BIMtopia

Jun Li

Link to Design Journal
Jun Li
Journal Entry For
Module 8 - Share Your Design
ACC Folder Link
https://acc.autodesk.com/docs/files/projects/7a6d9404-5c50-4d49-acbd-cf67d7302936?folderUrn=urn%3Aadsk.wipprod%3Afs.folder%3Aco.O7BqwDY4RyyHztQo91HmPw&viewModel=detail&moduleId=folders

Overview:

This Column Spacing Based Embodied Carbon Calculator is designed to calculate the material cost, material weight, and total global warming potential (Cradle-to-Gate, which refers to the CO2eq of the product from its production to enter the store). This tool takes building height, building length, building width, floor height, and column spacing (from 10 to 50 ft) as inputs. When increasing the column spacing, column and beam sizes, and the number of beams will also increase to support the building. When column spacing is smaller or equal to 20 ft, it will use timber as the material of columns and beams; when column spacing is larger than 20ft, it will use steel as the primary material. So it is easy to compare the difference in the global warming potential between a traditional design (steel) and sustainable design (timber).

Figure 1: Mass Timber Structure Design
Figure 1: Mass Timber Structure Design
Figure 2: Corresponding Output of Timber Design
Figure 2: Corresponding Output of Timber Design
Figure 3: Steel Structural Design
Figure 3: Steel Structural Design
Figure 4: Corresponding Output of Steel Design
Figure 4: Corresponding Output of Steel Design

Figures 2 and 4 show the different outputs from timber and steel design respectively. There is a huge difference between the GWPs.

Figure 5: Overall Workspace
Figure 5: Overall Workspace

The model is built by creating the base rectangular surface and penalizing the UV direction as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Create Surface and Penalize the surfaces
Figure 6: Create Surface and Penalize the surfaces

Figure 7 shows the logic of changing the number of beams based on the column spacing. I used if statement to accomplish this purpose.

Figure 7: Calculating Number of Beams based on Column Spacing
Figure 7: Calculating Number of Beams based on Column Spacing

Figure 8 shows the logic of selecting beams and columns based on column spacing. When column spacing is smaller than 20ft, timber is used as the structural material; when greater than 20ft, steel is chosen. In addition, column and beam sizes are increasing too.

Figure 8: Selecting Columns and Beams based on Column Spacing
Figure 8: Selecting Columns and Beams based on Column Spacing

For material weight, material cost, and embodied carbon calculation, the same logic is used. Different column spacing will result in different values for these calculations.

Figure 9: Material Weight Calculation
Figure 9: Material Weight Calculation
Figure 10: Material Cost and Embodied Carbon Calculation
Figure 10: Material Cost and Embodied Carbon Calculation

Video Demo:

Link: https://office365stanford-my.sharepoint.com/personal/junli1_stanford_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fjunli1_stanford_edu%2FDocuments%2FTool.mp4&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fjunli1_stanford_edu%2FDocuments&ga=1