Proposal
Thesis Proposal Draft
Revised Thesis Proposal
Demonstration Breadths
Breadth 1- Structural
The first breadth I am conducting will be a structural analysis of the addition to support the different façade assembly options outlined in Depth 1. As mentioned, the current façade is a precast concrete panel system. Each panel weighs upwards of 16-tons and required additional structure, in the form of HSS tubes, to be added onto the exterior columns to hold the panels. A picture of the current connection is below:
My analysis will focus mainly on ensuring the current structure can withstand the new load imposed by the subsequent changes in the façade assembly. I will be analyzing multiple façade options and will conduct a structural analysis of the exterior columns and beams for each option. If the structure cannot withstand the new loads, I will resize the structure to meet the required loads. I will use SP Column and hand calculations, based on AE 404, to perform the analysis and determine if the column sizes need to increase or decrease. I will also conduct a cost analysis if the structure needs to change.
Breadth 2 - Mechanical
The second breadth I will be conducting will be a mechanical analysis of each of the different facade assemblies analyzed in my depth. With a change in material, the insulation properties will also change. This resulting change will cause a shift in the mechanical loads that were initially designed to match the current façade assembly. Because this is a hospital and not a high-rise building, every floor has strict mechanical loads that have to be met. The mechanical system for the surgical floor will differ from the emergency department and the patient floors.
My analysis will include calculating the R-values for each of the wall assemblies and comparing them to the current system. From there, I will assess if they meet the energy code standards for the region. If they do not meet the standard, I will look at options to modify the assembly to meet the standards and complete a cost analysis if needed. In addition to meeting the regional codes, each floor will also need to reach a required level to attain proper comfort and mechanical efficiency. It is also important to check whether the overall mechanical system will be more or less efficient with the different façade types. I will review the current specs for the mechanical properties on each floor to ensure the proposed options meet the criteria.
MAE Requirements
I will be using my MAE coursework to conduct analysis within my thesis project. I will be using techniques and concepts about SIPS and production analysis from AE 570. This course has provided key materials that I can utilize to perform in-depth analysis for construction depths. I will also utilize information that I learned about Building Information Modeling from AE 597. This course provided insights on how to create a BIM Project Execution Plan and how to determine the feasible uses of BIM on a project.
Executive Summary
This objective of this proposal is to outline the processes and research needed to perform analysis of the Central Pennsylvania Hospital. The first construction depth will look at the building façade assembly. The current façade was installed to meet owner requirements, but analysis to determine if there could be a more cost-effective assembly will be performed. The second depth will focus on the overall construction schedule. A production analysis will be performed to show that using SIPS for increasing productivity will shorten the schedule. The third depth will perform analysis of the installation and constructability of prefabricated electrical rooms. Reviewing costs and schedule sequences will determine if prefabrication is feasible for these rooms. My final depth is about researching Prevention Through Design. Literature reviews and interviews with industry professionals will gather data to show the cost implications that are associated with not taking facility management tasks into consideration during the design phase of the project. Along with my four depths, I will conduct a structural and a mechanical breadth within the analysis of the façade assembly. The structural breadth will focus on the potential column and beam size changes needed to support the researched assemblies. The mechanical breadth will take a look at the insulation requirements that each assembly will require and how they meet the mechanical requirements.
Newsfeed
7/22 - Received Drawings and Specifications
7/22 - Received Owner Permission
10/15 - Building Statistics Added to Website
10/28 - Building Statistics 2 Added to Website
5/4 - Website was Updated and the Final Report and Presentation were Added
5/4 - CPEP Site Complete