Generative design in building information modelling (BIM) : approaches and requirements

The integration of generative design (GD) and building information modelling (BIM), as a new technology consolidation, can facilitate the constructability of GD’s automatic design solutions, while improving BIM’s capability in the early design phase. Thus, there has been an increasing interest to study GD-BIM, with current focuses mainly on exploring applications and investigating tools. However, there are a lack of studies regarding methodological relationships and skill requirement based on different development objectives or GD properties; thus, the threshold of developing GD-BIM still seems high. This study conducts a critical review of current approaches for developing GD in BIM, and analyses methodological relationships, skill requirements, and improvement of GD-BIM development. Accordingly, novel perspectives of objective-oriented, GD component-based, and skill-driven GD-BIM development as well as reference guides are proposed. Finally, future research directions, challenges, and potential solutions are discussed. This research aims to guide designers in the building industry to properly determine approaches for developing GD-BIM and inspire researchers’ future studies

Literature review of bridge structure's optimization and it's development over time

The structural development in bridge engineering along with efficiency have got much attention in few decades. Leading to the development, Optimization of structure established on mathematical analysis emerged mostly employed strategies for productive and sustainable design in the bridge engineering. Despite the widespread knowledge, there has yet to be a rigorous examination of recent structural optimization exploration development. Thus, the primary objectives of this paper are to critically review previous structural optimization research, provide a detailed examination of optimization goals and outline recent research field limitations and provide guidelines for future research proposal in the field of bridge engineering structural optimization. This article begins by outlining the relevance of efficiency and sustainability in the bridge construction, as well as the work done required for this review. Suitable papers are gathered and followed by a statistical analysis of the selected publications. Following that, the selected papers are evaluated in terms of the optimization targets as well as their spatial patterns. Structure's optimization four key steps, including modeling, optimization techniques, formulation of optimization concerns and computational tools, are also researched and examined in depth. Finally, research gaps in contemporary works are identified, as well as suggested guidance for future works

Integrating geological uncertainty and dynamic data into modelling procedures for fractured reservoirs

Modelling, simulating and characterising flow through naturally fractured reservoirs is a multi-disciplinary effort. The scarcity of data combined with the additional layer of complexity that fractures add to a reservoir makes an efficient integration of all available data fundamental. However, the vast range of data types to be considered and the multitude of disciplines giving their input often results in communication barriers and individuals working within their comfort area, creating further challenges for uncertainty propagation. It is however critical for decision-making to develop geologically consistent reservoir models that recognise the challenges of simulating flow through systems with high permeability and scale contrasts and address the need for an ensemble of reservoir models to sufficiently cover geological uncertainties and their impact on fluid flow. In this work I developed several workflows for naturally fractured reservoir modelling that invite cross-disciplinary thinking by integrating geological uncertainties and dynamic data into the modelling procedure and foster ensemble modelling from the start. The workflows are tested on a synthetic field that is based upon a conceptual model for fold-related fracture distributions. The first workflow involves the use of multiple-point statistics to efficiently model reservoir-scale fracture distribution by upscaling discrete fracture networks and converting them into training images. To cover the impact of fracture-related geological uncertainties on fluid flow efficiently, flow diagnostics were used to screen and afterwards cluster and select training images according to their flow response for further reservoir modelling. The second workflow proposes a novel reservoir modelling technique that considers both static and dynamic data and utilises entropy to generate a diverse ensemble of reservoir models that all match an outset objective. Finally, an agent-based reservoir modelling workflow is introduced, where within a reservoir model, independent but interacting agents follow a set of rules to generate reservoir models that take into account geological prior information and expected dynamic flow responses to drive modelling efforts. Overall, we demonstrated that combining approaches from various disciplines into cross-disciplinary workflows provides great potential for subsurface characterisation. What workflow to adopt within a project, depends on various boundary conditions. The availability of data and time, the confidence in the understanding of the reservoir and the ultimate goal behind the modelling exercise. These factors can impact whether moving along with the simpler, more parametric multiple-point statistics workflow, the entropy-driven workflow that utilises static and dynamic data or the more data-driven agent-based modelling workflow is the right choice.James Watt Scholarshi

Application of Design Synthesis Technology in Architectural Practice

The use of computational tools and techniques has opened up new possibilities in architectural form generation. In parallel there have also been developments in structural engineering analysis and design methods, with the primary focuses being on accurate modelling of material behaviour and structural stability, and on ensuring economy. Having accepted that form and structure are mutually concomitant, something that is particularly important when considering freeform architecture, there are two distinct design approaches: (i) shapedriven architectural forms and adoption of creative integrated postrationalisation for a predefined freeform, and (ii) form-structure integration from conception, manifested by a growing number of methods for use at various stages in the design process. In this regard, a truss layout optimisation technique is proposed as a versatile design tool. This has a potential role in both these approaches to form generation at the conceptual design stage. A series of design studies are employed for this purpose, and generated forms are discussed. Additionally, further form generation possibilities are explored, using an extended version of the aforementioned technique. As a representative example, ‘tensegrity’ forms are studied in greater detail. The generated forms are extensively tested using a commercial structural analysis package, in order to verify the correctness of the conclusions drawn

Parametric design and optimization of arched trusses under vertical and horizontal multi-load cases

This dissertation faces the problem of the optimum design of steel truss arches subject to multiple load cases. Arches are one of the most ancient shape-resistant structures, widely used in both civil engineering and architecture. For instance, arches can be considered as purely compressed structures, provided that their “line of thrust” coincides with the centre line of the arch. The “line of thrust” is the locus of the points of application of the thrusts (internal forces or stress resultants) that must be contained within the cross-section of the arch in such a way that the arch transfers loads to the foundations through axial compressive stresses only. As a matter of fact, the more the “line of thrust” differs from the centre line of the arch, the larger the unfavourable bending moments that arise in the arch. This is the reason why it is fundamental to pay close attention to the choice of the shape for an arch in order to minimize (or avoid when it is possible) unfavourable bending effects. Several analytical, graphical and physical methods are provided to find the optimal shape of a monolithic (single rib) arch subjected to a certain load case (i.e. the “funicular curve” for that load). However, if multiple load cases must be considered, it is not possible to find a proper optimal shape for an arch with single rib. In this case, the choice of truss arches with at least two chords becomes indispensable. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that structural optimization of in-plane truss arches with two chords subjected to a single load case leads to optimal solutions in which upper and lower chords tend to coincide with each other and with the “funicular curve” (i.e. the “line of thrust”) for that load. In light of the above, simultaneous shape and size optimization of steel truss arches with two arched chords linked each other through a bracing system (with variable Pratt-type pattern) has been performed for multiple load cases and different structural boundary conditions. Truss arches are effectively used in arch bridges, especially when the arch span exceeds 200 meters (five out of the six steel arch bridges with a span over 500 m are truss arch bridges). For this purpose, a hybrid optimization routine integrating a parametric definition of the design problem, a metaheuristic optimization algorithm and a code for Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has been developed through a MATLAB program. The proposed optimization method allows to simultaneously optimize a larger set of design variables, notwithstanding their large number and various nature (topology, shape and size, as well as continuous and discrete variables, have been concurrently considered). Third-degree Rational Bézier Curves have been chosen to optimize the shape of the arch chords because they can represent a wide family of curves (including conic curves), depending on a small number of parameters. In so doing, in-plane truss arches with different span lengths and structural boundary conditions have been optimized for multiple load cases, only considering vertical loads (acting on the same plane as the arch), since in-plane arches are not suited to withstand out-of-plane loads. On the other hand, spatial arched trusses with two arched chords lying on different planes have been optimally designed for multiple loadings acting in different directions. In particular, a steel arched truss with a lower arched chord variably inclined in the 3D-space and a horizontal upper arched chord linked each other through a bracing system has been designed and optimized for three vertical load cases and a horizontal seismic action parallel to the upper chord plane. Thus, analysing the obtained results, useful suggestions for steel truss arch design have been deduced and presented in this dissertation

Hidden Markov Models

Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), although known for decades, have made a big career nowadays and are still in state of development. This book presents theoretical issues and a variety of HMMs applications in speech recognition and synthesis, medicine, neurosciences, computational biology, bioinformatics, seismology, environment protection and engineering. I hope that the reader will find this book useful and helpful for their own research

Association of Architecture Schools in Australasia

"Techniques and Technologies: Transfer and Transformation", proceedings of the 2007 AASA Conference held September 27-29, 2007, at the School of Architecture, UTS