A single project, such as the new dorm facility, include aspects that must be designed with a number of perspectives in mind. Today we saw how that engineers must consider sound migration, fireproofing, earthquake protection, energy systems, communications, weather, and construction considerations when choosing materials and specific designs.
The engineer we met with today, Nathan Leigh, put together and maintains a great blog with construction updates and engineering musings located here: http://www.uas.alaska.edu/facilities_services/fpc/const-update.html
For this week's blog post, I'd like you to discuss the field trip, read through Nathan's blog, and then find an article related to construction (this could manufacturing of devices) or any of the aspects we heard about today (sound engineering, fireproofing, radiant in-floor heating, etc.) to discuss.
I found our tour very interesting, because I took a house building course my senior year. It was interesting to see the parts of the house and know what it is and how it was built. What I found most interesting is the way they protect the dorm from earthquakes. I was surprised to know it was not one building but it was built to be separate buildings to be put together by a thing that protects the building from earthquakes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-03/japanese-levitating-homes-could-survive-earthquakes-unscathed
The article I chose is Japanese Levitating Homes Could Survive Earthquakes. This article is about the house in japan that are starting to be built with a second artificial foundation that consist of an earthquake sensor and an air compressor. When the sensor detects an earthquake it triggers the air compressor to release and fill the slots in the foundation to allow the house to levitate the house about 1.2 inches. These started to be implemented into their houses due to the earthquakes and tsunamis that devastated the county.
I enjoyed walking trough the new dorms. I like how we were able to see most of the structural components of the building. The seismic joints were pretty cool. One thing I wish I would have asked is if the structures on two different foundations? Im just curious. It was a great field trip, it gave me a glimpse of the structural side of engineering. It also showed us how it takes many different fields of engineering to complete a project of this size or bigger.
ReplyDeletehttp://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/heat-pump-systems
The article I chose is about heat pumps. The reason I chose this article is because, I really don't know much about them, and it sounded like it was one options to heat the new freshman dorms. So how a heat pump works is, during the heating season it takes heat from outside and pumps it inside, and during the cooling season it take heat from your house and pumps it outside. This is pretty neat cause its almost a heater and air conditioner combined. Their a a few different types of heat pumps, air-source heat pumps, mini-split heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, and absorption heat pumps. Though they all operate the same way by transferring heat from one space to another, its where they get their heat is what make them different. Air-source heat pumps transfer heat from the air making this the most common, and most affordable of the heat pumps. Mini-split heat pumps which use heat from water, you can also get a mini-split pump with a reverse chiller which will allow you to use it with in-floor heating, allowing you to use hot and cold water. Geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient, and have the lowest operating costs, though are the most to install. Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat from the ground, or a nearby water source to your home. The reason why they are so efficient is because of the constant of temperature of the ground or a water source. Then there are absorption pumps which is similar to air-sorce pumps but instead of using electricity they can be run on gas or other types of fuel. Heat pumps interest me because they are an energy efficient way to supplement your homes main source of heating, which can lower you energy use and save you money in the long run.
I really enjoyed our walk around the dorms. It was fascinating to see how everything was being put together. It kind of made me curious to know what the price will be in order for one to live there.
ReplyDeletehttp://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2014/02/brazil-2014.cfm
The article I chose talked about how unfinished stadiums in Brazil will be done by the start of World Cup 2014 at the start of June. One of rules, according to FIFA, states that a stadium has to be finished and ready to use two years prior to the event, in this case the World Cup. Brazil did miss the 2012 deadline, then going on to miss a few more deadlines. Before the World Cup begins, an event known as the Confederation's Cup is played. It's basically a "test tournament" in order to see if things will run smoothly. The article says that when the Confederation's Cup started, only half of the 12 stadiums were finished. As of now, however, 3 stadiums have been constructed while the last 3 are making a push to finish.
I found this article to be surprising because the World Cup is such big event and to know that there are unfinished stadiums is a bit concerning. I wonder why Brazil was considered to be the host of the World Cup when the stadiums were still in construction. Hopefully all the stadiums will be finished by the time the World Cup starts.