of tuples is called the body. So a relation is “a set consisting of two elements: a head and a body. We can represent a relation as {Head, Body}.”

There are two integrity rules for relational database. First is the row must be distinct. Otherwise, the system will not know which row is correct when it collects information from database. Second is that the column values cannot be repeating groups or arrays. When each row in a table is different, we can use a unique column which is the primary key mentioned above to represent that table.

Sources:
[1] The Java™ Tutorials, https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/jdbc/overview/database.html
[2] Hugh Darwen, "An introduction to relational database",  2010, from
https://dvikan.no/ntnu-studentserver/kompendier/an-introduction-to-relational-database-theory.pdf
[3] Relational Database Theory. Retrieved February 12, 2019, from http://archive.oreilly.com/oreillyschool/courses/phpsql2/phpsql203.html
[4] Relational Database - Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 12, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_database

Commons:
Weiyi Tang, I like the picture you use. It clearly shows where the database can be applied in a practical case. And the example you used in Linux also help me a lot to understand how can database being used.

Jenny Fretta, you clearly explained what is object oriented database and even point out its advantages. Your example used in the blog represents the most important advantage of object oriented database which is saving space and time for processing while reducing the risk of information delay.

Yicheng Li, I learned a brief history of SQL and its characteristics. And I agree that SQL helps people manage and store large databases more easily and more reliably. Great introduction.

B5: Relational Databases and SQL

A relational database is a set of interconnected tables, which can be queried, or called for, to display the data in new ways without the restructuring of the tables themselves. Databases are useful for managing and organizing large quantities of data, and are therefore, a useful tool for the AEC industry. [1]

Structured Query Language (SQL) is the primary “... computer language for relational database management and data manipulation.” [2].  SQL is the standard query language, and is the primary interface to communicate with relational databases. The common language makes interoperability possible; SQL is “... supported by all popular relational database engines.” SQL is used to query, insert, update and modify data.” [2]

Very simply, a query is a question. In the context of a database, there are numerous types of queries including a “select query” and an “action query”. Select queries are for data retrieval. Data is stored in tables. The tables are tabular, similar to formatting for an Excel document. Each table has numerous fields (the columns) in each table, and records (the rows) exist for each field. Typically, the records are auto-numbered with a specific ID. However, databases differ from an excel document with the use of relationships. Relationships can be created between numerous tables, which link the information, and allow for information to be called for in a “select query”, even if all the information desired is not in the same exact table. The select query presents the selected data results in a new and separate data sheet.

Action queries can be used to change the field values in the database. Instead of just altering one table and field at a time, entire groups of records can be called for with a select query, and then altered with an action query, which then changes the database. Action queries can also be used to make new tables, append specific tables. The SQL also has built in functions to aggregate the data values. Specific queries can be ran for selected fields to analyze the data. SQL has functions for count, average, sum, max and min, standard deviation, and others. SQL can also be setup as a search function, which looks for the user inputted characters that match with the record text in the specified tables or a formulated select query. [3] If the tables are structured and interrelated correctly, SQL allows for the acquisition and analysis of data in virtually any way the user would like.

Sources:

[1] Rouse, Margaret. “What Is Relational Database? - Definition from WhatIs.com.” SearchDataManagement, May 2018, searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/definition/relational-database. [2] “What Is Structured Query Language (SQL)? - Definition from Techopedia.” Techopedia.com, www.techopedia.com/definition/1245/structured-query-language-sql. [3] “Designing Action Queries in Access.” 2010. PDF file.

Comments:

Tyler,

I agree that the use of databases in the AEC industry is becoming more common, and more crucial to managing building information. Revit, and BIM itself, is a large of database with a plethora of interrelated tables of family information and properties. A well formulated and utilized database can increase firm productivity and save a lot of time. Being able to pull up only the specific and relevant information for a certain construction task is an incredibly helpful ability  when trying to determine how one aspect of the design will influence another.

Alec,

Great introduction! I think when most people think about data it is more related to internet browsing and consumer purchases. While it is obvious that the construction industry also generates a lot of data, I do not think it is typically seen as a data source. Databases are good at storing and sharing information, making them a great way to help with construction coordination and time management. I agree, that if companies invest the time into developing and utilizing databases, company productivity and success will surely increase.

Jenny,
Object oriented databases seem to me like a more intuitive form of database. I think people would have an easier time to think of information stored as an object with a visual aid, than as a bunch of interrelated tables. Applying an object database to engineering drawing files seems like a great way to expedite the drawing process, while keeping all of the database elements up to date in whatever file they are used in.

B5-Uses of databases in design offices

In my opinion, the most obvious character that the database is playing in office buildings is to control the energy system. The book, Energy Buildings is saying: “The resulting database and model are expected to provide the simple, direct decision-making process for helping estimate the energy-saving potential of some energy conservation measures to retrofit existing office buildings quickly.” For example, the picture below is showing a schematic outline of the research for developing an energy prediction model, which can quickly estimate the annual electricity use of office buildings. 

                                                

By the database, the energy treatment methods can be listed out. So how? The database can organize various results by a list of input variables. For example, for previously analyzing the natural light going through a glass curtain wall, the input can be the properties of the curtain wall, the building location characters and the time of the day, so the output can be the amount of energy going into the building, the serving area of the natural light and the efficiency of the wall. The engineers do not need to build the actual sample wall first and then go collecting the data for estimations. The database can serve for the building load and the HVAC system. By putting the data into the database, such as the building envelope, the building thermal mass, the system operations, the refrigeration and heat rejections and so on for the energy control, the tables can be created for each of them, and the tables can interact with each other.

For example, after input a thermal mass table, and a heat rejections table, we can do this in the database (Linux) to get what the thermal load should be in the office building A during the winter:

SQL> SELECT minimum thermal mass required in the office, the maximum heat rejections
1    FROM thermal mass, heat rejection
2    WHERE season= ‘winter’
3    AND building_name= ‘office A’;

Then the possible range for the thermal load will pump up as a result table. By the database, the using time of the energy systems can also be controlled. We can select the office closing time and the office opening time from the time table, and then the unoccupied period for every day through the week, the month, or the year will be listed out, so the heating or cooling systems can automatically switch on an off according to that unaccompanied period. From my Blog 1 (link), you can learn why the time control for the energy system is essential.

After the prediction designs based on the databases, the time and the money which will be used on estimating the energy system in the office building could be reduced, because the data will be organized and shared, so for the operation of the building or the other similar building, the same database can be referenced again for higher efficiency.

Works Cited:

Mao, Jiachen and Pan, Yiqun and Fu, Yangyang. Towards fast energy performance evaluation: A 

pilot study for office buildings; Energy Buildings. Volume 121, 2016, Pages 104-113, ISSN 0378-7788, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.03.077

Comments:
Yicheng Li
Yes, as you said, the SQL can help us to organize the large databases and it became the foundation of many nowadays' computer software. For SQL, the data input methods are various and simple enough to be understood, so it has already envolve in our daily life.

Tyler Madden
I totally agree with you that the smarter "relational" databases can improve the efficiency of production because the data tables are separated but they can interact with each other, and the users can use various data sets at the same time and come out with another table for showing the results. Besides Microsoft's SQL server, for the Mac system, the terminal is the SQL server.

Alec Silverstone
Agree. The data appear during the building design, and construction processes are very complex, and if there is not a database to organize those data, the mistakes and misunderstanding between the engineers and the constructors will occur frequently, and to find the reason of the error will be a suffer work. Therefore, the database is essential for construction.

B5- Databases in Construction

     In today’s world, everything is data. From the products we buy to the shoes we wear, everything we do is stored somewhere as data values. It’s no wonder that big companies turn to data to target products to consumers. But with all the potential behind data management and processing, can data be used for other industries besides the commercial realm?

     As it turns out, data and databases have hugepotential for the construction industry and firms that deal with construction processes. Quite obviously, there is a lot of data to handle in a construction firm. As a few people from the Department of Civil Engineering at a university in Istanbul put it, “knowledge management is considered to be one of the key sources of success for construction projects” (1). An effective way to ensure organization and management of data is to make use of databases. Databases “aid construction companies in capturing, storing, sharing, and using project and corporate information.” It seems almost like common sense, but it is true that implementing a database system to manage data for projects is a great way to improve work efficiency. In addition to just storing information, databases can be used for analysis to address discrepancies or follow trends. 

     So why are databases so important, especially with respect to the construction industry? As we know, the construction industry and its firms have projects that are often “held in dispersed locations, by different parties involved, [and] with variable objectives” (2). The process of capturing, organizing, and maintaining all the data is quite daunting, so there needs to be a system in place for this task. Construction firms may utilize databases to properly keep track of projects, even if projects differ in type, location, cost, etc. 

     It is often that firms tend to “do it how they’ve always done it” to minimize employee discomfort and stress. I believe that now is the time to drop that archaic frame-of-mind for the improvement of workflow and data management. Databases are powerful tools for ensuring a company’s success, and I have no doubt that the big firms in the construction industry will shift towards a database implementation if they have not already done so. 

Works Cited

(1) Eken, Gorkem, Bilgin, Gozde, Dikmen, Irem, M. Talat, Birgonul, A Lessons Learned Database Structure for Construction Companies. Procedia Engineering, Volume 123, 2015. Pages 135-144, ISSN 1877-7058

(2) Ozorhon, Beliz. Cenap G. Karatas, Sevilay Demirkesen, A Web-based Database System for Managing Construction Project Knowledge.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 119, 2014, Pages 377-386, ISSN 1877-0428

Comments on others’ posts

Albert, your background on this topic was appreciated, at least by me, as it gave me a good basis of knowledge about this topic. Having not worked with databases at length before, I definitely needed that introduction. It’s interesting that the idea and origin of databases date back to the 20^thcentury even though high-level data management and technology has come about only relatively recently. Your example of modern use was also really good, thanks for that great information!

Nick, similar to Albert’s post that I read earlier, I liked your good introduction to relational databases. As we have yet to cover them in class and I have little exposure to them, it’s nice to get a good understanding from peers. You did a great job describing SQL and furthered my knowledge more than I could have expected. You put its importance into perspective and provided good context.

Maalik, I really like how concise and well-explained your post is. You include key information like the role of databases in popular programs and the possible interfaces users may experience. I really liked that you hone in one specific software tool that is popular in this industry and put things into perspective for readers like myself. Great work!

Wenhan Fu Week 2 Blog: Database, Network, Sociology, Future

Wenhan Fu

Week 2 Blog: Database, Network, Sociology, Future

Database has already been used for decades in a ton of different industries. It provides the users with more efficiency to access, backup and analysis the different data sets. As the internet industry growing exponentially, the database industry also has tremendous changes. The increasingly enormous amounts of data flooding websites and businesses and the different database system brings chaos [1]. Therefore, many companies may find out there once organized data nowadays are promiscuous. In the future, the one database that can provide a single system that does everything from full-text search to in-memory storage, graph analysis, and more will be the solution to the companies to reorganize its data [1].

Another close topic will be the network, network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources and exchange files. It has been changed a lot within the past decades, it has become wireless, faster, safer and etc. In the future, it will continue to develop mostly in these aspects: The demise of the WLAN controller, ethernet switches become transparent, everything else in the cloud [2]. Moreover, the speed of the network has been improved a lot in the last 10 years, nowadays 4G network has been covered for 99% of the United States territory, the next generation which is the 5G network has already been standardized and will be used commercially with in the next few years.

Sociology contains a lot of topics. With the development of the modern technology, the study of the sociology also looked over in these prospective. One of the is the threats of the robotics. With the robotics ability to learn, many scientists are concerned that developments in human technology may soon pose new, extinction-level risks to our species as a whole [3]. It is truly a dialectical topic and will be discuss a lot I the future.

1.      Finley, K. “World’s Many Databases Unite to Form One Simple Super-services” Wired.com, Feb. 2014, https://www.wired.com/2014/02/orchestrate/

2.      Mathias, C. “What is the future of networking for enterprises?” SearchingNetworking. Com, N.A, https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/opinion/What-is-the-future-of-networking-for-enterprises

3.      N.A. “Foundation to Study the threats from robotics and other future technologies.” N.A. http://cser.org/index.html

Comments on Robert Borrelli's post:

I see you focused a lot on architectural field and that is what I have not been focused on. Your post provided me with some details about the database important pieces of information and other insights. But maybe a little more discussion about the future development will be even better for your post.

Comments on Alkiviadis Tsitsios's post:

Your post is really interesting and you noticed a lot of insights of these three topics. One thing interesting that caught up my mind is the 5G network. As you stated, it is really a fast pace the network development and I am really curious where will this fast growing industry leads us to.