Line of Balance (LOB) The Line of Balance is a graphical production technique that can be used in conjunction with precedence diagrams. This graphical method gives a good understanding of how gangs go through work areas on a project. By analyzing the work carried out by individual gangs, using a line of balance the efficiency and delivery by work gangs can be significantly improved hence reducing errors or delays. Line of balance can provide the information of how many operatives are available and the possibility to reduce the overall project time by efficiently moving gangs from one activity to the other by overlapping as the example in Figure below. LOB is useful for carrying out repetitive activities such as the basement walls and efficiently use gangs to complete them in a more efficient way. You may also find this course from Columbia University useful: View the Course Syllabus here Cost optimization (Activities crushing) Cost optimisation technique based on network planning seeks to reduce the total project time by reducing the duration of activities or otherwise crash activities on the critical path in order of least cost slope thus reduce float of non-critical path activities. By carrying cost optimisation to reduce the project period, a time-cost relation is analysed. Indirect costs (e.g. site office expenses) reduce while direct costs such as labor or material costs increases as additional overtime hours and additional labor are required to finish the project in a shorter period than before. By applying this technique to the critical path network is known as crashing. It should be noted that crushing non-critical activities will not reduce the total project time. When the critical path is crushed is worth noting that a re-analysis of the network should be done as non-critical activities can become critical. By crashing activities an extensive increase of labour hours and subsequently cost will be inevitable. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) PERT is type of milestone planning used in parallel with activity on arrow or precedence. PERT is a network analysis technique used to estimate project duration when there is a high degree of uncertainty for activities duration. By anticipating how long it will take to complete an activity, durations of pessimistic time, the longest it might take to complete, a most likely expected time and an optimistic time refers to the shortest possible duration as seen in the figure below are created. By using the equation in the below figure an expected time of the activity could be determined based on the approximations of optimistic (o), most likely (m), pessimistic (p). Advantages of PERT Some advantages of the PERT chart analysis are that it incorporates data and information from multiple sources and can manage a number of complex activities. PERT analysis increases the capability of managers to correctly evaluate the time and resources necessary for the completion of a project and has tracking capabilities. Furthermore, PERT is useful for creating what-if-analysis scenarios that may concern the flow of project resources and milestones such as in the pumping station of delivery of prefabricated members on-site on time. Disadvantages of PERT Some disadvantages of using the PERT system are that it is fairly complex, and its success depends on the management’s experience of using it. Also, due to the bulk of information and data, it can include unreliable data, such as unreasonable estimations for cost as it is a milestone-based approach. REFERENCES: Kopp, C. M., 2022. Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) Chart. [Online] Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pert-chart.asp

Construction tech success stories are unfortunately few and far between in comparison to other industries, especially given the mammoth $12 trillion dollar industry valuation. The reality which many construction tech startups face is that after months or years of developing a tech solution to a real construction issue and testing the solution with a smaller sample of the industry, the wider industry will not embrace the product. The reasons for this are often complex, with generalized findings being that the construction industry is fragmented, and key decision makers are often reluctant to change. Since discovering Civils.ai two months ago via a post on Reddit, it has been remarkable to watch this early-stage construction startup’s rapid ascent. They are taking and forging a different path and growing using a bottom-up, user-driven, community approach. Founded by Stevan Lukic and Mirko Vairo, they’ve created quite a buzz on social media and construction industry forums, the likes of which I haven’t seen in our industry before. Taking a closer look at Civils.ai, their web platform hosts a suite of Engineering calculators to solve common construction issues. By pulling in relevant data from their pool of construction information they help with planning construction projects in the feasibility stage. A key difference between Civils.ai and anything else on the market, with the exception of Spacemaker AI (recently acquired by Autodesk), is the ease and simplicity with which they put a massive amount of data at the fingertips of Engineers. Import process of technical data into civil engineering calculators This idea was inspired by Stevan Lukic whilst working as a Civil Engineer. At the time Stevan found that most of his work day was spent searching for technical information, rather than doing his job as an Engineering designer. After meeting Mirko Vairo, a serial founder with a background in AI on the Antler Singapore 2022 Programme, they decided to fix this problem. One of the secrets behind their remarkable growth since launching their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) software in May 2022 is the open-source element of Civils.ai. It is supported by a community of over 70 Professional Engineers from around the world. These Engineers help support the core Civils.ai team in developing new Engineering calculators. This helps the Civils.ai team target real user issues, find new niches of the construction industry, and connect new calculators to the Civils.ai database. Looking at their product roadmap I am especially interested to see their developments in geological mapping and the digitisation of subsurface data for major cities. The scale of the problem of data inaccuracy in the construction industry is huge, with a recent report from Autodesk estimating that the annual cost of ‘bad data’ in construction is 1.84 trillion dollars. This could explain the current 6,000 monthly active users using the platform and 30,000 calculations performed in the months since launching earlier this year. The outstanding organic adoption of Civils.ai by users encouraged the early-stage VC Antler to back them with a pre-seed investment. I’m excited to see what is ahead for this promising and brilliant early-stage startup.

The more highly engaged and motivated the workforce is, the more likely the success of the organization in achieving its goals and objectives. As per Kreitner et al, performance is a product of an individual’s skills, abilities, and motivation (Kreitner, et al., 1999). Various physiological motives such as salary, promotion, work environment, conditions of work, and social motives such as the opportunity to use one’s ability, challenging work, appreciation, positive recognition, and team leadership relationship can heavily influence staff’s motivation to work in an organization that promotes these values. The content theory of Maslow as illustrated in the Figure below identifies the individual development and motivations of humans arranged in a series of hierarchies of importance which heavily influences the management approaches to motivation and organization structure. Applying Maslow's theory principles encourages employees to reach their full potential. By ensuring the most basic physiological (e.g., safe working environment), and security needs, the employees are self-motivated to fulfill the higher-level needs of Maslow’s triangle, hence, improving their individual performance and that of the organization. Making employees feel part of a team, have recognition of achievements, and learn new skills as well as nurturing the needs of social relationships, self-esteem, and professional accomplishment through training programs will motivate the workforce to do better work. A hierarchical structure limits the interaction of employees from different departments which limits professional growth. On the other side, a matrix structure offers exposure to opportunities and interaction with people due to its team arrangement, however, it also contributes to workforce insecurity after a project is finished. In a project-oriented environment such as civil engineering, the achievements of the team goals sometimes overshadow individuals’ achievements which could demotivate some employees. As per the two-factor theory developed by Herzberg, defined as hygiene and motivator factors, “the opposite of dissatisfaction is not satisfaction but, simply, no dissatisfaction”. The Hawthorne Experiment Although, while working conditions are included as a hygiene factor, such motivation theories could be argued by the Hawthorne Experiments which found working conditions to motivate staff. The Hawthorne Experiment was conducted in four parts, each testing different factors such as working conditions (lighting) and attention from supervision (the response of management to complaints and having sympathetic ‘good listeners’ as interviewers). Unexpectedly, the workers under poorer working conditions were found to have a higher productivity rate thus going against the hygiene factor theory. The Equity Theory of Motivation This theory focuses on how fair an individual perceives their work based on their inputs into their work compared to outputs - what they get out of it. Such inputs include time, effort, ability, and loyalty, while outputs include pay, bonus perks, security, and recognition. The theory concludes that people become demotivated and reduce their inputs as they feel that the rewards do not fairly match their inputs based on a perceived market norm. While not indicating further motivation, this theory, in line with the Two-Factor theory, puts salary as more of a factor that avoids the reduction in motivation rather than further increasing motivation. Thus, motivation does not depend on a higher salary. It also suggests that salary is not the only factor that upholds an individual's motivation, but a factor among many others which may vary in importance depending on an individual’s unique perception of what rewards balance out their inputs. Rather than financial, such factors could be enjoyed in the job, recognition and development, and responsibility. Get MULLINS Book REFERENCES: Kreitner, R., Kinicki, A. & Buelens, M., 1999. Organizational Behaviour. In: f. E. edition, ed. s.l.:McGraw-Hill.

Introduction to Wind Energy Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing renewable technologies globally due to falling costs and engineering innovations introduced. Global wind generation capacity has increased around 75% in the past 20 years with onshore wind farms leading the way with an installed capacity of 698GW in 2020 with offshore following with 34GW and offering tremendous potential in the future (IRENA, 2020). Wind energy uses the kinetic energy created by air in motion to produce electricity through the various turbines offered on the market. The amount of energy produced majorly depends on the size of the turbine and the lengths of its blades which is directly associated with the wind speed (IRENA, 2020). Are you following the COP26? The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UK is committed to working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies, and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire climate action ahead of COP26. Methodology Turbine efficiency and manufacturing costs improved immensely over the last decade with the current offshore turbine MIH Vestas having a specific power of 450 W/m2, the most powerful wind turbine of the present (Deutsche WindGuard, 2018). Nevertheless, the choice of turbine suitability depends on the project specifics. For example, high specific power turbines are more suitable for regions with high average wind speeds. Therefore, to reach the same capacity factor (yearly average power production/rated power production) the appropriate turbine-specific power should be chosen by giving the most focus on average wind speeds (Deutsche WindGuard, 2018). Studies predict that the capacity density of offshore turbines will reach values of 5.36 MW/km2, with a capacity factor of 47%, further improving the efficiency of wind farms (Deutsche WindGuard, 2018). A variation of foundation types is present mainly depending on the water depth, soil conditions, and the size of the turbine. As shown in Figure 1, 77% of offshore wind farms completed in 2016 suggest steel monopiles as the option of choice. The latest technology of floating foundations has the potential to decrease CAPEX cost by 65% in scenarios simulated in 2027 to 2040 (McKinsey, 2016). Moreover, floating substructures have the prospect to explore locations with deep waters that offer a great opportunity on capitalising on wind energy. Costs When developing wind farm projects, the overall project costs are mostly accumulated at the construction phase due to the very expensive turbines, foundations, and transmission assets compared to the relative pre-financial close costs of environmental impact assessment, wind studies, and others (Deloitte, 2014). As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3, onshore projects have higher variability in cost per installed MW due to factors such as soil conditions, local costs, and current infrastructure which influence the total cost. On the other hand, offshore projects tend to be generally more complex and around 2-3 times more expensive than onshore with higher percentages of other key infrastructure costs other than the turbine (Deloitte, 2014). Current 2020 data suggest that the price of electricity from wind has fallen by 44-78% from 2010, reaching a global weighted-average cost of USD 0.051-0.099/kWh for onshore and USD 0.087-0.115/kWh for offshore (IRENA, 2019). Figures from Deloitte - As illustrated in Figure 4, increased site depth of offshore projects shows a correlation with increased project cost. It is expected that innovation and standardization of the offshore industry, such as the introduction of floating turbines and overall larger turbines will decrease total project costs. Wind energy has a low Energy Return on Investment (EROI) of around 3.9 due to the required storage and backup capacity as well as that wind speeds vary making it harder to estimate accurate energy outputs. Current 2020 data provided by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has found that global average total cost of onshore had decreased by 74% in the past 47 years and offshore has increased by 22% in the past 20 years due to projects moving into deeper waters (IRENA, 2020). As shown in Table 1, the cost of both offshore and onshore is around 1355–3185/kW globally with capacity factors around 33-44%. The generation of electricity over the project lifespan (LCOE) is twice the amount for offshore compared to onshore. Lastly, IRR is estimated at around 7-7.5% for both onshore and offshore with future innovations and supply chain improvements the return of an investment will potentially increase in the upcoming years (Deloitte, 2014). Table 1 with supporting data from (Deloitte, 2014) shows that the operational cost of offshore wind farms is higher than for onshore farms due to the greater costs accumulated for accessing and maintaining the turbines. Due to harsh marine environments in the open sea, a higher level of failure to some components is evident as well as the requirement of vessels to access the site. In general, OPEX could vary significantly in projects depending on the location, service contract, and land lease deals made as can be seen in Figure 5 and Figure 6, with the cost of parts/equipment being the highest for both onshore and offshore. References Deloitte, 2014. Establishing the investment case Wind power, Copenhagen: Deloitte. Deutsche WindGuard, 2018. Capacity densities of European offshore wind farms, s.l.: Baltic Lines. Purta, M., Marciniak, T. & Rozenbaum, K., 2016. Developing offshore wind power in Poland, s.l.: McKinsey&Company. IRENA - Renewable Capacity Statistics 2020

The continuing search for maximum value for money in construction work has, in recent years, increasingly focused attention upon the procurement process (Morledge & Smith, 2013). Effective delivery of a project requires that the supply chain clearly understands the client’s needs and specific business case to deliver an economical and efficient end product (Hackett & Statham, 2016). A balance between the pillars of cost, time and function should be established with a procurement strategy be developed in the context of the client’s attitude to project risk and definitions of good value for money (Hackett & Statham, 2016) (Morledge & Smith, 2013). Inexperienced clients tend to focus on maximising benefits per initial capital cost, thus neglecting the benefits that value management and value engineering can bring to the table (Morledge & Smith, 2013). Value Management Value management comprises a systematic process to define what value means for clients and end-users of a facility (Hackett & Statham, 2016), to improve communication to the multidisciplinary project teams and to increase the likelihood of achieving clients requirements at optimum value for money whilst minimising the use of resources (Morledge & Smith, 2013) (Hackett & Statham, 2016). A utility of value management, value engineering which has the basic philosophy to determine through collaboration and open discussion the costs that do not contribute to the performance of required function achieves the overall optimisation of the project and ensures the delivery of better value for clients. READ MORE: Cost, Time and Quality | The Golden Triangle in Construction In all developed projects, a balance between cost and value must be established (CIOB, 2014). The nature of the project would be influential in determining the prioritised objective of time, cost or quality/performance. As outlined in the publication by the Society of Construction Law (CIOB, 2014), the most common causes that result in a project failure, where the lack of clear links between the project and the client’s organisation key strategic priorities with a misunderstanding on the agreed measures of success were the causes of projects not achieving the promised deliverables. Morledge & Smith identify that best design is a combination of inspiration, understanding and application. They go on to further argue that the segregation of design and construction inherent in traditionally based procurement strategies reduces the potentiality to maximise true value on projects. Innovative new collaborative procurement systems such as cost-let, integrated project insurance and two-stage open book enable contractors and suppliers to engage early into the design, transparency of cost and promoting multidisciplinary collaboration (CIOB, 2014). For instance, a two-stage open book procurement system reduces industry bidding costs and provides the opportunity for clients to work earlier with a single integrated team. On the other side, cost led systems provide the client with the opportunity to set cost ceiling which the supply chain can bring experience and innovation with the aim of providing a competitive environment that drives better value, with integrated project insurance providing the opportunity to eliminate the “blame/claim’’ culture (CIOB, 2014).

Sustainable design meets traditional construction It should come as no shock to the engineering community that mass timber has grown increasingly popular among building materials. While it still isn’t as heavily used as its counterparts steel and concrete, it is capable of a lot more than you think. When you hear of wood structures you usually picture a residential home with 2x4 plywood and stick framing, not a massive 18-storey building. Well, Canada, Norway, and now the United States are a few of the many places pioneering this movement toward mass timber construction. What is Mass Timber? Mass Timber is a type of engineered wood product that is stronger than regular wood. It is usually made out of thin sheets of wood that are laminated together. Using various combinations and sizes, mass timber products can serve as beams, columns, floors, roofs, and walls taking into consideration the directional strength of each wood product. Mass timber is also very lightweight, making it ideal for buildings that need to be extremely energy efficient. It is also more sustainable than other types of building materials because it doesn’t require any fossil fuels to produce. Mass Timber is a generic term that covers all types of wood construction materials such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail-laminated timber (NLT), dowel-laminated timber (DLT), glued-laminated timber (glu-lam), and mass plywood panels (see below). Of all the products, cross-laminated timber is the most popular and familiar. To make CLT, you need to cut lumber into long planks called lumber boards. They then must be trimmed, kiln-dried, and glued one on top of the other in layers, crosswise, with the grain of each layer facing against the grain of the adjacent layer. This technique of stacking boards can create large slabs 0.3 meters thick and on average 3 meters long by 12 meters wide. The size of the lumber is dictated more by transportation limitations than manufacturing ones. While there are many pros to mass timber there are also a few cons. Let's dive into the positives first. Benefits of Mass Timber Fire resistance, structural integrity, and environmental attributes make new tall wood buildings among the most innovative structures in the world. — Think Wood Reduced Carbon Emissions In 2013, researchers at the University of British Columbia found that mass timber buildings could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30%. Not only does mass timber require less energy to create than other building materials, but mass timber could absorb carbon from the atmosphere through natural processes. Journal of Green Building (2019) did a study and found that one cubic meter of CLT wood sequesters roughly one tonne (1.1 US tons) of CO2. And because mass timber panels can be made from young or damaged trees, their production moves the needle toward more sustainable forestry. “Globally, both enough extra wood can be harvested sustainably and enough infrastructure of buildings and bridges needs to be built to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 14 to 31% and FF consumption by 12 to 19% if part of this infrastructure were made of wood.” The biggest drop in CO2 emissions came, it said, from “avoiding the excess [fossil fuel] energy used to make steel and concrete structures.” — Journal of Sustainable Forestry (2014) Faster Construction “Mass timber buildings are roughly 25% faster to construct than concrete buildings and require 90% less construction traffic.” — Think Wood Similar to precast concrete, the labor and fabrication for CLT buildings are done at a factory except “computer numerical control” (CNC) machines are responsible for creating precision cuts of wood. This negates the need for materials to be ordered in mass quantities, cut to size on site, and assembled. If architects and designers provide detailed plans, a factory can create something like a CLT wall exactly according to specifications. There are no wasted materials, as doors and windows are not cut out of the walls. Computer-guided fabrication means that the wood is placed only where needed which reduces waste and saves time and money. Prefabricated buildings can be assembled quickly and easily, making them ideal for construction sites. These prefabricated pieces are shipped directly to the construction site in small batches, allowing for minimal on-site disruption. Additionally, prefabricated buildings can fit into tight, distinctive spaces, such as those found in cities. Increased Protection Against Fire (shocking right?) A 5-ply cross-laminated timber (CLT) panel wall was subjected to temperatures exceeding 982 degrees Celsius (1,800 Farenheit) during a fire resistance test and lasted 3 hours and 6 minutes which exceeds the 2-hour rating that building codes typically require (Vox Media, 2020). The thickness of compressed, solid mass timber is quite difficult to burn. If there is a fire, exposed mass timber will char on the outside creating an insulating layer protecting the interior wood from damage. This allows the material to retain structural integrity for several hours in even the most intense fire. Further reports on fire testing of CLT can be found from the US Forest Service, the International Code Council, and the Fire Protection Research Foundation. Concerns about Mass Timber Environmentalists worry that North American forests are not sufficiently protected to handle a stark uptick in demand. The Natural Resources Defense Council put out a report stating that the number of greenhouse gases being released by clearcutting the Boreal forest in Canada might be incredibly undercounted. Numerous environmental groups, led by the Sierra Club, said in an open letter to California state officials that “CLT cannot be climate-smart unless it comes from climate-smart forestry.” The letter provides a detailed list of rules and best practices that should guide climate-smart forestry, including: “Logging of the world’s remaining mature and primary forests, as well as unroaded/undeveloped and other intact forest landscapes, should cease.” And: “Tree plantations should not be established at the expense of natural forests.” (Vox Media 2020). If we are not careful about sustainable forestry we may be causing more harm than we are doing good. It is essential for the future of mass timber that the proper regulations and specifications are in place so that forests are still maintaining a bio-diverse ecosystem that serves as not only a place for carbon to be stored but also for animals and plants to live and thrive and nature to be admired and appreciated by all. So now that we know a little more about what mass timber is, here are a few examples to show what it is capable of. Mjøstårnet Standing at 84.5 meters tall and 18 storeys high, Mjøstårnet is one of the tallest timber buildings in the world. Mjøstårnet was built four storeys at a time in five construction stages and was completed in 2019. Glulam columns, beams, and diagonals were used for the primary load bearing system, and CLT was used for elevator shafts and balconies. The pre-fabricated sections and floor slabs were hoisted into place with just internal scaffolding and a large crane. The material for the building was sourced locally from the Brumunddal area in Norway given their major forestry and wood processing industry. The tower has received numerous awards and recognitions, such as the New York Design Awards, Norwegian Tech Awards, and CTBUH’s Award of Excellence. Brock Commons Tallwood House Brock Commons Tallwood House is a unique 18-storey hybrid mass timber residence at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The wood structure was built less than 70 days after the prefabricated components were delivered to the site (approximately four months faster than a typical project of this size and scope). The building is made up of 17 stories of mass timber construction above a concrete podium and two concrete stair cores. The floor structure consists of 5-ply cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels supported on glue laminated timber (glulam) columns. The roof is made of prefabricated sections of steel beams and metal decking. You can actually see the timelapse of the building being constructed in the video below! While mass timber is still not even close to being a mainstream material like steel and concrete, it is growing increasingly popular globally. There is a lot of potential for mass timber but we have to remember the associated risks involved. As long as processes are put in place to ensure the safety of our forests worldwide, mass timber could really pave the way for a more sustainable future in construction. When it comes to designing a mass timber structure, a program like civils.ai could adapt to include mass timber design in its software thanks to its open-source nature. We could bring on an expert in timber design and work on building out a solution that could eventually include timber material catalogues. Our already existing and popular beam calculator is available to use for steel members. Additionally, our tunneling and geotechnical calculators are growing each day with new and exciting features. While we are still a work in progress, we make sure we are up to date on the latest innovative and evolving practices in the engineering and construction industry and hope to keep you all informed as well. References The hottest new thing in sustainable building is, uh, wood Architects, builders, and sustainability advocates are all abuzz over a new building material they say could…www.vox.com What Is Mass Timber? - Design + Construction | naturally:wood Mass timber products are the building blocks that make taller wood construction possible. Products in the mass timber…www.naturallywood.com Life Cycle Energy and Environmental Impacts of Cross Laminated Timber Made with Coastal Douglas-fir ABSTRACT. In this study, a cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment (LCA) of Oregon-made cross-laminated timber (CLT) was…meridian.allenpress.com Mass Timber Products: Innovative Wood-Based Building Materials | NC State Extension Publications Mass timber products, also known as wood-based engineered construction materials, are becoming widely prevalent in the…content.ces.ncsu.edu How Mass Timber Is Making Wood Construction Viable Again - Omrania Thanks to new innovations in wood construction, one of the oldest building materials may become the building material…omrania.com https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10549811.2013.839386

by Ruslan Plechen My name is Ruslan, I am working as an Electrical Design Engineer. As usual, I am working with big residential and commercial buildings with a professional team. In my work, I use Revit for preparing plans, BOM, cable schedule, etc., and Excel for calculations and SLD. Last year I decided to do a whole project, including calculations, in Revit, however without any external software and plugins to keep a model “clear”. So, I had many problems with this decision because Revit has a poor toolset to do calculations, especially for electrical loads. But fortunately, this is not true, if you know to use Revit very well, because this program gives enormous possibilities to build what, we, the user wants by using a mix of different tools. And I began experimenting... In this article, I share my knowledge in solving the problems with doing calculations in Revit in the following chapters: 1. What we can do in Revit using “visible” tools; 2. What “invisible” tools we can use; 3. Conclusion. 1. WHAT WE CAN DO IN REVIT USING “VISIBLE” TOOLS As a rule of thumb, working in Revit as a casual designer looks like this: a. make some settings; b. place electrical panels; c. place consumers and connect them to the placed panels; d. adjust circuit route and add rise/down length; e. create or use template schedules of electrical circuits. After these actions, you will receive the electrical circuit schedule list of the calculation parameters, but the wire size shown is not correct (not in EU form), also we cannot receive in this schedule demand factor and demand load, for this reason, we can use it only for consumers, for panels which consist of different types of loads, it does not work. The demand factor and demand load we have in the electrical equipment schedule, however, cannot link electrical circuits and electrical equipment parameters to do necessary calculations without Dynamo, for example. And the second problem, we cannot show these calculated parameters in a graphical view (single line diagram), because there is no existing link between electrical circuits and generic annotation. As result, many designers use Excel for calculations and AutoCAD for SLD. 2. WHAT “INVISIBLE” TOOLS WE CAN USE The most powerful tool, we can use to do calculations is key schedules. To work with electrical calculations, I recommend basing it on the electrical circuit family, because here we have power, current, and length. Key schedules allow us to add any necessary information to the project, which we can use in formulas in schedules and makes it possible to realize many methods of calculations. Furthermore, all information and formulas are in one program, and we can control the calculation process and final values. What about demand loads. To work with loads we need no key schedule. What we need is to create a custom "number" parameter in the schedule and multiply it by the total load (in VA). Value for the demand factor we receive from electrical equipment and manually or using Dynamo replace it in our custom parameter. Beginning from Revit 2022 we have the possibility to add to the key schedule the shared parameters that make it work faster and easier and this feature unloads the model in general because we can keep fewer families and types of families. 3. CONCLUSION With this wise approach and with many efforts in Revit we can solve any problem and by using Dynamo we can make faster some tasks/moments that Revit cannot accelerate. Here is an example of calculated parameters in an electrical circuit schedule: Here is an example of replaced calculated parameters to generic annotation families using Dynamo: P.S. I am always open to collaboration if you have a big, interesting project and want to do it in Revit without external programs and addins, feel free to contact me by email: r.plechen@outlook.com

Written by Engineer: Oan Naqvi Quick Take Introduction: In the context of civil engineering, AutoCAD has commonly used software for the development and modification of engineering drawings. This article is about making floor plans in AutoCAD, there are some common commands in AutoCAD that are used while creating floor plans are follow as: Commands: 1. Line: Press (L + enter) to use this command, it is used for making straight lines in AutoCAD. 2. Offsets: Press (O + enter) to use this command, it is used for making a copy of the selected line, from which you want to be offset, at a distance of the required offset. 3. Copy: Press (Co + enter) to use this command, it is used for making a copy of the selected object and it is then pasted at the location by clicking on there where you want to paste it. 4. Move: Press (mo + enter) to use this command, it is used for moving a selected object. 5. Trim: Press (tr + enter) to use this command, it is used for trimming extra part of any object (line, arc, hatch) which exceeds any specific line or boundary. 6. Extend: Press (ex + enter) to use this command, it is used for extending an existing line to some other line or boundary. 7. Mirror: Press (mi + enter) to use this command, it is used for making a mirror image of any object. 8. Rotate: Press (ro + enter) to use this command, it is used for rotating an object to any desired angle. 9. Group: Press (gr + enter) to use this command, it is used to make a group of selected objects and connect them as a whole. 10. Explode: Press (exp + enter) to use this command, it is used for exploding/dividing an object into possible no. of parts. 11. Hatch: Press (H + enter) to use this command, it is used for applying any hatch (concrete, glass, wood, bricks, stones, gravel, etc.) to any closed boundary. 12. Arc: Press (arc+ enter) to use this command, it is used for creating arcs of the desired radius, ending point, and starting point. In-floor plans, it is commonly used for making door symbols. Procedure for Creating Floor plan: 1. Draw a boundary line/limits of the plot where you want to build according to the dimensions of your plot. 2. Then draw the line for walls and give them offset to make a wall of desired thickness. 3. Complete making the walls in the plan showing each and every room in the house and space for everything you want. 4. Draw lines intersecting the walls where you want to place doors and windows and offset them to the desired width of doors and windows. 5. Use the trim command to delete the lines between the intersecting lines. 6. Now draw the windows and door symbols there in between the empty spaces. 7. Now draw symbols of doors and windows using the commands above and place them in the spaces created for them. 8. Draw the stairs by drawing a line of the desired width of stairs and then giving it offset to make the steps of stairs. 9. Complete the floor plan using the above procedure and print it using the (Control + P) command. For any type of help or project regards Architectural / Structural drawings / 3D models, Visit the link below for a quick reply. Click here

Insight by MARKET RESEARCH FUTURE What are Tower Cranes? Tower cranes have become some of the most common aspects of urban skylines. They are generally used for hoisting and moving heavy materials such as generators, concrete, steel, and various large tools. What Are The Uses of Tower Cranes and How Do They Work? Tower cranes help move heavy materials, tools, and goods around a site. They’re essential for speeding up the construction activity, keeping the workers on schedule, and reducing costs, time as well as manpower in the process. Tower cranes are some of the most impressive components of engineering, mounting up to 267ft tall and with the ability to lift nearly 19.8 tons. Irrespective of their size, they have the same major parts: A jib, which is also known as the “working arm”; is a bit that helps carry the load. Around the jib is a trolley that helps in moving the weight, while the motor that is present in the machinery arm helps in lifting up the load using the counterweights. One can also find an operator’s cab in this part. A slewing unit that is fixed right at the top and is made up of ring gear and motor, with the former used by the crane for rotation. A base is fixed on a concrete pad and connected to a tower or mast. Putting these components together can be a complex task. In the beginning, a mobile crane helps in moving the horizontal sections which are the jib as well as the machinery parts, to a 40ft mast and adding the counterweights. The crane, at a time, then increases by a single mast section, right to its maximum height. The crew performs this task by placing a top climber between the top of the mast and the slewing unit, with the use of a hydraulic ram to give a push to the slewing unit further 20ft further above. Then, they lift another 20ft mast within the gap and firmly bolt it in place. This is repeated until the tower crane is now at its maximum height. Advancements Over the Years Tower cranes were first developed in Europe, with the majority of the manufacturing still happening in the region. The first tower cranes were “derrick” designs, which were named after Thomas Derrick, the Elizabethan-era hangman. It involved a large boom that was fixed at the rotating base. In the extremely populated countries of Europe, most of these cranes were hard to use, which led to the development of the intrinsic gantry design, which originated in the early twentieth century. These cranes made use using suspended beams while trolleys move across them, making them ideal for urban environments. On the downside, their heavyweight nature and the fact that they took a lot of time to construct, they were mostly used in permanent sites such as shipyards. The modern/advanced tower crane was finally developed in 1949, with Hans Liebherr unveiling the design to back the post-war reconstruction efforts across Germany. This design of the tower combined a vertical, along with a rotating mast linked to a horizontal jib moving 360 degrees, which could pick up material and move it to any point within reach. In addition to that, it could be easily transported and was easy to assemble. This design helped inspire various new forms as well as adaptations. In today’s market, these are available in a variety of heights, sizes, and reach, for numerous functions as well as site types. Historically, the majority of the tower cranes used to be hydraulically powered, but by the 1970s, most of the manufacturers switched to electric. This rendered more sophisticated mechanics, better hoisting winches, and variable speeds while bringing down the power usage and making them energy efficient. Maybe also Useful Global Logistics: A study on Greener and more sustainable supply chain delivery of Amazon, UPS & DHL What are the Types of Tower Cranes? Hammerhead Tower Crane The hammerhead tower crane has a jib that is able to rotate horizontally 360 degrees across the mast at a certain level, with the structure having a strong resemblance to an upside-down letter L. Racking, which refers to the trolley moving the load horizontally across the jib at a fixed level, is a special function of this tower crane. Luffing Tower Cranes A luffing tower crane or a luffing-jib crane has a design that is extremely similar to the hammerhead tower crane. However, the crane has a latticed jib and can be pushed above and lowered, which is a motion known as “luffing.” With extra jib mobility, these types of cranes are able to lift much heavier loads compared to hammerhead cranes, are slightly more expensive, and can be used in congested areas with several cranes given their low slewing radius. Self-Erecting Tower Cranes Self-erecting tower cranes involve a horizontal jib along with a mast that is fixed on ballast and can fold as well as unfold to dismantle and erect on the site. Compared to the luffing or hammerhead tower cranes, SETCs of a lighter frame, are easily transportable and have a relatively much lower max load capacity. These tower cranes are mostly used in environments that require a tight fit between the structures, no need for enormously heavy lifts along with frequent dismantling, transportation, and erection of equipment. Tower Crane Market Status Quo Construction activities have risen exponentially worldwide in the last decade. The notable increase in the urbanization rate, as well as the swift rise in the migration rate from rural locations to s urban areas for better job opportunities, have raised the number of construction activities in commercial and residential segments. As a result, the booming construction industry will allow the tower crane market to take promising strides in the coming years. Renowned construction firms are increasingly using tower cranes since this help optimize work and facilitate the timely execution of construction projects. The worldwide market is inundated with several players that indulge in highly intense competition. They introduce novel, more advanced products that cater to every demand of the end-users, by investing considerably in extensive research and development activities. They are also focused on advertising strategies. Business expansion activities are also playing a vital role in the burgeoning of the product portfolio for active companies.

Hydrogen Storage Hydrogen is most commonly stored under compression in pressurized steel or carbon composite cylinders. However, the low volumetric density of hydrogen offers the economic advantage of being compressed into greater densities and thus requiring lower storage capacities. As a result, the use of liquefaction and the exploration of other chemical carriers such as ammonia have increased in popularity for the storage, and transportation, of hydrogen. Table 1 presents an overview of some of the available storage technologies for hydrogen as detailed by Bruce, et al. (2018). Compression Storing hydrogen in its gaseous state is achieved through compression inside pressurized tanks that have mechanical devices to control the pressure. Steel tanks can typically store hydrogen at pressures up to 200 bar, while composite tanks can do so up to 800 bar. This form of hydrogen storage is well established, however, may not prove economical for hydrogen on a large scale due to the low volumetric densities of the gas. Line packing is the process of storing compressed gas within a pipeline network by altering the pipeline pressure. The hydrogen gas can be stored inside a pipeline for days, at a large scale, and then can be distributed when deemed necessary such as during periods of peak demands. Hydrogen can also be compressed into underground salt caverns through the injection of hydrogen into salt rock, typically intended for long-term storage. However, this storage method is limited by the availability of salt caverns (Bruce, et al., 2018). Liquefaction Hydrogen can be liquified through the use of a multi-stage process of compression and cooling which is then stored in cryogenic tanks at temperatures of -253 ℃ (Bruce, et al., 2018). Liquified hydrogen has a much greater volumetric density, and therefore provides greater economic advantages in storage capacities. However, it should be noted that the process of liquefaction typically consumes around 30% of the hydrogen’s energy content. Furthermore, losses of hydrogen are experienced through evaporation, or “boil-off”, and the process itself is expensive (EERE, 2021). Ammonia Hydrogen can be converted into ammonia by combining nitrogen and hydrogen using the Haber Bosch Process. The use of green hydrogen creates green ammonia which can be used as a climate-friendly energy carrier, mineral fertilizer, and fuel. Ammonia is much less energy-intensive to liquify than hydrogen and is, therefore, simpler to store and transport (McMahon, 2020). Ammonia produces zero carbon emissions during combustion and is therefore considered an alternative for long-haul shipping fuel. At present, 2% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions originate from shipping – 80% of which is from long-haul shipping. The use of green ammonia as a marine fuel can therefore contribute to the achievement of a net-zero future. Ammonia is also commonly used as fertilizer (Statkraft, 2021; Zumdahl, 2020). In cases where the ammonia is intended to be converted back into hydrogen, additional conversion costs will arise. This is achieved using electrochemical cells with a proton-conducting membrane and an ammonia-splitting catalyst and is expected to consume around 8kWh per kg of hydrogen (McMahon, 2020; Bruce, et al., 2018). Hydrogen Transport and Distribution Hydrogen is commonly transported by either or a combination of trucks, rail, shipping, and pipelines. Each method presents suitability towards the different storage technologies and travel distances, as shown in Table 2. Due to the international scale of energy markets, the main transportation methods to be considered are shipping and pipelines, however, trucks and rail could also be considered at the macro-scale for the shorter travel distances between electrolysis plants and pipelines and/or shipping docks. Trucks and Rail Trucks and rail can be used to transport tanks of hydrogen in its gaseous and liquid form as well as ammonia to create a virtual pipeline for short distances that is already commercially available and easy to set up. It is less common for trucks and rail to be used to transport ammonia as the use of ammonia tends to be cost-effective at higher scales due to the energy requirements for hydrogen-ammonia conversion. Shipping Shipping is used for long-distance transportation and can thus be utilised for can be considered for the transportation of hydrogen. Typically, shipping has high operation costs and is, therefore, an unlikely carrier for gaseous hydrogen due to its low energy density. To be more cost-effective, liquid hydrogen or ammonia is normally transported in ships due to their higher energy densities. It should be noted that shipping ammonia has greater costs due to the reconversion losses. It is therefore suggested that ammonia is better suited to decarbonize sectors where it can be used as a direct fuel or feedstock without the need for reconversion (Wang, et al., 2021). Pipelines Pipelines are a suitable transport for simultaneous distribution to multiple points or intercity transmission of hydrogen in its gaseous state. The use of existing pipelines plays a major role in Europe’s transition into hydrogen due to the well-established natural gas pipeline connections that can be repurposed for hydrogen. This can take two forms: fully repurposed natural gas pipelines to carry 100% hydrogen; or hydrogen blending in which concentrations of hydrogen are injected into the natural gas. The repurposing of pipelines can only go as far as the capacities of the existing pipelines as well as being limited to their locations. As such, the construction of new pipelines that are intended for 100% hydrogen should also be considered when the demand for hydrogen is expected to exceed the hydrogen carrying capacities of existing pipelines. Hydrogen Blending Hydrogen blending is the process of injecting hydrogen into existing natural gas pipelines at specific concentrations to reduce the carbon content within the distributed fuel, thus achieving a level of decarbonization. While concentrations of 25% have been achieved (Ibeh, et al., 2007), a hydrogen concentration of 20% is deemed more suitable due to the limitation of current end-use appliance compatibility with higher concentrations of hydrogen (Hydrogen Europe, 2020). At the end of the pipeline, the hydrogen can be extracted from the natural gas mixture through various methods such as pressure swing absorption (PSA), membrane separation, and electrochemical hydrogen separation, however, these add additional costs. For example, PSA extraction costs of a 20% hydrogen blend can range from EUR 1.77-6.56/kg depending on the desired recovery rate ranging from 100-1000 kg/day (Melaina, et al., 2013). Social The growing use of electrolysis has opened up at least 42 emerging occupations, such as hydrogen lab technician and hydrogen plant operations manager, with more to be expected as the industries mature (Bezdek, 2019). The 2x40GW Green Hydrogen Initiative is expected to produce 130,000-170,000 jobs in manufacturing and maintenance (Wijk & Chatzimarkakis, 2020). Based on this, electrolysis plants can have an expected job creation rate of around 1,875 jobs/GW. REFERENCES: ADFC (no date). Hydrogen Basics. [online] Available at: https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/hydrogen_basics.html. [Accessed 20 October 2021]. Antweiler, W. (2020). What role does hydrogen have in the future of electric mobility? [online] Available at: https://wernerantweiler.ca/blog.php?item=2020-09-28. [Accessed 12 November 2021]. Azinheira, G., Segurado, R. & Costa, M. (2019). ‘Is Renewable Energy-Powered Desalination a Viable Solution for Water Stressed Regions? A Case Study in Algarve, Portugal’, Energies, Vol. 12, doi: 10.3390/en12244651. Bezdek, R. H. (2019). ‘The hydrogen economy and jobs of the future’, Renew. Energy Environ. Sustain., Volume 4, January 2019, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/rees/2018005. BNEF (2020). ‘Hydrogen Economy’ Offers Promising Path to Decarbonization. [online] Available at: https://about.bnef.com/blog/hydrogen-economy-offers-promising-path-to-decarbonization/. [Accessed 22 December 2021]. Bruce, S., Temminghodd, M, Hayward, J., Schmidt, E., Munnings, C., Palfreyman, D. & Hartley, P. (2018). ‘Australia’s National Hydrogen Roadmap’, CSIRO, Energy and Futures, Australia. Cavana, M. & Leone, P. (2021). ‘Solar Hydrogen from North Africa to Europe through Greenstream: A simulation-based analysis of blending scenarios and production plant sizing’, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 46, pp. 22618-22637. Cummins Inc. (2020). Electrolyzers 101: What they are, how they work and where they fit in a green economy. [online] Available at: https://www.cummins.com/news/2020/11/16/electrolyzers-101-what-they-are-how-they-work-and-where-they-fit-green-economy. [Accessed 20 October 2021]. Dawood, F., Anda, M. & Shafiullah, G. M. (2020). ‘Hydrogen production for energy: An overview’, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 45, Issue. 7, February 2020, pp. 3847-3869. Deloitte (2020). ‘Investing in hydrogen – Ready, set, net zero’, November 2020. Duren, M. (2017). ‘Energy in Times After the Energy Transition’, Understanding the Bigger Energy Picture, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57966-5_3, pp.45-87. European Commission (2020). ‘A hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe’, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Brussels, July 2020. EIA (no date). Hydrogen explained- Production of hydrogen. [online] Available at: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydrogen/production-of-hydrogen.php. [Accessed 16 December 2021]. Einav, R., Harussi, K. & Perry, D. (2002). ‘The footprint of the desalination processes on the environment’, Desalination, Vol. 152, pp.141-154. EERE (2021). Liquid Hydrogen Delivery. [online] Available at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/liquid-hydrogen-delivery. [Accessed 20 October 2021]. Giovannini, S. (2020). 50 shades of (grey and blue and green) hydrogen. [online] Available at: https://energy-cities.eu/50-shades-of-grey-and-blue-and-green-hydrogen/. [Accessed 03 December 2021]. Guo, Y., Li, G., Zhou, J. & Liu, Y. (2019). ‘Comparison between hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis and hydrogen production by PEM electrolysis’, Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 371, 2019, doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/371/4/042022. Hague, O. (2021). What are the 3 Main Types of Hydrogen? [online] Available at: https://www.brunel.net/en/blog/renewable-energy/3-main-types-of-hydrogen. [Accessed 03 December 2021]. Ibeh, B., Gardner, C. & Ternan, M. (2007). ‘Separation of hydrogen from a hydrogejn/methane mixture using a PEM fuel cell’, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 32, Issue 7, May 2007, pp. 908-914. Ibrahim, J. M. & Moussab, H. (2020). ‘Recent advances on hydrogen production through seawater electrolysis’, Materials Science for Energy Technologies, Vol. 3, 2020, pp. 780-807. IEA (2021a). Global Hydrogen Review 2021. [online] Available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-hydrogen-review-2021/executive-summary. [Accessed 22 December 2021]. IEA (2021b). Net Zero by 2050 – A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector. [online] Available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050. [Accessed 14 December 2021]. Jeffers, B., Gutcher, S., Hassan, N., Pace, S. & Hoogendoorn, R. (2021). Hydrogen: Ready for Take Off?, University of Surrey, Multi-Disciplinary Design Project, 2020-21. Kalamara, C. M. & Efstathiou, A. M. (2013). ‘Hydrogen Production Technologies: Current State and Future Developments’, Power Options for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Conference Papers in Energy, November 2012, Limassol, Cyprus. Khan, M. A., Al-Attas, T., Roy, S., Rahman, M. M., Ghaffour, N., Thangadurai, V., Larter, S., Hu, J., Ajayan, P. M. & Kibria, M. G. (2021). ‘Seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production: a solution looking for a problem?’, Energy & Environmental Science, Vol. 14, Issue 9, pp. 4831-4839. KPMG (2021). The Hydrogen Trajectory. [online] Available at: https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/11/the-hydrogen-trajectory.html. [Accessed 22 December 2021]. Ludwig Bölkow Systemtechnik (no date). Hydrogen Data. [online] Available at: http://www.h2data.de/. [Accessed 20 October 2021]. Mathiesen, B. V., Ridjan, I., Connolly, D., Nielsen, M. P., Vang Hendriksen, P., Bjerg Mogensen, M., Hojgaard Jensen, S. & Dalgaard Ebbesen, S. (2013). Technology data for high temperature solid oxide electrolyser cells, alkali and PEM electrolysers, Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University. McMahon, M. (2020). New Technology Seamlessly Converts Ammonia to Green Hydrogen. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201118141718.htm. [Accessed 20 October 2021]. Melaina, M. W., Antonia, O. & Penev, M. (2013). ‘Blending Hydrogen into Natural Gas Pipeline Networks: A Review of Key Issues’, NREL, technical report, March 2013. Milbrandt, A. & Mann, M. (2009). ‘Hydrogen Resource Assessment – Hydrogen Potential from Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear, and Hydro Power’, NREL, Technical Report, February 2009. National Grid (2021a). The hydrogen colour spectrum. [online] Available at: https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/hydrogen-colour-spectrum. [Accessed 09 October 2021]. National Grid (2021b). What is hydrogen? [online] Available at: https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/what-is-hydrogen. [Accessed 09 October 2021]. Petrofac (2021). The difference between green hydrogen and blue hydrogen. [online] Available at: https://www.petrofac.com/media/stories-and-opinion/the-difference-between-green-hydrogen-and-blue-hydrogen/. [Accessed 03 December 2021]. PwC (2021). The green hydrogen economy – Predicting the decarbonisation agenda of tomorrow. [online] Available at: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/energy-utilities-resources/future-energy/green-hydrogen-cost.html. [Accessed 22 December 2021]. Statkraft (2021). Green Ammonia: Clime Friendly Fuel for Long Distances and Heavy Tasks. [online] Available at: Green ammonia: Climate-friendly fuel for long distances and heavy tasks (statkraft.com). [Accessed 20 October 2021]. U.S. Department of Energy (2021). Hydrogen Production: Electrolysis. [online] Available at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-production-electrolysis. [Accessed 18 October 2021]. Vickers, J., Peterson, D. & Randolph, K. (2020). ‘Cost of Electrolytic Hydrogen Production with Existing Technology’, DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Record, Department of Energy United States of America, September 2020. Wang, A., Jens, J., Mavins, D., Moultak, M., Schimmel, M., Leun, K., Peters, D. & Buseman, M. (2021). ‘Analysing future demand, supply, and transport of hydrogen’, European Hydrogen Backbone, Guidehouse, June 2021. Wijk, A. V. & Chatzimarkakis, J. (2020). ‘Green Hydrogen for a European Green Deal – A 2x40 GW Initiative’, Hydrogen Europe, March 2020. Wood Mackenzie (2020). Hydrogen production costs to 2040: Is a tipping point on the horizon? [online] Available at: https://www.woodmac.com/our-expertise/focus/transition/hydrogen-production-costs-to-2040-is-a-tipping-point-on-the-horizon/?utm_campaign=energy-transition&utm_medium=article&utm_source=gtm&utm_content=hydrogen-costs. [Accessed 22 December 2021]. Zumdahl, S. S. (2020). Ammonia – Chemical Compound. [online] Available at: ammonia | Definition & Uses | Britannica. [Accessed 20 October 2021].

Team Effectiveness Overview Teams are an efficient and effective way to manage projects, where efficiency implies performing the work well and high satisfaction of the group members. To complete the volume of work, a shared commitment amongst teammates is required to achieve both individual and collective results (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993). Management is responsible for clarifying the rationale and performance targets for a team but also needs to be flexible to allow the team to develop its own commitments around purpose, goals, and approach. Conditions that make an Effective Team (defined by Hackman) Hackman’s condition: clear objectives and measurable agreed performance goals team size the right mix of team skills (technical expertise, problem-solving, decision-making, and interpersonal skills) effectively communication strong structure As found by Hackman’s condition, ‘compelling direction’ and other studies, a successful team should have clear objectives and measurable, agreed performance goals that will allow a team to achieve wins targeted to a broader long-term purpose which will help keep clear communication and track progress (Bailey, 2022) (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993) (Haas & Mortensen, 2016). Another factor is team size. It is suggested that a team size of ten people is far more productive than larger groups at working through individual, functional and hierarchical differences towards a common objective. With a team sharing a common goal and purpose, mutual accountability and trust are very important factors that ensure the team's effectiveness and produce a mutual achievement. Moreover, the right mix of team skills is necessary for effective performance. As defined by Katzenbach & Smith, these skills fall into technical expertise, problem-solving, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. Hence, the requirement of competence in the field in the team operation, decision-makers to move forward, and people that can effectively communicate and avoid conflict through constructive criticism, are required in the mix of a successful team (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993). Hackman went further with his ‘strong structure’ condition by stating that all individuals should have a balance of skills such as diversity in knowledge, views, and perspectives which will help teams to be more creative and innovative (Haas & Mortensen, 2016). The differentiation in skills set could also be explained by Belbin’s team roles as seen in Figure 5, which groups behaviors in a set of clusters of effective contributors to a team (Belbin, 2022).

It's no surprise that firms are looking into adopting 3D printing in building now that 3D printing devices are readily available for domestic usage. Concrete 3D printers, in particular, have been steadily gaining favor among architects and construction companies. Despite their beginnings, these are projected to provide housing solutions to the 1.2 billion people worldwide who do not have access to safe and cheap homes. This article will cover 3D-printed concrete, its uses, processes, advantages, limitations, and some examples of structures that have been constructed with it so far. What is 3D Printed Concrete? 3D printed concrete is a type of concrete that may be placed layer by layer using a 3D printer without formwork or a vibration process. The foundations of 3D printed concrete house constructions are layering, with each layer deposited on top of a previous layer of pumped concrete. This process is repeated until the desired structure appears. The concrete mix contains the same materials as regular concrete mixes: water, cement, and aggregates such as sand or stone. The texture and consistency of the dish are crucial to its success. Pressure buildup, which can block the nozzle or harm the printing equipment, is less likely with a working consistency. As a result, the consistency is retained comparable to that of aerated dough for construction purposes. Workability, setting and hardening time, and mechanical qualities are just a few critical performance indicators that can be improved with the right materials and printing parameters. How are Structures Built with it? A typical concrete 3D printer uses a robotic arm with one end attached to the printhead and the other to a gantry or crane-like robotic arm system to additively create things through material extrusion. This printer deposits materials like concrete layer by layer through a nozzle. Concrete must lose a large portion of its flexibility to maintain the printed shape shortly after printing. On the other hand, concrete should not solidify too quickly to allow layers to cling to one another. If the layers are stacked on top of one another with no strong connections between them, the structure will be weak and have no tensile strength. This means that we won't be able to utilise regular concrete in 3D printing. Instead, a special type of concrete will be required. What are the Advantages of 3D Printed Concrete? 3D Printed Concrete offers many advantages, some of which are: ● Environment Friendly The manufacturing of regular Portland cement results in considerable carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases. The cement sector is responsible for around 8% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. In such a case, limestone can be used as limestone is less toxic and has a lower environmental impact than Portland cement throughout the manufacturing process. It can be used in concrete for 3D printing instead of standard Portland cement without lowering the quality of the printing mixture. ● Budget-friendly in the long run 3D printing incurs additional carriage and assembly costs that the customer must bear during off-site construction. The cost savings of on-site 3D printing are much more likely to be passed on to the new homeowner because the construction company can maintain a healthy profit margin despite the overall cost reduction. Also, it is interesting to note that 3D printing is being used by aviation companies such as Boeing, Rolls Royce, and Pratt & Whitney to create metal parts, mostly for jet engines. It can be less expensive than machining metal blocks, and the complicated components are often lighter than their traditional counterparts. ● Time-Saving A 3D printed house, including complete finishing and furniture, might take only a few days using on-site 3D construction printing. The absence of transportation lag periods means less burden for the building 3D printing company. Thus, these time savings are directly passed on to the consumer. That means there will be more opportunities to 3D print more houses rather than having a backlog of orders to ship and build. Are there any Limitations with 3D Printed Concrete? Unfortunately, yes. Making molds is one useful application for 3D printing in construction. Mould creation is usually a challenge in sophisticated precast projects since it necessitates a lot of labour and precision. The technique becomes easier and needs less labour if the moulds are 3D printed. Moreover, economic viability is one stumbling block for 3D printing technology. This technology will not be extensively embraced unless there is a clear economic gain at some point in the future. As a result, manufacturers may want to consider broadening their business model. Structures built with 3D Printed Concrete Some of the structures that have been erected with 3D Printing are: ● Dubai's Warsan building holds the Guinness World Record for the largest on-site 3D printed structure. The construction was 3D printed on-site using mineral-infused fluids that solidify into concrete, eliminating the need for any additional assembly labour. The structure stands 9.5 metres tall, covers 640 square metres, and was built entirely of local materials. ● Shanghai Pedestrian Bridge In the industrial and creative core of Shanghai's Baoshan district, the world's largest pedestrian bridge 3D printed entirely in concrete was completed at the start of 2019. Professor Xu Weiguo of Tsinghua University's School of Architecture led a team that developed and led the project. ●The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE). It's a solar-powered structure linked to a hybrid electric vehicle, forming a complete energy system. During the day, solar panels supply energy to the vehicle, while the 3D printed vehicle provides energy to the residence. Conclusion Concrete 3D printing has the same challenges as other businesses that use the technology. It takes time to develop new technology. It's a matter of figuring out specifics and making all of the many elements work. Concrete constructions printed in 3D will most likely become more common in the future. We can't say what shape it will take in the construction industry right now. References ● 3D printed house: 20 most important projects. All3DP. (2021, January 28). Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printed-house-3d-printed-building/ ● 3D printed house: 20 most important projects. All3DP. (2021, January 28). Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printed-house-3d-printed-building/ ● “Dubai Unveils World’s Largest On-Site 3D Printed Building.” 3D Printing, 3dprinting.com, 25 Oct. 2019, https://3dprinting.com/construction/dubai-unveils-worlds-largest-on-site-3d-printed-building/. ● “How 3D Concrete Printing Is Paving the Way for Construction - GrabCAD Blog.” GrabCAD Blog, blog.grabcad.com, 27 June 2019, https://blog.grabcad.com/blog/2019/06/27/3d-concrete-printing/. ● “3D Concrete Printing.” 3D Concrete Printing, ind.sika.com, https://ind.sika.com/en/knowledge-hub/3d-concrete-printing.html. Accessed 2 May 2022. ● “A Review of the Current Progress and Application of 3D Printed Concrete.” A Review of the Current Progress and Application of 3D Printed Concrete - ScienceDirect, www.sciencedirect.com, 17 July 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359835X19302829#:~:text=3D%20printed%20concrete%20is%20a%20special%20type%20of%20concrete%20that,concrete%20and%20self%2Dcompacting%20concrete. ● “How Does a Concrete 3D Printer Work? - 3Dnatives.” 3Dnatives, www.3dnatives.com, 8 Jan. 2021, https://www.3dnatives.com/en/how-does-a-concrete-3d-printer-work-080120215/#! ● “What Is 3D Printed Concrete? Can It Change The Construction Industry….” Specify Concrete, www.specifyconcrete.org, https://www.specifyconcrete.org/blog/what-is-3d-printed-concrete-can-it-change-the-construction-industry-as-we-know-it. Accessed 2 May 2022. ● “3D Printing Gets Bigger, Faster and Stronger.” 3D Printing Gets Bigger, Faster and Stronger, www.nature.com, 27 Apr. 2022, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00271-6. ● “3D-Printed Concrete: Still in Its Infancy - Elematic Precast Technology.” Elematic Precast Technology, www.elematic.com, 30 Mar. 2021, https://www.elematic.com/concrete-issues/3d-printed-concrete-still-in-its-infancy/. ● Chougan, Mehdi, et al. “Future Cities Could Be 3D Printed – Using Concrete Made with Recycled Glass.” The Conversation, theconversation.com, 28 Feb. 2022, https://theconversation.com/future-cities-could-be-3d-printed-using-concrete-made-with-recycled-glass-175598. ● “Everything to Know about 3D Printing in Construction | 3DRIFIC.” Everything to Know about 3D Printing in Construction | 3DRIFIC, 3drific.com, 15 Jan. 2022, https://3drific.com/everything-to-know-about-3d-printing-in-construction/.