Structural analysis of a buidling using Robot Structural Analysis

  Question 1 :-

• What are HVAC systems? Why are they essential in the modeling of buildings?

  Answer :-

• HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.
• HVAC refers to the different systems used for moving air between indoor and outdoor areas, along with heating and cooling in both residential and commercial buildings.
• HVAC are the systems that keep you warm and cozy in the winter and feeling cool and fresh in the summer.
• HVAC also provide filter and clean indoor air to keep you healthy and maintain humidity level at optimal comfort level. 

  The HVAC System is essential in the modelling of the buildings as :-

• HVAC systems control the overall climate in the building. They also make the proper adjustments whenever we experience changes in outdoor temperature.
• During the winter season, the HVAC systems (mainly the boilers or heaters) work to keep the indoor temperature at a comfortable level.
• In hotter times of the season, the HVAC systems regulate air temperature by providing the necessary cooling to keep the entire building comfortable.
• Having a comfortable office climate increases the level of productivity as the employees feel comfortable. And when they are comfortable, their minds and body tend to function better, leading them to deliver better job results.
• HVAC systems not only regulate the temperature inside the building, but also improve the quality of air which make it appropriate for human breathing and comfort. It reduces the humidity also so that the occupants can enjoy a better atmosphere. This is very useful in buildings or underground spaces where ventilation is limited.
• HVAC systems help to achieve more savings when it comes to energy bills.
• Modern HVACs are now automatic, so we don't waste energy when we forget to turn them off at night. Schedules and conditions can now be set. For instance, the newer air conditioner will stop working when it senses the temperature desired is already achieved and will start working again when it senses a drop in temperature.
• Some units can even tell when the occupants already left the premises and automatically shuts down. Since the air conditioner won't work continuously, more energy can be saved. 

  Question 2 :-

• From week 7 assignment, based on the building designed use the same Revit file to design a HVAC system for each floor to cover the topics included in the class.

1. Typical HVAC unit includes Distribution center
2. Collector
3. Ducts
4. Blower

• Based on the layout choose appropriate ducts and elevation using property browser and assign the components to appropriate groups to complete modeling of the HVAC unit

  Answer :-

  Steps for Laying HVAC System :- 

• Open a new mechanical template and save it with appropriate name.

• Go to collaborate tab and click on collaborate tool.
• Next collaborate dialog box appears select within network option and click on "OK".
• Draw the grids and specify their coordinates to 0'-0".
• Now use the Link Revit Option to link any Architectural model.

• Then select acquired coordinates and select the project to set the coordinates same as the host.

• Now go to the "system" tab and Select the "Air Terminal" Tool from Ribbon.

• Now select Supply Diffuser and place them to the required area of the plan.
• Now select Return Diffuser and place them to the required area of the plan.
• Now click on "Mechanical Equipment" and Select the "Air Handling Unit".

• Place the "Split System"at the required place.

   Creating Ducts :-

• First Select all the "Return Diffuser" and AHU unit and click on "Duct".
• Create the duct and give name to the duct system as per choice.
• Then Click on the "Generate the Layout" and choice one of the layout option shown by the system and then click on "Finish".

• Now Select all the "Supply Diffuser" and AHU unit and click on "Duct".
• Create the duct and give name to the duct system as per choice.
• Then Click on the "Generate the Layout" and choice one of the layout option shown by the system and then click on "Finish".

  NOTE :-

• While Creating the HVAC System, take good care of the levels of the Diffusers so that they may not intersect with each other.

   RESULT :-

   Plan view of HVAC System Created :-

  Question 3 :-

• Use the add-ins tab to load plug-ins for robot structural analysis to your Revit software.

  Answer :-

   Steps to add-ins tab to load plug-ins for Robot Structural Analysis for Revit Software :- 

• First check whether the Robot Structural Analysis is enabled or not.
• If not avaliable, Download it from Autodesk store.
• Click on the trolley logo (or) shopping cart logo on the Right-Top side of Revit Software App.

• The Autodesk store opens, in the search box type Robot Structure Analysis followed by the respective version/ year of the revit.
• Then Download and Install the Tool into your System.

• The Robot Atructural Analysis will be reflected in our Revit Software.

  Question 4 :-

• Why do we need to assess buildings/analyze while modeling elements? Does design affect modeling in anyways?

  Answer :-

• Structural Analysis is one of the most important components in the building design. The Structure framework acts as a skeleton work frame to the building.
• All the loads are being taken in the Structural part and the Architectural part plays an important role to appearance of building.
• Structural analysis has major role to a building to know how much load the building can take and how long will it's strenght stays.
• Before the construction of the building, we do not have all the components installed in the building like walls and other components. So, we analyse by taking appropriate load values to calculate the Strength and different force that acts on the structure.
• The results of the analysis are used in construction and to determine how much load the structure can take.
• Structural analysis is thus a key part of the Engineering Design structures.
• It is a method by which we find out how a structure or a member of a structure behaves when subjected to different loads and load combinations.
• The results of the analysis are used to verify the structure's strength for its uses.
• During analysis we find out the supports reaction, bending moment, rotation, stresses, strains, shear force, and deflection that a particular member would undergo due to the application of different types of loads.
• Analysis of a structure involves it's study from the viewpoint of its strength, stiffness and stability.

• For a structural engineer to start a structural design, he/she must have the loads, or forces and moments that a particular member and the structure as a whole have to resist.
• Structural Analysis Design affects the modeling as it involves many important load factors which are important for a building to withstand and suppose we have done a modeling of a building and there are some design changes at any particular portion of the building, we have to do the modeling again as per the design.

  Question 5 :-

• From the structural model developed in week 6 and 7, export the complete analytical model to robot structural analysis.

1. List your assumptions on what boundary conditions will be realistic for the analysis approach.
2. Use the design standards to decide what loads must be applied to floorings based on the type of structure decided.
3. List the load combinations and include them in the analysis model.
4. Analyze the building and report the following results :-

1. Maximum Moment in each floor for all Load Combinations.
2. Maximum Displacement in each floor for all Load combinations.
3. Lateral Displacement in building for all Lateral Load combinations.
4. After analysis, do you think you have a better approach or idea in modeling structural members?

  Answer :-

1.  Listing the assumptions on what boundary conditions will be realistic for the analysis approach :-

• One of the most difficult aspects of setting up an FEA (Finite Element Analysis) model to simulate the real world is applying realistic Boundary Conditions.
• This means understanding how the structure is loaded by external forces and how it is constrained from moving globally in space.
• Sometimes the distinction between whether a structure should be fixed to the ground or loaded externaly can become a little blurred. It is up to the analyst to decide how to deal with this.

• Visualization of the analytical model depends on the project template, view template, view parameters, and object styles.
• The Structural Analysis Project template contains two structural analytical plan views and a 3D analytical view.
• The known force or displacement may have some magnitude or it may be zero.
• For example, we may know that there are locations on our structure that have no external force. This would be a zero force boundary condition.
• A displacement boundary condition that is zero is equivalent to the structure being held in place at that location.
• Boundary conditions are typically expressed in terms of applicable degree of freedom.
• A degree of freedom (DOF) is simply a single direction that a point on a structure can move freely.
• In two dimensions (2D), each free point on a structure has three different possible DOFs :- one horizontal, one vertical and one rotational.

  Design standards to decide what loads must be applied to floorings based on the type of structure decided :-

• We can apply different types of loads based on our requirements like :-

1. Wind load.
2. Deadvload.
3. Live/ Imposed load.
4. Earthquake load.

   The load combinations included in this analysis model are :-

   Procedure for Design Analysis :-

• First, we have to open the structure template file which was created previously for the week 6 and week 7.
• In the views we have to select analytic model and go to 3D view.

• Go to manage tab and select structural settings option.

• Select load combination column from structure setting dialog box.

• Provide the Load combination as per the design consideration.

• Now go to "Analysis" tab and select the type of support to provide to the structure and provide the Live, Dead and Wind load.
• After providing all the loads, load combinations, supports and Boundary conditions, use the "Robot Structure Analysis" tab to sent the model to that softwsre for further analysis.

• Run the analysis in the Robot Structure Analysis and then see the final resultin "Result" tab of the softwsre.

  RESULT :-

• No. of reactions :-

   Shear Force and Bending Moment Daigram :-

  Question 6 :-

• What is energy analysis and why do we need to consider it while modeling in Revit ? How does the factor of sustainability improve the quality of your design?

  Answer :-

• Energy Analysis is a way in which the amount of energy used in an operation which involves physical and chemical actions is calculated. It also plays a role in transfering and exchange of energy.
• With the help of Energy Analysis, one can analyze the in and out volume of air through the openings and rooms.
• With this Analysis, we can find out the defects in our project and rectify the plan in which we do not have any problems from the environment.
• In this analysis, all the components are taken into consideration like electric equipments and other equipments which releases heat into the environment.
• The Energy Analysis is very important in the modeling of project in revit because if a large amount of energy is released then it may cause Human and Environmental serious damage.
• We have to implement different techniques where the Energy released could be minimized like using renewable sources of energy like solar panels, biomass, wind energy etc,.
• We can peform the energy analysis for revit models by using Energy Analysis for Autodesk Revit.
• This add-in connects the Design Power of the Revit Project file to the Autodesk Green Buiding Studio which acts as a basic constrain for Calculation and Evaluation of Energy.

   The following are the Four main steps in an "Energy Usage Analysis" :-

1. Calculation of heat loss and gain in building spaces as well as the heating and cooling loads on building systems.
2. Calculation of energy addition and extraction to meet temperature and humidity set points that may fluctuate.
3. Determination of main equipment fuel usage in order to meet the energy demand of the HVAC system.
4. It compares the cost of equipment, fuels, electricity, labour and retrofit components against the cost of investing in other ways.

   The ultimate goal of Energy Ananlysis is to reduce consuption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste and create healthy and productive environment which improves the quality of design with factor of sustainability.