1,073 research outputs found
Application of TRIZ to develop an in-service diagnostic system for a synchronous belt transmission for automotive application
Development of robust diagnostic solutions to monitor the health of systems and components to ensure through life cost effectiveness is often technically difficult, requiring an effective integration of design development with research and innovation. This paper presents a structured application of TRIZ and USIT (Unified Structured Inventive Thinking) to generate concept solutions for an in-service diagnostic system for a synchronous belt drive system for an automotive application. The systematic exploration through TRIZ and USIT methods has led to the development of six concept solution ideas directed at the functional requirement to determine the state or condition of the belt. The paper demonstrates that the combined deployment of TRIZ and USIT frameworks is a valuable approach addressing difficult design problem
Technology adoption and management innovation in construction
© ASCE 2014. This paper examines the adoption of object-based modeling software across design and construction team members during project delivery. Drawing on insights from sociology, management theory and innovation studies, the paper investigates changes surrounding technology adoption and subsequent management-based innovation. Using empirical data from a case study, analysis focuses on adoption of software, the evolution of new digital and social networks, and subsequent innovations in management. The paper has three main contributions. First, it identifies related literature and examines change processes surrounding software adoption and the management innovations that are triggered. Second, it explores rigidities in existing routines that challenge adoption and deployment, highlighting innovations that reconcile change conflicts. Third, it shows how the concept of management innovation in construction is valuable to an understanding IT adoption processes
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A pilot study for the collaborative development of new ways of visualising seasonal climate forecasts
Visual style: Qualitative and context-dependent categorization
Style is an ordering principle by which to structure artifacts in a design domain. The application of a visual order entails some explicit grouping property that is both cognitively plausible and contextually dependent. Central to cognitive-contextual notions are the type of representation used in analysis and the flexibility to allow semantic interpretation. We present a model of visual style based on the concept of similarity as a qualitative context-dependent categorization. The two core components of the model are semantic feature extraction and self-organizing maps (SOMs). The model proposes a method of categorizing two-dimensional unannotated design diagrams using both low-level geometric and high-level semantic features that are automatically derived from the pictorial content of the design. The operation of the initial model, called Q-SOM, is then extended to include relevance feedback (Q-SOM:RF). The extended model can be seen as a series of sequential processing stages, in which qualitative encoding and feature extraction are followed by iterative recategorization. Categorization is achieved using an unsupervised SOM, and contextual dependencies are integrated via cluster relevance determined by the observer's feedback. The following stages are presented: initial per feature detection and extraction, selection of feature sets corresponding to different spatial ontologies, unsupervised categorization of design diagrams based on appropriate feature subsets, and integration of design context via relevance feedback. From our experiments we compare different outcomes from consecutive stages of the model. The results show that the model provides a cognitively plausible and context-dependent method for characterizing visual style in design. Copyright © 2006 Cambridge University Press
Performance-based Design of Tall Building Envelopes using Competing Wind Load and Wind Flow Criteria
© 2017 The Authors. This paper investigates performance-based tall building design and the development of a combined architectural-urban design method focusing on the effects of wind loads on- and wind flows around tall buildings. The paper provides an overview of related buildings codes and city development design guidelines that define requirements for structural façade wind loading and urban ventilation. A review of performance-based design methods for the generation, analysis and optimization of buildings is also presented. Within this frame, an approach to performance-based tall building envelope design is proposed. The approach is aimed at addressing wind loading and wind impact requirements based on generative parametric modelling and performance analysis that integrates physical parameters at the architectural and urban scales and performance criteria can support filtering and optimization relative to prevailing wind conditions
Towards a value-centric approach to education: Implications of changing practices in construction project management
This article explores two interdependent subjects underpinning how the built environment is produced: value and integrated teamwork. The concept of value is defined as the relationship between benefits received and costs incurred. Value thereby derives from the values of the judge and in multi-stakeholder construction projects, understanding each membera??s unique value proposition is complex, forming a catalyst for integrated teamwork and interdisciplinary ways of working. These subjects are reviewed in relation to the changes occurring in practice and how they can help inform new approaches to the education of built environment professionals, giving specific attention to construction project management education. In exploring these themes, the authors first review related project management research, before focusing on construction and current trends in practice. The paper then summarises research aimed at developing better theories of value and advancing integrated teamwork in construction. A framework aimed at facilitating a move to an educational model that encompasses a value-based and multidisciplinary approach is presented, followed by discussion and future work
Bed Bug Infestations in an Urban Environment
Bed bug infestations adversely affect health and quality of life, particularly among persons living in homeless shelters
Requirements Engineering in Complex Infrastructure: Challenges to the Development and Management of Rail Transport Requirements
This paper investigates information requirements development practices in Australian civil
infrastructure projects characterised by the use of models, methods and tools to support a
strategic approach to asset information lifecycle management. The research study focuses on
rail transport infrastructure where the complexity of rail networks as a cyber-physical systemof-
systems makes it increasingly difficult for current Requirements Engineering (RE) practices
to handle the myriad of requirement types across temporary project supply chains.
Consequently, the RE effort needs to continuously consider multiple disciplinary perspectives
of the process throughout the asset life cycle. Using both literature and interview surveys,
process-oriented challenges to RE are investigated. Findings identify a lack of implementationready
requirements development and management methods supported by interoperable toolchains
that provide integration and automation in requirements traceability and change
management workflows. The paper closes with a discussion on the correlation of our findings
with previous studies and the direction of future research
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