So this evenings lecture via my nightly blog on stitcher was from the Technology Today podcast, episode 10, re the eight small satellites that cover the globe via the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System(CYGNSS) aims to improve extreme weather prediction. ... In orbit.

I am going to claim 1 hour for this podcast together with another hour researching the technology. Why you might ask, well it's all about the data, and there's lots of it, all helping to provide assistance in predicting the intensity of any hurricane as it hits land, and in what direction.

Is this important, well yes, after all, it's my job not only to teach students about data but also to help them detail against it. so in my book, this is a straight 2 hours cpd

Solar Time Vs Man made Time

On a very recent trip to Italy, I happen to see this excellent pair of clocks on a church, one was a solar clock, the other a mechanical clock.

If you look carefully, you can see that the solar clock shows 12 pm, yet the mechanical clock shows 11 am, yet both are right. Let me explain, the solar clock is as the sun depicts, it can not be changed, well not on this stone solar clock, yet the mechanical clock can be altered, as we enter daylight saving.

I like this a lot, it show how time works and how man has altered time to suite his needs, it opens up a lot for both shadow work, surveying and a simple yet fundamental view of our Solar system, the tilt of the earth to the sun, and its effect on weather.

Such a simple photo yet so full of information.

I will use this next year as I teach first year students in both simple surveying and detailing.

Time Lapse Video - So much to see

I am a massive fan of Time Lapse video, I think its an excellent way to teach construction, the number of site videos out there is well worth trawling. But this video is all about weather, and shadow, its effect on a building and how the building deals with it, although the last part is so up the the lecturer to explain, I take my students on a walk though the old Birmingham to show this.
But for the mean time, take a look at how the weather creeps in, and brightens up, plus the shadows.

Dessau Bauhaus Video

You might well take some time from modern construction methods and Architecture, to view this video on the BauHaus movement.

I have long been fascinated by the ethos and the way it was set up and funded, sadly the outcome in terms of actual construction was not as good as you might expect, but its so worth the time to watch.

I have watched this twice now, which together with my past reading, I have made my private notes in Evernote.

Should we aspire to this again, I think not, but the example of some of the thought process and idealism yes, a greater understanding of materials and a more hands on approach to the physical use and assembly of materials, yes.

The Bauhaus which operated from operated from 1919 to 1933, and closed by the Nazis rise in power,  was first founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar. In spite of its name, and the fact that its founder was an architect, the Bauhaus during the first years of its existence did not have an architecture department. Nonetheless, it was founded with the idea of creating a "total" work of art in which all arts, including architecture, would eventually be brought together.

As it happens, A cool €25M has been set aside to build a major Bauhaus Museum in Dessau, Germany, the second headquarters of the influential design movement started in 1919 by modernism's grandsire Walter Gropius. The new museum in Dessau City Park, which will have a permanent collection of nearly 40,000 Bauhaus objects, will ready in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the rigorous architecture and design school. At the same time, the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin will be spending €56M to open a new museum on the site, and renovate its historic Walter Gropius-designed building.

Cold Fusion Tv - How BIG is TATA?

This might seem a strange CPD blog, but take a step back and think about who owns the best steel literature in the UK, Tata Steel, and who also owns Jaguar and Land Rover, plus Tetley Tea. Ok the construction industry might run on tea, but its not a major factor, but the steel industry is and I for one, having once worked for a steel company, ASW Allied Steel & Wire, and one who details a lot of steel structure and detailing of component that need to meet steel structure, them my interest is roused.

So I have blogged Cold Fusion Tv before, you cn see a list at the end of the Video below, its a sharp well edited video presentation, no waffle, just plain facts and great imaging.

You might want to download the steel table, after this and store in Evernote. Unfortunately I always have problems finding Tata steel table, so always go to this site RoyMech, it has the serial size, weight, then the section dims in an easy to read table, just excellent.

Can we drop 2D CAD drafting

I had a conversation with several people recently re the way we draw, and as we progress through the 3D path, would it be possible to drop 2D CAD drafting. I must admit, 90% of my work is still 2D, but I see the benefits of drawing in 3D, so perhaps the next big project will be the one I turn a corner with, and reduce the %.

But, yes it's that word again, But, even when I draw in 3D, the sections created require I draw in 2D, simply because the internal portions of any wall style is void of anything.

So here is my thoughts on getting the detail at least partially drawn, and as I use Vectorworks primarily, that what I will talk about here.

First lets look at the easiest to sort, brick coursing, we all use bricks, and their size varies from country to country, but their size is known, and the base point or the point at which coursing begins is also known.

I see two alternatives, use

• Marionette to add coursing to any section, from the base point, 
• Have the wall style, have the ability to use top of foundation, and work out the coursing.

Once one brick has been defined, as a symbol then each other is just a placement, file size is not a huge problem.

Thats the vertical problem, next is the horizontal coursing, again I see the wall style being used to defile the start point, and rules set to use only full or half bricks, to set windows and doors or any other opening.

Interestingly, I have started to look at Solibri to inspect any IFC file, perhaps we can set up a rule to check coursing and show any conflict both vertical and horizontal, windows, doors and lintel heights, truss placement.

Big Data is best

Kenneth Cukier talking on Ted, Berlin 2014, outlines how Big Data can be better, but add some warning. This is a realy good overview of data, so often we used to her about data overflow, just to much data, now the complete reverce is relevant, we just can't get enought data.

Watch the Video in full.