B4 - Outine and Feedback

Our topic is about the use of 3D printing in developing construction materials. First, we intend of doing research on current production methods for the main materials. 3D printing is a growing field and due to recent advancements, high performance materials have been produced through these means. The main focus of this project is to examine the feasibility of using these 3d printed materials as structural components for buildings, bridges homes and other structures. There are many promising advantages of using 3d printed materials. A main benefit is the ability to be more flexible with designs, as designers are able to print complex geometries which would have been difficult to fabricate otherwise. 3D printing is generally more expensive than conventional methods, but its efficiency may outweigh the costs. This is something we look to discuss in our paper as well.

The main construction materials, steel and concrete will be thoroughly discussed. There are several different methods for printing these materials and it will be interesting to compare its properties from traditionally formed members. Other, less common materials will be looked into as well, such as binding sands and ceramics. I look forward to learning the different advantages and disadvantages of each method and begin to formulate ideas on how to improve these processes. 

3D printing is only in its early stages, and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet to how it can be involved in the construction industry. As 3D printing/additive manufacturing methods become quicker, easier, and overall cheaper than traditional fabrication methods, it may become an industry standard. Its capabilities are very promising, as large scale printers have already shown to produce high strength materials.

In the world today, 3D printing has been utilized for making homes in less-developed areas. I think utilizing 3d printing in this way is a great way to get the ball rolling on this type of technology, as it both gives a chance to develop real 3d printed structures while simultaneously helping those in need. It works well in these remote areas because since the material can be fabricated on site, there is little need for transport. The components can also be made all exactly the same and parts are able to be interchanged accordingly. This is just one example of the potential impact that 3D printing can have in the construction industry.

Comments on others:

Albert: I really like how you are tying in this project with your junior design project. With the amount of time you guys are putting into that project, along with the knowledge we are learning in AE510, I think you can really make something special. It’s great that you are going beyond the project requirements from 391 and utilizing dynamo to help make the process more automated. Unfortunately, I have no experience myself with dynamo but I was thinking maybe you could use it to help with clash detection in your design. 

Ren: I never really thought about the potential benefits for BIM in a healthcare building model. However, with the amount of complex systems required for those buildings, there is definitely a huge opportunity for BIM to simplify the design process. Your outline is well-structured, and I look forward to learning about the specific processes that BIM can simplify.

Christian: I too was surprised to hear that companies were already actively pursuing Augmented reality (AR) technology and being on the forefront of this change. When learning about AR being used in the CAE industry, I thought we were a few years out at least. Even though contractors are used to using the 2-D plans (which will presumably be created from a BIM model), I think it would do nothing but help them to be able to view the project in a 3D format, using AR software and tools. I wonder if these 2-D plans will ever become obsolete entirely as contractors begin to become more familiar with 3-D layouts.

Blog 4 - Project Outline - CT

This assignment required students to describe their projects and have other students review and suggest any improvements.

Introduction:
My project will involve the structural design of my senior design project. I chose this project because it will be directly related to the completion of my senior design project. I believe that this project is related to intelligent building because as we move forward with using softwares for engineering design, we cannot fully trust the results generated by computers. For this project, I will be testing the accuracy of some modeling softwares. I will be keeping a log of what I’ve done and the obstacles that arose, particularly with Revit, as I have almost no prior experience.
1. Explain the experiment
     a. Is there a control? Either nothing or my hand calc's

Testing:
I will be analyzing the beams, girders, and columns of 1 floor from using softwares such as Revit and SAP2000 and my hand calculations. The shear, moment, and deflection are particular results that will be used for comparison.
1. Prepare the Revit model and run the simulation, ~Week 7
2. Prepare the SAP2000 model and run the simulation, ~Week 6
3. Analyze the structure by hand, ~Week 6
4. Vary the parameters of the models to obtain different results, ~Week 7

Results:
After performing the experiment, I will attempt to statistically analyze the results. The mean and standard deviation are good places to start. ~Week 8

Conclusion:
Explain how useful the results are to the senior design project, how accurate they might be, and how others might be able to use them. Reflect on how the softwares have helped and how much more advanced they can get.


Comments on colleagues’ posts:

Albert Hanan

I would like to see how far Dynamo will enhance your project because I am also interested in learning about it for my senior design project. I am unfamiliar with the potential of Dynamo but I am interested to see if what you do with it can be applied to my work.

Christian Tait

I once saw a concept idea of incorporating GIS and AR together so that the locations of utilities underground can easily be located without having to read plans. This is actually feasible right now in Philadelphia as long as there is someone who is willing to combine all of the GIS models of every utility into one. From there, it is simply the AR side that needs to work and contractors will be able to use it immediately.

Hanyan Chen

My stance is that a computer cannot create something with aesthetics in mind because it has no understanding of what is artistic. Even when Prof. Mitchell showed us the video where a computer created music, the AI itself has no way of judging its work to be artistic or beautiful. Even if it is based on previous data from famous artists and musicians, it cannot tell if it looks or sounds pleasing to people. With that being said, I wonder how clients will appreciate a building done with AI through many iterations. I also don’t see an architect using AI if it hinders their creativity.

How BIM will be used to 3D print structures in the future

This assignment required students to read about each topic separately with regards to an overall theme. My topics are BIM, 3D printing, and structure and the theme is the future. At the end, I will be combining them all into one, “How BIM will be used to 3D print structures in the future.”

BIM:
BIM softwares have only recently started becoming more mainstream. The co-ops I’ve worked at still have a physical archive of their paper drafts. It also may not be possible to scan them if there is a chance that the scanner will miss a very fine detail or mistake a dot for a speck of dust. However, the co-ops all used AutoCAD for drafting orthographic drawings. Now, BIM softwares such as Revit are more relevant since they can contain many aspects of building design in one file. As time goes on, the use of Revit and other BIM softwares will become more widespread because it allows everyone from the clients to the engineers to the contractors to see the same product.

3D Printing:
I would like to start off by saying that my experience with 3D printing is very limited. Four years ago, I got to see the process of using a 3D scanner that used laser triangulation to create a topographic model of someone’s face. From there, the smooth topographic model was converted into a polyhedron made of many triangle faces. Lastly, a bar of soap was cut out to form a miniature soap bust of a head. Obviously, this is the type of basic 3D printing that happens at home or in a class. However, within a few years, 3D printing has advanced very far. The ability to extrude concrete, metal, and glass allows construction of intricate details for buildings or make quick work of constructing simple objects. MIT has been experimenting with 3D printing glass as early as 2015. Where previous attempts created structurally weak and opaque glass, “The high-temperature system developed by the MIT team retains those [desired] properties, producing printed glass objects that are both strong and fully transparent to light” (Chandler, 2015). The high temperature is nothing to shrug off, considering the extrusion nozzle can reach almost 2,000 °F in order to create these pieces of glass. Currently, many new buildings happen to have glass curtain walls that allow a lot of sunlight to illuminate buildings. The use of glass printing may be very useful in the future.

Structures:
The physics behind structural engineering hasn’t changed much in the past few decades. What’s new is the different types of structures that have emerged with better materials and building techniques. For example, the diagrid structure for buildings. With better computers now, there are softwares that are capable of FEM analyses and other calculations that would take humans way too long to process. This allows new ways to analyze the effectiveness of new structures. An example of this is the crew partition in the European Airbus. The current partition weighs 143 lb but with the new design based off of bones and slime molds, the proposed partition weighs 66 lb (Rhodes, 2015). This biological-structure approach is possible with Autodesk software that was used in the medical field. New softwares allow different approaches to the structural engineering field because as long as load paths are accounted for, the software could theoretically be able to optimize paths.

Combined:
MX3D proposed a pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam back in 2015 where the construction would be done by 3D printed metal with aesthetically pleasing details (Starr, 2015). The 12 m long bridge structure was completed in 2018 and is currently being load tested by Arup and others  (Block, 2018). If successful, it may be installed in 2019 over a canal in the Dutch capital. Figure 1 shows a picture of the metal bridge being manufactured in a shipbuilding hangar. This technology is a very innovative process that could change the way modern architecture is created.

Figure 1. 3D printed steel bridge construction (Block, 2018)

Sources:

Block, I. (2018). Robots complete span of 3D-printed bridge for Amsterdam canal. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/04/17/mx3d-3d-printed-bridge-joris-laarman-arup-amsterdam-netherlands/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2019].

Chandler, D. (2015). Printing transparent glass in 3-D. [online] MIT News. Available at: http://news.mit.edu/2015/3-d-printing-transparent-glass-0914 [Accessed 15 Jan. 2019].

Rhodes, M. (2015). Airbus' Newest Design Is Based on Bones and Slime Mold. [online] WIRED. Available at: https://www.wired.com/2015/12/airbuss-newest-design-is-based-on-slime-mold-and-bones/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2019].

Starr, M. (2015). Gravity-defying 3D printer to print bridge over water in Amsterdam. [online] CNET. Available at: https://www.cnet.com/news/gravity-defying-3d-printer-to-print-bridge-over-water-in-amsterdam/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2019].

Blog 1—The Influence of BIM Technology and 3D Printing on Future Construction Industry

BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology is a data tool used in engineering design, construction, and management. The advantage of BIM technology is that it can be used throughout the life cycle of a building. It saves a large amount of information such as design data, construction information, and maintenance information in the information base.

3D printing is a kind of rapid prototyping technology. It is a technique for constructing objects by layer-by-layer printing based on digital model files. The advantages of 3D printing technology are manufacturing complex items without increasing costs, product diversification without increasing costs, zero time delivery, and accurate physical reproduction. At present, 3D printing technology is no longer unfamiliar, and it has become a reality to form a building by printing. Therefore, in the face of new technologies, we need to discuss changes in project management.

With the development of modern technology, the construction industry applies these technologies to real life. At present, a very important feature of the new technologies commonly used in the construction field is that it can be expanded under a single environment. Nowadays, in the construction industry, the application of BIM new technology and 3D printing technology in the construction field is gradually becoming the norm for designers and builders, involving single buildings, architectural complexes, and even urban planning and design. So for the future of construction industry, we need the new technologies. It is more beneficial to strengthen the impact of BIM and 3D printing technology applications on the future.

The BIM design is based on the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) standard and is modeled with the existing standard model's logical structure. Models built is efficient, easy to export, and easier to adapt to other building software. The BIM model construction needs to be completed in four parts: the calculation result model, the structural component model, the material information model and the attribute definition model.

1. Structure construction model. The basic components of the building, including the walls, columns, beams, etc. in the building, through the construction of the model to make the elements organically associated;

2. Calculation results model. The computer-calculated internal mechanical performance analysis results and the architectural structure design analysis results are correlated and combined to realize the optimal design of the structural construction;

3. Material information model. Construct a model of information about the concrete and reinforcement materials used in the building;

4. Attribute definition models. This part of the model establishes the dynamic attribute parameters of the building structure and provides an extensible interface for the model's re-expansion, which is the key to the dynamic adjustment of the entire building structure model.

As for structures, 3D printing technology has advantages:

1. 3D printing buildings can save time. When 3D printing technology is applied to the architectural design model, the building model can be directly operated at various levels, and the elements are automatically generated without the need to waste time copying. A tens of stories high building, ordinary construction, it takes about six months to one year to complete the construction. The current 3D printer can print 10 200 square meters of buildings in 24 hours.

2. 3D printing building materials have better strength. The 3D printed building materials have high strength and light weight, and have a great advantage compared with traditional building materials. Because of the hollow "Z" shape structure, a triangular stable support is produced, and the seismic effect is better.

3. 3D printing buildings are more environmentally friendly. Compared to the waste of resources in traditional manufacturing and the destruction of the environment, 3D printing technologies can completely avoid these problems. The materials for 3D printing come from construction waste, industrial waste, etc., and the waste is used. Because there is no transportation of sand, stones, cement and other materials in the process, it will not generate dust and pollute the environment. And no cutting is required, one molding.

Therefore, I believe that this technology represents a new trend in manufacturing development. Applying this technology to buildings will shorten the manufacturing time, increase efficiency, and strengthen economic and management levels.

The impact of new technologies in the construction sector on the future is important. In the future, it is an information age, the main features of the information age will infiltrate into all aspects of future architecture, including BIM, engineering progress management, building data collection and so on. Therefore, we need to develop our BIM technology and 3D printing technology in the construction industry. What we should pay a attention is that we must implement sustainable development and humanization while implementing new technologies. Building energy conservation must not only be implemented in specific construction, but also to implement the final building during using.

Reference:

[1] Yi Wei Daniel Tay, “3D printing trends in building and construction industry: a review” Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 14 May. 2017, https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2017.1326724.

[2] Rebekka Volk, Julian Stengel and Frank Schultmann, “Building Information Modeling (BIM) for existing buildings — Literature review and future needs” Automation in Construction, 10 March. 2014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2013.10.023

[3] Geert De Schuttera and Karel Lesagea, “Vision of 3D printing with concrete — Technical, economic and environmental potentials” Cement and Concrete Research, 10 October. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.06.001

 

Comment:

Nick Maloney,

 I am very interested in the second paragraph of your blog mentioning the 3D printing robot. So I understand the advantages of more 3D printing robots, easy to operate and high efficiency. As far as I know, science robotic has launched MIT's latest research, 3D printing, to build robots, which was planned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Mediated Matter lab. The mobile robot took 13.5 hours and was completely independent. It built a dome with a diameter of 14.6 meters. Known as the "Digital Construction Channel", this robot has a crawler-type mobile chassis, a large 4-DOF hydraulic cantilever, and a 6-degree-of-freedom Kuka robotic arm at the top of the cantilever. Ability to replace welding, excavation and printing.

Gabriel Grajewski,

The AI you mentioned in the blog has a negative impact on the employment of people in developing countries. I think it totally makes sense. After AI develops to a certain stage, it will inevitably replace some ordinary productivity, thus affecting the employment rate. In addition, I also believe that under the impetus of market demand, a number of smart companion industries with artificial intelligence "personification" as a selling point must be promoted. Human society is a social society, paying attention to emotional and ethical relationships. In the future, human activities and entertainment will be diversified, but it is important that family and friendship are indelible. When the conditions are met, the orphans or independent children who have lost their loved ones must have a highly anthropomorphic partner who can accompany themselves. Emotional delivery must be different from traditional moral values or subversive. This is a question worth exploring.

Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira,

In this blog, you have done a good job of BIM's discussion of the future architecture. It shows the characteristics and advantages of the current technology, the development status and the problems that BIM technology may encounter in practical application. However, this blog lacks a discussion of AI technology. If you can briefly introduce the characteristics and current status of AI technology and combine it with BIM technology to analyze their impact on the future construction industry, I believe it will be better.

Blog 1 – Applications of additive manufacturing across various construction sectors

With the drastic improvement in computer technology, robotics, and materials science, many manufacturing methods that were initially used in various other disciplines have begun being applied to the construction industry. Improvements in Building Information Modelling (BIM) software and subsequent coordination with machines and robots have allowed for the growth of additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing (also commonly referred to as “3D Printing”) describes a process in which a structure is created by repeated particle deposition in a prescribed shape. Early limitations with this technology revolved around the materials used: typically plastics that lacked the strengths to be considered a feasible option for construction applications. In response, a road-mapping process organized by researchers at Penn State. As a result of this summit, the following four “integrated design” goals were identified to marry user needs to applications: part and feedstock testing, process-structure-property relationships, process analytics, and next-generation additive manufacturing materials and processes [1].

With these targets in mind, a focused research push has led to the growth in viable applications for additive manufacturing across a wide variety of applications. One such application is to house low income and refugee populations in additive-manufactured concrete structures. Showcased in the 2018 South by Southwest technology festival. This concept included coordination with AutoCAD Architecture designs, which were able to be interpreted by robotic components that facilitated the actual construction. For the 386 square foot model debuted, material costs were a mere $10,000 and the home was able to be completed in approximately 48 hours [2]. A noteworthy architectural trend has been the inclusion of complex metallic components. Previously, technological limitations caused this to be a time-consuming and costly process, requiring custom formwork and fine craftsmanship. AutoDesk Fusion 360, PowerShape, and PowerMill programs have been able to coordinate with robots not only in the manufacture stage, but also in the installation (welding, grinding, etc.) phase as well (Shown Here) [3]. Armed with this new technologies, designers have not been limited to Earthly applications. As an increasing number of thought experiments have been focused on extraterrestrial colonization, one of the key limitations has been the ability to transport conventional heavy construction material and equipment. Scientists at NASA have recently worked with Autodesk programmers to develop technology that uses lunar regolith (native dust) as the particles for additive construction of structures. [4]

These stories make it clear that the future of construction will most likely be closely tied with the commercial viability of additive manufacturing, coupled with the trajectory of improved BIM technology. These articles only briefly addressed the effect that this will have on the current jobs available in the construction industry, but it is fair to assume that the disruption will be significant.  The implication is that job loss can be justified by the tremendous savings in construction cost. Additionally, the optimistic approach is that new jobs will be created as a result of these technologies, but I find it difficult to believe that the transition from manual to automated labor will occur without the loss of work for countless of individuals. Given the entrenched nature of labor unions in the USA and elsewhere, political and social issues may well dictate the adoption of these technologies more than any other factor.

[1] “A Roadmap for the next Generation of Additive Manufacturing Materials and Processes.” Kurzweil, www.kurzweilai.net/a-roadmap-for-the-next-generation-of-additive-manufacturing-materials-and-processes.

[2] Lee, Dave. “3D-Printed Homes Turn Sludge into Shelter.” BBC News, BBC, 15 Mar. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/technology-43411581.

[3] Frearson, Amy. “Robotic Construction Is the Future.” Dezeen, 9 May 2016, www.dezeen.com/2015/10/23/robotic-construction-3d-printing-future-wolf-d-prix-interview/.

[4] Wong, Kenneth. “Autodesk and NASA Explore 3D Printing for Mars.” Digital Engineering, 7 Aug. 2018, www.digitalengineering247.com/article/autodesk-nasa-explores-3d-printing-mars/. 
  
Comments:

Christian,
Your post brought up some very interesting consequences of new manufacturing techniques in the construction field. While researching additive manufacturing for my blog post, I found myself enamored by all of the positive impacts that these would usher in (less waste, newer forms, etc.) but never took into account the challenges in analyzing these new structures. Because previous courses have shown that the processes by which materials are formed are integral to their properties, I would imagine that additive-manufactured components will perform differently than traditional steel members as well. I expect that this will be a focus of future graduate research as this will be necessary before full-scale implementation can occur.

Gabe,

One of the takeaways of your articles is that future devices and processes will integrate AI in many shapes and sizes. From computer chips to smartphone applications, applications can be diverse because the need for efficiency (which can be remedied using AI) is a common denominator among not only the construction industry but really in all areas in life. The last article you referenced is perhaps the most crucial in my mind, in that it weighs the cost in terms of jobs versus the gains brought about using this technology. This is a reminder that often technological improvements are dictated more by social and political constructs than by the hardware/software itself.

 

Introduction/Intelligent Buildings

My name is Harvin Bhandal. I am a junior in the BS/MS program pursuing civil and structural engineering.  I am from Rockland County, New York, which is located just north of New York City.

My hometown of Rockland County

Being in close proximity to New York City growing up and now Philadelphia at Drexel has allowed me to develop a deep interest in structures and engineering from these urban settings. For my co-op this past year, I worked at Transystems, a transportation and structural engineering firm. I worked in the bridge department and got hands-on experience performing structural evaluations on many different bridges in the Philadelphia area. I also had a fair share of design experience as well which as worthwhile. AE510 is my first architectural engineering course and I look forward to learning more about structures in terms of buildings as opposed to bridges. In my free time, I enjoy being active and love playing sports such as basketball and volleyball. Below is a picture of me on a recent trip to London this past winter break.

Me at Trafalgar Square, London  

To me, an intelligent building is one that uses technology in many different aspects of its life cycle to improve the building's efficiency, cost, or human comfort.

Introduction/Intelligent Building Definition

Introduction
 
My name is Nick Maloney. I am a junior pursuing a BS in Architectural Engineering and a MS in Civil Engineering. I have completed two co-ops thus far. My first was at Wiss, Janney, Elstner, Associates in Philadelphia. WJE specializes in addressing problems the built environment, so while there I was able to work on structures such as 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and the Federal Reserve Building in Washington, DC. My second co-op was with EwingCole, which allowed me to gain some Revit experience and be involved in the structural design process on various pharmaceutical, hospital, and technology building applications. When not busy with school, I spend a lot of time living and dying with the Philadelphia sports scene. I also enjoy playing basketball, fishing, and traveling. Below is a photo of a group of friends and myself on a recent trip abroad.

A group of friends on a recent trip to Iceland (I am second from the left).

Intelligent Building Definition

I think that an intelligent building is one that connects its various systems and optimizes their performance over time to promote efficiency for the occupants/owners.

About Me

Hello there! My name is Albert Hanan and I am a fourth-year student studying Architectural Engineering (BS) and Civil Engineering (MS) through Drexel's BS/MS Accelerated Degree Program. I am from Renton, WA a city just 20 minutes South of Seattle (by car). It's a nice city and it's within close proximity to a major city as well as some very scenic nature, as are many cities in Western Washington. Below you will find two annotated maps of Washington.

Western Washington (Annotated)

All of Washington (Annotated)

I have had two co-ops thus far, the first at Jacobs Engineering and the second at Larsen and Landis. At Jacobs Engineering I worked in the transportation department focusing on the I95/Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange project. While the company was great and my coworkers were very nice, the company was so large that by the end of my first co-op I decided that I would try my hand at a smaller firm and focus more on structural design. Fittingly, my next co-op was at Larsen and Landis, a very small structural engineering firm in Fishtown. Here, I gained experience in drafting, structural design, and professional report writing which was truly invaluable. For my third co-op, I have accepted a job with EwingCole in their structural department. While not as large as Jacobs Engineering, EwingCole is a mid-sized engineering firm based in Philadelphia with offices in New York, North Carolina, and California.

That's me

When not in the classroom I enjoy playing basketball, playing guitar (not very well), and hiking. Last term, a friend and I decided that we enjoyed talking about basketball so much that we'd create a podcast about it. It's called Sorta, Kinda, Basketball. Neither of us has much podcasting experience, and we're not experts on any one subject, but we have some decent banter. We're going to try to get more episodes out this term (the end of last quarter got very busy for both of us, postponing new episodes). If you want to check it out, here's a link. Or don't. Whatever you'd like to do is okay with me. That's about all there is to know about me, if you ever want to say "hey" don't hesitate, I think I'm pretty friendly. Again, if not, that's okay too.

I personally define an Intelligent Building in today's world to be a building that utilizes digital intelligence to dynamically interact with the building's inhabitants and environment to better the user experience. I think the most important aspect of this definition is the fact that the systems must be dynamic, adapting to the environment and user. This can be done through artificial intelligence, machine learning, the internet of things, etc.

About This Blog

AE-410/510 is a course primarily for Seniors and Graduate Students in Architectural Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA.  We consider the uses of Information Technology on the Design, Construction and Operation of buildings, hence the course title: Intelligent Buildings.

This blog is created by students in the course responding to assignments and class exercises.  Use the "Labels" on the right to see the work of individual students OR the topics on which they've written.

The syllabus for the course is available from the "Pages" link.