Bureaucratic Affairs Building Scavenger Hunt
Learn to navigate in SketchUp and use the Scene Tabs by answering the ten questions below
We have been using the SketchUp models quite a bit in hands-on training classes these days. In preparation for a class for Marriott, Barry Estes suggested that I take one of my simpler models and develop a Scavenger Hunt around it as a way to help people coming to the class get up to speed on working with SketchUp. This exercise is the result of that effort.
The files used by it area a subset of the files for the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise, so if you end up wanting to know a bit more, for instance, how the finned tube radiation system in the model works, they you can pick and choose from the files on the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise page (the 00 - Heat Exchanger Logic Modification Assignment v2.pdf file is the one with the information on how finned tube radiation works).
To do the exercise, you will need a copy of SketchUp on your laptop. The SketchUp Resources page will outline a variety of options for doing that and connect you with the necessary resources. Even if you already have SketchUp, before working with the models take a minute to review the following topics on the SketchUp Resources page:
These topics cover several common questions that come up when folks start working with the models and also highlight some features that will make it easier to navigate through and work with the models.
The files you need along with a description of what they contain follows.
The files used by it area a subset of the files for the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise, so if you end up wanting to know a bit more, for instance, how the finned tube radiation system in the model works, they you can pick and choose from the files on the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise page (the 00 - Heat Exchanger Logic Modification Assignment v2.pdf file is the one with the information on how finned tube radiation works).
To do the exercise, you will need a copy of SketchUp on your laptop. The SketchUp Resources page will outline a variety of options for doing that and connect you with the necessary resources. Even if you already have SketchUp, before working with the models take a minute to review the following topics on the SketchUp Resources page:
These topics cover several common questions that come up when folks start working with the models and also highlight some features that will make it easier to navigate through and work with the models.
The files you need along with a description of what they contain follows.
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Bureaucratic Affairs Building v10 SUv8.zip
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This is the model behind the exercise.
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Bureaucratic Affairs Building Description v2.pdf
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This file describes the history of the Bureaucratic Affairs Building from its original construction in 1946 through the various equipment upgrades and replacements and the renovation in 1984. Basically everything that has happened prior to the current EBCx study. As is the case with most existing buildings, there are things about that evolution that will provide insight into some of the current issues in the facility. So understanding the history of the building can be helpful.
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HW System Diagram.pptx
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This is the system diagram for the hot water system in the model. The portion of the system that lies in the mechanical room has yet to be developed, but when I get that done, it will look like what is portrayed in the system diagram and for the purposes of the exercise, you can assume that the system diagram reflects the actual piping in place in the building.
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Bureaucratic Affairs Building Scene Guide v9.pdf
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The model has preset views in it called "Scenes" that make it easier to navigate to different locations and perspectives. For instance, the image to the left, below is Scene 1, which is an overview of the building. The image to the right, below, is Scene 7, which is the same perspective. But in that scene, I turned off all of walls, the roof, the second floor slab, the beams, and the columns to allow you to see the piping circuit with nothing in the way.
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Once you have the files downloaded, open up the model and give it a go and see if you can answer the following questions.
- What is the size of the inlet duct on a typical terminal unit?
- How many steps are there from the first to the second floor?
- What are the hours of operation for the Department of Bureaucratic Affairs?
- Who manufactured the ladders that are being used on the project?
- Will the ladders float?
- Does the hot water system have any balance valves in it and if it does, who is the manufacturer?
- For the finned tube radiation serving the West perimeter zone (Scene 12), what would you estimate that the pressure drop was through the balance valve if the flow is 7.4 gpm?
- Can you propose a reason for the issue noted in the header picture on the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise web page. In other words, can you find a problem in the piping network that could be causing people at the East end of the 1st floor to complain of being cold when the rest of the building is comfortable?
- Are all of the terminal units the same and if not, why do you think there is a difference between them?
- Did you find any other “Easter Eggs”? If so, what did you find?
When you are done, you can watch the video below in which I navigate through the model to reveal the answers to the questions.
