The entire Thesis project has been a constant learning experience like any class should be.However Thesis is different because there are no set class times only set goals.This prepared me for life after graduation like no other class could by allowing me to better budget my time.Thesis combines learned material from multiple if not all courses taken in the AE dept. to both analyze and design building systems.Being a structural option I analyzed the existing structural system of One City Center then created a new system.

 

Fall semester the existing system was analyzed under various loading conditions.This was an excellent way to familiarize myself with how structural drawings look and are organized.It also showed me how typical members and plans are detailed on design documents.

 

During the spring semester a new structural system was proposed and designed.The work done in this semester was more difficult not only because there is innately more calculations in design than analysis but also because I had to understand how all of the structural members acted together as a unit.How load paths and load combinations would be established and if the designs that were generated were reasonable.Furthermore I taught myself the basics of blast design and progressive collapse design for my proposed system.

 

Overall Thesis is a great way to teach self-reliance, confidence, time management and articulation of work.Even though all of these lessons are learned alone the AE faculty along with my fellow peers were always willing to assist me in my Thesis.