Construction Engineering Commons^™

Building Fabric Design : Thermal Performance Standards, Joseph Little

Articles

This is the first of a series of articles using content from the new RIAI Building Fabric Design CPD which explores a range of themes of central importance to designing buildings that are highly energy efficient, genuinely compliant and perform to their design intent and specification. As the articles are short and the themes are often complex, they can be at best a short introduction to the issues raised. In this article we will look at the new minimum building fabric standards: these are far more onerous than much of the Industry understands.

Can We Teach Lean Construction Methods In Schools Of Architecture, Gary Graham

Fall 2012 Faculty Showcase

Traditionally, schools of architecture are not great laboratories to explore the collaborative processes and teamwork that are essential to integrated design and delivery practices as exemplified by Lean Construction. The pre-eminence of the “hero-architect” in the design studio is in direct conflict with methods that can reduce risk and improve the efficiency of the design and construction delivery process. Risk? Efficiency? Delivery Process?... not mention Cost Control, Schedule and Constructability, are foreign concepts to the predominant design studio culture.

Integrated practices and integrated project delivery are clearly “hot” topics in the design and construction industry today. They are a response …

Bs News November/December

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Lifecycle Energy Consumption Prediction Of Residential Buildings By Incorporating Longitudinal Uncertainties, Endong Wang, Zhigang Shen

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Accurate prediction of buildings’ lifecycle energy consumption is a critical part in lifecycle assessment of residential buildings. Longitudinal variations in building conditions, weather conditions and building’s service life can cause significant deviation of the prediction from the real lifecycle energy consumption. The objective is to improve the accuracy of lifecycle energy consumption prediction by properly modelling the longitudinal variations in residential energy consumption model using Markov chain based stochastic approach. A stochastic Markov model considering longitudinal uncertainties in building condition, degree days, and service life is developed: 1) Building’s service life is estimated through Markov deterioration curve derived from actual …

The Current State Of Wireless Information Technology Among Employers Of Bowling Green State University Construction Management Students, Aaron Seymour

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

Successful implementation of wireless technology in the construction industry has the potential to streamline the building process and improve the service that is delivered to the owners of projects. A need exists for improving access and transfer of digital communication and documentation, regardless of the time or location. Recent developing trends in technology promise to introduce efficiencies that were not previously available within the industry. This study seeks to identify the current state of wireless information technology among employers of Bowling Green State University Construction Management students. The research design analyzed quantitative data from a web-based survey that presented results …

Investigating Self-Cooling Effects Of Ventilated Attics Under Different Roof And Ambient Temperatures In Summer, Zhigang Shen, Shimin Wang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

An unsteady computational fluid dynamics model is employed to simulate summer-time buoyancy-driven turbulent ventilation in gable-roof attics of residential buildings. The energy performance of vented attics is assessed by comparing their performance to sealed attics with the same geometry and insulation configurations. The simulated boundary conditions of the roof-top temperature ranging between 295.15 K and 345.15 K, coupled with an ambient temperature ranging between 295.15 K and 315.15 K, resemble the summer attic conditions with effects of solar irradiance on the roofs. Simulation results indicate that both the vented and sealed attics are dominated by thermal stratification. The cooling load …

Bs News September/October

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Implementing Building Information Modeling In Public Works Projects In Ireland, Barry Mcauley, Alan V. Hore, Roger West

Conference papers

The Irish State in recent years has suffered huge financial losses in the public works sector, which has now pushed the Irish Government to explore new ways of controlling cost. This background lead to the introduction of the Capital Works Management Framework in 2007 which aimed to support the certainty of outcome in terms of cost and quality, as well as improved risk management, through the implementation of fixed price contracts. In order to successfully compete within this framework it is recommended by the authors, that Irish Government moves towards the legal mandating of BIM. This can ensure a greater …

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Use Of Building Information Modelling In Responding To Low Carbon Construction Innovations: An Irish Perspective - Presentation, Barry Mcauley

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

A Spectacle Of Great Beauty: The Changing Faces Of Hagia Sophia, Victoria M. Villano

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Framework Development For Construction Safety Visualization, Kishor Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Throughout the history of the construction industry, many fatalities and injuries have occurred in construction sites. One of the major causes of accidents is unsafe site conditions; basically, this is due to inadequate supervision. To improve upon the traditional supervision approach, this study proposes a `Framework Development for Construction Safety Visualization' approach. In addition to this, a computer vision Edge Detection Algorithm was developed and tested to convert construction site still images into edges of the objects in the images. The framework development of this study uses computer vision, robot vision, image compression, pattern recognition, internet transmission, network communication, and …

A Composite Structural Steel And Prestressed Concrete Beam For Building Floor Systems, Nathan Dewit

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

Precast prestressed concrete beams, such as rectangular and inverted tee beam, currently used in residential and commercial buildings are deep, heavy, and limited to span-to-depth ratios of 15. The research proposes a composite structural steel and prestressed concrete beam that is shallow, light, easy to produce and erect, and able to achieve a span-to-depth ratio of 24. The proposed beam is designed to be used with precast columns, hollow-core planks, and a cast-in-place topping to create a moment-resisting floor system that minimizes the need for shear walls. The goal of this system is to eliminate as many of the limitations …

A Model Of Housing Design And Neighborhood Planning In Abuja - Nigeria, Ekanem Amba

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

The need for shelter is one of the most important necessities for mankind after sustenance. Over the years, the term ‘shelter’ has undergone series of modification either in shape, space, location or the materials used in constructing them but one thing remains the same; the need for a roof over one’s head is as vital to survival as time in itself.

A Carbon Dioxide Comparison Of Open Cut And Pipe Bursting, Akshay Joshi

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

This study focuses on the environmental aspect of the underground utility construction methods namely open-cut and pipe-bursting. The research is aimed at determining the CO2 emission due to the use of construction machinery as well as the excess CO2 emission due to the obstruction to traffic during the construction process. A Gravity sewer project in Bowling Green, OH was used as a case study. Open- cut method was implemented on this project and for the purpose of this research the pipe-bursting method was simulated. A 5100 feet long, 8 inches diameter pipeline was considered at a depth of 10 feet …

Bs News March/April

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Economic Case For Early Adoption Of Facilities Management - Presentation, Barry Mcauley

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

The Economic Case For Early Adoption Of Facilities Management, Barry Mcauley, Alan V. Hore, Roger West, John Wall

Conference papers

The construction industry in Ireland has been the sector hit the hardest during the recession with a potential return to output volumes of the mid-1990s. In order to compete within this struggling construction sector the traditional way of doing business must be re-engineered. One of the ways to achieve this is by introducing the Facilities Management (FM) process much earlier into the construction process, in order to maximize long term sustainability, and above all whole life construction costs. This paper will focus on a recently constructed sports clinic in Dublin, in which an aggressive programme was introduced around energy management …

Redesigning The Warren Animal Shelter, Bandar Alotaibi, Nicholas Baldasarre, Sean Barrett, Jacqueline Brauer, Perry Cry, Erin D'Allesandro, Joseph D'Oria, Jason Doughty, Alison Fredericks, Samantha Howard, Anthony Izzo, Matthem Jesi, Jozef Karpiel, Daniel L'Esperance, Robin Sharp, Emily Sperini, Gary Graham, Frederick Gould, Arnold Robinson

Architecture and Urban Design

The new shelter should incorporate improved natural lighting and ventilation, adequate space for laundry facilities and more space for the animals' living and bathing needs. The design should consider how to prevent dogs from barking and disturbing one another while in the kennels. Increased storage is necessary for the animal shelter to contain the food and living amenities for the incoming animals.

From The Personal To The Communal - Support For An Evolutionary Urban System, Noel Brady

Conference papers

A short discussion towards a model for the future of urban and interurban development. From the personal tot he communal argues for a futurist city that is an organic physiological time filled environment.

Ua61/3 Wku Nursing & Physical Therapy - The Medical Center - Wku Health Sciences Complex, Wku Health & Human Services

WKU Administration Documents

Fundraising brochure regarding The Medical Center – WKU Health Sciences Complex constructed from 2012 through 2014. Features architectural renderings of each floor.

Life Cycle Cost Analysis Under Ireland's Capital Works Management Framework, Dermot Kehily, Alan Hore

Conference papers

The Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) is a structure that has been developed to deliver the Irish government’s objectives in relation to public sector construction procurement reform. This research provides practical guidance and assistance for construction cost professionals in carrying out Whole Life Cycle Cost Analysis (WLCCA) and producing Life Cycle Cost Models(LCCMs) under the CWMF. The research outlines how LCCA calculations can be carried out for cost planning purposes and recommends a standard methodology for presenting LCCMs under the CWMF. The CWMF states that Whole Life Costs (WLC) are an important consideration throughout the design process and should be …

2:1 The Paper Tube Project, Noel Brady

Articles

Review of applied technological solution to rapid building techniques using paper tube and analogous materials to create space enclosing geodesic systems.

A Directionally Tunable But Frequency-Invariant Beamformer On An Acoustic Velocity-Sensor Triad To Enhance Speech Perception, Yue Ivan Wu, Kainam Thomas Wong, Xin Yuan, Siu-Kit Lau, Shiu-Keung Tang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Herein investigated are computationally simple microphone-array beamformers that are independent of the frequency-spectra of all signals, all interference, and all noises. These beamformers allow the listener to tune the desired azimuth-elevation “look direction.” No prior information is needed of the interference. These beamformers deploy a physically compact triad of three collocated but orthogonally oriented velocity sensors. These proposed schemes’ efficacy is verified by a jury test, using simulated data constructed with Mandarin Chinese (a.k.a. Putonghua) speech samples. For example, a desired speech signal, originally at a very adverse signal-to-interference-and-noise power ratio (SINR) of -30 dB, may be processed to become …

Application Of Drum-Buffer-Rope Methodology In Scheduling Of Healthcare System, Arefeh Mohammadi, Emmanuel S. Eneyo

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Theory of constraints (TOC) is a management philosophy that seeks to increase throughput (efficiency or performance) of the system by identifying those processes that are constraining the system bottlenecks. There have been very few profound studies of TOC in health care systems. In order to fill this gap, this study was conducted to determine how healthcare systems are utilizing components of TOC to schedule operations and what results are being obtained. This is done by using a patient flow model for a radiotherapy section of a hospital. The drum-buffer-rope (DBR) was used as the methodology for scheduling this flow. Successful …

Teaching Sustainable Design Using Bim And Project-Based Energy Simulations, Zhigang Shen, Wayne Jensen, Tim Wentz, Bruce Fischer

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The cross-disciplinary nature of energy-efficient building design has created many challenges for architecture, engineering and construction instructors. One of the technical challenges in teaching sustainable building design is enabling students to quantitatively understand how different building designs affect a building’s energy performance. Concept based instructional methods fall short in evaluating the impact of different design choices on a buildings’ energy consumption. Building Information Modeling (BIM) with energy performance software provides a feasible tool to evaluate building design parameters. One notable advantage of this tool is its ability to couple 3D visualization of the structure with energy performance analysis without requiring …

Effects Of Roof Pitch On Air Flow And Heating Load Of Sealed And Vented Attics For Gable-Roof Residential Buildings, Shimin Wang, Zhigang Shen

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Pitch value is an important consideration in residential gable roof design and construction. However, how roof pitch, coupled with air flows in attic space, affects the energy performance of building attics has been barely investigated. In this paper, a 2D unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is employed to investigate the effects of roof pitch on air flow and heating load of both sealed and vented attics for gable-roof residential buildings. The simulation results show that air flow in the sealed attics is steady and asymmetric, while that in the vented attics is a combination of an essentially symmetric base …

Bs News January/February

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Inclusion Shapes Within Rigid Porous Materials On Acoustic Performance, Hyun Hong, Siu-Kit Lau

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The present study investigates the influence of various shapes of inclusions having same volume embedded in a porous rigid material. Previous studies showed improvement of the broadband sound absorption with particular shapes of inclusions. However, different volumes of the inclusions have been considered; therefore, the bulk densities are not the same for comparison. The present study extends the investigations of inclusions in porous materials with same volume (or bulk density) to eliminate the influence by the change of bulk density. The effects of shape will be discussed. Finite element modeling will be used for this study. Total four different shapes: …