Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness

The popularity of tiny houses is increasing, but the technical details are rarely covered. Therefore, this study examines the structural, stability, weight, and thermal requirements of tiny houses. A configurable SolidWorks model was created, and the location and quantity of structural supports were...

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Main Authors: Michael J. Stratton, II, Lindsay M. Corneal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-06-01
Series:Innovation and Green Development
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949753123000206
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author Michael J. Stratton, II
Lindsay M. Corneal
author_facet Michael J. Stratton, II
Lindsay M. Corneal
author_sort Michael J. Stratton, II
collection DOAJ
description The popularity of tiny houses is increasing, but the technical details are rarely covered. Therefore, this study examines the structural, stability, weight, and thermal requirements of tiny houses. A configurable SolidWorks model was created, and the location and quantity of structural supports were determined by performing structural finite element analyses (FEA). The center of mass, tip angles, overall weight, and tongue weight were computed to ensure stability while stationary or during transit. The heating and cooling needs for the tiny houses were calculated using thermal FEA for twelve cities of varying climates across the United States.The result was a Scilab design tool that takes as input, items such as location, desired size, utility needs, etc. It calculates the materials needed for the structure and the projected cost. This design tool, along with the provided construction drawings, allows the user to build a safer, efficient, and cost-effective tiny house.
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spelling doaj.art-70976d20b80743bb9075856e202daed92023-08-05T05:18:46ZengElsevierInnovation and Green Development2949-75312023-06-0122100052Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectivenessMichael J. Stratton, II0Lindsay M. Corneal1Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401, USACorresponding author.; Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401, USAThe popularity of tiny houses is increasing, but the technical details are rarely covered. Therefore, this study examines the structural, stability, weight, and thermal requirements of tiny houses. A configurable SolidWorks model was created, and the location and quantity of structural supports were determined by performing structural finite element analyses (FEA). The center of mass, tip angles, overall weight, and tongue weight were computed to ensure stability while stationary or during transit. The heating and cooling needs for the tiny houses were calculated using thermal FEA for twelve cities of varying climates across the United States.The result was a Scilab design tool that takes as input, items such as location, desired size, utility needs, etc. It calculates the materials needed for the structure and the projected cost. This design tool, along with the provided construction drawings, allows the user to build a safer, efficient, and cost-effective tiny house.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949753123000206Tiny housesSustainabilitySafetyDesignFinite element analysis (FEA)
spellingShingle Michael J. Stratton, II
Lindsay M. Corneal
Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
Innovation and Green Development
Tiny houses
Sustainability
Safety
Design
Finite element analysis (FEA)
title Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
title_full Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
title_fullStr Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
title_full_unstemmed Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
title_short Development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
title_sort development of a tiny house design tool to increase safety efficiency and cost effectiveness
topic Tiny houses
Sustainability
Safety
Design
Finite element analysis (FEA)
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949753123000206
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