Abbas Aminmansour

Utilizing the best of today's technologies to better educate engineers of tomorrow

Multimedia technology integrates the computing power of computers, with potentials offered by media such as full-motion video, sound, text, graphics, and animation. Use of this technology allows developers to take advantage of the flexibility, effectiveness, and innovations in a number of technologies to produce tools that enhance the teaching/learning process in a variety of fields. A project is under way to develop a multimedia book for a first course in structural steel design offered by civil and architectural engineering programs. The software, currently being tested at The Pennsylvania State University, is being developed with collaboration of a number of sources including the American Institute of Steel Construction, and is expected to be distributed widely upon its completion in 1996.

Sustainability impact of tall buildings: thinking outside the box!

Tall buildings are not intrinsically sustainable. They consume a higher rate of construction material per unit floor area; have a higher rate of energy consumption and are considered to be less economical than their shorter counterparts. However, while such analyses may be correct in a literal sense, a more wide-ranging and holistic examination of tall buildings points to the fact that they do indeed contribute considerably to the sustainability of our environment. The key is that, unlike low rise buildings, the sustainability impact of tall buildings reaches far beyond their physical boundaries. This paper offers a broad review of the facts surrounding sustainability impact of tall buildings in the urban and suburban context. It provides a comprehensive overview of consumption of structural and other materials and resources; impact on infrastructure; reduced generation of pollution; overall economy; improved quality of life and benefits to the society. A comprehensive study of such factors will not only help develop a better understanding of the true sustainability impact

Preliminary Design of a Special Monumental Structure

In late 1970s internationally renowned artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude deigned a Mastaba for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A mastaba (Arabic word for a bench) resembles a truncated pyramid with two vertical walls and two inclined walls. The proposed structure measures 150 meters in height and is 300 meters by 225 meters at the base. It is large enough to house the largest Egyptian pyramid in Giza inside it. The artists designed the proposed monument as an enclosure only with no utilization of the space inside at any time. The Mastaba of UAE is to be located in a seismic zone covered on all four sides as well as the roof with about 400,000 horizontally placed 55-gallon steel oil barrels of varying brilliant colors acting as facade. Given that the entire Mastaba is a work of art, the patterns of barrel colors are established by the artists. The proposed monument is to stand alone with no facilities within the vicinity of the structure.

Interactive multimedia technology and engineering education: A case study

A project is underway at the Pennsylvania State University to develop the Steel Design Educational Module (SteelDEM), an interactive multimedia computer application for teaching/learning of design and development of steel structures. The module will cover different structural steel members, their behavior, limit states, and design. The effects of different variables on the physical behavior and strength of members will be studied through use of graphics, animations, text and video of different situations as well as discussions of design specifications, formulas, and plots. SteelDEM will contain a number of sections. Within each section, the module will contain a variety of materials including exercises of different difficulty levels to ensure a better understanding of the subject matter.<<ETX>>