Architectural Engineering Commons^™

Adaptive Environments For Enabling Senior Citizens: An Holistic Assessment Tool For Housing Design And Iot-Based Technologies, Matteo Zallio, Damon Berry, Niccolò Casiddu

Conference papers

The population of older adults will continuously increase over the coming decades. As they get older, people will require assistance and regular monitoring, with higher costs for welfare system and families. Two vital aspects of a healthy lifestyle, are domestic autonomy and maintenance of relationships within the neighborhood. This leads to an interesting research issue: “Could houses and appliances have the potential to improve autonomy and quality of life of citizens? Which methods and tools could enhance wellbeing and healthy conditions? The house has the potential to be a safe, adaptive environment, integrated with technologies for life support. This work …

A Generic Benchmark For A Mini-Split Heat Pump System, Yuchen Wang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) accounts for half of the building energy consumption in the U.S where Mini-Split Heat Pumps (MSHPs) are an emerging type of HVAC system. Their utilization has greatly increased by 34% from 2009 to 2013 and high potential EER is recognized for MSHPs. However, there is limited research involving MSHPs systems, and there is no generic benchmark for system testing and modeling. The available simulation tools such as VapCyc, GreatLab, and CYCLE_D are either too complicated, difficult to access, or not freely available. Therefore, an accurate and public share generic benchmark is essential and will …

An Investigation Of Dx Cooling Coil Inherent Characteristics, Krittima Santiwattana

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

DX cooling coil (DCC) systems have dominated light commercial and household applications in the U.S for several decades. Approximately 14.5% of energy use is consumed by space cooling in commercial buildings, whereas 87% of households are installed with air-conditioners. Improper installation, poor design, and lack of optimized control/operations incur faults in HVAC systems causing 25% to 50% energy waste in a building. These consequences are subject to inefficient equipment modelling of which is developed from: (1) insufficient understanding in equipment characteristics, (2) uncertainties in testing environment and data, and (3) access and cost limitations. Therefore, in this thesis DCC inherent …

Impact Of Cross Section, Web Reinforcement And Load History On The Seismic Performance Of Slender Concrete Walls, Anahid A. Behrouzi

Architectural Engineering

Many reinforced concrete buildings in seismic regions employ reinforced concrete shear walls as part of the lateral force resisting system and these walls often have non-planar cross-sectional geometries. To date, the majority of experimental tests on slender concrete walls have been conducted on planar walls which have been subject to low shear stress demands. An experimental program was developed to examine the response of flanged C-shaped walls with respect of load history and a computational parametric study was conducted to focus more specifically on the impact of web reinforcement for walls subject to a range of shear stress demands.

The …

How Acoustics In California High Performance Schools Relate To Student Achievement, Devin K. Wong

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

This research project seeks to determine if students attending K-12 schools meeting a minimum standard of high performance classroom conditions in the state of California do evidence higher scholastic achievement, based on publically available results on state-wide standardized tests. In three phases, a subset of 200+ schools applying for grants dedicated to building high performance schools over the past decade was correlated with an existing database of achievement scores for all public schools in California. The criteria utilized to specify high performance classrooms was provided by the California High Performance Initiative (HPI) Grant program. Academic achievement was evaluated on a …

Plastic Fantastic: The Fiberglass Boatbuilding Industry In Holland, Michigan, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Plastic Fantastic: The Fiberglass Boatbuilding Industry in Holland, Michigan is a chapter concerning the use of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) to build boats starting in the 1940s. In the 1950s boat builders discovered that fiberglass would allow them to design boats that would lead to new boat sales and increased profit margins for years to come. This technology steadily spread throughout American boat manufacturing plants, including Holland, Michigan, placing the town among the leaders in the industry.

Case Study Of Quantifying Energy Loss Through Ceiling-Attic Recessed Lighting Fixtures Through 3d Numerical Simulation, Ri Na, Shengmao Lin, Zhigang Shen, Linxia Gu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Abstract Air leakage through recessed lighting fixtures has been identified as a common issue that causes extra energy consumption in residential buildings. However, few quantitative studies in this area were found. As such, a preliminary assessment of the magnitude of this type of energy loss was conducted by using three-dimensional (3D) transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. A hypothetical layout of recessed lighting fixtures was designed with boundary conditions of four different seasons, which were obtained from recorded roof/attic temperature data sets. The results of the study indicate that leakage of recessed lighting fixtures could be a significant channel of …

Measuring Building Substructures: Solutions To ‘First Year’ Introductory Level Examination Questions, Tony Cunningham

Other Resources

The measurement of substructure works to simple domestic type buildings is a logical starting point for students to commence the process of taking-off building quantities. Substructure work is typically the first class of work to be explained in textbooks dealing with both construction technology and building measurement. However, substructure work is often one of the most challenging elements to measure. In this paper, the author demonstrates the process of measuring basic substructure designs. The approach involves providing solutions to a sample of four Irish Department of Education Technological Certificate: Builders’ Quantities Intermediate Stage examinations. The intention is to demonstrate how …

Theoretical Study Of Two States Reactivity Of No Activation On Iron Atom, Xiaoman Wang, Yaxin Su, Wenyu Liao, Wenyi Deng

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The mechanism of Fe+NO was calculated by the Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the B3LYP methods combined with the 6-311+G (d, p) basis set. The geometry of reactants, transition states, intermediates and products of two reaction systems were completely optimized, and all the transition states were verified by the vibration analysis and intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations. The "Two State Reactivity (TSR)" was used to analyze the reaction mechanisms; Results showed that the reaction system preferentially involves low-spin state entrance channel and the high-spin state exit channel. In the reaction channel, the crossing point appears, which would effectively reduce the …

Mechanical And Thermal Evaluation Of Different Types Of Pcm-Concrete Composite Panels, Dervilla Niall, Oliver Kinnane, Roger West, Sarah Mccormack

Conference papers

ABSTRACT: Thermal mass indicates the ability of a material to store and release heat and is a function of the heat storage capacity of a material. The thermal mass of construction materials can be used to reduce the energy required for heating and cooling buildings. The heat storage capacity of concrete can be increased by incorporating phase change materials (PCMs) into the concrete and hence providing additional latent heat storage capacity. Research was carried out to compare the thermal behaviour of two different types of PCM/concrete composite panels. The first type of panel was formed by adding microencapsulated paraffin to …

Lifelong Housing Design: User Feedback Evaluation Of Smart Objects And Accessible Houses For Healthy Ageing, Matteo Zallio, Niccolò Casiddu

Conference Papers

According to the latest research by the European Community and ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics) surveys, Europe has the highest average age for its population. According to those data, in the near future, it could be necessary to move from a welfare model based on the centralization of care systems, to a system based on the distribution of certain healthcare facilities [1]. This means that the ageing population is ever increasing, thanks to better lifestyles, innovative medical care and wider access to different services. This work seeks to observe and analyse key implications of architectural and interior design features …

Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter (Summer 2016), Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

3 E’S Enterprise Architecture Framework (That Encompasses Business Process, Information Systems, And Information Technology), Nicholas C. Bucciarelli Mr.

Articles

No abstract provided.

Inquiry-Based Learning To Explore The Design Of The Built Environment, Anahid A. Behrouzi, Daniel Kuchma

Architectural Engineering

Typically in introductory structural engineering courses with a lab component, the instructional approach is to present the underlying theory via pre-lab lecture/reading and subsequently have students conduct guided experiments that affirm that theory. The new Fall 2015 course offering described in this paper takes the reverse approach where students’ hands-on exploration of a concept occurs prior to formal instruction. As such, the course is based upon Da Vinci’s perspective that: “[i]n the examination of physical problems I begin by making a few experiments,…we must commence with experience, and strive by means of it to discover truth.”

In the course, student …

Physical Artifacts In Introductory-Level Reinforced Concrete Design Instruction, Anahid A. Behrouzi

Architectural Engineering

Incorporating physical models and demonstrations in the introductory-level reinforced concrete design course has shown to be beneficial for students in clarifying and engraining fundamental concepts. The research study conducted at the author’s university during Spring 2015 involved the design, fabrication, and implementation of models to supplement traditional lectures on topics that students have found challenging in prior offerings of the course. Specifically, these demonstration tools illustrate:

• Three-dimensional stress blocks for rectangular/flanged beams subjected to varying levels of flexural demand • Distinctions between the flexural behavior of one and two-way slabs • Placement of steel reinforcement for singly/doubly reinforced beams …

Enhancing An Upper Division Structural Dynamics Course Using K'Nex Toys, Allen Estes, Cole C. Mcdaniel, Alec Roberto Zavala

Architectural Engineering

K’nex toys consist of various plastic rods and connectors cleverly-sized to allow the creation of a variety of structures. While the K’nex Corporation focuses on the K-12 market, there are a myriad of engineering applications that have been demonstrated at the university level. Many of these occur at the lower division level in freshman experience courses or introductory statics courses. Other applications have included constructing structural models for structural design and capstone courses. This paper takes this use of classroom technology even further by demonstrating how K’nex pieces can be used effectively in an upper-division, highly technical structural dynamics / …

Accreditation Insights And The Next Body Of Knowledge, Allen Estes, Thomas A. Lenox, Kenneth J. Fridley, Richard O. Anderson P.E.

Architectural Engineering

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) published the second edition of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (BOK2) in 2008 expanding the knowledge, skills and attitudes required of future civil engineers. There were major changes to the BOK2 as the number of expected outcomes increased from 15 to 24 and the cognitive level of attainment was more precisely defined. A major implementation and enforcement mechanism for the BOK is the ABET accreditation criteria which includes both general criteria 3 and 5 and the discipline-specific program criteria. Of those, the program criteria are the easiest to change.

In 2013, ASCE …

Significance Of Parameters Affecting The Performance Of A Passive Down-Draft Evaporative Cooling (Pdec) Tower With A Spray System, Daeho Kang, Richard K. Strand

Publications and Research

PDEC towers with spray systems are known to achieve substantial energy savings. Various parameters such as the wet-bulb depression, the tower height, and the wind speed have been known to be key factors affecting the performance of the system. To date, the significance of these parameters and other important factors have not been adequately treated in the literature. There also has been a lack of models that can successfully investigate potential benefits of the system under various conditions where this particular system could be applicable. To address these critical issues, this study performed a parametric analysis by using a FLUENT …

Cooperative Housing Design:Exploring Alternative Forms Of Habitation And Pedagogy, Jim Roche

Conference papers

Provision of suitable affordable habitation for all seems to allude society, not least in Ireland which experiences yet another crippling housing crisis. Housing bubbles, which often ruin economies, lead to housing crises which ruin so many lives. Options for habitation delivery are mostly based on the free market, whether they be in the private or the now almost non-existent social and affordable sector. The prevailing procurement methods fail to meet such a basic human need yet alternative options are limited and are not encouraged by government or the private sector.

Architectural Response To Humanitarian Crises, Gul Nabi Afridi

Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters Publications

Humanitarian design has become a popularized phenomenon in recent years, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. Humanitarian architecture basically means architecture designed for those in need. It is “seeking architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and bringing professional design services to communities in need.” Mostly, Humanitarian crises comes into account due to disasters either natural or human induced disaster. Any community which has been disturbed due to any disaster, having basic unstabilities like physical and social. These issues are further sub-categorized as, lives, properties, psychological, economic and education issues. Darra Adam Khel is a region which has been affected …

Free Encounters | Giving Form To The Informal Workplace, Ryan Williams

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis contends that the "office" as a solely economic construct is no more: Its utility as an engine driving productivity and the accumulation of capital has stalled in our present age of information where value is constructed through knowledge exchange and interaction.

Via the use of new technologies, millennial workers' transition from the college campus to the office has become more seamless and, this thesis argues, it is in this paradigm shift that it is possible to identify a blurring of the public and private spheres. The millennial worker-turned-freelancer's life exists forever suspended between work and play, place and …

Uncreative Construction | Domestic Mutations In America, Sean Morgan

Architecture Senior Theses

A shift in residential patterns in American cities have fostered a breeding ground for mutant buildings. Owners split, manipulate, and expand their houses as they create idiosyncratic constructs of great visual and spatial complexity. Originally developed for a middle class population, single-family homes have become mixed-use or multi-family complexes thanks to the resourceful implementation of commercial materials.

This thesis aims to develop a new strategy for transforming the normative American house by using the conventions of platform frame construction. Variations will emerge from a set of design constraints, which—unlike that employed for typical houses—are based on data that disregards style …

Multidimensional Dialogue Through Architecture | An Exploration Of The Possible Dialogue Between Humans And Walls, Fengqi Li

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis proposes that architectural design no longer has to be primarily static, but rather it can be dynamically responsive to multiple information streams and conditions.

Multidimensional Dialogue Through Architecture is developed from the understanding of human factors and ergonomics. The dispersed works on research and inference are different ways to explore the interaction between the discipline of architecture and the other fields, such as psychology, engineering, bio-mechanics, physiology, cognitive science, and anthropomorphic. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is not to design a specific building that works perfectly in particular conditions but rather to use architectural elements to mediate …

The Burning Building | Fire As Place, Winnie Tu

Architecture Senior Theses

The importance of fire in human social evolution is widely acknowledged but the extent of its impact is not fully explored. Generally, it is connected to energy, light, purification, illumination, creation, destruction and metamorphosis. Fire’s paradoxical nature has built up many societies throughout human history and has been the primary social driver within communities. Due to technological advances, its energy has been transformed into a distant element which is being used discretely in industrial buildings, hidden under basements, or replaced by other forms of energy. Now, heat, energy, and light is readily available anywhere at any time, eliminating the biological …

The Renaissance Of The Railway | Towards A Global High-Speed System, Xiaoyu Li

Architecture Senior Theses

The railway has shown its unique character as a mode of transportation since its invention in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. In the beginning, its carrying capacity made it stand out, transforming human behavior, and stimulating economic productivity. During the 20th century, air travel, the railways, and long-distance road networks have shared the burden of human transportation - in many countries the car and plane have won out. In recent decade, however, new interest in the railway's potential has been generated as a result of the emergence of new technologies like high-speed rail and the maglev system. Greater speeds are …

Never-Land | A Parasitic And Accumulative Approach To Urbanization In China, Xiaoyan Dong

Architecture Senior Theses

Ever since 1960s, European situationist and Japanese metabolist architects constantly reject the uniformity and totalitarian of modern architecture/urban design, seeking parasitic and dynamic approaches to post-war urbanization. Projects such as the Plug-In City and the Tokyo Bay dream of alternative urban scenarios by reversing traditional perceptions of infrastructure’s role in the city, combining architecture, technology and society together. However, these megastructure projects not only neglect the existing urban context but also lack political and economic driving force. As a result, they are considered utopian by many contemporary critics.

Fifty years later in China, fast urbanization process creates problems for both …

Private Room Of The Wheel | A New Form Of Transient Dwelling, Kathy Teng

Architecture Senior Theses

The cross-country highway and road trip are deeply rooted in the American psyche, supported by the rapid growth in ownership of automobiles by American families since the 1940s, establishing a sense of freedom and leisure in their mobile lifestyles. However, other highway users have less control and freedom over their daily routine. These users are part of a vast network of international commerce reliant on the long haul.

The time long-haul truck drivers are away from home is prolonged, with the end of each day spent sleeping in fixed truck cabins and eating at banal truck stops. “ ‘I can …

Innie/Outie | Renegotiating Figure And Structure, Maxwell Rosner

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis contends that in order to sustain its claim to be socially progressive and accessible enterprise, the discipline of architecture must resist the divorce of figure and structure.

Innie/Outie considers Architecture as a simultaneously typological and teleological proposition. Architects exploit typology as a means of classifying, diagramming, and ultimately flattening and iconicizing ideas about Architecture so as to place them within a broader cultural context, thereby making them intellectually accessible to their audiences. By contrast, architects from the advent of Modernism onwards have displayed a critical preoccupation with the discipline’s teleological potential, the creation of form that follows function …

The Seed | Urban Vertical Farming Germinated, Michael Lima

Architecture Senior Theses

A city works as an ecosystem in many ways. However, we currently do not live within that ecosystem, as the difference between an ecosystem and a city is the waste output and food input . Nature and society do not exist independently because there are no spaces of nature unaffected by man. With this in mind we need to reestablish our relationship with nature. Architecture and engineering can be used to create buildings that will allow humans to turn cities into ecosystems. This thesis argues that Urban Vertical Farms will produce social and economic hubs that will be a new …

Algorithmic Settlements | Modeling Informal Settlement Through Automated Generative Design, Ben Anderson-Nelson

Architecture Senior Theses

The position of the architect when designing is to arbitrate which information is relevant and which is not, and to do so across a broad spectrum of fields. Considering this, Christopher Alexander claimed as long ago as 1964, that “design problems are reaching insoluble levels of complexity.”This thesis focuses on informal settlement growth and how architects can investigate growth as a part of master-planning new housing. Drawing on case studies of settlements, video game logics, and existing architectural tools, a tool was developed to study the growth of settlements. This tool is based on cellular automata, a spatial and algorithmic …