Blog 10: Senior Project: The Holiday

Content:

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you over the break with your senior project?

I did more detailed drawings on the SMRF (Special Movement Restraint Frame Elevation). Specifically I worked on the footings the panel zones of the SMRF, drawing more details such as indicating bolts and welding. 

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

The most important thing I've learned from what I did is that there's always a lot of support in keeping a structure intact. There's never one main component holding a structure together; every single support structure is important. When a structure is specifically designed for earthquakes, there are more supports and that the supports are also composed of even more supports. For example, a footing connects with a column through bolts, hinges, welding and a grade beam. Inside the grade beam contains more bolts, hinges, and welding. Also, the footing is also surrounded by soil to not only withstand the load of the building, but also to put the footings in place with the beams.  This learning experience comes from the knowledge of my mentor and the blue prints that were given too me.

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I would talk to my mentor because he has done simulations of buildings reactions to earthquakes on the computer and he also has over 20 years of experience in his career.

I would maybe also ask the boss of my mentor, since he has more experience as a structural engineer than my mentor.

Pad Footings

Recently, I've been working on footings during my mentorship. Footings are the foundations of a structure or building (basically holds the structure/building in place). One type of footing that I've been working on is the pad footing. Pad footings are designed to be embedded in the soil, transferring the buildings' load to the soil. Pad footings are usually placed below a gradient beam, made of concrete, and is connected with column that goes through the gradient beam. This can all be seen in the picture below.

Also, on one of my previous posts, I had to redo the panel zone, since my mentor made some changes to make the drawings simpler for me to draw. This can be seen on the picture below.

Manuals for Building Element Measurements

During my mentorship, I've been starting to use more books to help me calculate building elements. Most engineers can't remember every scale or measurement for every single building element. There are too many components for each type of building element for a single engineer to memorize. These components can be weight, height, depth, thickness, dimensions, etc. Recently, I've been studying more on a building element called Wide Flanges. Wide Flanges help stabilize beams and also let the beams expand their limber properties. To find the measurements to find the weight capacity of the beams, I have to consider these wide flanges in the equation. This book (on the bottom) helps not only give me the measurements for different sizes of Wide Flanges, but also for all steel building elements.

On the top left hand corner of this page there's a picture that's in a shape of an I. That picture is an example of a Wide Flange. This page also shows an example of what measurements structural engineers have to look for during their work hours.

EQ

1.   I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

Essential Question 
Once a topic is chosen, the student will develop a working essential question.  The purpose of the working essential question is to help the student build a strong foundation of research which will allow him or her to create an essential question that encourages depth and rigor in the chosen topic.  An essential question must:

·                     Provide a framework for studies (It calls for breadth and depth of research, Is not a yes/no question)

·                     Takes a stance (Allows you to argue some point, Cannot be a recitation of facts or a list)

·                      Format (It is specific, The wording makes sense)

2.  Review the following EQs and

·                     Tell us if it meets the rule of 3 criteria.

·                     Tell why it does or why it doesn't

 a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

There are many factors to losing weight in a healthy process. For examples, spicy food increases an individual's metabolism compared to other types of food. This can go on to further research on the chemical compounds of spicy food and how this can contribute to weight loss. Since there is more than one answer to this question, it's very easy to take a stance in one effective routine for healthy weight loss. So yes this follows the rule of three because it's specific in what type of weight loss (healthy), there are many answers to answer this question, and there is lots of scientific research involved in finding factors for healthy weight loss.

 b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

I would say this follows most of the rule of three because there are many options to find a criminal guilty such as DNA testing, so it's easy for someone to take a stance to choose what the best way to convict criminals is. The only issue I have with this question is I don't know what type of person is being convicted. So I wouldn't say this question meets the rule of three.

 c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

Same as part b, I wouldn't say this question follows all the rules in the rule of three because it's not clear on what type of demographic the question is aiming for. The question should specifically cite what type of customer because different demographics have different interests in style.

 d.  How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

Yes this follows the rule of three because the question is specific on who is treating the chronic pain, its shows that there can be research because chronic pain isn't an easy topic, and it's easy to take a stance because there are many ways in medicine and therapy to treat chronic pain.

3.  Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.

How can a structural engineer design structural parts for a building to be resistant towards earthquakes?

Panel Zone

This is a close up of the panel zone. Basically, the panel zone is purposely used to weaken the upper beam of the SMRF (Special Moment Restrain Frame). I mentioned this during my lesson 1 presentation, but not a close up view. In this perspective, it shows how the panel zone connects with the column and the SSDA beam (the upper beam). There's lots of welding within the steel between the column and the beam. Currently, I'm still trying to redraw this panel zone (it's the picture without any labels).

Research and Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?

How can a structural engineer design a hospital that provides the best resistance towards earthquakes in California?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format.  Examples:

Understanding the earthquake stresses that impact a hospital will help structural engineers create new building codes to designing better structures for hospitals in California.

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ? 

The most important source that has helped me come with my answer to my working EQ is the book that my mentor, and the book given by my mentor, Building Construction Illustrated Second Edition.

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

 My mentor is Tzuoh-Jaw Wu, structural engineer associate. I volunteer at the company called, Kanda and Tso, and at home. Recently, I have been learning how to calculate loads and stresses. Loads and stresses relate to my working EQ because earthquakes causes stress around the foundation of the building, each structural element composed in a building has certain limits in the amount of load it can carry. By understanding the limitations of the amount load each structurally element can carry, I can understand how structural elements withstands earthquakes. I also been learning how to use the AutoCAD, which is a software that lets me design structural parts for buildings. Learning to design is important because I can create structural elements and I visually see where an earthquake would impact a building.

Independent Component 1 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

First, my mentor will teach me the basic duties of a structural engineer. He will let me practice these duties during my mentorship.

Once, I've learned the basics of what my mentor thinks I'm capable of doing, I'm going to do a series of calculations of components that affect buildings. These components range from dead loads, live loads, lengths of columns and beams (specifically), and the weight of columns and beams. During these calculations, I will be using a book that gives a list of measurements of each building element.

I will also be doing lots of work on the computer. My mentor does most of his drawings on paper, so I will be helping transfer those drawings on the computer. My mentor will also tell me what building components he wants me to design on the computer for his future building projects.  

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I'm going to take pictures of my calculations and drawings and I will post these pictures on the blog. I will also physically bring the actual work of my calculations for my independent component.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

I will be reading text books to give me more of an overview of different loads that affects buildings and different building elements. I will also be learning more about the engineering design program, AutoCAD, so I can see a better picture of what I am designing.