Architectural and Management Strategies for the Design, Construction and Operation of Energy Efficient and Intelligent Primary Care Centers in Chile

Primary care centers are establishments with elevated social relevance and high operational energy consumption. In Chile, there more than 628 family healthcare centers (CESFAM) have been built in the last two decades and with plans for hundreds more in the next few years. We revised the architecture, construction management and energy performance of five CESFAM centers to determine possible instances of overall improvement. Staff was interviewed, and state documents reviewed, which allowed the conceptualization of the architectonic and energy structure of the centers, as well as the process of implementation. At the same time, energy simulations were done for each one of the centers, controlling for different climates, construction solutions and orientations. Our study revealed that strategies employed by the primary healthcare centers in Chile have aided a progressive implementation of establishments with elevated costs and materialization times, as well as neglect for climatic conditions. These energy evaluations show relevant and consistent impacts of the architectural form and material conditions, especially in southern zones, demonstrating the need to work with shared knowledge resources such as BIM. There is a clear necessity to define technological, morphological and construction strategies specific to each climate zone in order to achieve energetically efficient and intelligent healthcare establishments

Behavior and performance of BIM users in a collaborative work environment

Collaborative work in Building Information Modeling (BIM) projects is frequentlyunderstood as the interaction of modelers in an asynchronous way through modification requests orvia e-mail/telephone. However, alternative work methodologies based on creating a common andsynchronous environment allow solving issues instantaneously during the design process. This studyaimed to analyze the behavior and performance of BIM users with different specialties who weresubjected to an experimental exercise in a collaborative environment. For this purpose, a processwas devised to collect, sort, and select the data from the log files generated by the BIM software.A timeline of the experiment was populated with data on the intensity and types of commands usedby each specialist, which allowed determining behavioral patterns, preferred commands, indicators oftheir experience, further training needs, and possible strategies for improving the team’s performance.In the experiment, the mechanical designer ’s performance was 49% and the rest approximately 64%,with respect to that of the architect. An average rate of 1.66 necessary or auxiliary commands foreach contributory command was detected. The average performance was 200–400 commands perhour, which intensified by the end of the experiment. Further training needs were detected for theplumbing designer to reduce the use of backwards commands. Conversely, the electrical designershowed a positive evolution regarding this aspect during the experiment. The analysis methods heredescribed become useful for the aforementioned purposes. Nevertheless, combinations with methodsfrom existing research might improve the outcomes and therefore the specificity of recommendation

Caracterização de um forte do século XVII: estudo de caso do Fort La Planchada, Chile

This article studies the Fort La Planchada, located in southern Chile. Considering the nature of this national monument, the study focuses on the analysis and characterization of its construction aspects: design, geometry, materiality and construction techniques; aspects that are part of the poliorcetics (or military art) perspective. From a methodological point of view, using technical historical resources, reconstruction of the fort under study culminated through a comprehensive literature review and associated fieldwork. The art of poliorcetics and construction techniques, as used by major writers of the 17th century about fortifications and their principles, were applied to the original construction of the fort, considering the difficulties and solutions of its time. The characteristics of the original fort and the analysis of successive reparations revealed the existence of three different designs throughout its history.Keywords: fort, La Planchada, Chile, 17th century, characterization.Este artigo estuda o Forte “La Planchada”, localizado no sul do Chile. Considerando a natureza deste monumento nacional, o estudo se concentra na análise e caracterização de seus aspectos de construção: desenho, geometria, materialidade e técnicas de construção; aspectos que fazem parte da perspectiva do poliorcetismo (ou arte militar). Do ponto de vista metodológico, utilizando recursos técnicos históricos, a reconstrução do forte em estudo culminou através de uma revisão da literatura e trabalho de campo. A arte das técnicas de poliorcética e construção, usadas pelos principais escritores do século XVII sobre fortificações e seus princípios, foram aplicadas à construção original do forte, considerando as dificuldades e as soluções de seu tempo. As características do forte original e uma análise de reparos sucessivos revelaram a existência dos três projetos diferentes ao longo de sua história. Palavras-chave: forte, La Planchada, Chile, século XVII, caracterização

EVALUATION OF EXTREME COLLABORATION WITH BIM MODELING FOR THE TEACHING OF BUILDING PROJECTS

La modelación de información de edificios (BIM) ha emergido como una plataforma digital para proyectos de edificación, que pretende facilitar la cooperación entre especialidades. Por otro lado, la colaboración extrema es una metodología surgida en la industria aeroespacial y orientada al trabajo conjunto entre profesionales. Este artículo presenta una iniciativa experimental con estudiantes de Arquitectura e Ingeniería, destinada a evaluar las capacidades de modelación cooperativa en la enseñanza de proyectos de edificación. Lo anterior se llevó a cabo mediante el desarrollo intensivo de un pabellón de exhibición de automóviles por un grupo de alumnos de distintas carreras trabajando en el mismo lugar; elaborando el diseño y presentación de arquitectura, estructura, instalaciones eléctricas análisis energético-ambiental, y presupuesto de construcción. El trabajo fue ejecutado en cuatro sesiones, con una reunión inicial y final; en una sala con un mesón central, computadores en red, programas BIM y pantallas perimetrales. Se realizaron cuestionarios de entrada y salida, y entrevistas a los participantes, además de análisis del proceso con investigadores y expertos. La experiencia demostró alta efectividad en la producción y desarrollo del proyecto, aunque con tensiones grupales y limitaciones de diseño. Los estudiantes valoraron el trabajo colaborativo, y sugirieron trabajar de manera desfasada algunas especialidades y designar un encargado de la coordinación del proceso, así como definir mayormente resultados esperados y operación conjunta. Por lo que se sugiere aplicar estas condiciones para desarrollar modelación BIM con colaboración entre especialistas en los proyectos de edificación. Palabras Clave: Diseño integrado, enseñanza colaborativa, modelación de información en edifcios.Building information modeling (BIM) has emerged as a digital platform for building projects, which facilitates cooperation between specialties. On the other hand, extreme collaboration is a methodology, arising in the aerospace industry, for joint work among professionals. This article presents an experimental initiative with Architecture and Engineering students to evaluate these capabilities in building projects. This was done by means of an intensive development of a car exhibition pavilion; elaborating the design and presentation of architecture, structure, electrical installations, energy-environmental analysis, and construction budget. The work was carried out in four sessions, with an initial and final meeting; in a room with a central desk, network computers, BIM programs, and perimeter screens. Input and output questionnaires were carried out, as well as interviews with the participants, and analysis of the process with researchers and experts. The experience demonstrated high effectiveness in the production and development of the project, although with group tensions and design limitations. The collaborative work was valued primarily, suggesting the outdated programming of some specialties and coordination of the process, as well as defining mostly expected results and joint operation. Therefore, it is suggested to apply these conditions to integrate BIM modeling with collaboration between building project specialists. Keywords: Integrated design, collaborative teaching, building information modelling

Industria 4.0 – Oportunidades de desarrollo para América Latina

¿Qué es la Industria 4.0 Oportunidades que ofrece la Industria 4.0 para América Latina. Algunos ejemplos de Chile en el ámbito de la Industria 4.0; oportunidades de desarrollo con potencial de ser expandidas al resto de América Latina. Algunos ejemplos desarrollados en Universidades chilenas.¿Qué es la Industria 4.0? Oportunidades que ofrece la Industria 4.0 para América Latina. Algunos ejemplos de Chile en el ámbito de la Industria 4.0; oportunidades de desarrollo con potencial de ser expandidas al resto de América Latina. Algunos ejemplos desarrollados en Universidades chilenas

Estudio del investigador más valioso: indicadores bibliométricos y redes de colaboración

This work seeks to find the Most Valuable Researcher (MVR) within the academics of Faculties of Engineering and Business of a University in Chile, applying bibliometric indicators and collaboration networks. The methodology consisted in reviewing the literature referring to similar bibliometric studies from open databases, such as SciELO and Google Scholar. As a result of the study, a model was proposed based on the main bibliometric indicators used, with it was possible to filter the researchers from both faculties and establish a ranking with those academics with the best results and the current situation facing the research in each unit. This ranking indicates the standard that the most valuable researchers have, identifying that the variable “collaborative networks” has a direct relationship with the productivity of researchers and, also, the existence of correlations with indicators of network grade, co-authorship, and research area. This work seeks to deliver recommendations on the quantity and quality of scientific production within the University. Future research should include other databases and expand the scope by region, country, and area of expertise, and consider other factors such as the age of the researcher, forms of citation, and characteristics by area of knowledge, as well as deepen the concept of MVR, and its virtuous effect on the productivity of an academic unit.Este trabajo busca encontrar al Investigador Más Valioso (IMV) entre los académicos de las Facultades de Ingeniería y Negocios de una Universidad en Chile, aplicando indicadores bibliométricos y redes de colaboración. La metodología consistió en una revisión de la literatura referida a estudios bibliométricos similares de bases de datos abiertas, como SciELO y Google Scholar. Como resultado del estudio, se propuso un modelo basado en los principales indicadores bibliométricos utilizados, con lo cual se pudo filtrar a los investigadores de ambas facultades y establecer un ranking con aquellos académicos con mejores resultados y la situación actual que enfrenta la investigación en cada unidad. A partir de este ranking, se indica el estándar que tienen los investigadores más valiosos, identificando que la variable “redes de colaboración” tiene una relación directa con la productividad de los investigadores, así como la existencia de correlaciones con los indicadores de grado de red, coautoría y área de investigación. Con esto, se busca que este trabajo sirva para entregar recomendaciones sobre la cantidad y calidad de la producción científica dentro de la Universidad. Futuras investigaciones deberían incluir otras bases de datos y ampliar el alcance por regiones, países y áreas de conocimiento y considerar también otros factores como la edad del investigador, formas de citación y características por área de conocimiento, así como profundizar en el concepto de IMV y su efecto virtuoso en la productividad de una unidad académica

Force Measurement with a Strain Gauge Subjected to Pure Bending in the Fluid–Wall Interaction of Open Water Channels

An experimental method to measure forces of small magnitude with a strain gauge as a force sensor in the fluid–wall interaction of open water channels is presented. Six uniaxial strain gauges were employed for this purpose, which were embedded across the entire sensing area and subjected to pure bending, employing two-point bending tests. Sixteen two-point bending tests were performed to determine the existence of a direct relationship between the load and the instrument signal. Furthermore, a regression analysis was used to estimate the parameters of the model. A data acquisition system was developed to register the behavior of the strain gauge relative to the lateral displacement induced by the loading nose of the universal testing machine. The results showed a significant linear relationship between the load and the instrumental signal, provided that the strain gauge was embedded between 30% and 45% of the central axis in the sensing area of the sensor (R2 > 0.99). Thus, the proposed sensor can be employed to measure forces of small magnitude. Additionally, the linear relationship between the load and the instrumental signal can be used as a calibration equation, provided that the strain gauge is embedded close to the central axis of the sensing area

Workforce scheduling efficiency assessment in construction projects through a multi-objective optimization model in the COVID-19 context

The COVID-19 disease has caused a drastic stoppage in the construction industry as a result of quarantines. For this reason, this study focuses on the workforce scheduling problem when working under COVID labor distancing constraints, and additional costs derived from deviation hours or hiring new employees that managers must assume on a project due to circumstances. A multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model was developed and solved using weighting and epsilon constraint methods to evaluate workforce scheduling and the mentioned COVID costs. The first objective function corresponds to the sum of the total extra hours; the second objective function represents the total non-worked but paid hours. Two sets of experiments are presented, the first based on a design of experiments that seeks to determine the relationship between the proposed objective functions and a methodology to determine the cost of considering COVID constraints. The second set of experiments was applied in a real company, where the situation without COVID vs with COVID, and without allowing extra hours vs with COVID allowing extra hours were compared. Obtained results showed that hiring additional employees to the man-crew leads the company to increase the extra hours cost up to 104.25%, being more convenient to keep a workforce baseline and to pay extra hours costs. Therefore, the mathematical model could represent a potential tool for decision-making in the construction sector, regarding the effects of COVID-19 costs on workforce scheduling construction projects. Consequently, this work contributes to the construction industry by quantifying the impact of COVID-19 constraints and the associated costs, offering a proactive approach to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic for the construction sector

From Trees to Skyscrapers: Holistic Review of the Advances and Limitations of Multi-Storey Timber Buildings

Products derived from trees have been used by mankind for thousands of years, where timber has a long tradition as an ecological construction material. There is currently an increasing trend in multi-storey timber buildings, because of the projected growth in the demand for housing in urban areas between now and 2050, along with the urgent need for a more sustainable and productive construction industry. The construction of these buildings is now possible thanks to the new advances in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) and the new technological developments around timber construction. Its industrialization requirements imply a paradigm shift for the construction industry, which requires, among other aspects, the early and collaborative integration of stakeholders in its design and construction process. According to this, the objective of this review article is to determine the main advances and limitations related to the design and construction of multi-storey timber buildings, categorizing them in aspects such as sustainability, engineering and construction sciences, and collaborative design. The methodology of this article was based on the review of 266 articles published in Web of Science (WoS), as indexed scientific journals, between 2017 and mid-2022, performing a comparative and cooccurrence analysis of the contents. The results evidenced that 73% of the articles showed advances and limitations corresponding to the engineering and construction sciences category, 23% to sustainability, and the remaining 4% to collaborative design. The main advances in the development of multi-storey timber buildings are related to seismic analysis, connections design, fire performance, and fire design. While the main limitations are related to social sustainability, the results are not conclusive due to the low number of publications that support them

Risk identification in the Chilean tunneling industry

This article aims to identify the main risk factors that are threats to meet the objectives of tunnel construction projects by using the Chilean construction industry as a case study and proposes a methodology to evaluate risk factors in this type of project. Surveys were used to generate probability and severity indexes to rank 36 risk factors. Data were collected from 14 companies that are members of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association. The results indicate that the main risk factors that hinder achieving the tunneling construction project objectives are (1) inaccurate cost estimation or lack of detail in budget preparation, (2) unexpected geological conditions, (3) inaccurate deadline estimation or insufficient break- down of the project schedule, (4) frequent malfunction of construction equipment, (5) excessive delays in approval processes by government entities, and (6) unexpected soil conditions and water table. Furthermore, a comprehensive literature review is provided to compare these results to international perspectives to confirm the existence of risks inherent to tunnel construction projects. This article concludes with revisiting the risk factors, which are common for the construction industry in general