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Questions tagged [architecture]

63 questions
29
votes
4 answers

What is the lowest point below sealevel that we have built where a human can go?

According to google searches, the Jinping Underground Laboratories are the "deepest" building or buildings constructed, reaching 7900 feet (2400 metre) below the surface.... However, the surface in question is a mountain. While that does classify as…
Chris Gergler
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5 answers

How are passive houses made in very hot regions (like Saudi Arabia)?

I think, here is the main problem the difference between the internal and the external temperature. For example, in Saudi Arabia, in 50 C, a passive house needed probably much sophisticated planning as in Paris. Compared to the traditional cooling…
peterh
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13
votes
2 answers

Foiling vortex traps around buildings

I have had three houses with right angles in the layout, and in each one that configuration causes vortices to form that suck in leaves, snow, and any debris blowing by and keep it in the nook of the building. Rough idea in the following sketch,…
feetwet
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8
votes
1 answer

What use are those glass panels?

I often come across glass panels that are attached to the edge of the ceilings of public interior areas. What purpose do they serve?
Mat
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5
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1 answer

Wood roof specs on engineering drawing

I am trying to decipher some as-built drawings for an old wood frame building. The purpose is to generate a preliminary load takeoff. I cannot figure out what the following is saying: It looks like "3 Ply Built up roof " but the rest makes no…
user32882
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5
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5 answers

What is the term for diagonal bars which are making rectangular frame more rigid?

For example in yellow: if all bars were rectangular, the entige frame would tend to skew. To prevent this, these diagonal bars are mounted. What is the term for them?
Dims
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5
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1 answer

What is a Tibetan Style Bridge?

The Tibetan Bridge Type I have a question regarding the bridge type called "Tibetan Bridge". Recently close by my home town a new tourist attraction was built, the Highline 179 bridge. It was planned as the longest suspension bridge for…
Stefan
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5
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6 answers

Why don't public transport networks have more routes to each terminal?

When using public transport, we often need to change routes in the middle of the journey. These changes have costs – I can think of the following, but there may be more. If we're reading, working, etc. on board, we need to take a break, losing…
Yngve Høiseth
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4
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4 answers

Selectively rotating (engaging/disengaging) one of 80 couplings on a small shaft?

I've been working on this problem for years (literally) and haven't yet found a workable, scalable, pragmatic, and cost-effective solution that would allow me to selectively rotate one or more of 80 discs closely aligned on a single, rotating shaft.…
Mahmoud Al-Qudsi
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4
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1 answer

Carpet for noise reduction (tests / studies)

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, I'm not an engineer but I'd need a pro to answer my question. Short version: Are there any tests or studies, if a carpet in an apartement can reduce noise from the apartment below. I'm searching for numbers rather…
MSchmits
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3
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2 answers

How to estimate the number of elevators required in a building?

I've been asked to estimate the number of elevators in a mixed use building with 37 floors (4 basement-parking floors), & design their operation. Are their any specifications/guides/manuals that guide this ?
Altair069
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3
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Natural ways for passively cooling/heating a home?

I always think about how there surely must be natural ways to cool/heat a house, rather than using electricity, like solar panels, heaters, and AC. Does anyone have any good examples of houses/buildings that were engineered to be really effective at…
OtheJared
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1 answer

Where to start when studying Architectural Engineering by myself?

I have this idea of creating my own curriculum for studying Architectural Engineering. I aim at talking with actual architectural engineers in my surroundings and ask them for advice on the topics I should study and help me with advancing. By…
Lesley
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Does the use of the catenary in an inverted weight model imply a more solid structure?

I am studying Gaudí and how does he created some of his work. I found that he used inverted weight models (as the shown in the picture below) to recreate the catenary. In many articles it is pointed as a good practice to simplify and find a…
Kevin Mamaqi
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2
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How to make an Idol always strictly face the rising Sun?

I recently came to know that the Sun rises on a different place in the horizon everyday : https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/39670/14624 To me the change in the direction of Sun rise seems significant in certain months, as detailed in the…
happybuddha
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