A site visit to Pickaway County Library

Last week I had an opportunity to stop at the library and snap a few images of the project. Construction is almost complete on this renovation/new addition.  The project was phased to allow the library to remain open during construction. Submittting for LEED CI certification, the lighting contributed significantly to the energy efficiency of the space with a lighting power density of 20% less than energy code.

    

Color Plotting

Tec is moving up in the technology world. Friday we installed a new Oce Colorwave 600 plotter. The Colorwave is a full-size, full-color plotter with an innovative print system. Rather than ink or toner, it uses a system of wax balls infused with color. When a plot is made, the wax drops into the machine, is melted and applied to the paper. It dries instantly, is durable, water resistant, and brilliant in color. The print head move in a wave pattern, eliminating the lines you see on ink jet printers.

We also bought a large format color scanner.  As engineers finish schematic design markups, they can scan in the drawing and send it to the architect for review. 

This new equipment will expedite some of the processes we have been doing through other means. 

To Bim or Not To Bim…

Buildings have been constructed from drawings for thousands of years.  The first plans were probably sketched in the dirt, followed shortly by etchings on stone tablets.  Ancient Greeks used geometry and required advanced tools such as compasses and triangles to complete their plans.  The Renaissance brought further advancement through the use of advanced geometry and perspective.  In the 18th Century, architects used conventions of plan, elevation and section in design and production control.   Computerized drafting was the next major advancement, most recently developing into BIM (Building Information Modeling).  References from Wikipedia.

Deciding to make the move to BIM software, and choosing the best software, is a huge undertaking.  There are multiple products available, though two that lead the pack – Autodesk Revit and Bentley Microstation.  Revit has the mainstream hold, while Microstation seems to be the preferred platform of government and military entities.  

Here at Tec has been using Microstation for a few military projects, and it is not the most user friendly package.  It also doesn’t appear to be as complete or polished as Revit.  When required, we’ll complete projects in Microstation, but we have decided to standardize on the Autodesk Revit MEP Suite. 

Tec Inc. Engineering & Design in Revit

This was a big step forward for us, not to mention a big chunk of change $.  There is likely to be a substantial learning curve, particularly among those less versed in CAD.  There is also, likely to be a learning curve with our clients who are using Revit.  Although great in concept, it is probably not as simple as “one-click” coordination.  

Farewell Tucker

Tucker | April 23, 2002- May 5, 2011

Tucker, the friendly golden retriever, and faithful companion to Pam & Terry Kilbourne, passed away last night, Thursday, May 5th after fighting a valiant battle with cancer. After a very positive chemotherapy treatment and excellent follow-up results he suffered a frightfully rapid and severe setback Tuesday morning, May 3rd, He fought hard the next three days, but ultimately succumbed to the complications. Pam, Terry and Tucker’s sister, Molly were with him when he passed. Tucker loved to carry around stuffed animals and to chase real animals. He also loved to walk to Starbucks with Terry on Sunday morning. When at home, Tucker loved to curl up on the couch with Pam. Tucker was regular at Tec and has been known to swipe a sandwich or other food left unsupervised.

Tucker is survived by his sister, Molly (with Pam & Terry) and two brothers, Riley and Seamus (belonging to Kerri Kilbourne). He will be missed.

 

Tucker's Clean Bill of Health

For the past 3 months Tucker has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer. He recently completed his last treatment. His three week check up came back clean. He is definitely showing signs of feeling better. He caught two squirrels in the yard to celebrate his 9th birthday.