May Extra Blog Post

Recently, I finished a TV series called Prison Break. When I first started watching this TV series, I thought it would just be a bunch murders and thieves trying to break out of prison. However, in the first few episodes, the main character, Michael, is a structural engineer. This is how I started to become more fond of this TV show, because I'm wondering how does a structural engineer break out his brother and a bunch of criminals out of prison. Since Michael was a structural engineer, before he went to prison, he already has knowledge of the entire structure of the prison because he looked into the blueprints of the prison. However, it's impossible for a single person to just memorize an entire blueprint. So before Michael goes to prison, he went to a tattoo shop and tattoos the blueprint of the prison onto his skin by camouflaging the blueprint using a drawing from the Sistine Chapel (I think). From this, Michael uses this blueprint as his advantage and he and his group of buddies later escape the prison.

Of course, I don't want to be a criminal, but I just never would have thought structural engineering would be useful in dire situations, especially in a prison. Anyways, I just wanted to show that having knowledge of building structures can be used in extreme situations and that I really like the show Prison Break.

Here's Michael, the main character of Prison Break.

Blog 22: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I'm proud of my power point because I created 64 slides for my presentation and I believe this helped me to exceed the required time limit for this block presentation. I'm also proud of creating my activity. I thought my activity tied really well with my first and second answers to my EQ. 

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?
AE

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE/P+

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
 

My mentorship overall worked really well throughout my senior project because of what I did at mentorship. The AutoCAD work really helped me with a lot of my presentations because it showed not only my work at mentorship, but it also really connected with my EQ. AutoCAD was also important because it was good reference for my foundation and my answer (when I explain the SMRF).

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

I felt like it would have been more beneficial for me to find a class that either taught AutoCAD or the basics of structural engineering. Instead of doing more mentorship, if I could go back in time, I would've taken a class instead of doing more mentorship hours for my independent components. Doing extra mentorship hours consumed a lot of my time and I had a little bit of some time management issues with my classes because of this.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

I'm going to be majoring in electrical engineering, and my mentorship throughout the year helped me get ahead in my major. Most engineers use AutoCAD software and I believe by being just a little familiar with this software will help me progress more in my electrical engineering career. Senior project has also shown me an engineer's daily job. During my mentorship, I met a few younger engineers (there about in their late 20's or early 30's) and most of their job is too just go on AutoCAD software and design and check structures. So this gave me an insight of what my future may hold during my beginnings when I actually become an electrical engineer.

Blog 21: Mentorship

Literal

Link is on the side of my blog labeled mentorship log hours under the heading mentorship.

Contact Name: Tzouh-Jaw Wu
Mentorship Place: Kanda and Tso Consulting Structural Engineers

Interpretive

What is the most important thing you gained from this experience and why?

The experience I gained most from this mentorship was my design in AutoCAD. I do want to purse an engineering career in the future so having a first hand experience with AutoCAD helps be better with a program that I will definitely use in the future. The AutoCAD is extremely cool (although it's not the most updated version), showing how buildings and structures are shaped on paper before it's being built on the ground. This experience also showed me how difficult AutoCAD can be during an engineer's career. There are still many applications that I still need to learn on AutoCAD, or at least I haven't learned the faster methods in drawing structures. Most of the engineers at my mentorship used AutoCAD and used it to communicate with other engineers, which I didn't know until I went to this mentorship.

Applied

How has what you've done helped you to answer your EQ? Please explain.

Most of my mentorship included my time on AutoCAD, designing structures. This was really helped me answer my EQ because it gave me a better foundation leading to my current three answers. My topic, structural engineering, is a complex topic, so having better foundation was really important. For example, my answer 1 focused on particular structure, which came from my AutoCAD work during my mentorship. My mentorship also gave me connections with a lot of engineers that helped give me the ideas to my answers or helped clarify my answers. For example, I was researching seismic analysis and I came across equivalent static analysis. During my interviews, I asked questions regarding equivalent static analysis and was given responses on how this analysis measures a building's acceleration with an earthquake's load. After being given solid information, I then proceeded to make anlaysis as part of my second answer towards my EQ.

Overall, mentorship has given me a hands one experience on the design aspect, AutoCAD, which helped gave me a better foundation on how structures were used for earthquake resistance. This foundation helped inspire me to research other ideas for my answers to my EQ. My mentorship also gave me many important resources by providing lots of professional engineers at my mentorship. These engineers helped me gain many primary sources for my answers, but more clarity on the information of my answers.

April Extra Post

Rivet

article: Rivet Article
My mentor always tells me that his firm should teach this program, rivet to his employees. However, because the program is expensive and takes some time to learn the program, there is only one employee learning how to use Rivet. In this article I read, it seems that Rivet is getting popular in the engineering industry because this program can save lots of time for an engineer to work. Rivet shows the entire BIM model, a 3D image of the entire structure, and through applying the BIM model, engineers can design a building from the ground up. Another major advancement of Rivet is the usage of Autodesk QTO. Autodesk QTO not translates the 3D structures or the 2D structures and accounts what materials are needed to build these structures.

AutoCAD has also improved and can also convert 2D structures into 3D structures. However, the main difference between AutoCAD and Rivet is that Rivet is a single representation of the model of the building whereas AutoCAD, focuses on parts of a building.

    Rivet

Blog 20: Exit Interview

1. What is your essential question and answers? What is your best answer and why?

EQ: How can a structural engineer best design a building for earthquake resistance?

1st Answer: Creating a better foundation, using SMRF with isolators.

2nd Answer: Through performing different types of seismic analyses on buildings can contribute in designing a building for earthquake resistance.

3rd Answer: Following all the details in the ASCE 7 code will help provide a basic model in designing earthquake resistance buildings.

Best Answer: Through performing different types of seismic analyses on buildings can contribute in designing a building for earthquake resistance is the best answer.

This is my best answer because according to Mark Austin, from the department of civil engineering, University of Maryland, from 0 to 2 sec., the column's displacement changed from 0 cm to about 0.65cm because of time history analysis (ESA). My second answer primarily focuses on seismic analyses, and with the development of exponential growth in technology, these analyses will improve every year giving better and more accurate results. Seismic analysis isn't just an engineer inspection of a building to check for specifics on how a buildings needs to improve when a potential earthquake hits. According to "Time history analysis as a method of implementing performance based design." by Bill Tremayne a professional structural engineer from the NZSEE, analysis can carry earthquake simulations ran by engineering software calculating solutions on how a building will function before the building is built, I was considering my answer 3 to be my best answer, because it lists all earthquake resistant guidelines of a building. However, according to USGS, US Geological Survey, and the Nisee Conference in Berkeley, engineers constantly debate whether to change certain guidelines, specifically earthquake resistant standards of ASCE 7 building code. In fact, as I researched ASCE.org (American Society of Civil Engineers), there are different versions of ASCE 7 code, ASCE 7-05 (year 2005) and ASCE 7-10 (year 2010). My answer 1, also could not be a candidate as the best answer because it was solely based on foundation (the structure of the building, not foundation for my presentation). Throughout my research in International Journal of Physical Sciences, there are more specific structures that are affected by earthquakes in a building than just the foundation. For example, my answer specifically states SMRF and isolators which includes a structure with beams and columns. Throughout my research in a novel written and published by structural engineers from New York, The Vertical Building Structure, beams and columns are structures that contain most of axial load, vertical load, and horizontal load coming from a building. Beams and columns are placed everywhere within a building, so although a foundations building is important, it's in the best interest of a structural engineer to design a building that also focuses on smaller details like beam and columns.

2. What process did you take to arrive at this answer? 

 When I started to research more on building codes, before and after my fourth interview, I found that these building codes include both of my answers in a few guidelines. So this is when I created my third answer. During my fourth interview when I asked questions such as, "How does building code ASCE 7 have an effect on earthquake resistance? My interviewee's response was engineers have to follow every guideline of ASCE 7; however, the codes guidelines always change due to debates of engineers to improve the code. When the assignment of making Three Column Logic Chart was assigned, I was tempted to place my third answer as my best answer. However, because the building code ASCE 7 included to many lists of answer to my guidelines and was always updated by debates of engineers, I knew it was more reliable to focus on a more specific answer, so during my three column logic chart is when I finally choose my second answer my best answer.

As I was researching my first answer, I would type specifically on Google search, best earthquake resistant structures. I would never be given a specific structure such as the one in my answer 1, SMRF (Special Moment Restraint Frame System, which I found by talking to my mentor professional structural engineer, TJ Wu), but I would always find terms that include word analysis, specifically time history analysis and equivalent static analysis. I knew this would be a crucial and important factor in formulating my next answer, so I decided to research more building seismic analyses. Reading from International Journal of Physical Sciences and Structure Magazine usually written by Susan Dowty, I understood that most of these analyses were used to simulate buildings with earthquakes to prepare for potential earthquakes, but at the time I needed to attain more knowledge on seismic analyses. It wasn't until during my third interview with professional structural engineer from South Pasadena, Casey Piedra, responded my question, "How does a design for earthquake resistance make a building safer?" with an explanation how time history analysis can measure a building's area during an earthquake loads impact on computer software that I understood the impact of time history analysis. This is when I decided to use analysis as a second answer to my EQ. As I researched more on specific types of analysis: ground motion maps, time history analysis, and equivalent static analysis, for my next interview I started to formulate answers based on the how effective these analyses were. So during my fourth interview, I asked questions such as,  "How do you incorporate earthquake time history analysis in the buildings you have designed? or Can you give me an example of how equivalent dynamic analysis has benefited a building in earthquake resistance?" According to my interviewee, my mentor's ex-co worker and structural engineer, Vinh Dao, from Orange County, his response that because each of these analyses measured earthquake loads: accelerations, moments, displacement, etc., comparing with a building's mass, the results of these analyses are beneficial for buildings.

3. What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?

Most of my problems during my senior project came from driving to my mentorship and understanding my senior topic. My mentorship is located in my mentor's workplace in South Pasadena and I live in Rancho Cucamonga. Most of my mentorship days were on Wednesday, since I always have more time during this day. Still the driving would consume lots of my time and I basically go home when my dad is off of work. To resolve this issue, I asked my mentor, if I could grab copy of the AutoCAD software and download it to my computer. My mentorship mostly consisted of me designing structures, so by downloading AutoCAD onto my computer I can do my mentorship also at home.

My other problem was understanding the material of my senior project. Most of my research included engineering with physics and math procedures that were above my level of education. To resolve this, I would ask questions about the purpose and the procedure of how a structure works, not in terms of math and physics, to my mentor or during my interviews. For example, during my fourth interview one of my questions was, "Can you give me an example of how equivalent dynamic analysis has benefited a building in earthquake resistance?"

4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

My two most significant sources in answering my essential question are my mentor and a book called The Vertical Building Structure by Wolfgang Schueller. My mentor has over 20 years of experience in the structural engineering industry and is currently placed as an associate at his firm, Kanda and Tso Consulting Structural Engineers. My mentor is always helpful in my research or at mentorship when I have to design a structure in explaining it with simple terms. The book called The Vertical Building Structure by Wolfgang Schueller, is significant in answering my EQ because it shows pictures of specific structures are shaped, such as bolts and steel frames. The book also focuses on mid to high rise buildings, so much of the content is based on earthquake loads and how does the shape and ductility of a building resist these loads, since mid to high rise buildings are more vulnerable to earthquakes. 

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) “I, Wesley Wu, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) My mentor Tzouh-Jaw Wu, professional structural engineer, helped me complete this independent component. My mentor is always there to help me during my mentorship or independent component hours. 
(c) Independent Component 2 Log Sheet Hours
(d) I designed many foundation structures, because it connects with my answers in better designing a building for earthquake resistance. Most of the foundation structures I drew consisted of footings, connectors, and column beam structures. Before, I start designing the structures, my mentor gives a simplistic summary and purpose of the design. He would include engineering terminology such as the relationships between the impact of building loads onto the footing, and axial loads on the columns. After my mentor is finished giving his explanation, I design the drawing and have my mentor proofread my work. Structural engineers, one of their purposes is to proofread entire building blueprints, which also includes other buildings part that are not associated with structural engineering. It's the job of a structural engineer to make a building safe.
Sometimes when I don't have to design structures. I do research on seismic analyses and building codes. The mentorship doesn't have programs with seismic analyses because there expensive and are not used at a common structural engineering firm. Usually universities use seismic analyses and experiment on buildings with seismic forces.

INTERPRETIVE 

This is a column and footing structure I helped design.

This the footing schedule (specifically for the picture above). The footing schedule shows a list of standard values for certain structural parts and identifies each structural part.

This is detail B of  the connection between typical beam and steel column that I drew on AutoCAD

This is detail C of  the connection between typical beam and steel column that I drew on AutoCAD

APPLIED
This component helped me answer my EQ because most of the designs dealt with foundation structures, which are always used to provide the most earthquake resistance for a building. My first answer dealt with only one specific foundation structure so now I can list other foundation structures to reinforce my first answer, having a better foundation. This independent component also gave me a better understanding on my answer 3 regarding to building code ASCE 7. Engineers have to always follow a procedure of building codes and cannot use their own imagination to design structures. As I was design structural parts on AutoCAD, I noticed that there were many schedules or lists of values and labels and structural parts. My mentor always explained how that these values come from building codes and that engineers need to input these values in their calculations because these codes are usually accurate in keeping a building strong and sturdy whether it was against earthquake or other circumstances. So to summarize, this component helped me gain more experience in designing structures, which helped me better understand my answer 1 and answer 3.

March Extra Post: USArray Ground Motion Visualization

USArray Ground Motion Visualization look at the recorded seismic waves amplitude from each seismometer location show how seismic waves travel from earthquakes. There are different colors which represents different symbols on each recorded seismic wave amplitude. The colors determine the vertical ground motion coming from the seismic amplitude waves. In this video it mostly shows the seismic wave amplitudes in red and blue. The color red represents upward ground motion, while the color blue represents downward motion. The USArray Ground Motion Visualization is an important source specifically for my answer 2 of my EQ. My answer 2 explains how the effect of seismic analyses better design a building for earthquake resistance. One of my details in my answer 2 is ground motion maps. I didn't fully understand or a solid source of ground motion maps, which is why the USArray Ground Motion Visualization provided me a better illustration on how ground motion maps are utilized.