Building Design Load Calculation and Pricing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing and purchasing metal buildings is time-consuming due to the need to determine specific parts and accessories that meet site-specific design load requirements, such as wind speed, snow load, and seismic limits, before a price can be quoted to customers.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that generates building design load values based on geographical location, determines suitable building dimension and accessory options, and calculates the price of building materials, allowing users to select and visualize these options through a GUI, enabling efficient selection and pricing of metal building designs that meet design load values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual determination of parts and accessories is performed to meet design load requirements, then building safety and compliance are ensured, but the design and purchasing process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores design load values for numerous geographical locations in advance. When a user inputs their location, the system retrieves pre-computed wind speed, snow load, and seismic values, eliminating the need for manual calculation during the design phase and enabling immediate configuration of compliant building options
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically determines which parts and accessories meet the design load requirements based on the user's selected geographical location and building configuration. The automated configuration system evaluates multiple options and selects compliant components without requiring manual engineering analysis, thus ensuring safety while reducing time consumption
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple building dimension options and accessories are provided to meet different design load values, then customer customization and satisfaction are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the building configuration into discrete, independently selectable modules including building dimensions, wall panels, roof panels, doors, and windows. Each component can be configured and selected separately, allowing customers to customize their building while the system manages complexity through modular parameter handling rather than complex integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the available building dimension options and accessories based on the user's selected geographical location and its associated design load values. The configuration menu updates in real-time to show only those options that meet the required wind speed, snow load, and seismic standards, providing adaptability without overwhelming the user with incompatible options
3Productivity
If automated pricing calculation is implemented for modified building models, then purchasing efficiency is improved, but calculation accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes pricing parameters and cost data for all building components, dimensions, and accessories in a database. When a user configures a building model, the system automatically retrieves these pre-stored pricing data and calculates the total cost by summing the relevant components, ensuring both speed through automation and accuracy through use of pre-verified pricing information
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously updates the pricing calculation as the user modifies building dimensions or selects different accessories. Each configuration change triggers an automatic recalculation that provides immediate feedback on the updated total cost, allowing users to see the price impact of their selections in real-time and ensuring pricing accuracy reflects the current configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method that includes generating design load values for a geographical location in response to receiving the geographical location via user identification or entry into a Graphical User Interface (GUI) displayed on a user device. The design load values include a wind speed value, a snow load value, and/or a seismic value. The method includes determining option content to include in a building design option menu to be rendered on the GUI displayed on the user device. The building design option menu includes information fields for each one of one or more building dimension options for a Three-Dimensional (3D) building model and for each one of one or more building accessory options for the 3D building model. The option content includes the one or more building dimension options and/or the one or more building accessory options that meet or exceed the design load values. The method includes determining, in response to receiving selected building dimensions and/or selected building accessories that are identified or entered by the user into the information fields, a price of building materials for the 3D building model that has been modified to include the selected building dimensions and/or the selected building accessories. The method includes causing, in response to the generating of the price of the building materials, the GUI displayed on the user device to indicate the price of the building materials and to render a view of the 3D building model that has been modified to include the selected building dimensions and/or the selected building accessories.