Parametric building development during early design stage

Objectives The objectives of this project were two-fold: • Assess the ease with which current architectural CAD systems supported the use ofparametric descriptions in defining building shape, engineering system performance and cost at the early stages of building design; • Assess the feasibility of implementing a software decision support system that allowed designers to trade-off the characteristics and configuration of various engineering systems to move towards a “global optimum” rather than considering each system in isolation and expecting humans to weigh up all of the costs and benefits. The first stage of the project consisted of using four different CAD systems to define building shells (envelopes) with different usages. These models were then exported into a shared database using the IFC information exchange specifications. The second stage involved the implementation of small computer programs that were able to estimate relevant system parameters based on performance requirements and the constraints imposed by the other systems. These are presented in a unified user interface that extracts the appropriate building shape parameters from the shared database Note that the term parametric in this context refers to the relationships among and between all elements of the building model - not just geometric associations - which will enable the desired coordination

Evaluative Standards In Art Criticism: A Defence

To a superficial consideration, art criticism might appear as a profession of a parasitic nature, nourishing itself on what is produced by others: by artists. In fact, however, the relation between artistic practice and its criticism is more adequately conceived of as a sort of symbiosis. For, while it is true that criticism depends on and presupposes the existence of its objects - that is, works of art - on the other hand nothing would prevent good art from being equated with and contaminated by bad art if critics ceased to draw a distinction between the two

Poncelet Parabola Pirouettes

We describe some three-dozen curious phenomena manifested by parabolas inscribed or circumscribed about certain Poncelet triangle families. Despite their pirouetting motion, parabolas' focus, vertex, directrix, etc., will often sweep or envelop rather elementary loci such as lines, circles, or points. Most phenomena are unproven though supported by solid numerical evidence (proofs are welcome). Some yet unrealized experiments are posed as "challenges" (results are welcome!).Comment: 22 pages, 22 figure

Neuberg cubics over finite fields

The framework of universal geometry allows us to consider metrical properties of affine views of elliptic curves, even over finite fields. We show how the Neuberg cubic of triangle geometry extends to the finite field situation and provides interesting potential invariants for elliptic curves, focussing on an explicit example over $\mathbb{F}_{23}$. We also prove that tangent conics for a Weierstrass cubic are identical or disjoint.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Dva konvergentna niza trokuta

A semi-orthogonal path is a polygon inscribed into a given polygon such that the i-th side of the path is orthogonal to the i-th side of the given polygon. Especially in the case of triangles, the closed semi-orthogonal paths are triangles which turn out to be similar to the given triangle. The iteration of the construction of semi-orthogonal paths in triangles yields infinite sequences of nested and similar triangles. We show that these two different sequences converge towards the bicentric pair of the triangle\u27s Brocard points. Furthermore, the relation to discrete logarithmic spirals allows us to give a very simple, elementary, and new constructions of the sequences\u27 limits, the Brocard points. We also add some remarks on semi-orthogonal paths in non-Euclidean geometries and in n-gons.Poluortogonalan put je poligonalna linija upisana u dani mnogokut takva da je i-ta stranica poligonalne linije okomita na i-tu stranicu danog mnogokuta. U slučaju trokuta, zatvoreni poluortogonalni putovi su trokuti slični danom trokutu. Iteracijom konstrukcije poluortogonalnih putova u trokutima dobivaju se beskonačni nizovi upisanih sličnih trokuta. Pokazujemo da ova dva različita niza konvergiraju prema bicentričnom paru Brocardovih točaka trokuta. Nadalje, veza s diskretnim logaritamskim spiralama omogućuje vrlo jednostavnu, elementarnu novu konstrukciju limesa ovih nizova, Brocardovih točaka. Iznosimo i neke napomene o poluortogonalnim putovima kako u neeuklidskim geometrijama i tako i za n-kute

Ontology-Based Hazard Knowledge Representation and Identification for Deep Refurbishment Projects

The delivery of construction projects in general can be complex and demanding and presents well-documented challenges to the control of cost, safety, and quality. This situation becomes even more challenging in the case of renovation projects due to the high level of interaction with occupants, especially when they remain in the building over the renovation period. The safety of project participants as well as that of occupants when they are present in the renovation site must be ensured. Although the planning and management of such projects can be greatly enhanced by exploiting some of the advantages of Building Information Modelling (BIM), the process of construction hazard identification and renovation scenarios assessment is still human-based and so requires considerable time and effort. Moreover, there is little research that addresses how hazard identification can best be represented and processed automatically in order to optimise and develop more effective strategies for managing construction projects, particularly those involving the systematic renovation of existing properties for better energy performance. Using BIM along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools could help in processing the massive amount of newly-available data and knowledge (e.g., feedback, images captured from smart devices, IoT sensors) that are increasingly obtainable. A prerequisite for doing so is the development of a dedicated ontology that would enable the formalisation of domain knowledge, including associated concepts, relations, and constraints that are specific to renovation project hazard. The authors propose an ontology and demonstrate its application by developing a knowledge-based system for application within the context of deep renovation projects that are part of a large European research project: the RINNO project

Developing a Tailored RBS Linking to BIM for Risk Management of Bridge Projects

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the current theoretical gap in integrating knowledge and experience into Building Information Model (BIM) for risk management of bridge projects by developing a tailored Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) and formalising an active link between the resulting RBS and BIM. Design/methodology/approach – A three-step approach is used in this study to develop a tailored RBS for bridge projects and a conceptual model for the linkage between the RBS and BIM. First, the integrated bridge information model is in concept separated into four levels of contents (LOCs) and six technical systems based on analysis of the Industry Foundation Classes specification, a critical review of previous studies and authors’ project experience. The second step develops a knowledge-based risk database through an extensive collection of risk data, a process of data mining, and further assessment and translation of data. A critical analysis is conducted in the last step to determine on which level the different risks should be allocated to bridge projects and to propose a conceptual model for linking the tailored RBS to the four LOCs and six technical systems of BIM. Findings – The findings suggest that the traditional method and BIM can be merged as an integrated solution for risk management by establishing the linkage between RBS and BIM. This solution can take advantage of both the traditional method and BIM for managing risks. On the one hand, RBS enables risk information to be stored in a formal structure, used and communicated effectively. On the other hand, some features of BIM such as 3D visualisation and 4D construction scheduling can facilitate the risk identification, analysis, and communication at an early project stage. Research limitations/implications – A limitation is that RBS is a qualitative technique and only plays a limited role in quantitative risk analysis. As a result, when implementing this proposed method, further techniques may be needed for assisting quantitative risk analysis, evaluation, and treatment. Another limitation is that the proposed method has not yet been implemented for validation in practice. Hence, recommendations for future research are to: improve the quantitative risk analysis and treatment capabilities of this proposed solution; develop computer tools to support the solution; integrate the linkage into a traditional workflow; and test this solution in some small and large projects for validation. Practical implications – Through linking risk information to BIM, project participants could check and review the linked information for identifying potential risks and seeking possible mitigation measures, when project information is being transferred between different people or forwarded to the next phase. Originality/value – This study contributes to the theoretical development for aligning traditional methods and BIM for risk management, by introducing a new conceptual model for linking RBS to BIM