Architectural Engineering Commons^™

Gas Collection, Haorong Li, Yanshun Yu, Daihong Yu

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

A system includes a vessel configured to couple with a gas source for drawing gas into the vessel. The vessel is also configured to receive liquid. The system includes an over flow port in fluid communication with the environment external to the vessel. The overflow port is configured to separate gas within the vessel from the external environment. The system also includes an overflow conduit having an end within the overflow port so that when gas pressure within the vessel increases, liquid is received by the over flow conduit. Another system includes a tank defining an air space for receiving …

Implementing Subspace Identification On Shake Table Model, Zoe T. Cooperband

Architectural Engineering

Stochastic Subspace Identification is a field of applied mathematics that takes collected experimental time-history data and gives out information about the system that produced the data. SSI is typically used in control analysis but here we apply the methods to the modal analysis of structures. This senior project didn’t involve theory - instead much of the work was in research behind how Subspace Identification works, implementing the algorithm in MATLAB, and applying the program to shake table data to validate the program. In other words, building the framework to make SSI a usable tool and practical learning experience for other …

Structural Analysis Of Overhead Crane In Simpson Strong-Tie Laboratory, Amy Poehlitz

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mano De La Amistad: A Thin Shell Concrete Structure Designed For The People Of Havana, Cuba, Peter Aster, Marta Blachowicz-Scott, Aaron Cook, Alex Erler, Elizabeth Townsend, Ger Yang

Architectural Engineering

In designing a thin shell structure to cover the performance space on Tribuna Anti Imperialista Jose Marti, in Havana, Cuba, we developed a heavily symbolic concept and further abstracted it to reach our design. Basing the concept on the quote to the right by Obama about US and Cuba relations, we wanted our design to be representative of a hand that works to adjoin the plaza to the US Embassy which is directly west of the site. The “wrist” portion adds an asymmetric element, while the fingers provide a backdrop to the performers as well as a view through to …

Mt. Carmel Shade Structure, Sonny Moraga, Adam Maclean, Julian Reyes, Christopher Carter

Architectural Engineering

The Mt. Carmel Shade Structure incorporated the efforts of students practicing Architectural Engineering and Construction Management disciplines. The project consisted of designing, engineering and constructing a steel frame structure for the benefit of Mt. Carmel Church and its associated preschool.

Masonry Core Testing, Enrico Aldo Alvaro, Onessa Wyleen Fernandez Anastasio

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Ginkgo Shell, Mark Luzi, Karla Santos, Josh Cannon, Erika Davis, Nora Villanueva

Architectural Engineering

The overall concept for this outdoor concrete shell structure, located in Furstliche Park in Inzigkofen, Germany, is derived from an abstracted ginkgo leaf. Drawing on inspiration from a poem about the two parts of the ginkgo leaf becoming one, we took the approach of combining both the natural and built environment into one cohesive piece. To connect the two, it was imperative that we place the shell on the site as to have the smallest impact. With a small portion of the overall site used, the unoccupied space further enhances the natural environment. Creating a literal design connection between the …

Structural Calculations For Community Center And Stage, Mission Twentyfive35 Dominican Republic, Jocelyn Lu, Mindy Trieu

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Shrinkage Cracking In Concrete Tilt-Up Construction, Stewart Hooks, Jack Robinson

Architectural Engineering

The purpose of this project is to investigate a particular, undesirable cracking pattern in concrete tilt-up panels that, until now, did not have a known definite cause. The cause of this cracking pattern is hypothesized to be due to shrinkage restraint of the concrete panels. The cracking under investigation occurs at the bottom corners of the Tilt-Up panels, suggesting that the base of the panel is restrained from shrinkage. This project models various components of Tilt-Up Construction that have potential for restraining the panels from shrinking. This project consists of the following main components.

The first aspect of this project …

Mt Carmel Shade Structure, Julian Reyes, Sonny Moraga, Adam Maclean, Christopher Carter

Architectural Engineering

A team of for students designed and constructed a shade structure for a local church and day care center. The group was responsible for developing a design which addressed the needs of the congregation as well as the needs of the toddler day care center. The team developed a steel framed scheme with a panelized metal roof which provided a long lasting solution and minimal maintenance costs.

"Rusty" The Mustang, Jack L. Tenley, Ryan Llamas

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Speculations On A City For Mars, Edouard Terzis

School of Architecture - Theses

This thesis proposes the reinterpretation of architectural forms as the index of the constitution of the idea of the city. “Speculations on a City on Mars” is paradoxical in a sense as it superposes both the managerial representation of a city, that is Zoning, along with the speculative aspect of an extra-terrestrial city.

Offshore R+D Facility, Philip A. Marble

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Design a Research + Development facility that merges with a functional Oil Rig. This center will house both a Marine Research Center and Oil rig Research + Development center. Both of these facilities will be in a separate structure than the Oil Rig but will have a connection back to the Living Quarter.

Modular House Revival, Kevin Chiang, Spencer Dilley, Sarah Dowthwaite, Trevor Houghton, Ryan Lefebvre, Michele Leung, Cameron Lober, Chris Martinez, Katie Mayer

Architectural Engineering

The Modular House, located in Poly Canyon, has seen extensive damage since the last caretaker left nearly ten years ago. To prevent further damage and improve the safety and appeal of the structure, we are proposing a renovation of the existing building that removes the existing cladding and partitions. By the end of Spring Quarter 2017, the Modular House will have a guardrail system replacing the wood paneling on the walls and a new steel composite deck to replace the current flooring system. The structural steel framing system will remain as is.

Design And Simulation A Novel Three-Phase, Five-Level Inverter Topology, Fares Al Juheshi

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

There is a high integration of renewable energy sources in modern building electrical systems. The main components of these new systems are power electronics switches that inherit their foundations from signal amplifier technologies and then developed to drive high powers. Nowadays, the static converter can connect systems with different electrical characteristics. For instance, choppers connect two DC systems with different voltage levels, whereas inverters transform power from DC to AC with variable amplitude and frequency. Since multilevel inverters offer a better quality of the output waveforms than standard inverters, a novel three-phase, five-level inverter topology is proposed. The goal of …

Exploring The Correlation Between Occupied And Unoccupied Noise Levels In K–12 Classrooms, Laura Caroline Brill

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

Students learn in occupied spaces, yet acoustical standards specify recommendations for unoccupied levels. While some studies have quantified the relationship between occupied and background noise levels in classrooms, their definitions of background noise level were often inconsistent with those recommended by the standards. The research presented in this thesis examines the relationship between occupied and unoccupied levels in 110 classrooms in two Midwestern school districts. Acoustic levels were logged for a total of six days in each classroom. Occupied and unoccupied levels were parsed from the logged data using k-means clustering, an unsupervised statistical learning technique. The results from this …

Improving The Estidama Rating For New Adec Prototype Schools By Renewable Energy Integration Joud Abdalla Al Jumaa Al Dakheel, Joud Abdalla Al Jumaa Al Dakheel

Architectural Engineering Theses

The building sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced a tremendous expansion in the last forty years due to population growth and economic development. Presently, the UAE has one of the world’s largest energy consumption per capita, with the building sector accounting for 70% of the consumed energy. In the last decade, the government intensified its efforts to implement stringent environmental regulations and schemes by mandating environmental policies and regulations. It introduced “Estidama”; the local sustainability framework, and the Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS) to promote the development of sustainable buildings. All governmental buildings must achieve …

Dermal Uptake Of Phthalates From Clothing: Comparison Of Model To Human Participant Results, Glenn Morrison, C. J. Weschler, G. Bekö

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this research, we extend a model of transdermal uptake of phthalates to include a layer of clothing. When compared with experimental results, this model better estimates dermal uptake of diethyl phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) than a previous model. The model predictions are consistent with the observation that previously exposed clothing can increase dermal uptake over that observed in bare-skin participants for the same exposure air concentrations. The model predicts that dermal uptake from clothing of DnBP is a substantial fraction of total uptake from all sources of exposure. For compounds that have high dermal permeability coefficients, dermal uptake …

The Atascadero Printery, Kaylee Efstathiu, Jami Hahn, Tyler Pizarro, Elizabeth Townsend, Mark Luzi

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Uncovering The Mystery Of Machu Picchu, Barbara Cardona

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

If mysteries were ranked, Machu Picchu would be on the top of the list. This Incan site, destination for millions of tourists, archaeologists and researchers each year, is one of the biggest enigmas of Incan culture. Its mesmerizing view has prompted hundreds of unanswered questions about this civilization. Incan culture revolved around cities, built without reference to the world beyond. Although the Incas were incredible architects and inventors, they lack written records, shrouding their culture in mystery for many years. While research has illuminated some facets of Incan culture, a significant question still remains: what purpose did Machu Picchu play …