A7 Grades and Closing Thoughts

Hi Everyone,

All of your final assignments were graded as of 12/6, so please let me know if you do not see a grade there.  My apologies for taking longer than normal to grade, but these last few days have been pretty hectic, as I am sure you all are feeling similar stress.  Overall, everyone exhibited a good knowledge of the systems in Stratton Hall.  One thing that a lot of groups omitted was the dedicated paths for materials, people, and vehicles on the circulation diagrams as well as the space allocations.  Don't underestimate the importance of these diagrams, especially as you move into AE391.  It is essential when designing a building to consider how different people or things move through the building.  Building Programming is also really important.  The reason we had you put together those space allocation diagrams is to understand why parts of the building program are clustered together.  Speaking of AE391, please be sure to bookmark all of the AE390 resources, databases, and blogs before it disappears.  Trust me, they help so much!

If you have any questions on your grades for the term, please shoot me an email at amm543@drexel.edu.  If not, I will see you all in AE391.  Hope you all make it through your finals and have a relaxing break!

Happy Holidays!! :)

~Arthur

A7 Class Presentation Grading

Here are the in-class averages for your evaluations of the presentations in the different categories.  You were somewhat more charitable than I would have been, but the results are being used for the 5 points of A7.  Only one group got 4/5 points.  All others received 5/5.

Average of Attendance	100%
Average of Teamwork	96%
Average of Audibility	92%
Average of Content	95%
Average of Overall	96%

Here are my comments on what I would ideally have seen improved.

• All groups focusing on presentation skills, using appropriate media (not just website scrolling).
• More discussion of why was the specific system design chosen.
• More discussion of how you checked the actual design against values that you calculated.

Nonetheless you displayed overall good knowledge of the systems in Stratton Hall.  Congratulations and enjoying being designers next term.

Foundations

Question:

For the foundations presentation, what exactly are you looking for? 

I [thought] that the geotechnical systems of the soils would play a major role in the foundations but it really doesn't so I would really like your input. 

Response:

The foundation system is a combination of the soils on which the building rests and the below-grade structure that transfers the building loads into the soils.  Typically one needs to address a number of questions, giving and labeling assumptions if necessary:

• What is the soil profile, down to the bedrock if it's anywhere near the surface?
• What are the bearing capacities of those soils?
• What members of the above-grade structure carry loads into the soils?
• Typically these are either columns or bearing walls
• What are the magnitudes of loads being transferred through those above-grade structures?
• What are the below-grade structures that transfer the loads to the soils?
• What are the sizes and stresses in those below-grade structures?
• Why was that system below-grade system chosen over other possible systems?
• Here's a search link that illustrates many types of such below-grade foundation systems.

Lighting Fixture Information

Question:

I am working on the electrical system section for my group and can't seem to find a light fixture schedule anywhere in the 2013 drawings.  I didn't see any such information in the original drawings either.  Please let me know which fixtures and manufacturers I can look up to acquire more information on this.  Thank you for your time.

Response:

About all I can recommend is that you classify them generally (e.g. 2x4 fluorescent; Incandescent recessed downlight) and pick something from the internet that approximates it.  Making a reasonable assumption, with a note that it’s an assumption, is better than ignoring things.

A6 Grades and Comments

Hi Everyone,

Your HVAC Selection assignments have now been graded, and were very well done.  One thing that I was really looking for was comments on the results of the criteria matrix, and whether or not that made sense for the given building type.  Even if the matrix did not produce a very logical choice, it was important to address what the difficulties might be in applying it to atypical building types.  Overall, the assignments were very well done though.  I encourage you all to save these for your use in AE391 and Senior Design.  HVAC has been a traditionally difficult aspect to those courses, and having these will help you narrow down important considerations when selecting a system.  Also, as you move into the final project, remember to be as detailed as possible in your analysis.  Now that you have a lot of the information readily available to you, the final submissions should be reflective of that.

If you want to resubmit your HVAC Selection for 2/3 of the points back, the link to improved website is due to my email, amm543@drexel.edu, by midnight next Saturday, November 19th, with a short description of what you have changed.

Have a good week and Thanksgiving!
~Arthur

Assignment 5 Grades and Comments

Hi Everyone!

      I have graded your A5 submissions and, like the previous assignment, saw a very high average in the A range.  For the most part, every system was discussed in good detail that warranted full points.  One of the most common issues that resulted in a loss of points was the lack of discussion in the numeric parameters section.  This part was given 30 points, and full points were not provided unless you discussed each of the presented parameters and how it effects system design.  Other than that, there were minor points deducted for things like not mentioning the class definition of a system for each HVAC system analyzed.  When working on your decision matrix for A6, I know it is easy to disregard a lot of these secondary systems for popular systems like VAV, CAV, Rooftop Package, etc., but take what you have learned about the advantages to things like chilled beam, geothermal, and other less conventional systems to cater your matrix to potential consider these systems as well.

     If you want to resubmit your A5 for 2/3 of the points back, re-submissions are due next week, Wednesday November 9th, at midnight to my email, amm543@drexel.edu.  As always, if you all have any questions, please let me know!  If not, have a great week!

~Arthur

Assignment 4 Grades and Comments

Hi Everyone,

      The grades for the Structural Selection Assignment are posted now for your viewing.  This assignment had the highest average in the class so far, and reflects good performance from the class as a whole.  The most common mistake was leaving out numeric parameters when describing the systems.  I also think that it is important to note some discrepancies between the decision results and what are actually used in practice.  It is important to realize that these methods are not absolute, and, in practice, the system is usually verified by an experienced PE.  While chosen systems were, in some cases, slight deviations from what would be ideal systems for your building type, you all were mostly on the right track, and none of the systems you chose would be inappropriate.

     Even though the grades were very high, if you decide to get a few points back and want to resubmit for 2/3 of the points back, you will have until next Wednesday, November 2nd at midnight to email them to me at amm543@drexel.edu.  As always, if you all have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to me!

Have a good week,

~Arthur