Quantifying the impact of providing model-based cost visualization on the design of steel frame structures
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Structural engineers are challenged to accurately estimate the cost implications of design decisions, particularly early in the design process. Structural engineers face these challenges because they lack both important data and the multi-disciplinary expertise required to accurately assess the cost of steel structures during early design. This thesis presents a method to visualize the cost implications of design decisions for steel frame structures in the context of the Building Information Model (BIM). The intent is to empower engineers to make more informed design decisions early in the design process when those decisions have the greatest influence. The proposed method enables engineers to accurately assess material, fabrication, and erection costs, and provides actionable guidance on where to focus efforts to improve the design and how to do the same. This is achieved using visualization methods like relative color mapping and notifications that clearly describe cost drivers in the context of decisions that designers have control over. An existing estimation method is used to provide visual cost feedback based on supplier cost data provided by steel mills, fabricators, and erectors. This data is combined with information from the analytical model to automatically detail the structure to produce specific quantities required to estimate fabrication and erection costs. The research goes further to validate the visualization method and to quantify its impact on design decisions and how those decisions affect the overall design outcome. I apply the method to a two-dimensional 1x10 special moment steel frame and illustrate the difference in design outcome, cost and weight between a frame designed using the proposed visual feedback method, and one using conventional methods, without visual cost feedback. The experimental validation showed that the designers who did have access to cost feedback were able to attain 13% cost savings, or about $13,000 for the specific case, but with a 2.7% heavier structure. The results highlight the limitations and challenges of designing to cost using current design practices, and demonstrate the importance of providing visual cost feedback to designers in order to make more informed design decisions that improve overall product economy and quality.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2016 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Hamamji, Henry |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. |
| Advisor | Fischer, Martin, 1960 July 11- |
| Advisor | Flager, Forest, 1978- |
| Thesis advisor | Fischer, Martin, 1960 July 11- |
| Thesis advisor | Flager, Forest, 1978- |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Henry Hamamji. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Engineering)--Stanford University, 2016. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2016 by Henry Hamamji
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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