Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade Geometries

This paper evaluates how parts of the building engineering design processes can be automated using software automation, with a focus on the analysis of thermal bridges in façades. Reduced repetition in façade design requires the automation of routine tasks that would otherwise be performed manually...

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Main Authors: Jacopo Montali, Thomas Henriksen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Stichting OpenAccess 2022-12-01
Series:Journal of Facade Design and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jfde.eu/index.php/jfde/article/view/257
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author Jacopo Montali
Thomas Henriksen
author_facet Jacopo Montali
Thomas Henriksen
author_sort Jacopo Montali
collection DOAJ
description This paper evaluates how parts of the building engineering design processes can be automated using software automation, with a focus on the analysis of thermal bridges in façades. Reduced repetition in façade design requires the automation of routine tasks that would otherwise be performed manually. Because full software automation is seldom achievable, a preliminary decision-making process that considers both the effort to create automation and the benefit to exploit it is required. A methodology is presented to achieve beneficial trade-offs between effort and benefits, by using heuristic knowledge. The knowledge was gathered by interviews with façade professionals. The methodology was tested on two case studies based on the analysis of the expected thermal bridge heat loss of two large-scale and low-repetition buildings. The results of the automated process described in the methodology were compared against information obtained from traditional approach, where the engineer/consultant performs each individual task manually. The results shows that the introduction of automation leads to time savings of 44%, if compared to the manual approach.
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spelling doaj.art-88f9ca4366324a15bfd970c335005de82023-03-15T13:52:53ZengStichting OpenAccessJournal of Facade Design and Engineering2213-302X2213-30382022-12-0110110.47982/jfde.2022.1.05Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade GeometriesJacopo Montali0Thomas Henriksen1Henriksen Studio ltdHenriksen Studio ltd This paper evaluates how parts of the building engineering design processes can be automated using software automation, with a focus on the analysis of thermal bridges in façades. Reduced repetition in façade design requires the automation of routine tasks that would otherwise be performed manually. Because full software automation is seldom achievable, a preliminary decision-making process that considers both the effort to create automation and the benefit to exploit it is required. A methodology is presented to achieve beneficial trade-offs between effort and benefits, by using heuristic knowledge. The knowledge was gathered by interviews with façade professionals. The methodology was tested on two case studies based on the analysis of the expected thermal bridge heat loss of two large-scale and low-repetition buildings. The results of the automated process described in the methodology were compared against information obtained from traditional approach, where the engineer/consultant performs each individual task manually. The results shows that the introduction of automation leads to time savings of 44%, if compared to the manual approach. https://jfde.eu/index.php/jfde/article/view/257Façade designprocess automationthermal bridgesbuilding physicsheuristic knowledgesoftware development
spellingShingle Jacopo Montali
Thomas Henriksen
Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade Geometries
Journal of Facade Design and Engineering
Façade design
process automation
thermal bridges
building physics
heuristic knowledge
software development
title Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade Geometries
title_full Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade Geometries
title_fullStr Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade Geometries
title_full_unstemmed Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade Geometries
title_short Process Automation to Improve the Building Engineering Design Analysis of Non-Repetitive Façade Geometries
title_sort process automation to improve the building engineering design analysis of non repetitive facade geometries
topic Façade design
process automation
thermal bridges
building physics
heuristic knowledge
software development
url https://jfde.eu/index.php/jfde/article/view/257
work_keys_str_mv AT jacopomontali processautomationtoimprovethebuildingengineeringdesignanalysisofnonrepetitivefacadegeometries
AT thomashenriksen processautomationtoimprovethebuildingengineeringdesignanalysisofnonrepetitivefacadegeometries